An Estonian intelligence report released Tuesday warns that Russia is preparing to wage war on the West for a decade, as the Kremlin announced that Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas has been added to the country’s wanted list due to the “destruction” of monuments to Soviet soldiers. Estonian State
Hungarian President Katalin Novak resigned on live TV on Saturday evening, in connection with her controversial pardon issued last year for a man convicted of covering up child sexual abuse. When Pope Francis I visited Hungary last April, Novak gave clemency to the deputy director of a state-run children’s
Hungarian-government-linked telco 4iG and Telecom Egypt will jointly construct an express subsea cable between Albania and Egypt. Telecom Egypt is a major subsea cable operator, and last October signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with 4iG. The cable will serve as a high-capacity, intercontinental connection linking Africa and Asia to
Germany’s business with Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) fell last year as the value of goods traded with the region’s 29 countries reduced by 6.5%, the Committee on Eastern European Economic Relations (CEEER) said on Wednesday, 7 February. German imports from CEE and Central Asia fell 9.
Ukraine is planned to be added to the Trans-European TEN-T transport corridor, enabling access to the rest of Europe for trains from Lviv, west Ukraine. The Mediterranean Corridor will be the only TEN-T line that completely links western and eastern Europe, starting from the southern coast of Spain, through Almeria,
The expansion plan of the new ammunition plant of Rheinmetall in Varpalota, west Hungary, has been underway since January, the German automotive and arms manufacturer has revealed. The extension will increase the size of the plant by 20 hectares to some 120 hectares and payroll to around 200 employees. The
German defence industry group Rheinmetall has acquired a 72.5% stake in Automecanica Medias from Romania, estimating that it will have an annual sales potential of up to EUR 300mn. The rest of the company’s shares will remain in private ownership. The contract still requires approval from the relevant
Polish farmers from Solidarity announced Friday that the trade union is planning a blockade of the country’s border crossings with Ukraine from Friday, 9 February, joining similar protests in Germany, France, Greece, Belgium, Ireland and Portugal. Farmers say they oppose rising costs, EU climate change measures, and “unfair competition
Business groups from Czechia and Taiwan signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on semiconductor cooperation in Taipei on Thursday, 1 February. At a seminar on semiconductor investments in Czechia, Taiwan semiconductor material supplier TOPOC Scientific Co and TeaLa signed the MOU with the Czech National Semiconductor Cluster (CNSC). TeaLa and
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban agreed to a EUR 50bn, 4-year package for Ukraine on Thursday, 1 February, after vowing to block the funds since December. The package is designed to financially keep afloat Ukraine’s hospitals and schools, as well as civil servants’ wages and pensions. Oban was reportedly
Romania has economically surpassed Greece, Hungary and is closing in on Poland, Romanian Economy Minister Stefan Radu Oprea underlined in a summary of his speech at an “Anti-RO-exit” event, against “extremist voices” who advocate for Romania leaving the EU. In a post that poses the question: “What would Romania’s
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has asked his MPs to proceed with Sweden’s ratification as NATO member “at the first possible opportunity” in a climbdown from the delay tactics seen since the Scandinavian country officially asked to join the defence alliance in May 2022. Orban earlier pledged that Hungary
Foreign workers are increasingly replacing Hungarians across various sectors due to structural issues within the country’s economy. Government backing of lower-wage sectors such as auto and battery production, has forced highly skilled Hungarians abroad, and foreign workers are filling the void, local media wrote. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’
Tractors and logging lorries flooded central Vilnius last week, as farmers protested a number of national agricultural policies. Local media reported the protesters’ six demands; including stopping the transit of Russian grain through Lithuania, which they claim is pushing down export prices. Another demand is the government waiving an EU
The number of battery-only electric passenger cars in the EU neared 3mn in 2022, up 55% from 1.9mn in 2021, according to the EU’s official statistics office Eurostat. In Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Austria has the highest ratio of cars under two years of age, with 13%
More than 42,000 electric cars have been registered, so far, in Romania, of which around 16,800 only in 2023, 35% more than in 2022, according to research published Thursday. Researcher Lektri.Co was established in Timisoara in 2018, and operates 20 charging stations are present in Romania, Serbia,
From Hungary’s economic perspective, last year extended the trends observed in 2022, according to independent Hungarian think-tank Policy Solutions’s annual report. In Central and Eastern Europe, and Hungary in particular, inflation emerged as a paramount economic concern. In Hungary, inflation was of a scale unseen since the 1990s.
Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico appeared to renege on his election promise to not send “another bullet” to Ukraine on Tuesday, as MPs voted through a government amendment allowing arms exports. Under the amendment, the Defence Ministry will be able to green-light public and private weapons companies to continue arming
Companies and foundations that held close ties to the right-wing populist and national-conservative Law and Justice party (PiS) government that ruled Poland from 2017-23 are refusing to cooperate with the requests of authorities. Since taking power last month, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has not shied away from the ‘de-PiS-ification’
Hungary will hold the rotating presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2024, putting Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban in formal charge of the EU’s policy-making process for six months. While certain EU politicians are confident about the bloc’s future but view Hungary’
New train services will run from March between Ruse, north-east Bulgaria, and Henri Coanda Otopeni International Airport via Giurgiu, south Romania, and Bucharest North railway station, tourism website bgtourism.bg announced. Private railway operator Transferoviar Calatori (TFC) will run the link to Romania’s busiest airport, which is possible due
Czechia’s rate of inflation was 10.7% last year, down from 15.1% in 2022, but still representing the country’s second-highest annual inflation rate since the creation of the independent Czechia in 1993, according to data from the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) published on Thursday 11 January. The
Polish police entered the palace of President Andrzej Duda on Tuesday evening and arrested two Law and Justice Party (PiS) politicians convicted of abuse of power. One-time interior minister Mariusz Kaminski and his erstwhile state secretary Maciej Wasik were convicted in 2007 of using illegal methods including surveillance and forgery
The European Parliament (EP) chief rule of law negotiator Petri Sarvamaa, MEP, published on Tuesday a petition letter calling to suspend Hungary’s voting rights on the European Council, to President of the European Parliament Roberta Metsola. Since regaining power in 2010, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and his Fidesz
As Belgium assumed the EU presidency on 1 January, with a rallying cry of “Protect, Strengthen, Prepare”, Belgian Prime Minister Alexander de Croo’s said he is charting the course for a united and resilient Europe. His cautious and diplomatic approach was evident at the launch event of his six-month