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