Domestic Politics
Poland has called on the EU to raise funds to combat an impending recession by giving itself tax-raising powers. The money would be used by EU member-states to cope with the economic fallout of the coronavirus crisis and lessen the threat of EU funding being diverted abroad. [The First News]
Russia has quarantined thousands of soldiers who participated in rehearsals for a Victory Day parade and ignored social distancing guidelines. [The Guardian]
Hungary’s foreign minister Péter Szijjártó dismissed criticism of the parliament giving sweeping powers to PM Viktor Orbán, stating that his rule by decree powers will only remain until the end of the pandemic, and that it was a lie to suggest otherwise. PM Viktor Orbán expects to present a plan for a gradual return to normal life after the lockdown by May 3. [Euronews; Reuters]
Russia’s opposition has called for an online YouTube rally next week to push the Kremlin to deliver financial aid for people struggling due to the coronavirus lockdown. The organizers, Moscow councilors Yulia Galyamina, Ilya Azar, and their allies also plan to seek amnesty for prisoners and oppose President Putin’s proposal to change the constitution that could allow him to stay in power till 2036. [The Moscow Times]
International Relations
The European Commission has come under fire after its coronavirus emergency relief fund gave Hungary more than double the amount of money that it gave Italy, which is the hardest-hit country in Europe. EU rules for regional aid are now being called into question as Hungary, which has reported less than 200 COVID-related deaths got €5.6 billion, while Italy, which has reported more than 23,000 deaths only received €2.3 billion from the €37bn Coronavirus Response Investment Initiative. [The Telegraph]
The US Senate Intelligence Committee on Tuesday reaffirmed its support for the intelligence community’s conclusion that the Russian government interfered with the 2016 presidential election. Senators have warned that this could happen again in this year’s presidential election. In a 158-page report, the bipartisan committee concluded that it found “no reason to dispute the intelligence community’s conclusions”, which reflect “strong tradecraft” and “sound analytical reasoning”. [Politico]
Health
46 new coronavirus cases have been confirmed in Bulgaria in the last 24 hours, bringing the country’s total to 975. Currently, there are 281 hospitalizations with 40 people in intensive care. The death toll stands at 45. [The Sofia Globe]
Business
Poland and Denmark are refusing financial aid to companies registered in international tax havens, saying that those who want a chunk of the emergency bailout fund must pay domestic business taxes. [Business Insider]
Image Source: The Moscow Times
Eastern Europe in Review: April 22, 2020
Read more about the latest events from Eastern Europe.
April 22, 2020
