Europe’s trilemma: rearmament, green transition, competitiveness
European leaders met in Brussels on 20 March to confront a mounting policy dilemma: how to balance rearmament, the green transition,...
Defence
‘We always choose the best and fastest method for acquiring ammunition’ – Estonia defends policy
Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur pushed back on Tuesday against criticism of the country’s joint ammunition procurement strategy, defending multilateral arrangements...
Poland, Czechia back ‘coalition of the willing’, Hungary, Slovakia align with Trump
As political landscapes shift across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), governments are recalibrating their approaches to Ukraine, European security, and internal...
Poland leads CEE’s rearmament charge, as Trump cools on NATO
Poland is set to purchase an additional 180 K2 Black Panther main battle tanks for approximately USD 6.2bn (EUR 5.7bn), South...
Romania probes pro-Russian presidential candidate as six arrested for coup plot
Romanian authorities are investigating far-right, pro-Russian politician Calin Georgescu over allegations of working against the constitutional order, spreading misinformation and supporting...
Trump’s verbal attack on Zelenskyy prompts security rethink in CEE
The dramatic breakdown of relations between Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, US President Donald Trump and US Vice President JD Vance on...
Zelenskyy gathers support from CEE leaders
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy called on European leaders to step up their efforts towards peace in Ukraine during a string of...
Ukraine will never join EU – Orban
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban described 2025 as a “breakthrough year” when he set out his government’s agenda for the coming...
Austrian mainstream parties edge towards coalition after attempt of pro-Putin party fails
The centre-right People’s Party (OVP) and the centre-left Social Democrats (SPO) are working behind closed doors on a coalition deal that...
Poland PM urges defence spending hikes as Baltics cut ties with Russian electricity grid
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called on European leaders to increase their defence spending while maintaining close ties with the US, before an emergency summit...
Poland FM backs Ukraine, but rejects EU army idea
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stressed the necessity of European involvement in any peace talks involving Russia and Ukraine, at a...
EU unveils strategy to compete with China, US
The European Commission (EC) unveiled its flagship "Competitiveness Compass" initiative on 29 January, the first major project of its 2024-29 term. The...
Wave of anti-gov’t protests sweeps CEE
The year in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) has begun with large-scale protests across the region, including in Serbia, Slovakia, Greece...
Tusk calls for EU defence spending hikes
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has urged European countries to increase defence expenditures in alignment with the official 2% of GDP...
As EU probes TikTok, precedent-setting Romania announces date for election rerun
Romania’s government has approved a repeat presidential election in May after institutional chaos and controversy saw the ballot in November annulled. The...
NATO launches ‘Baltic Sentry’ patrols to counter infrastructure attacks
NATO deployed a multinational flotilla off the Estonian coast at the weekend to defend undersea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea amid...
What Trump presidency means for CEE
US President Donald Trump's inauguration ceremony on Monday, 20 January, broke with tradition and extended invitations to political leaders. However, footage of...
Hungary gov’t merges telcos into major player
Telco 4iG’s One Hungary brand launched this month, combining Digi Hungary and Vodafone Hungary into a single, state-backed telco, after a...
Poland begins EU presidency with Orban snub
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he will prioritise security, defence and support for Ukraine while strengthening sanctions on Russia, at...
Poland to focus on security, regional cooperation during upcoming EU rotating presidency
Polish government representatives outlined the key priorities for its six-month stint holding the presidency of the Council of the EU from...