DACH & Slovenia

A collection of 30 posts

Gender pay gaps remain in CEE, despite EU efforts

Gender pay gaps remain in CEE, despite EU efforts

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

CEE to get four AI factories under EU initiative

CEE to get four AI factories under EU initiative

Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is set to play a key role in the EU’s push to establish itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence under the new funding initiative Invest AI. European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen announced the plan at the AI Action Summit

Poland leads CEE's rearmament charge, as Trump cools on NATO

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 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

Austria coalition ends five months of limbo

Austria coalition ends five months of limbo

Austria’s centre-right People’s Party (OVP), centre-left Social Democrats (SPO) and centrist, liberal NEOs have now finalised a coalition pact after a five-month political impasse and two rounds of failed negotiations. Members of the NEOs voted 94% in favour of a coalition deal on Sunday, 2 March, clearing the

Trump's verbal attack on Zelenskyy prompts security rethink in CEE

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 Friday, 28 February, is prompting Central and Eastern European (CEE) nations to urgently reassess regional defence strategies. The meeting, streamed from the Oval Office, was ostensibly held to formalise

Poland PM urges defence spending hikes as Baltics cut ties with Russian electricity grid

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 of European leaders in Paris on Tuesday, 18 February. US President Donald Trump’s decision to attempt to negotiate a peace deal on Ukraine with

Kos floats speedy EU accession for Albania, Montenegro

Kos floats speedy EU accession for Albania, Montenegro

The Munich Security Conference ended on a cautiously positive note for EU candidate countries Albania and Montenegro on Sunday, 16 February. After a tumultuous 3 days, EU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos namechecked Albania and Montenegro as “front-runners” for EU accession during a roundtable discussion, adding that their negotiations could be

German firms keen to relocate to CEE in 2025 - KPMG report finds

German firms keen to relocate to CEE in 2025 - KPMG report finds

German companies are considering ramping up investments in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), with 55% expecting the region’s economic significance to grow in the next 5 years, according to the “German CEE Business Outlook 2025” report by auditor KPMG. The survey analysed the economic prospects and business strategies of

Lufthansa buys stake in airBaltic

Lufthansa buys stake in airBaltic

Lufthansa Group acquired a 10% stake in Latvia’s airBaltic for EUR 14mn on January 29, pending antitrust approval. Europe’s largest airline group has long been interested in the Baltic region, and airBaltic, headquartered in Riga, Latvia, and flying to over 100 destinations across Europe, the Middle East and

Romania leads CEE for EV adoption

Romania leads CEE for EV adoption

Electric vehicle (EV) adoption across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) remains uneven, with significant variations between countries in the region, according to new data from the European Environment Agency (EEA). Adoption rates in CEE lag behind Western Europe: the Western Balkans, for example, has just 1,540 public EV charging

Austria remains in political limbo after coalition talks collapse, chancellor to quit

Austria remains in political limbo after coalition talks collapse, chancellor to quit

Austria could be set for snap elections after Chancellor Karl Nehammer said he will resign both as chancellor and the leader of the conservative People’s Party (OVP) “in the coming days”. He made the announcement on Friday, 3 January 2025, after the failure of lengthy negotiations with two other

OTP wins big at CEE bank of the year awards

OTP wins big at CEE bank of the year awards

Hungarian banking group OTP’s subsidiaries in Albania, Bulgaria, Hungary and Slovenia were ranked as the best banks in their respective countries at the Bank of the Year 2024 Awards organised by The Banker magazine. The UK-based outlet, part of the Financial Times Group, said it chose the winning banks

RegioJet CEE’s best rail operator - T&E report

RegioJet CEE’s best rail operator - T&E report

Czechia’s RegioJet is the top-performing rail operator in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) for cost and quality, according to the latest report of the European Federation for Transport and Environment, or Transport & Environment (T&E). In the report T&E, an umbrella organisation for green and