V4 & Romania

A collection of 143 posts

The Iberian Peninsula during the 28 April blackout in Spain and Portugal

Hungary pays neighbours to avoid blackouts: lessons from Spain’s recent energy crisis

Hungary currently leads the world for share of solar energy in its energy mix, as it generated a quarter of its domestic electricity from photovoltaic panels in 2024. However, the recent massive blackout in Spain and Portugal served as a reminder of the challenges involved with high reliance on renewable

Daily newspaper and the Estonian flag

Estonia climbs to second in global press freedom rankings, Czechia makes top ten

Estonia has surged to second place in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, its best-ever result and the highest ranking among EU countries. Estonia's ranking in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index is the highest ever achieved by a Central and Eastern European (CEE) country since the index&

George Simion, winner of the first round of Romania's presidential election

Far-right Simion wins first round of Romania's presidential rerun, to face Bucharest mayor in runoff vote

Far-right leader George Simion surged to a clear lead in the first round of Romania’s presidential election rerun, taking 40.9% of the vote ahead of the 18 May runoff that could reshape the country’s entire political trajectory. Simion, leader of the ultranationalist Alliance for the Union of

Illustration of taxation

Lowest OECD tax burdens in Slovakia, Poland

Workers in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) enjoy some of the lowest personal income tax rates in Europe, with Slovakia and Poland the outliers for individuals and families, according to a new Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) report. The OECD Taxing Wages 2025 report analysed tax data and

Polish PM declares national strategy to lead CEE, as nation celebrates 1,000th anniversary

Polish PM declares national strategy to lead CEE, as nation celebrates 1,000th anniversary

Poland has launched a new national doctrine aimed at establishing the country as the dominant military and economic power in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the "Piast Doctrine" during a speech in Gniezno, central Poland. "Maybe today it is worth announcing

Illustration of tram infrastructure in Prague

Prague expands airport, revamps tram service

Prague has launched two major transport infrastructure projects, expanding Vaclav Havel Airport and introducing a new generation of trams to modernise its urban network. The initiatives form part of a broader strategy to boost Prague’s competitiveness as a Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) hub for air travel, freight logistics

OECD office

Poland tops employment rankings - OECD report

The EU’s employment rate reached a record high of 70.9% in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). But while this marks a major milestone for the bloc, the picture in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is more complex, as

EU flags representing the member states and the single market

Single market is not single, and it’s costing us all

The EU’s internal market is still falling short of its founding promise. Despite decades of integration, consumers across member states face uneven product quality and varied prices. This is due to regulatory fragmentation in two main forms: Territorial Supply Constraints and gold-plating. TSCs occur when suppliers block cross-border sourcing

Photo of a stone quarry

CEE leads EU raw materials drive as EU selects strategic mining projects

The European Commission (EC) has chosen 47 strategic projects across the EU to reduce critical raw material dependency, with Czechia, Estonia, Poland, and Romania at the forefront, marking a significant boost to regional competitiveness amid intensifying geopolitical tensions. The EC’s selections are critical to the industrial future of Central