https://www.scmp.com/rss/524407/feed Robert Fico is a prominent Slovak politician, currently serving his fourth term as Prime Minister. He founded and leads the Direction – Social Democracy (Smer-SD) party since 1999, having previously served as Prime Minister from 2006-2010 and 2012-2018, making him the longest-serving in Slovakia’s history. With a background in law, he was also a Member of Parliament and represented Slovakia at the European Court of Human Rights. Known for his populist, left-wing, and conservative views, Fico’s... en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Reuters Reuters European Union leaders failed to convince Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Thursday to lift his blockade on a €90 billion (US$103 billion) EU loan to help Ukraine keep up its fight against Russia’s invasion. After a summit in Brussels, several leaders voiced deep frustration with Orban, who has cited a dispute over a war-damaged pipeline to justify blocking the implementation of the loan agreed back in December. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz accused Orban - who maintains cordial ties... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347233/eu-leaders-clash-hungarys-orban-blocking-ukraine-loan?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3347233/eu-leaders-clash-hungarys-orban-blocking-ukraine-loan?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 20 Mar 2026 02:27:20 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press Hungary threatened to block a new package of European Union sanctions against Russia and to stall efforts to help Ukraine until Russian oil deliveries to Hungary resume. The EU’s foreign ministers are set to meet in Brussels on Monday to discuss the bloc’s 20th round of sanctions against Moscow, a measure they hope will be approved in time to coincide with the fourth anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Tuesday. In a video posted to social media on Sunday, Hungarian Foreign Minister... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344273/hungary-spoils-eu-attempt-russia-sanctions-package-over-oil-flows?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3344273/hungary-spoils-eu-attempt-russia-sanctions-package-over-oil-flows?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 22 Feb 2026 14:19:20 +0000 Finbarr Bermingham Finbarr Bermingham After a weekend of US President Donald Trump threatening to slap tariffs on EU countries for opposing his drive to acquire Greenland, the question on European lips on Monday was: will the bloc finally punch back? A string of national leaders has come out against the US president’s gambit, part of a long-running campaign to make the giant autonomous Danish territory part of America, with speculation mounting that the use of duties could trigger European retaliation. To keep Trump engaged in... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340459/punch-back-or-punching-bag-eu-weighs-response-trumps-greenland-tariff-threat?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3340459/punch-back-or-punching-bag-eu-weighs-response-trumps-greenland-tariff-threat?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:46:41 +0000 Associated Press Associated Press The European Union on Friday indefinitely froze Russia’s assets in Europe to ensure that Hungary and Slovakia, both with Moscow-friendly governments, cannot prevent the billions of euros from being used to support Ukraine. Using a special procedure meant for economic emergencies, the EU blocked the assets until Russia gives up its war on Ukraine and compensates its neighbour for the heavy damage that it has inflicted for almost four years. EU Council President Antonio Costa said European leaders... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336297/eu-indefinitely-freezes-russian-assets-so-hungary-and-slovakia-cant-veto-their-use-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3336297/eu-indefinitely-freezes-russian-assets-so-hungary-and-slovakia-cant-veto-their-use-ukraine?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 12 Dec 2025 18:39:11 +0000 Bloomberg Bloomberg Italy’s centre-left opposition is testing out a big-tent alliance, guessing it’s the best way to unseat Giorgia Meloni at the next general election. The rest is still being worked out. The alliance pulls together parties with disparate political beliefs – the centre-left Democrats, the populist Five Star Movement, the left-wing Greens and Left Alliance and several smaller groups. The goal is to rally behind single, strategically chosen candidates and consolidate the anti-Meloni vote. The plan... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333843/italian-left-gathers-anti-meloni-campaign-despite-rivalries?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3333843/italian-left-gathers-anti-meloni-campaign-despite-rivalries?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 23 Nov 2025 08:38:35 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The party of billionaire ex-premier Andrej Babis topped the Czech general election on Saturday with 97 per cent of the vote counted, according to official results. His ANO (Yes) party, campaigning on pledges of welfare and halting military aid to Ukraine, scored 35.2 per cent of the vote in a country of 10.9 million people. The Together grouping of outgoing Prime Minister Petr Fiala came second with 22.9 per cent, ahead of its coalition partner STAN with 11.1 per cent. A total of six parties... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327891/czech-republics-trumpist-ex-pm-set-win-vote-putting-ukraine-aid-doubt?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3327891/czech-republics-trumpist-ex-pm-set-win-vote-putting-ukraine-aid-doubt?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 04 Oct 2025 12:52:51 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim Brilliant. Pivotal. Very well held. That is how some countries described the massive military parade in the heart of the Chinese capital on Wednesday. But these countries are either some of China’s closest neighbours or part of the developing world – a group that Beijing has long sought to influence. Elsewhere, particularly in the West, the reaction was more critical. The parade had a dual effect – it marked 80 years since the end of World War II and showcased China’s growing military might and... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324194/reviews-are-chinas-allies-give-top-marks-parade-west-not-won-over?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3324194/reviews-are-chinas-allies-give-top-marks-parade-west-not-won-over?utm_source=rss_feed Wed, 03 Sep 2025 12:00:07 +0000 Dewey Sim Dewey Sim America’s envoy to Beijing is expected to skip China’s military parade next week, joining what appears to be a concerted effort by Western missions to opt out of the grand event despite Chinese pressure. The South China Morning Post has learned from multiple sources that US ambassador David Perdue is unlikely to attend the parade that China is holding in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on Wednesday to commemorate the end of World War II. It is unclear if the US embassy would instead dispatch another... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323677/us-ambassador-china-expected-skip-beijing-military-parade-sources?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3323677/us-ambassador-china-expected-skip-beijing-military-parade-sources?utm_source=rss_feed Fri, 29 Aug 2025 12:00:09 +0000 Orange Wang Orange Wang Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico has confirmed he will attend China’s World War II commemorations next month, making him the first EU leader to publicly announce his plans to be at the event, which will feature a military parade in Tiananmen Square. “Apparently, I will visit China again on the occasion of the celebration of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II,” Fico said in a video posted on his private social media account on Sunday. “I would like to use this visit to confirm joint... https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320676/slovak-pm-robert-fico-attend-chinas-wwii-commemorations-amid-eu-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3320676/slovak-pm-robert-fico-attend-chinas-wwii-commemorations-amid-eu-tensions?utm_source=rss_feed Mon, 04 Aug 2025 09:55:16 +0000 Agence France-Presse Agence France-Presse The EU’s 27 leaders on Thursday agreed to extend sanctions on Russia for another six months, resolving fears that Kremlin-friendly Hungary would let the measures lapse, officials said. The decision at a summit in Brussels means that the EU’s sweeping sanctions over the war in Ukraine, including the freezing of more than €200 billion (US$234 billion) in Russian central bank assets, will remain in force until at least early 2026. It comes after officials said they were preparing contingency plans... https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3316007/eu-leaders-agree-prolong-sanctions-russia-another-6-months?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/news/world/europe/article/3316007/eu-leaders-agree-prolong-sanctions-russia-another-6-months?utm_source=rss_feed Thu, 26 Jun 2025 22:27:36 +0000