Politics
Tisza party nominates former judge András Baka for Hungarian presidency
Parliament will vote next Tuesday on the nomination of a jurist removed by Orbán's government in 2011, a move the European Court of Human Rights later ruled unlawful.
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Rule of Law
Judicial independence, media freedom and the conditionality mechanisms the European Union uses to tie funds to democratic standards.
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World
Boris Nadezhdin flees to Paris as Kremlin tightens pre-election grip
The last prominent anti-war figure in Russian public life has left the country after detention, foreign-agent designation and exclusion from September's parliamentary vote.
Politics
EU Commission defends Sahel envoy process after Slovenia blocks Fajon nomination
The European Commission says it followed procedure in selecting Tanja Fajon as EU Special Representative for the Sahel, but the nomination was withdrawn after Slovenia's new government objected and filed criminal charges against the former foreign minister.
Politics
Poland seeks US extradition of former justice minister Ziobro on corruption charges
Warsaw has formally requested Washington arrest and hand over Zbigniew Ziobro, who faces 19 charges including leading a criminal group within the justice ministry and deploying Pegasus spyware against opponents.
Politics
Meloni's Italy faces scrutiny over democratic drift as 2027 election looms
A France 24 investigation examines pressure on courts, media and abortion access, while the government balances migration crackdowns with half a million new work visas for labour-hungry employers.
Politics
Moldova parliament elects Vasile Tofan as prime minister to drive EU accession
Financier backed by President Sandu wins 53-21 vote, inherits mandate to advance membership talks and restructure economy after predecessor's abrupt resignation
Politics
Merz warns US over $3m grant scheme targeting European elections
German chancellor says foreign financing of political parties is illegal as State Department launches programme framed around 'civilizational heritage' and 'lawfare'
Politics
Merz warns US against election interference as Trump funds European civil society
German chancellor rejects nearly $5 million State Department programme targeting 'Western civilisational heritage' weeks before key regional vote where AfD leads polls.
Politics
Marine Le Pen faces appeal verdict that could bar her from 2027 presidential race
Paris appeal court rules Tuesday on whether to uphold a five-year ineligibility sentence that would exclude the National Rally leader from her strongest-ever shot at the Élysée, while her protégé Jordan Bardella waits in the wings.
Politics
EU prepares Serbia reward package as Vučić calls snap elections
Brussels drafts incentives after Belgrade scales back contested judicial laws, but the Serbian president's surprise resignation announcement complicates the timing of any new cluster opening.
Politics
Romanian president nominates prime minister without parliamentary consultation
Nicusor Dan's surprise choice of Adrian Vestea breaks constitutional convention and splits his own party, leaving Romania's pro-European forces fragmented as far-right support grows.
Politics
Hungary's Tisza government moves to dismantle Fidesz media empire with new public broadcasting law
Legislation would abolish the existing public media body, create an independent oversight board with equal government and opposition representation, and open senior posts to competition as pro-Fidesz outlets shed staff and revenue.
Politics
Orbán vows to fight EU from opposition after election defeat
Former Hungarian prime minister appears in Brussels insisting his political project continues despite losing power, as new government prepares to reclaim billions in frozen funds.
Politics
EU opens accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova after Hungary lifts veto
Intergovernmental conference in Luxembourg launches formal negotiations on five policy clusters, marking the start of a process that typically takes years and requires sweeping reforms in both candidate countries.
Europe
Hungary's Tisza government submits anti-corruption package to unlock frozen EU funds
The 109-page legislative programme targets asset declarations, public procurement and hidden oligarch wealth, going beyond the European Commission's 27 super milestones that Orbán's governments failed to meet.
Politics
EU migration pact takes effect as Taliban delegation prepares for Brussels talks
New asylum rules allowing offshore processing and child detention become operational on 12 June while the Commission readies first formal meeting with Afghan authorities since 2021.
Politics
Hungary's Magyar visits Poland to reset relations after Orban era
Peter Magyar's first foreign trip as prime minister signals a pro-European pivot, but asylum granted to wanted Polish officials and frozen EU funds complicate the reset.
Politics
Budapest mayor says Hungary can become normal European country after Orbán era
Gergely Karácsony tells how the capital preserved democratic resistance during 16 years of Fidesz rule and why the new Tisza government must fix Budapest's finances, scrap the Buda Castle ministry complex and reinvent the opposition.
Politics
European observers record voters turned away over photo ID confusion in English local elections
Council of Europe delegation notes incidents at polling stations but says problem not widespread; Electoral Commission cites 90% awareness rate from May 2025
Politics
Hungary and Bulgaria elections reshape EU eastern flank as Orbán era ends
Peter Magyar's victory in Hungary opens door to €22 billion in frozen funds while Bulgaria's eighth election in five years returns a president aligned with Moscow, testing Brussels' ability to enforce rule of law across the bloc.
Politics
Magyar seeks €10bn EU funds unlock before August deadline
Hungary's incoming prime minister meets von der Leyen and Costa in Brussels to restart frozen funding and reset relations after Orban's 16-year rule ended in April landslide.
Politics
Romanian Social Democrats ally with far right, testing Socialist credibility in Brussels
PSD's vote with AUR to topple the centrist government exposes a gap between the centre-left's European rhetoric and national coalition realities, with Greens and liberals demanding clarity on where the red line now lies.
Politics
Romanian socialists and far right unite to topple minority government
PSD and AUR announce joint no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, but fall 14 seats short of a parliamentary majority as the country's political fragmentation deepens.
Politics
EU delegation arrives in Budapest as Orbán era ends and Magyar seeks frozen funds
European Commission officials landed in Budapest on Friday for reset talks with Hungary's incoming government, weeks before Péter Magyar takes office, with €17bn in frozen funds and a €90bn Ukraine loan hanging in the balance.
Politics
Magyar's landslide win opens uncertain path for Hungary's EU reset
Peter Magyar's Tisza party swept to power promising to end 16 years of confrontation with Brussels, but a 5.5% budget deficit and zero Maastricht compliance mean economic repair will be slow and conditional.
Politics
Péter Magyar wins Hungarian election with two-thirds majority ending Orbán era
The 45-year-old former insider's Tisza Party secured a constitutional majority on Sunday, promising to unlock frozen EU funds and restore democratic checks after 16 years of Viktor Orbán's rule.
Politics
Von der Leyen urges end to national veto on EU foreign policy after Orbán defeat
European Commission president says Hungarian election result creates momentum for qualified majority voting, but member states are likely to resist surrendering control over sanctions and Ukraine funding.
Politics
Hungary elects Peter Magyar with two-thirds majority ending Orban era
Pro-European Tisza party wins 138 of 199 seats on record 80% turnout, promising constitutional reform and renewed EU ties after 16 years of Viktor Orban's rule.
Politics
Germany accuses JD Vance of election interference hypocrisy over Hungary vote
Berlin counters US vice president's claim that Brussels meddled in Hungarian election, noting his own Budapest visit days before the ballot amounted to endorsement of Viktor Orbán.
Politics
Orban's far-right allies rally in Budapest as polls show him trailing opposition
Viktor Orban hosted Marine Le Pen, Geert Wilders and other European nationalist leaders days before the April 12 election, but only 2,000 supporters attended while his party trails the Tisza opposition by a wide margin amid corruption and Russian influence scandals.
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