A collection of 116 posts
The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) officially welcomed Estonia as its 24th member state on Friday, 30 August. CERN said Estonia’s joining represents “a significant milestone in the organisation’s history and furthering its commitment to international scientific cooperation”, adding that it “culminates a formal application process that
As the EU assesses its defence strategies amidst escalating geopolitical tensions, South Korea has emerged as a significant player in the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) defence market. Korea makes strategic defence exports to CEE South Korea’s defence industry has gained notable traction in CEE, where countries are upping
In total 6 of 17 countries from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) made the top 50 for fastest internet speeds, with an average download speed of 76.58 Mbps, placing it the 4th global region. CEE’s top performers were Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania, with average speeds of 145.19
Transport was on the agenda when Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, Latvia Prime Minister Evika Silina, and Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal met in Klaipeda, west Lithuania, at the weekend. The Rail Baltica, a high-speed rail connection across the Baltic states, is encountering significant challenges and rising costs, drawing concern
The new report on rule of law and governance by the European Commission (EC) gives a mixed picture on Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) anti-corruption efforts, judicial independence, media freedom, and legislative practices. The EC’s Rule of Law Report 2024, its 5th, included assessments of developments in Bulgaria, Czechia,
Estonia has climbed into a higher innovation category according to new data from the European Innovation Scoreboard (EIS). Estonia became a Strong Innovator in 2024, after enjoying steady growth since 2017, the European Commission (EC) wrote in a statement released on Monday 8 July. The EC wrote that “Strong Innovators
Romania reported the highest inflation rate in May, of 5.8%, driven by significant increases in housing and utilities prices, according to the latest data from the EU’s official statistics agency Eurostat. Croatia experienced the second highest inflation in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), of 4.3%, driven primarily
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas was nominated on Friday, 28 June as the EU’s foreign policy chief (High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy), subject to agreement from the European Commission (EC) president. Kallas will succeed Spain’s Josep Borrell and become the first politician
Despite an overall downturn, the Central and Eastern European (CEE) start-up scene showed resilience in the first quarter of 2024, when it secured USD 11.8bn in investor funding. AI continues to attract significant interest, representing about 17% of global funding. Other key industries receiving investments in CEE include enterprise
The EU elections, which will be held from on 6-9 June, involve nearly 400mn voters across 27 countries deciding on 720 seats in the European Parliament (EP). The vote will decide who will lead the European Commission (EC), with EC President Ursula von der Leyen vying for a second term,
Countries from Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) made up five of the seven signatories states of a letter expressing concern over recent developments in Georgia to its Parliamentary Chairman H.E. Shalva Papuashvili sent on Friday, 24 May. In recent months, Georgia has witnessed political and social upheaval, as anti-government
Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda secured re-election on Sunday 26 May, according to official results, in a vote heavily dominated by defence concerns regarding neighbouring Russia. The electoral commission reported that Nauseda garnered 74.6% of the vote, with 90% of ballots counted following the polls’ closure on Sunday. His
Per capita income in Slovenia will surpass that of Italy by 2029 when adjusted for purchasing power (PPP), according to the latest International Monetary Fund (IMF) projections, while Lithuania will draw level and Poland will not be far behind. The shift makes good on promises that the Central and Eastern
Lithuania had the lowest annual inflation rate of 0.4% in the EU in March 2024, EU official statistics office Eurostat reports. The EU’s highest inflation rates were also recorded in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) countries, with the steepest price increases in Romania (6.7%), Croatia (4.9%
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg agreed to progress with planning a greater role in coordinating aid to Ukraine on the first of two days of meetings at the NATO Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium, on Thursday 4 April, the 75th anniversary of the signing of the defence alliance’s founding document.