Babis

The leaders of the seven countries that are considered to have had the most success in tackling the Covid-19 pandemic held a teleconference on Friday to share their experiences.

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Analysts say such displays hint at a geopolitical realignment taking place in parts of Central and Southeast Europe as the pandemic prompts some governments to pivot away from Brussels and towards more authoritarian allies to the east.

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Call it the "subsidy paradox": EU cash meant to encourage development ends up misused by populist governments whose very existence undermines the bloc's cherished values. Worse, it gives them stamina and strength.

Denmark, Austria, Sweden and the Netherlands dug in their heels over the next European Union budget, insisting it cannot top 1 percent of economic output, to leave the EU no closer to a deal on Friday after all-night talks.

European Union leaders start two days of tough talks on Thursday on a joint seven-year budget from 2021 and must work out how to fill a 75 billion euro ($81 billion) hole left by Britain's departure just as they face costly climate, migration and development challenges.

CZECH PRIME MINISTER ANDREJ BABIS

According to David Ondracka, TI's high-profile director in the Czech Republic, alleged slurs by Babis are all part of an attempt to "delegitimise the messenger" by labelling his NGO "corrupt".

"Imagine me being Harry Potter, having a magic stick and transforming all the planned projects into reality now," he continued. "We would immediately become a second Switzerland."

Of course, Babis was quickly reminded that despite his immense economic and political heft, his powers remain earthbound. 

Apart from the Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis, as a host of the event, the lunch is attended by the prime ministers of Hungary Victor Orban, Polish PM Mateusz Morawiecki, Prime Minister of Slovakia Peter Pelegrini, as well as prime ministers of Western Balkans, among others, Albanian PM Edi Rama, Montenegrin PM Dusko Markovic, and Prime Minister of Northern Macedonia, Zoran Zaev.