Central European Times - Central European Times (Page 2)

Polish Dilemma: Fugitive Criminal or Political Refugee?

2 min read Poland, PiS, corruption, rule of law, Transnistria, European Arrest Warrant, Central Europe, Marcin Romanowski

It puts the former Polish ruling party in an uncomfortable position that its former deputy justice minister is hiding from the justice system in territories outside the reach of the law.

When the Danube runs dry - How CEE's power systems are coping with the 2026 heat-drought

5 min read Central Europe, Danube, Heatwave, renewables, Energy security, climate change, Hungary, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland

Hungary and Romania are living through their most serious energy crisis in decades, as record-low Danube levels have all but shut down two of the region's nuclear plants.

Why Have Czech and Slovak Nuclear Power Plants Been Able to Withstand the Heat While Paks Has Run into Trouble?

3 min read nuclear energy, climate change, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, Czech Republic, Slovenia, Temelín, Dukovany, Cernavodă, Krško, Danube, Paks II

In Hungary, low Danube water levels and a prolonged heatwave have created an acute energy crisis, while other countries in the region appear to have weathered the situation more easily. Part of the explanation lies in the differences between the cooling systems used by their nuclear power plants.

Cracks in Poland’s Right: Is PiS Falling Apart?

2 min read Poland, PiS, Central Europe, Jarosław Kaczyński, Mateusz Morawiecki, V4

For a long time, it seemed that the return to power of Poland’s illiberal right – allied with Orbán and highly effective at blocking Donald Tusk’s government – was merely a matter of time. But those plans could now be derailed by an emerging split within the party.

Hungary joins Poland-led AI Gigafactory bid

3 min read AI, gigafactory, 2026, Hungary, Poland, czechia, Lithuania, EuroHPC

Hungary is joining the Poland-led AI Gigafactory consortium that already includes Czechia and Lithuania, marking a significant upgrade from the country's previous position as one of the EU's lighter-touch "AI Factory Antenna" participants.

Romania shoots down Russian drones on home soil for the first time

3 min read Romania, Russia, Ukraine, Black Sea, drone, Estonia, Poland, NATO, Romanian Air Force

A Romanian F-16 destroyed a Russian-made drone over the Black Sea on July 24.

Defence spending is driving the Czech budget off course

4 min read czechia, Andrej Babis, Military spending, NATO, Central Europe, State budget

Czechia's 2026 deficit is running nearly a full percentage point above what the outgoing Fiala government projected and the single largest reason is a defence-spending trajectory that Prime Minister Babiš campaigned against but has since chosen to continue.

The Polish Press on Hungary's Change of Government: Parallels and Differences

3 min read Hungary, Poland, election, Fidesz, Law and Justice, Central Europe, V4

Is Hungary now facing the same political turmoil that has characterized Poland for years? According to the Polish press, not necessarily.

Polish Economy: Slowdown or a Change of Economic Model?

3 min read Poland, Economy, manufacturing, industry, Economic growth, competitiveness, Innovation, food industry, automotive sector, electrical equipment, V4

Poland, often described as the “success story” of the European economy, is sending mixed signals. There is no immediate crisis, but the country’s industrial sector is showing weaker figures than before, raising the possibility of stagnation or even a decline.

Poland Enters the Offshore Wind Era - diversification or a Paradigm Shift?

3 min read Poland, ORLEN, Energy, renewables, Baltic Power, offshore wind, Central Europe, energy transition, V4

Last week, what may have appeared at first glance to be a purely technical milestone marked the beginning of a new chapter in Poland's energy transition.

Three castles, one without walls - A comparative look at constitutional checks in V4

6 min read V4, Central Europe, rule of law, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Petr Pavel, Karol Nawrocki, Tamas Sulyok, Donald Tusk, Peter Magyar, Presidency

Czech President Petr Pavel was nearly excluded from the NATO summit in Ankara. His government tried to keep him off the official delegation list, a sign of an unabated tension between castle and government.

V4 Reloaded: Central Europe Unites to Defend Cohesion and Agricultural Funding

5 min read 2026, V4, European Union, Common Agricultural Policy, Multiannual Financial Framework, Cohesion Policy, Hungary, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Central Europe

The next big debate on the future of the European Union has already begun—not over enlargement, migration or defence, but over the EU's next long-term budget.

Slovak referendum on Fico's lifetime pension fails amid record-low turnout

3 min read Slovakia, Referendum, 2026, Robert Fico, corruption, Populism, V4

A failed Slovak referendum on Prime Minister Robert Fico's lifetime pension has exposed a pattern playing out well beyond Slovakia: across Europe, benefits for former heads of state are becoming political ammunition precisely where societies and elites are most deeply divided.

Chasing gigafactories: CEE’s AI infrastructure bet

6 min read AI, AI infrastructure, gigafactory, Central Europe, Innovation, Economic growth, Poland, Czech Republic

Artificial intelligence is emerging as Central Europe's best answer to an exhausted growth model – but the race to build the infrastructure that could underpin that transformation reveals as much about the region's limitations as its ambitions.