V4 Budget Push: Leaders from the Visegrád Four met in Bratislava with Ireland’s Taoiseach to coordinate a tougher line for the EU’s next seven-year budget, cohesion and farm funding, energy prices, competitiveness, enlargement and migration ahead of October’s European Council. Border and Migration Clash: Hungary’s PM Péter Magyar used the summit to argue the EU applies “double standards” after Spain received emergency migration funding over Ceuta while Budapest faces a €1 million-a-day fine for its asylum regime—promising no softening of border policy. Ukraine Accession Condition: Magyar said Ukraine must implement concrete rights for the Hungarian community in Transcarpathia before more EU accession clusters open, pointing to Serbia’s slow progress as a fairness benchmark. Digital Sovereignty: SAFENet, a European alliance to cut reliance on foreign cloud and networking, doubled to nine members with new firms joining from Germany, Spain, Sweden and the Netherlands. Industry Expansion: Poland’s Scanfil will expand its Mysłowice electronics system-integration plant by 20% (6,000 sq m), targeting operations in Q1 2028. Trade Logistics Upgrade: Piraeus Container Terminal secured a Certified Receiver Licence enabling rail transit cargo customs handling on-site, aiming to streamline procedures for Central Europe and the Balkans. Climate Pressure: Record heat and drought are reshaping Europe’s summer—from slushy high-altitude ski seasons to new Copernicus data showing extreme ocean warmth and wildfire risk.