Ansa news

(ANSA-AFP) - BUDAPEST, MAR 25 - Hungary's prime minister said on Wednesday that Budapest would phase out gas deliveries to Ukraine, the latest salvo in a feud between the two countries over a damaged oil pipeline. "To break the oil blockade and guarantee the security of Hungary's energy supply, new measures are now necessary," Viktor Orban said in a video posted on Facebook. Hungary has locked horns with Ukraine over damage to the Druzhba (Friendship) pipeline through Ukraine, which has choked the…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 25 - "Today, there are no more doubts; everything has been laid bare and everything is crystal clear: every war that is still going on in the world, every act of violence today, the annulment of today's principles and laws, all of this began on March 24, 1999." Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić declared this yesterday on the Day of Remembrance for the Victims of NATO Aggression that the NATO bombing campaign on the Yugoslav Federation, which was carried out without the…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 25 - Donald Trump praised Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban as a "strong leader who fights for his country and his people," reiterating his support for him ahead of the April 12 elections. "He is a true friend, fighter, and winner. "He has my complete and total support," Trump stated. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 24 - Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto has admitted to maintaining regular contact with Moscow, even during EU meetings, confirming reports in the Washington Post. According to Euronews, Szijjarto defended his position on Monday evening at an election event in Keszthely, claiming that EU decisions on energy, industry, and security have a direct impact on relations with external partners such as Russia. "We need to discuss these issues with our partners outside the…

(ANSA-AFP) - BRUSSELS, MAR 24 - Slovakia's decision to make foreign drivers pay more for diesel runs afoul of European Union laws, the European Commission said on Tuesday. Bratislava announced this and other measures last week to limit sales of the fuel, citing the suspension of oil supplies from a pipeline through Ukraine, as energy prices soared globally due to the war in the Middle East. "We consider that this measure is highly discriminatory and against EU law," commission spokesman Ricardo…

(ANSA-AFP) - BERLIN, MAR 24 - German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spoke on Tuesday of a "deep rift" with traditional ally the United States and said the US-Israeli war on Iran was a "breach of international law". In unusually strong comments, the German head of state said that just as there was no going back from Russia's 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine, "there will be no going back to before January 20, 2025", when US President Donald Trump entered the White House for a second time. "The…

(ANSA-AFP) - ROME, MAR 24 - Greek media group Antenna announced Monday it had acquired Italian left-wing daily La Repubblica from billionaire John Elkann's Exor Group. Antenna has acquired 100 percent of Exor's GEDI editorial group, which owns La Repubblica and several radio stations among its media outlets. The deal comes just weeks after GEDI announced the sale of its other leading newspaper, La Stampa, to a regional media group, SAE. "Antenna's acquisition of GEDI will strengthen a leading Italy-based…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 24 - In the first two months of 2026, the European car market fell by 18.3% compared to 2019, returning to pre-crisis levels. According to the Promotor Research Centre, this is "the first goal to be met for the Western European car market to return to normality, as has already occurred in the rest of the world." France experienced the greatest decline compared to the first two months of last year (-11.1%), followed by Germany (-1.4%). However, the other countries in the five…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, MAR 23 - The government announced today that regulated fuel prices on Slovenia's road network will increase starting Tuesday. According to the Slovenian news agency STA, regular petrol will cost 11.5 cents more per litre at EUR 1.581, and diesel will cost 16.8 cents more at EUR 1.696. The government has decided that fuel prices will be adjusted weekly rather than biweekly going forward. Heating oil will cost €1.342 per litre, up 18.3 cents. The Environment, Climate, and Energy…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 23 - The Croatian government has extended a €450 million package of measures designed to protect families and the economy from rising prices. Among other things, the package includes continued fuel price regulation as well as electricity and petrol price subsidies until September 30 of this year. Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced the measures today at a cabinet meeting. The decisions made today involve lowering excise duties and partially reducing fuel…

(ANSA-AFP) - LJUBLJANA, MAR 23 - Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob on Monday was due to begin a tough search for coalition partners to form government after his liberals edged out the conservatives in a weekend vote. Golob claimed victory over US President Donald Trump admirer Janez Jansa late Sunday, after parliamentary election results put the liberals on 29 seats compared with 28 seats for the conservatives in the 90-seat parliament. The rest of the seats are due to be distributed among a…

(ANSA-AFP) - BRUSSELS, MAR 23 - The European Union executive on Monday described reports that Hungary had leaked sensitive information from EU meetings to Russia as "greatly concerning". A "relationship of trust between member states, and between them and the institution is fundamental for the work of the EU and we expect the Hungarian government to provide the clarifications", spokeswoman Anitta Hipper said. (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 23 - "The wiretapping of a government member's conversations is a serious attack on Hungary. As a result, I have ordered the Minister of Justice to immediately launch a thorough investigation into the revelations regarding the wiretapping of Péter Szijjártó," said Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban on Facebook. Orbans' announcement follows a report in The Washington Post yesterday alleging that Foreign Minister Szijjártó frequently calls Russian Foreign Minister Sergei…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, MAR 23 - According to preliminary results from Sunday's general election, PM Robert Golob's party emerged victorious. The Freedom Movement and the opposition Democratic Party (SDS) have the smallest margin ever seen in a Slovenian parliamentary election, making it difficult to form a government, the Slovenian news agency STA reported. Golob's party received 28.62% of the vote, which translates into 29 seats in the 90-member National Assembly, twelve fewer than in the previous election,…

(ANSA-AFP) - LJUBLJANA, MAR 22 - The liberals of incumbent Prime Minister Robert Golob were narrowly leading the conservatives of Trump admirer Janez Jansa in Sunday's parliamentary vote, an exit poll showed. An exit poll released just after polling stations closed showed Golob's liberal party at 29.9 percent and the conservatives of veteran politician Jansa at 27.5 percent. (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA-AFP) - MAINZ, MAR 22 - German Chancellor Friedrich Merz's conservative CDU party ousted the centre-left Social Democratic Party on Sunday in a closely watched state election in which the far right also made big gains, according to exit polls. The CDU took around 30 percent of the vote to win the western state of Rhineland-Palatinate away from the SPD after 35 years, while the far-right Alternative for Germany party (AfD) looked set for a record score in western Germany, with around 20 percent,…

(ANSA) - PRAGA, MAR 22 - An anti-government demonstration called by the 'One Million Moments for Democracy' initiative took place in Prague today. According to aerial footage, the demonstrators numbered at least 200,000 to 250,000. According to Mikulas Minar, the head of the initiative, the event aims to draw attention to the danger of the erosion of democracy, the oligarchy of society, and the measures taken by the government of Premier Andrej Babis. Articulating the slogan "Let's not let the future…

(ANSA-AFP) - LUBIANA, MAR 22 - Voting has begun in Slovenia for parliamentary elections, which promises to be closely contested between Prime Minister Robert Golob's Liberal Party and the party of ultraconservative former Prime Minister Janez Janša. Polling stations opened at 7 a.m. and will close at 7 p.m. (ANSA-AFP).

(ANSA) - BUENOS AIRES, MAR 21 - Argentine President Javier Milei is in Budapest to attend CPAC Hungary 2026, the annual Conservative Political Action Conference. Before his speech at the close of the event, he met with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, to whom he anticipated the central theme of his speech. "I will mention his correct view on migration issues," Milei revealed, explaining that "when immigration does not adapt culturally to where it goes, it stops being immigration and turns…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, MAR 21 - The Achrome ensemble will arrive in Slovenia to play a monographic concert dedicated to composer and musicologist Luisa Antoni. The date is for Sunday, March 22, at 7 p.m. at the Tartini Theater in Piran. "Invocations at Dusk. Mirrors, Fire and Water in the Music of Luisa Antoni" will be directed by Marcello Parolini. "Invocations at Dusk" is a musical journey that moves between ritual and reflection, following the moment when light recedes and thought takes shape. Luisa…

(ANSA) - VILNIUS, MAR 21 - "Narva is Estonia. Full stop. We see through attempts to divide us. A resilient society is the strongest defence. Estonia has one". Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna wrote this on X today. A propaganda campaign, supposedly orchestrated by Moscow, appeared on Telegram aimed at supporting the enactment of an autonomous statute for the city of Narva and its region, Estonia's Russian-speaking majority territory. (ANSA).

(ANSA) - BRUSELLS, MAR 21 - The EU Commission urged member states to reduce gas storage targets in an effort to reduce demand. In a letter viewed by the Financial Times, Energy Commissioner Dan J›rgensen instructed EU energy ministers not to rush to replenish their countries' gas reserves and to use "flexibility" to reduce demand from households and industries at a time "when supply is tight." In the missive, the percentage of storage recommended as a target is 80 percent, ten percent less than…

(ANSA) - UDINE, 20 MAR - From theory to practice, from research to the field: on Tuesday, March 24, Blue Economy Forum 2026 will bring together Italian institutions, experts, and water resource managers at the Municipality of Ajdovščina, Slovenia, for a study day entitled "From Model to Territory: Best Practices in Water Management in Slovenia." The focus will be on comparing best practices in sustainable water management, and the event is promoted by the Interreg WABIN project, co-financed by…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 20 - The latest poll before Sunday's general election in Slovenia, conducted by the Mediana agency for Pop TV, RTV Slovenia, and the newspaper Delo, shows the Freedom Movement (GS), outgoing Prime Minister Robert Golob's liberal-democratic and pro-European party, with a slight lead. Golob appears to have recovered from his initial lead over the conservative and nationalist Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS), led by opposition leader and three-time former prime minister Janez…

(ANSA-AFP) - BELGRADE, MAR 20 - Serbia is further reducing fuel taxes, cutting state revenue by around 60 percent, the president announced on Friday, as countries worldwide grapple with rising oil prices driven by the war in the Middle East. A decision was made to cut taxes by an additional 40 percent, following a previous 20 percent reduction just a week ago, and the new rate will be in effect in the coming weeks. "Cumulatively, around 61 percent will be reduced from the excise duty. We will almost…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 20 - Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis described yesterday's intercept of two Iranian ballistic missiles by a Greek Patriot air defence system battery, which is currently deployed in Saudi Arabia, as "a strictly defensive action within the framework of the agreement" between the countries. The Greek Patriot battery has been in Saudi Arabia since 2021, as part of an international air and missile defence initiative to support the Kingdom. Greek Defence Minister Nikos…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 20 - Bulgaria's campaign for snap parliamentary elections on April 19, the eighth in five years, began today. The most recent crisis erupted in December, when mass protests across Bulgaria against the government, accusing it of corruption and collusion with mafia circles, forced Prime Minister Rossen Zhelyazkov and his cabinet to resign. Zhelyazkov, a member of the conservative GERB party, formed a coalition with the Socialists and the populist ITN, three historically opposing…

(ANSA) - TRIESTE, MAR 19 - Slovenia's government decided today to eliminate fuel price cap at motorway and motorway service stations beginning Friday, while the price limits will remain in place elsewhere, according to Slovenian news agency STA. The move is intended to relieve supply logistical pressures and redirect fuel distribution capacity, including to more remote areas of the country, according to the government. By allowing motorway prices to be set freely, which means they will most likely…

(ANSA-AFP) - BRUSSELS, MAR 19 - EU leaders failed at summit talks Thursday to persuade Hungary's Viktor Orban to lift his veto on a 90-billion-euro ($104 billion) loan for Ukraine, diplomats said. Only 25 of the bloc's 27 leaders endorsed summit conclusions reaffirming their intent to begin disbursing the funds in April, with diplomats confirming the holdouts were Budapest and Bratislava. Orban has been holding up the massive loan -- despite endorsing it in December -- as leverage in a feud over…

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, MAR 19 - "Croatia can provide energy security and oil supplies to Hungary and Slovakia even if Druzhba is down. Croatia has the Adriatic pipeline," which "is fully operational and has already received orders from the Hungarian company MOL," Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković stated upon his arrival at the European summit. He explained that the oil has already been transported to refineries in Hungary and Slovakia, which everyone is aware of. (ANSA).