Central Europe / News
Hungary unveils rescue package for farmers hit by drought and heatwave
Government says €291mn rescue package intended to provide immediate financial relief and strengthen the resilience of the agricultural sector long-term.
Ukraine turns to hunting Russia's missile launchers as its interceptors run dry
Russia fired 24 ballistic missiles, four Zircon or Onyx cruise missiles and 115 drones at Kyiv and the surrounding region overnight on August 5, killing 17 people and injuring 44, part of a pattern of attacks that has pushed Ukraine, now out of...
Ukraine faces $3bn grain export loss as Russia's blockade empties Odesa of ships
Ukraine's alternative grain export routes will not reach the capacity needed to compensate for Russia's blockade of Black Sea ports until the end of August at the earliest, and even then will cover only half the volume normally handled through...
Slovakia’s spy agency SIS ranked worst in Europe
French weekly L’Express described SIS head Pavol Gašpar as “a spy in flip-flops”.
Hungary's prime minister seeks political unity as energy crisis deepens
Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar urged political parties, businesses and households to reduce energy consumption to avoid supply disruptions caused by the imminent shutdown of the Paks nuclear power plant.
Slovenia’s NLB fails to secure majority backing for Addiko bank takeover
Raiffeisen Bank International succeeded in securing a majority stake in Addiko through its competing takeover offer, effectively ending NLB's attempt to acquire control of the lender.
Hungary avoids mandatory power curbs as voluntary savings ease pressure on grid
Voluntary energy savings ease pressure on power system following sharp reduction in output at the Paks nuclear power plant.
Turkey takes Russian firefighting jets while sanctions leave Spain's grounded
Russia has sent two Be-200 amphibious firefighting aircraft to Turkey following a request from Turkish authorities, as wildfires burn across the country. Spain has Russian firefighting helicopters it can't use thanks to sanctions.
Hungary to deploy emergency measures to avoid energy crisis as Paks NPP could be shut down within days
The shutdown of Paks nuclear power plant due to record-low Danube water levels would remove electricity output equal to 40% of consumption.
Likely Russian Kh-101 missile crashes in eastern Poland
A missile believed to be a Russian Kh-101 cruise missile crossed into Nato member Poland and appears to have exploded in a field near Lublin leaving a large crater but causing no casualties or reported damage.
Hungary shuts down one reactor at Paks NPP in an unprecedented move as Danube hits record-low levels
Extreme low level of Danube forced Hungary to take a 500 MW reactor at the Paks nuclear plant offline for the first time, reducing capacity by 40%.
Record low water levels halt Danube shipping
The drought in Central Europe has brought water freight transport to a standstill on much of the Danube.
Hungary reviews BYD deal after revealing billions in undisclosed state support
Government suspects ex-PM Viktor Orban's administration committed over €175mn in state-funded infrastructure investment and an undisclosed direct subsidy to Chinese electric vehicle maker BYD.
Former PM Morawiecki's faction splits from Poland’s PiS before crucial election
Poland’s largest opposition party fractured after former Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki and his allies refused an ultimatum from Law and Justice leader Jarosław Kaczyński to abandon an in-party association.
Hungary's Viktor Orban calls for "national resistance" in first major speech after election defeat
Former PM Viktor Orban used his annual address at the Baile Tusnad summer university in Romania to outline his Fidesz party's strategy after its April election defeat.
Lithuania drafts contingency plan in case AirBaltic scales back operations
Lithuania is preparing contingency measures in case Latvia's AirBaltic reduces services or withdraws from the country.
Czech PM Babiš leads business delegation to Serbia to boost investment ties
Czech PM Andrej Babiš took a 50-company business delegation to Belgrade, with bilateral trade at €2.3bn and Czech investment in Serbia above €640mn since 2010. Prague wants a larger share of Serbian infrastructure work.
Estonian meat producer Rannarootsi denies anti-Russian messaging in grill advert
Estonian meat processor Rannarootsi has refused to withdraw a grill advert accused of carrying anti-Russian messaging, with its chief executive saying the onion slogan referred only to the product's ingredients.
RBI reaches takeover threshold in Addiko bid as battle with NLB enters final week
Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI) has reached the minimum acceptance threshold for its takeover bid for Vienna-based Addiko Bank, but rival bidder, Slovenia’s NLB.
Polish farm exports to Mercosur rise as controversial agreement takes effect
Polish agri-food exports to Mercosur rose 28% year on year to €5.9mn in May, the first month of provisional application of the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, while imports fell 13.3% to about €141mn, preliminary Agriculture Ministry data showed.