A collection of 104 posts
Estonia has surged to second place in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index, its best-ever result and the highest ranking among EU countries. Estonia's ranking in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index is the highest ever achieved by a Central and Eastern European (CEE) country since the index&
Poland has launched a new national doctrine aimed at establishing the country as the dominant military and economic power in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk announced the "Piast Doctrine" during a speech in Gniezno, central Poland. "Maybe today it is worth announcing
The Baltic states are stepping up their air, missile and drone defence capabilities, as Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania invest in new systems to address growing security threats in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). The acceleration of defence-related investments in the Baltic region comes amid heightened concerns about Russian military activity
The EU’s employment rate reached a record high of 70.9% in the fourth quarter of 2024, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). But while this marks a major milestone for the bloc, the picture in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is more complex, as
The European Commission (EC) has chosen 47 strategic projects across the EU to reduce critical raw material dependency, with Czechia, Estonia, Poland, and Romania at the forefront, marking a significant boost to regional competitiveness amid intensifying geopolitical tensions. The EC’s selections are critical to the industrial future of Central
Attendees from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) nations including Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Poland, Czechia, Slovakia, Moldova and others discussed policy priorities at the Antalya Diplomacy Forum in south west Turkey on 11-13 April. The forum's theme "Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World" set the tone for
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic nominated political newcomer Duro Macut, a 62-year-old endocrinologist and university professor, to serve as the country’s next prime minister on Monday, 7 April. The nomination comes amid ongoing mass protests demanding political accountability for governmental scandals and infrastructure failures. Macut’s nomination was announced weeks
Stock markets in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) fell sharply after US President Donald Trump announced retaliatory tariffs on global imports on 2 April 2025, spooking the region's export-dependent economies and reviving fears of a wider economic slowdown. CEE Stock Market Weekly Performance to 7 April 2025 Most
The US and Russia are discussing the potential reopening of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, raising significant concerns across Europe, according to media reports. The natural gas pipeline, which runs beneath the Baltic Sea, aimed to double Russian gas exports to Germany. However, it has remained inactive since its
Startups in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) are growing faster than in Western Europe and the CEE startup ecosystem is now worth EUR 243bn, according to the CEE Startups 2025 report. While funding and valuations have surged in recent years, structural challenges remain, including geographic fragmentation, uneven investor coverage, and
Romania and Poland have gender pay disparities among the lowest in the EU, according to Eurostat data published this month. In Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), Romania and Poland recorded the smallest gender pay gaps in 2023, at 3.6% and 4.5% respectively — both well below the EU average
Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur pushed back on Tuesday against criticism of the country’s joint ammunition procurement strategy, defending multilateral arrangements as the most efficient way to ensure quick and cost-effective delivery. Pevkur, a member of the Reform Party, rejected claims that Estonia would have received munitions faster through
As political landscapes shift across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), governments are recalibrating their approaches to Ukraine, European security, and internal governance. The region remains split between pro-European integration and nationalist, often pro-Kremlin, forces: Czechia and Poland reinforce their commitments to Ukraine, while Hungary and Slovakia align with Moscow. Meanwhile,
Poland is set to purchase an additional 180 K2 Black Panther main battle tanks for approximately USD 6.2bn (EUR 5.7bn), South Korean government officials announced on 9 March. The proposed agreement could be finalised as soon as next month and follows Poland’s earlier USD 12.4bn deal
Except for wartorn Ukraine, Slovakia has the most red tape in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), according to the latest Bureaucracy Index, an annual report by the Institute of Economic and Social Studies (INESS). The Bureaucracy Index measures the time and resources businesses must dedicate to compliance with government regulations.