Ansa news

(ANSA) - ROME, 18 MAG - With counts at more than 95 percent pro-EU candidate and reformist mayor of Bucharest Nicusor Dan has won the presidential elections in Romania. According to the Digi24 portal, Dan registered 54.3 percent of the vote against 45.6 percent for ultra-right leader George Simion. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - WARSAW, 18 MAG - Pro-European candidate and Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, of Premier Donald Tusk's Democratic and Liberal Party Civic Platform, is leading in the first round of presidential elections in Poland, registering 30.8 percent of the vote, while his rival Karol Nawrocki supported by the Pis, the party of former premier Mateusz Morawiecki, received 29.1 percent of the vote, according to exit polls conducted by the Ipsos Institute. The runoff between the two candidates will take…

(ANSA-AFP) - BUCHAREST, 18 MAG - Romanians began voting Sunday in a tense presidential election rerun, a tight race between a nationalist and a centrist that could reshape the direction of the pro-Brussels country bordering war-torn Ukraine. If George Simion, a fan of US President Donald Trump, wins the rerun -- held after last year's vote was annulled over allegations of election interference -- he would become the key NATO country's first far-right president. That would thrust Romania into a growing…

(ANSA-AFP) - WARSAW, 18 MAG - Poles go to the polls today for presidential elections that will be decisive for the future of the centrist government and for some basic rights, such as Lgbtq rights and abortion. According to polls, the pro-European mayor of Warsaw, Rafal Trzaskowski, is expected to get 30 percent, ahead of the historic nationalist Karol Nawrocki, who stands at 25 percent. That would put both on the June 1 ballot at a particularly tense time for Europe, with Russia's invasion of Ukraine…

(ANSA-AFP) - BUCHAREST, MAY 17 - The European Union is bracing for yet another far-right politician to join the 27-nation club of leaders, with George Simion the favourite to win Romania's presidential election on Sunday. Yet, while many in Brussels are wary of Simion's brand of politics -- the nationalist eurosceptic is a big fan of US President Donald Trump -- there is also a keenness not to overplay the impact of a potential victory. "It wouldn't be good news to have a Europhobe but that doesn't…

(ANSA-AFP) - WARSAW, MAY 17 - The future of Poland's pro-EU government is riding on the country's presidential elections, which come at a fraught moment for Europe, analysts said ahead of the first round of voting on Sunday. The electoral campaign in the European Union and NATO member largely revolved around foreign policy, showcasing a clash of philosophies over Poland's engagement with the EU and the United States. "It was a kind of identity campaign," said Marcin Zaborowski, a fellow at think…

(ANSA-AFP) - TIRANA, MAY 16 - Ukraine's Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of France, Germany, Britain and Poland held a phone call with US President Donald Trump Friday after talks between Moscow and Kyiv concluded in Istanbul. The conversation on the sidelines of a European leaders' meeting in Albania involved Emmanuel Macron, Friedrich Merz, Keir Starmer and Donald Tusk, and came after Zelensky called for a "strong reaction" from the West should the talks fail. "We just had a meeting with President…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 16 - The nationalist candidate for the presidency in Romania, George Simion, harshly attacked French President Emmanuel Macron during a two-day visit to Paris. Simion said he was certain to become "the next president" of his country. Then, he explicitly accused Macron of interfering in the vote in Romania, stressing that he will win anyway "despite Emmanuel Macron's support for my opponent": (ANSA).

(ANSA-AFP) - ISTANBUL, MAY 16 - Russians and Ukrainians sat face-to-face Friday in Istanbul for their first direct talks in over three years aimed at ending their war, but expectations for a breakthrough were low. Kyiv is seeking an "unconditional ceasefire" in Europe's deadliest conflict since World War II which has also destroyed large swathes of Ukraine and displaced millions of people. Moscow says it wants to address the "root causes" of the conflict and revive failed 2022 negotiations in which…

(ANSA-AFP) - LJUBLJANA, MAY 16 - The first Melania Trump statue in her native Slovenia was destroyed by fire and now its bronze replacement has gone missing, prompting a police investigation. The life-sized bronze of the US first lady was unveiled near her hometown of Sevnica in 2020, towering over a field on a tree stump, after arson destroyed the previous wooden statue. According to police and the bronze's creator, American conceptual artist Brad Downey, the statue was chopped off at the ankles…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 16 - "Italy is committed to Brussels for a strategic approach to the Western Balkans, to address the region's overall challenges," Giorgia Meloni stated during the EPC summit's plenary session. "Clearly, enlargement poses challenges, but I am convinced that European integration of the Balkans and to the East is a strategic investment in Europe's security," Meloni stated. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 16 - The European Political Community summit began today in Tirana's Skanderbeg Square. The host is Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who is waiting for the European leaders to arrive one by one in the coming minutes, despite the rain. Giorgia Meloni, the Council President, is among them. The summit yesterday evening was preceded by a dinner with the President of the EU Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the six leaders…

(ANSA-AFP) - ISTANBUL, MAY 16 - Delegations from Moscow and Kyiv are in Istanbul Friday, where they plan to hold their first direct peace talks since 2022, but the absence of presidents Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky leaves little hope for progress in ending the war. Turkey said a tripartite meeting between Russian, Ukrainian and Turkish officials will take place at 12:30 pm local time (0930 GMT) at the Turkish presidency's Dolmabahce Palace. Turkish, US and Ukrainian officials are due to…

(ANSA-AFP) - BUCHAREST, MAY 15 - After comfortably topping the first round of Romania's rerun presidential election, far-right leader George Simion will face a centrist mayor in the second round on May 18. Simion, a fan of US President Donald Trump who was once active as a football hooligan, is known for his fiery speeches. He is the polar opposite of his reserved rival, Nicusor Dan. Both men will be vying on Sunday for the top post, which holds significant sway in foreign policy. - 'MAGA' candidate…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, MAY 15 - "The active participation of the Western Balkan countries is now more necessary than ever to build a more cohesive and secure Europe," as also highlighted by Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, "during the official visit to our Secretariat at the end of March," said Franco Dal Mas, Secretary General of the Central European Initiative (CEI). Dal Mas met today in Sarajevo with Bosnia and Herzegovina's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elmedin Konakovic. "CEI is dedicated to advancing…

(ANSA-AFP) - LONDON, MAY 15 - British Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Thursday said the UK would begin talks with other countries on "return hubs" for failed asylum seekers. "What now we want to do and are having discussions of... is return hubs, which is where someone has been through the system in the UK, they need to be returned... and we'll do that, if we can, through return hubs," Starmer told GB News television from Albania, where he is on an official visit. (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA-AFP) - WARSAW, MAY 15 - Poland's presidential election, whose first round is on Sunday, could provide a boost for the governing centrists of the NATO and EU member or continue their difficult cohabitation with a conservative president. Outgoing President Andrzej Duda, an ally of the main opposition party Law and Justice (PiS), has not been shy with using his veto since centrist Prime Minister Donald Tusk came to power in 2023. Under Tusk's administration the country of 38 million people has…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 15 - An organisation of Pakistani citizens that ran a network between Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia to illegally bring immigrants to Italy via the 'Balkan route' has been dismantled by the police, who arrested six people and sought another in execution of a custody order issued by the investigating judge of the Court of Trieste. The operation was carried out in the last 24 hours by the Italian police, as well as Slovenian, Croatian, and Bosnian police forces. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 14 - The President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, praised Montenegro's progress towards EU integration during his visit to Podgorica today as part of his Western Balkans tour. Montenegro is an excellent example of the EU's positive momentum in terms of enlargement. Costa stated at a press conference with Montenegrin President Jakov Milatovic, that the European Parliament recognised Montenegro's significant progress with a large majority just yesterday. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 14 - Projects such as the reactivation of passenger and freight rail connections between Trieste and Belgrade via Slovenia and Croatia "allow us to translate the mission of CEI into concrete actions," because "supporting connectivity means supporting rapprochement with the EU and shared development," according to Franco Dal Mas, Secretary General of the Central European Initiative (CEI). Dal Mas spoke at today's follow-up meeting on the study to reactivate rail connections…

(ANSA-AFP) - BRUSSELS, MAY 14 - The EU on Wednesday approved a fresh package of sanctions on Russia, clamping down on its "shadow" oil fleet, as Europe threatens further punishment if Moscow does not agree to a Ukraine truce. The new measures against the Kremlin -- the 17th round of sanctions from the EU since Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine -- were in the pipeline before European leaders issued their latest ultimatum to Moscow over US-led peace efforts. Diplomats representing the EU's…

(ANSA-AFP) - TIRANA, MAY 14 - Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama's Socialist Party scored a large victory in parliamentary elections securing him his fourth tern, official results showed late Tuesday. The Socialist Party won 52.1 percent of the vote on Sunday compared with 34.2 percent for an alliance of opposition parties led by his main rival Sali Berisha, according to results released by the Central Election Commission (CEC). Diaspora votes have yet to be counted, but according to first results…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 14 - Germany's inflation rate, measured as the year-on-year change in the consumer price index (CPI), was +2.1% in April 2025, the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis) informed today. The rate of inflation has thus continued to fall since the beginning of the year, after reaching +2.2% in March 2025 and +2.3% in both January and February 2025. According to the German Federal Statistical Office (Destatis), the development of energy prices had a significant downward…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 13 MAG - The maritime connection between Trieste, Slovenia, and Croatia will resume on June 26 and continue until September 1. The Friuli Venezia Giulia region (Fvg) signed a contract today with the shipping company Liberty Lines, which will manage the international routes between Trieste and the coastal towns of Piran, Poreč, Rovinj, and Mali Lošinj for the period from 2025 to 2027. The Region announced that the service, which had been suspended last year, will operate daily…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 13 - In a joint statement, the EU High Representative, Kaja Kallas, and the Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, congratulate "all the competent authorities who ensured the orderly conduct" of the parliamentary elections held in Albania last Sunday. They noted that, according to the preliminary conclusions of the OSCE/Odihr election observation mission, the elections were "overall managed in an inclusive and transparent manner," the election day passed "calm and well-organised."…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 13 MAG - A multimedia exhibition of visual art and music, featuring the diverse creativity of seven contemporary artists from Northeastern Italy, will convey a message of peace and sharing. The show is part of the Go! 2025 & Friends program of GO! 2025 - Gorizia and Nova Gorica, European Capital of Culture. The exhibition, titled "Open. Borders of Light for a World of Peace", will open on Friday, May 16 at Magazzino 26 in the Porto Vecchio (Old Port) of Trieste and will remain…

(ANSA-AFP) - LONDON, MAY 13 - Economic growth in Central Europe and the Balkans is expected to be strained this year by US President Donald Trump's tariff policies, Europe's development bank forecast Tuesday. The London-based European Bank for Reconstruction and Development has downgraded its growth forecast for the regions, anticipating tariffs fallout owing to their heavy dependence on Germany's struggling economy. The United States in April imposed a 10 percent "baseline" tariff on nearly all…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAY 13 - President Petr Pavel announced today that the Czech Republic's parliamentary elections will be held on Friday, October 3, and Saturday, October 4. His decision still needs to be signed by Prime Minister Petr Fiala. Former Prime Minister Andrej Babis' populist movement ANO (Action of the Discontented Citizen) is the front-runner in the 2025 Chamber of Deputies elections. The main challenger will be the conservative-liberal governing coalition Spolu (Together), which was…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, 13 MAG - Una mostra che è un progetto multimediale di arte visiva e musica che, attraverso la multiforme creatività di 7 artisti contemporanei del Nord Est, suggerisce, nell'ambito del programma Go! 2025 & Friends di GO! 2025 - Gorizia e Nova Gorica Capitale europea della cultura, un mondo di pace e di condivisione. È il messaggio di "Open. Confini di luce per un mondo di pace", che sarà inaugurata al Magazzino 26 del Porto Vecchio di Trieste venerdì 16 maggio e resterà aperta…

(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, MAY 13 - German authorities on Tuesday launched multiple raids against an extremist network and dissolved the so-called "Kingdom of Germany", the interior ministry said. The Federal Prosecutor's Office also announced the arrest of four people during the raids, including three founding members of the group. Described as "dangerous extremists" by the ministry, the Kingdom of Germany is part of the German conspiracy movement known as the "Citizens of the Reich", which rejects the…