Slovaks will choose between pro-EU diplomat Ivan Korčok and Robert Fico's coalition partner Peter Pellegrini in Saturday's presidential election, with one analyst and the opposition warning that while the fate of liberal democracy in Slovakia is at stake, it may also strengthen extremist forces within the EU.

After a resounding success in last year's general election, Sunday's local polls will be the first test of public approval for Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk's new government after four months in power.

The new Portuguese government of Prime Minister Luís Montenegro favours Ukraine joining the European Union, Portugal’s new foreign minister Paulo Rangel said on Thursday, criticising the previous government’s hesitation.

The Spanish government will launch a major international “offensive” against three regional governments ruled by the Spanish People’s Party (Partido Popular/EPP) and the far-right VOX party for having repealed several laws aimed at honouring the memory of the Spanish Civil War, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez (PSOE/S&D) announced Thursday.

The International Monetary Fund confirmed Thursday (4 April) that its current managing director is the only candidate to lead the international financial institution once her first term expires later this year.

Between an accidental missile launch on Thursday and the sacking of the head of the Danish armed forces the day before, it has not been a good week for Denmark’s military, but lawmakers are still keen to push ahead with current negotiations over multi-billion euro investments in military hardware.

While efforts to combat disinformation and voter manipulation are in full swing in Europe ahead of the June 2024 EU elections, in the US, European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová told Euractiv.cz that the authorities are “calm” about hybrid threats before November’s federal polls, with no apparent evidence they have any preparations in place.

In this episode of Today in the EU we’re looking at how the EU is responding to Israel’s attack that hit 7 humanitarian workers in Gaza.

Poland and Finland have resisted pressure to support the divisive Nature Restoration Law and instead switched to becoming explicit opponents, seriously limiting the Belgian EU Council Presidency’s options for moving the file forward.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government wants to turn GIFT City into a global centre for the new age of global financial and technology services. Modi’s ambition needs to be matched with cash investments and European investors.

The EPP is still the only party to directly address diabetes in its 2024 election manifesto. The European Diabetes Forum is now asking all of Europe’s politicians to pledge their manifesto support to fight diabetes in Europe.

Although 5G network coverage looks good in the Czech Republic, construction is facing administrative hurdles. Czechia’s biggest problem is the pace of building fibre networks, where it is unlikely to meet its 2030 target.

The last Slovak mobile operator, O2, began switching off its 3G network at the beginning of the year. Regular customers with mobile phones will not be restricted, older devices that communicate via 3G may have problems.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is determined to appoint an EU lawmaker from her own party for a high-level job in her institution, despite a backlash from the European Parliament and demands by her senior commissioners to review the decision.

The US and European market-based economies are struggling to survive against China’s "very effective" alternative economic model, a top US trade official warned on Thursday (4 April).

To bring Germany's ailing armed forces back on track, the government is reorganising its operative command and making cyber and IT a full-fledged military branch on par with the navy, air force and ground forces, Defence Minister Boris Pistorius announced on Thursday.

A European Parliament vote in favour of revising the European Works Councils Directive before June is seen as imperative, and as a safety net in the event of a political shift in the European elections, says industriAll Europe head.

Growing mistrust among European political groups, who are supposed to form a pro-EU majority after the June European election, is prompting some in Brussels to consider a written national government-style coalition agreement. 

The European Public Prosecutor's Office (EPPO) and the Italian financial police have jointly uncovered an alleged fraud scheme involving €600 million related to the Next Generation EU recovery fund, and extensive raids are underway across Italy, the EPPO said on Thursday (4 April). 

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