Central European Times

North Macedonia set for new PM once Zaev holds talks with incoming Bulgarian gov't

Dimitar Kovachevski is set to become North Macedonia’s next prime minister after the ruling SDSM party voted him as its new leader on Sunday. The 47-year old economist and deputy finance minister defeated two other contenders for the post. Kovachevski will soon also replace his ally Zoran Zaev as

Macron highlights CEE media, migration and rule of law in pre-EU presidency speech

Eastern Europe will be high on the agenda during France’s six-month EU rotating presidency tenure which will commence in under three weeks, French President Emmanuel Macron underlined on Thursday. Without specifically naming Poland and Hungary, Macron called the rule of law “non-negotiable” for the EU and urged countries to

Czech president stalls naming of foreign minister

Czechia’s Pirate Party candidate for foreign minister Jan Lipavsky met President Milos Zeman, who reportedly opposes his appointment, on Tuesday ahead of the formation of the new government. Ministerial assignations have been delayed since the incoming coalition parties beat former prime minister Andrej Babis in early October, in part

CEE ups R&D spending over last decade

Every country in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has increased its research and development (R&D) intensity over the last decade, according to EU statistics agency Eurostat. Poland and Czechia were the regional frontrunners from 2010-20, as they both increased intensity – i.e. R&D expenditure as a

Green minister pulls plug on long-standing Vienna motorway plan

After 20 years of fierce debate, the plan to construct a EUR 2 billion stretch of ring-road on Vienna’s north-eastern outskirts has been cancelled after scientists warned against building a motorway tunnel underneath a nature reserve.  Austrian Climate, Environment and Transport Minister Leonore Gewessler announced the kiboshing of the

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