The price of an industrial economy
Czechia's economy grew 2.6% in 2025, unemployment sits near record lows, and the current account is in surplus. It is not an economy in difficulty.
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Regional Lessons from the Romanian Drone Incidents: The Grey Zone of War Is Expanding
The two recent drone incidents in Romania have once again highlighted a growing reality: while the Russia – Ukraine war continues to be fought primarily on Ukrainian territory, its security implications are increasingly spilling over into neighboring NATO and EU member states.
Romania's President Taps European Parliament Member as Prime Minister
Romanian President Nicușor Dan has designated Eugen Tomac, a Member of the European Parliament and former presidential adviser, as prime minister-designate, tasking him with forming a new government within ten days. The nomination, announced on Thursday, comes nearly a month after the collapse of the Bolojan cabinet and reflects Mr
Romania's Senate passes amended defence laws with days to spare before EU funding deadline
Romania's upper house has approved two emergency ordinances clearing the last legislative hurdles for the country to sign military procurement contracts under the European Union's SAFE programme. The Senate voted on Tuesday to adopt both pieces of legislation, though in amended form. The legislation is required
Lessons from Kraków’s mayoral recall: a regional signal for Central European urban politics
The recent political upheaval in Kraków, where Mayor Aleksander Miszalski was removed in a recall referendum, is more than a local Polish story. It reflects a broader Central European pattern where urban governance, national polarization, and EU-level political identities increasingly intersect.
Polish-Hungarian rapprochement: prime ministerial summit in preparation
According to Marcin Bosacki, State Secretary at the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the planned visit to Poland by Péter Magyar could represent a symbolic gesture from the new Hungarian political leadership, signaling a potential recalibration of relations between the two countries. In a statement to the Polish Press Agency
Poland’s new space capability: A transformation of the regional security architecture
The deployment of the Polish military’s first sovereign operational satellite reconnaissance system may appear at first glance to be a straightforward military-technological development
A New Era in Hungary: The Tisza Government Takes Office
After 16 years of Fidesz rule, Hungary’s parliament on Tuesday approved the new government led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar.
Romania's government falls after historic no-confidence vote
Romania's parliament has voted to oust the Bolojan government in what is being described as the most decisive no-confidence motion in the country's history. Of the 431 lawmakers present in the 464-seat chamber, 281 backed the motion — brought jointly by the Social Democratic Party (PSD) and
Romania's massive EU defence loan under fire over costs and broken promises
Romania stands to borrow €16.6bn under the EU’s SAFE defence programme — but analysts, generals and the country’s own state arms maker are warning that most of the money will flow abroad. Romania is the second-largest recipient of EU defence loans under the SAFE (Security Action for Europe)
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Post-election deadlock in Slovenia: this is how voters did (not) decide
Slovenia’s domestic political uncertainty could even culminate in a new election: following the late-March vote, no political force appears to have secured a governing majority.
Friendship Restored (?): Russian Oil Flows Resume
Recent developments around the Druzhba (Friendship) oil pipeline have highlighted just how vulnerable and politically entangled Central Europe’s energy supply remains.
Bulgaria is turning – but in which direction?
The April 2026 Bulgarian election is not just another domestic political episode, but a turning point whose significance goes beyond the country’s borders.
Romania plunged into political crisis as social democrats turn against Prime Minister Bolojan
Romania’s governing coalition fractured on Sunday evening when the Social Democratic Party (PSD)voted in an internal referendum to withdraw its political support from Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan.
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Domino effect: Fico has little reason to welcome Orbán’s defeat
The defeat of Hungary’s ruling party could trigger a domino effect across the region. Slovak media, in this context, point to a weakening of Robert Fico’s position.
Polish press: The Kremlin is looking for Orbán’s successor
Moscow must also rethink its regional position after Fidesz’s defeat. Russia has lost its most stable ally in the region, while still needing partner(s) within the EU.
Oil price shocks: how the energy crisis is dividing Central Europe
As Hormuz closes and Druzhba stays shut, the four Visegrád countries face the same vulnerability from opposite directions.
Markets cheer, agencies warn: Hungary’s new government faces a sobering economic welcome
Tisza’s landslide victory on April 12 sent the forint to a four-year high and Budapest stocks to a record, as investors priced in the end of the Orbán-era risk premium and the prospect of unlocking frozen EU funds.
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Hungarian government change - Regional reactions
The Hungarian election results generated significant reverberations across the region. The reactions simultaneously reflected a sense of geopolitical realignment and each country's own domestic political considerations.
Hungary's political earthquake: the end of the Orbán era and the weight of what comes next
On 12 April 2026, Hungarian voters ended sixteen years of Viktor Orbán's rule in a landslide, handing Péter Magyar's Tisza party a two-thirds supermajority on the highest turnout since the fall of communism.
Election sprint in Hungary: 16 years of Fidesz rule under review
Opinion polls are divergent, but results from government-independent research institutes suggest the possible defeat of the Orbán government in Hungary.
Prague and Bratislava patch things up
The Czech-Slovak bilateral reset, sealed at Nóva Horka on March 31, has reopened a diplomatic channel that was shut over Ukraine.
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How Europe's defence shield became Romania's political battlefield
The EU's €150 billion Security Action for Europe programme was designed to protect the continent's eastern flank. In Romania - its single largest beneficiary - it has instead ignited coalition warfare.
Fuel price cap introduced in Poland
Poland has also been hit by the fuel price shock, to which the government has responded with a price cap. Most countries in the region are attempting to ease the burden on consumers through direct state intervention in pricing.
After a Deadlock: Where does Slovenia’s government formation stand?
Following the March parliamentary elections, Slovenia has entered a prolonged and uncertain government formation process. The election did not produce a clear winner, leaving the country in a classic coalition bargaining situation where smaller parties have gained increased importance.
The Polish press is once again writing about “Polexit”
The question of leaving the European Union regularly resurfaces in Polish public life whenever political or rule-of-law disputes between Warsaw and Brussels intensify.
Czech public media reform raises questions over independence
The resignation of veteran broadcaster Václav Moravec from Czech Television in March brought to a head a long-simmering confrontation between the country's public media and the new coalition government of Andrej Babiš, which plans to abolish the licence fees that fund them.
Hungarian Ties Spark Domestic Political Debate in Poland
In recent weeks, significant domestic political debate has emerged in Poland over efforts by politicians from the Law and Justice party (PiS) – including Mateusz Morawiecki and Karol Nawrocki – to strengthen ties with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.
Czech Republic and Slovakia agree €40m deal to reverse Druzhba pipeline flow
The Czech Republic and Slovakia have agreed to invest approximately €40 million to reverse the flow of the Czech section of the Druzhba pipeline, creating an alternative crude oil supply route for Slovakia amid an ongoing energy crisis triggered by damage to the pipeline's Ukrainian stretch.
EU summit: V4 split over Ukraine
The European Union summit of March 19, 2026, clearly highlighted that the Visegrád cooperation can no longer be seen as a unified political bloc when it comes to the war in Ukraine.