A collection of 244 posts
US President Joe Biden discussed the threat of a possible Russian attack on Ukraine with numerous NATO member countries in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) on Thursday. Speaking with the leaders of Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania and Slovakia for 40 minutes, Biden pledged to
The European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures’ (ESFRI), designed to integrate Europe on scientific research collaboration, recommends massive investment into nearly a dozen shared research facilities in Europe. According to it’s latest roadmap, published this week, over EUR 4bn should be dedicated to building 11 new labs, among them
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
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
Czechia’s President Milos Zeman officially appointed Petr Fiala as prime minister to lead a broad coalition of right-wing and centrist parties on Sunday, after his predecessor Andrej Babis lost the national elections in October. Fiala said his new coalition, expected to form mid-December, hopes to be a government of
Taiwan could help alleviate Europe’s semiconductor shortage by setting up manufacturing operations in central Europe. With a reputation as a tech heavyweight, the autonomous island claimed by mainland China is host to numerous electronic component manufacturers. In October, the head of Taiwan’s National Development Council, Kung Ming-hsin, said
The formation of a new governing coalition in Czechia could be set to stall after President Milos Zeman reportedly threatened to veto Pirate Party member Jan Lipavsky’s appointment as foreign minister. Last week prime minister-elect Petr Fiala met Zeman to discuss the formation of a new governing coalition of
Strengthening energy sovereignty and energy security, maintaining affordable energy prices and decarbonising energy production can only be achieved through the combined use of nuclear and renewable energy, according to a joint declaration signed by János Süli, Hungary’s Minister without Portfolio responsible for the country’s Paks 2 nuclear facility
The swearing-in of the Czech Republic’s new prime minister looks to be a done deal, scheduled for Friday, 26 November. President of the Czech Republic, Milos Zeman, has invited Petr Fiala, who won the popular vote in Czechia’s October elections, for talks on putting together a new cabinet.
Lawmakers in Brussels have taken a step back from pursuing their plan to unveil a new strategy for EU trade and economic dealings with Taiwan, presumably hoping that sour relations with China won’t become worse. For months, EU and Beijing have been spatting due to bilateral sanctions instated by
Henry Ford once said: “I am ready to account for any day in my life, but don’t ask me how I made my first million.” The billionaires of Central and Eastern Europe, many of whom began to build their empires during the “wild privatisations” of the 1990s, would no
The US national public health agency yesterday began advising American tourists against visiting Hungary or Czechia, two of the world’s leading destinations for winter tourism. The countries were raised from the third to the top “Level 4: COVID Very High” category by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Outgoing Czechia prime minister Andrej Babis appears set to face criminal charges after rival party leaders confirmed their MPs will vote to lift his parliamentary immunity. Prague prosecutor’s office made the request – which Babis called a “bespoke criminal prosecution” – after he was defeated at the polls last month. Since
A report by a European travel industry group says Europe’s travel industry is recovering this year, but the continent has a long way to go before it will see pre Covid pandemic levels of guest arrivals. While the 2021 summer tourism season saw decent numbers, according to the latest
Leaders of the Visegrad 4 (V4) group of countries – Czechia, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland – have invited South Korea’s industries to participate in the building of a high speed railway project that would connect two capital cities in central Europe. Their overture took place in the context of the prime