Ansa news

(ANSA-AFP) - LJUBLJANA, 08 OTT - Four months after nationalist Prime Minister Janez Jansa took office in Slovenia, a series of referendum votes will test support for his reforms decried by the opposition as "authoritarian". Jansa -- a political veteran and admirer of US President Donald Trump -- came to power after liberal ex-prime minister Robert Golob failed to form a government despite his party's narrow victory in March parliamentary elections. Promising a "cheaper state but with better quality",…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 08 OTT - According to Greek government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis, an agreement was reached during the sixth round of the US-Greece Strategic Dialogue, which took place yesterday in Athens, for the sale of US military equipment through the "Foreign Military Sales" programme. The $4 billion deal aims to support Greece's long-term defence planning. The announcement comes after US Secretary of State Marco Rubio's official visit to Greece, where he met with Foreign Minister Giorgos…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 08 OTT - Another enlargement, 'Super Tuesday,' is scheduled for October 13, following the General Affairs Council's meeting. A series of intergovernmental conferences are planned by the EU to advance accession negotiations with Albania, Montenegro, Moldova, and Ukraine. The goal for Ukraine is to open Clusters 2 ('Internal Market') and 3 ('Competitiveness and Inclusive Growth'). An EU diplomatic source notes that, while the aim is to open these two clusters, but "the situation…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 08 OTT - "France and Germany understand the cost of war, the need for reconciliation, and the importance of peace. History has sealed our friendship as a source of strength and hope for all of Europe. Welcome to your state visit, President Frank-Walter Steinmeier—dear friend," wrote French President Emmanuel Macron in a message posted on X for Steinmeier's visit to France. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 08 OTT - A knife attack occurred at an elementary school in Leszczydół-Nowiny, near Wyszków, Poland, killing a woman and injuring two others. According to police, the attacker is a 15-year-old boy who was a former student at the school and is currently in police custody. According to authorities, the boy entered the school at 9 a.m. with a knife and injured three staff members, including the 37-year-old woman (identified by media as a school custodian) and the principal, who…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 07 OTT - "The numerous issues raised at this meeting demonstrate how important it is for Europe as a whole to pay close attention to its southern shore. Clearly, in times like these, we tend to focus heavily on the eastern flank, but we must not forget the importance of our southern flank as well," said Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni following the Med9 summit in Split. She thanked the Croatian Presidency for "the very intelligent handling of the topics addressed at this meeting—which…

(ANSA) - BRUSSELS, 07 OTT - "It is a pleasure to be in beautiful Split for this year's Med9 summit. The Mediterranean is the blue heart of our Union. We are working hard to ensure a prosperous, resilient, and sustainable future for the region—addressing the issue of energy costs, discussing EU enlargement, and promoting sustainable, integrated economies," Commission President Ursula von der Leyen wrote on X. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 07 OTT - Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has arrived at Split's Saint Jerome Airport to attend the Med9 summit. The Prime Minister was greeted by Andreja Metelko-Zgombic, Croatia's State Secretary for Europe, and Paolo Trichilo, Italy's Ambassador to Croatia. Meloni and other leaders will be welcomed by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković at the Radisson Blu in Split, where the summit will take place. The summit agenda includes two sessions: one from 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM and…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 07 OTT - "For the Western Balkans, the possibilities for gradual integration into the European Union prior to accession [are] more limited," said European Commissioner for Enlargement Marta Kos during a hearing before the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee. The Commissioner stated that the issue would need to be "assessed in detail based on the specific sector" and that the plan is to rely "on current European treaties and what they allow," while pushing "as far as…

(ANSA-AFP) - PRISTINA, 07 OTT - Parliament elected Kosovo's new president in the early hours of Wednesday, ending a long running political crisis. The late-night vote narrowly met a deadline whose violation could have triggered Kosovo's fourth general election in less than two years. In a carefully negotiated deal with the opposition, Prime Minister Albin Kurti's government secured the two-thirds majority needed to elect Justina Shiroka Pula as president. Opposition MPs agreed to back the presidential…

(ANSA-AFP) - SOFIA, 06 OTT - The crew of a ship that sank off Bulgaria following a drone attack "remains missing", Bulgarian Prime Minister Rumen Radev said on Tuesday. A boat that rushed to the scene discovered overturned life rafts and life jackets, but no members of the sunken ship's crew have been found so far, Radev told reporters, without specifying how many people were missing. Two ships were hit in drone attacks Tuesday off Bulgaria. (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 06 OTT - Italian President Sergio Mattarella expressed confidence in Lithuania's upcoming EU presidency during a meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda at the Quirinale. "The depth of our historical and current ties facilitates cooperation and is reflected in the quality of our relationships. At this time—in a complex international situation, to put it mildly—our countries' contributions are critical," the Italian President added, emphasising "our wisdom, clarity,…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 06 OTT - Future EU accession treaties must include a "specific institutional safeguard" to intervene in "serious violations" of the EU's fundamental values and the principle of genuine cooperation by a new member state. This is one of the EU Commission's proposals included in the package intended to prepare the Union for enlargement. "In the most serious cases, measures could include a suspension of voting rights in the Council." Among the new measures is the possibility—"for…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 06 OTT - Tensions were high outside the Kosovo Assembly, where police responded to protesters launching fireworks with special units and tear gas. Eight people were injured, including a police officer, and traffic on the main road came to a halt. The protest coincides with the final vote on amendments to the law governing the Hague-based Special Court and the election of the country's president. On Monday, the Assembly approved a draft proposal, backed by the Democratic Party…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 05 OTT - Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša met today at Palazzo Chigi. According to Palazzo Chigi's statement, the two leaders "shared the goal of elevating their bilateral partnership to a strategic level through the upcoming adoption of an Action Plan focused on priority sectors such as defence, energy, connectivity, research and innovation, and culture." According to the statement, the conversation provided an opportunity to discuss…

(ANSA) - TARVISIO, OCT 5 - Mobility, work-life balance, and working from home. These are among the main challenges facing the labor market in Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Carinthia (Austria). "This region has seen a steady increase in cross-border workers over the years—especially from the mountainous areas of Friuli-Venezia Giulia heading to Carinthia—and this trend particularly affects the technology-intensive manufacturing sector, research and development, and the tourism sector," as specified…

(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, 05 OTT - Germany's foreign intelligence chief warned Monday that the country risks being drawn into a conflict with Russia as hybrid attacks ordered by Moscow increase. Martin Jaeger, head of Germany's BND spy service, told lawmakers that Russia's undeclared "shadow war" against Germany and its allies was escalating further and has "taken on a new, more dangerous character". "Germany is at risk of being drawn into a violent conflict with Russia," he said at a hearing of parliament's…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 05 OTT - "The Italian position has gained traction throughout Europe. Séjourné [the EU Commission Executive Vice-President for Prosperity and Industrial Strategy - Ed.] confirmed to me in writing just a few hours ago that they are ready to act, based on the points raised in our non-paper—which has also been endorsed by Germany, France, Spain, Poland, and Slovakia," said Adolfo Urso, the Minister of Enterprises and Made in Italy, reportedly stated during the meeting on Electrolux…

(ANSA-AFP) - SARAJEVO, 05 OTT - The former president of Bosnia's Serb statelet, Milorad Dodik, said his party had retained power in the entity and its seat on the shared presidency, as preliminary results showed a drop in turnout for Bosnia's general elections. Dodik led the declarations for a dizzying number of posts to be decided in the general elections in a complex system that has held the partitioned Balkan country together since the 1995 peace deal. The key race was for the tripartite presidency,…

(ANSA) - VILNIUS, OCT 5 - United List, the party of Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, won the parliamentary elections in Latvia with 35.3% of the vote (42 seats), an increase of 24.2% compared to the 2022 elections. This was announced by the Latvian Central Election Commission after receiving the results from 99.99% of the ballots. The populist movements finished well behind: First, Latvia (13.1%, 17 seats) and Sovereign Power (11.7%, 15 seats). The center-right National Alliance party came in fourth…

(ANSA-AFP) - SARAJEVO, 04 OTT - The former president of Bosnia's Serb statelet, Milorad Dodik, said his party had retained power in the entity and its seat on the shared presidency, as preliminary results showed a drop in turnout for Bosnia's general elections. It was the first major declaration for a dizzying number of posts to be decided in the general elections in a complex system that has held the partitioned Balkan country together since the 1995 peace deal. The key race is for the tripartite…

(ANSA-AFP) - RIGA, OCT 4 - Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs' center-right party is on track to win Latvia's parliamentary elections, according to preliminary results, suggesting that the country will maintain its pro-European and pro-Ukrainian stance. However, populist parties—bolstered by support from Latvia's Russian-speaking minority—also performed well at the end of an election campaign dominated by fears related to neighboring Russia and the cost of living. Kulbergs' party, "United List,"…

(ANSA-AFP) - RIGA, 04 OTT - Il partito di centrodestra del Primo ministro Andris Kulbergs si avvia alla vittoria nelle elezioni parlamentari lettoni, secondo i risultati parziali, il che suggerisce che il Paese manterrà la sua linea filo-europea e filo-ucraina. Tuttavia, anche i partiti populisti - forti del sostegno della minoranza russofona della Lettonia - hanno ottenuto un buon risultato al termine di una campagna elettorale dominata dai timori legati alla vicina Russia e al costo della vita.…

(ANSA-AFP) - SARAJEVO, OCT 4 - Today, Bosnians are heading to the polls for general elections, against a backdrop of years of political turmoil and deep divisions among communities, and in the absence of concrete solutions to the decline in purchasing power. Approximately 3.4 million voters are called upon to elect representatives for a complex institutional framework—the result of the 1995 peace agreement—based on power-sharing among Bosniaks (Muslims), Croats (Catholics), and Serbs (Orthodox).…

(ANSA-AFP) - BELGRADE, 02 OTT - Bosnia and Herzegovina votes in general elections on Sunday. The Balkan country is divided into two entities — the Serb-majority Republika Srpska and the Bosniak-Croat Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina — linked by relatively limited central institutions. Voters will elect the three members of the country's Presidency, whose chairmanship rotates among its Bosniak, Croat and Serb members, as well as the 42 members of the House of Representatives of the Parliamentary…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 02 OTT - Persistent dry conditions and heatwaves have contributed to a particularly active wildfire season. According to the European Forest Fire Information System, the area burnt in the European Union by September 2 had nearly doubled the 2006-2025 average for that time of year, with Spain and France seeing the most activity. The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) reported that wildfire emissions in Europe at the end of the summer were among the ten highest since…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 01 OTT - The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) announced today that an investment will make Montenegro's main railway link between the Port of Bar, Podgorica, and the border with Serbia safer and more dependable. The state-owned railway company of Montenegro will be able to fund the rehabilitation of the 39 km Golubovci-Bar section of the line with a €50 million loan from the EBRD. Eleven bridges, three train stations, and the tracks will all be renewed…

(ANSA-AFP) - SARAJEVO, 01 OTT - Former Bosnian Serb president and war crimes convict Biljana Plavsic, known as the 'Iron Lady', has died in the Serbian capital on Thursday, aged 96, local media reported. Plavsic surrendered to a UN war crimes tribunal in The Hague in 2001 after learning that she was the subject of a secret indictment. In 2003, the court sentenced her to 11 years in prison after she admitted playing a leading role in a campaign of persecution against Croats and Bosniak Muslims during…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 01 OTT - "In the near future—meaning within five to ten years—the North Adriatic ports (not just Trieste and Monfalcone, but also Venice, Ravenna, Koper in Slovenia, and Rijeka in Croatia) will have to cooperate. Despite their competition, these ports continue to share "common interests and a common target market—Europe, Central Europe, Eastern Europe, and the Balkans—as well as a shared goal of increasing volumes." This is the scenario outlined by Marco Consalvo, President…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, 01 OTT - Johann Wadephul, the German Foreign Minister, is optimistic that Montenegro's EU accession process will be completed quickly. During discussions with colleagues as part of the "Berlin Process," which deals with the proposed EU enlargement into the Western Balkans, the CDU politician said that the nation is knocking on the door of the European Union twenty years after gaining independence. "Those who are ready and able to join the European Union and meet the criteria can…