Justyna Pawlak

Hungary’s nationalist Prime Minister Viktor Orban looked set for a fourth consecutive win in Sunday’s election, as voters endorsed his ambition of a conservative, “illiberal” state and shrugged off concerns over Budapest’s close ties with Moscow.

An outpouring of public support across Europe for millions of people fleeing war in Ukraine may point to a shift in attitudes towards refugees as the number of those displaced by conflict or persecution globally has surpassed 100 million, the UNHCR said.

The European Union could see another record number of people seeking to reach its borders this year via irregular crossings, with more migrants driven by poverty and climate change rather than conflict, the EU’s Frontex border agency said on Friday.

NATO leaders agreed on a more ambitious military spending goal at a summit in Vilnius this week, but the case of the alliance’s big spender, Poland, highlights the complexity of spending the money effectively.

Poland’s plans to revamp its military command structure should help the NATO member handle the alliance’s new regional defence plans and a host of hybrid threats including those from neighbouring Belarus, a senior official has said.

Poland holds a high-stakes national election on Oct. 15 that may give the ruling nationalist Law and Justice (PiS) party an unprecedented third term in power and will be closely watched by Warsaw’s military allies amid the war in neighbouring Ukraine.

Hundreds of thousands of people held an opposition rally in Warsaw on Sunday, two weeks ahead of an election that the liberal Civic Platform (PO) says may decide Poland’s future in the European Union and its democratic standing.

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said on Thursday there was no "Plan B" on European Union aid for Ukraine and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban who is stalling it must decide if Hungary is "part of our community".

Poles vote in a presidential election on Sunday that the pro-European government in Warsaw says can revive its stalled democratic drive and its nationalist opponents see as a chance to set Poland on a path inspired by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Laszlo Krasznahorkai is the second Hungarian to win the prize, after Imre Kertesz in 2002.