Central European Times

Central European Times

Slovakia hikes VAT to among EU's highest

Slovakia hikes VAT to among EU's highest

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico on Wednesday, September 18, reversed decades of opposition to tax hikes as his government amended VAT laws, effective 1 January, 2025. As recently as April, the leader of Slovakia’s nominally left-wing Smer-SD party, positioned himself as a champion of low-income earners,

Lufthansa mulls AirBaltic purchase - report

Lufthansa mulls AirBaltic purchase - report

Deutsche Lufthansa AG is looking into acquiring a stake in AirBaltic before the Latvian state-owned airline launches an initial public offering (IPO), insider sources told Bloomberg. Talks are still in the early stages, and no final decision has been made regarding the investment, said the sources, speaking to the

Rheinmetall to build EUR 180mn factory in Lithuania

Rheinmetall to build EUR 180mn factory in Lithuania

Germany’s Rheinmetall will spend more than EUR 180mn on an ammunition manufacturing facility in Lithuania, the Lithuanian Economy and Innovation Ministry said. The production unit is expected to produce tens of thousands of rounds of ammunition per year. Last week the Lithuanian economy and finance ministries said another EUR

Von der Leyen pledges more EU on Balkans visit

Von der Leyen pledges more EU on Balkans visit

European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen announced further EU flood recovery funding and reiterated the EU’s commitment to addressing climate change, in Slovenia on Monday, 2 September. On a tour of the Balkans, von der Leyen visited northern Slovenia, which was hit by flooding in November 2023.

Estonia joins CERN

Estonia joins CERN

The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) officially welcomed Estonia as its 24th member state on Friday, 30 August. CERN said Estonia’s joining represents “a significant milestone in the organisation’s history and furthering its commitment to international scientific cooperation”, adding that it “culminates a formal application process that

Poland unveils massive transport, energy, defence plans under 2025 budget

Poland unveils massive transport, energy, defence plans under 2025 budget

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk vowed to tackle inflation, drive record economic growth, and bolster key investments in energy and infrastructure when he unveiled the country’s 2025 budget on Friday, 30 August. Tusk said his government has set a high bar for the budget. “We aim to keep inflation

South Korea influence grows in CEE defence

South Korea influence grows in CEE defence

As the EU assesses its defence strategies amidst escalating geopolitical tensions, South Korea has emerged as a significant player in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) defence market. Korea makes strategic defence exports to CEE South Korea’s defence industry has gained notable traction in CEE, where countries are upping