Slovakia

Robert Fico departed the EU summit in Brussels ahead of schedule to attend an election rally for Aleksandar Vučić. The Prime Minister spoke in Serbian at the event, where he was greeted as a brother; international media continues to describe him as a pro-Putin leader while he looks for friends outside the immediate EU sphere.

Electricity prices are rising at home while they fall across the rest of the continent, making affordable power a rarity for many households. The economic outlook is further complicated by the collapse of cheap housing projects in Bratislava, where buyers have spent years waiting for apartments that were never finished and for refunds that have not arrived.

Police have reportedly found crucial evidence regarding a fatal attack near Myjava, and the military is facing allegations that recruits, including a minor, were coerced into sexual acts. Elsewhere, a NATO brigade commander stationed in Lešť says the goal of current joint exercises remains deterrence.