Small, export-oriented countries may lose out to larger economies if a “minimum tax” proposal from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) remains unchanged. The proposal, backed by some 130 countries, would introduce a 15% minimum corporate tax globally to end the current “tax race to the bottom,” a
From May this year to July, 35,193 tourists arrived in Ukraine from Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, UAE, Oman and Saudi Arabia. More than 85% of all tourists from the Gulf region (29,809 people) are citizens of Saudi Arabia. This is eight times more than in the pre-crisis year of
Romania’s economy continued its robust post-pandemic recovery in the second quarter after already returning to pre-pandemic levels in the first quarter. The country’s gross domestic product (GDP) went up by 1.8% in the second quarter of this year compared to the previous quarter, marking the fourth consecutive
If you’re looking for a high-ranking university that enjoys the esteem of a Harvard, Stanford or Oxford there are better places to look than in the western Balkan countries, where one higher education institution has fallen out of a top 500 universities ranking. Emerging Europe reports that now not
The Belarusian government is trying to “instrumentalize human beings for political purposes,” interior ministers of the European Union warned in a joint statement after a video meeting on Wednesday. The emergency meeting requested by Lithuania was scheduled after the government there published a video of 12 Belarusian police officers armed
If you’ve ever been in the situation where your mobile phone is running out of power, but you forgot your charger at home – and the only one available to you has a different pin connection, the European Commission’s plans to harmonize mobile phone chargers might have a solution
Bulgaria, the poorest EU member state, is sliding into political chaos, throwing its ability to tap into badly needed EU economic recovery aid into question. Currently run by a caretaker cabinet with limited powers, appointed by president Rumen Radev, the country is on the brink of calling a third general
The Hungarian government is opposed to the introduction of a single EU carbon price and extension of the EU’s Emissions Trading System to households, namely buildings and the transport sector, according to state secretary for the Development of Circular Economy, Energy and Climate Policy, Attila Steiner, who noted that
Lots of extreme weather – including an increasing number of heatwaves, floods, etc. – is being forecast for Europe in the future, according to a dire climate scenario released this week by the UNs Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). The report writes that high temperatures on the continent are set to
Two countries in Central & Eastern Europe (CEE), Bulgaria and Croatia, are on track to introduce the European common currency. In Sofia, politicians on both the left and right endorse the euro despite the looming government crisis, while Zagreb has even decided on its national symbols to be portrayed on
The leader of Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party said it will change its legal system disciplining judges in an attempt to find a long-awaited compromise with the European Union. Jarosław Kaczyński, Poland’s de facto leader stated to the national press that the disciplinary chamber will be
If you’re traveling to Dubrovnik, Croatia’s southern Adriatic resort town, you no longer need to transit through Bosnia and Hercegovina: the two parts of Croatian territory are now united by a spectacular, 2.5 kilometer-long bridge, linking the mainland with the Peljesac peninsula. For the first time in
Hungary will allow Russian visitors to visit if they possess a Covid-19 immunity certificate as of Tuesday, 3 August, foreign minister Péter Szijjártó has announced. The measure comes in response to Russia’s recent decision to resume issuing tourist and business visas to Hungarian citizens who hold a negative PCR
The Czech government and energy company ČEZ have signed a memorandum of support for the construction of a battery factory for electric vehicles, a so-called “mega factory,” in the Czech Republic. The plan has been approved by the government, according to the deputy prime minister and minister of Industry and
As part of several deals signed that facilitate trade and movement, leaders from three Balkan states – Albania, North Macedonia and Serbia – agreed to an open border policy between them for travelers and commerce, effective 1 January 2023 if everything goes according to plan. Serbia’s president, Aleksandar Vucic, and the