Orbán and regional populists trashed Brussels as a liberal hotbed at the CPAC in Budapest while the Fidész-led government is attempting to unlock EU funds through reform of the judiciary. Turkey braces for groundbreaking elections, and Slovakia’s caretaker cabinet collapses. Successive shooting sprees in Serbia steer attention to the gun availability in the region.
Upcoming on Visegrad Insight:
- Martin Ehl argues the Ukrainian counter-offensive has begun in the information space.
- Anne Applebaum discusses the future of Ukraine and CEE in our latest interview.
- Sigita Sturberga asks whether Russian speakers in Latvia have the potential to be weaponised.
- Sasha Drik argues that if we want peace in Ukraine, we must prepare for war.
EU/REGIONAL
- Presidential and general elections in Türkiye will take place on 14 May. A tense race and the most consequential vote in decades are expected between the incumbent strongman Tayyip Erdogan and his challenger Kemal Kilicdaroglu. Analysts expect a run-off in which Kilicdaroglu, who pledges to address economy or judiciary independence, could have the upper hand.
- EU finally approved the ammunition production and deliveries plan on Friday, 5 May. The Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP) aims to ramp up the EU production capacity and address the current shortage of ammunition and missiles.
- EP Committee will vote on AI Act on 11 May. The first AI legislation is expected to be voted on by members of the European Parliament in June.
- EU Military Committee is to be held on 11 May and will bring together EU Chiefs of Defence.
- EU officials who took up the free hotel accommodation paid for by Qatar, Morocco or Israel on work trips included Brussels senior figures such as EU’s chief diplomat Josep Borell or Commissioner for Neighborhood and Enlargement Olivér Várhelyi, an investigation by Politico shows.
- EU Council agreed on one billion euro joint procurement for ammunition production to support Ukraine under European Peace Facility. The assistance measure will finance the provision of 155-mm-calibre artillery rounds to the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
Russia continues to strike civilian infrastructure, accused of phosphorus bomb use in Bakhmut. Zelenskiy visited Hague
UKRAINE
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