A collection of 66 posts
As Donald Trump officially declared his victory in the US election, he received congratulations from numerous Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) leaders including Polish President Andrzej Duda and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban. However, CEE politicians and observers are now wondering what the leadership change in Washington will bring, as
Albania’s bid to join the EU gained momentum at the latest intergovernmental conference that marked the opening of formal EU accession talks in Luxembourg on Tuesday, October 15. The talks focused on the first cluster of chapters known as the “fundamentals,” which include human rights, rule of law, and
In a knife-edge referendum that laid bare Moldova’s internal divisions and heightened geopolitical tensions, the country’s voters backed constitutional changes aimed at securing EU membership on Sunday, 20 October, with 50.46% voting in favour and 49.54% against. On the morning of the vote, Moldovan President Maia
The European Commission (EC) has greenlit Poland’s USD 1.2bn scheme for projects to increase electricity storage capabilities to foster the transition to a net-zero economy under the Temporary Crisis and Transition Framework (TCTF). The move, approved on October 3, 2024, will aid Poland’s shift away from fossil
Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) is catching up with Western Europe for e-commerce, but unique regional challenges and opportunities are shaping its growth trajectory, according to the European e-Commerce Report 2024. Central Europe Many CEE countries still experience uneven digital development, as compared to Western Europe where higher internet penetration
The EU has called on Romania to amend its energy price-capping scheme, urging the government to allow gas and electricity producers to set their own prices. The request came in the form of a letter, with Romania expected to respond within two months. The letter marks the first step of
The European Commission (EC) has announced that it will impose additional import tariffs on Chinese battery electric vehicles (BEVs) following a vote among member states on Friday, 4 October, after a year-long investigation. The EC, which suspects China of undercutting European carmakers by subsidising its EV industry, wrote that it
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland are seeking EU financial support for a coordinated network of military fortifications along their borders with Russia and Belarus. “The security situation demands comprehensive defences,” Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said, adding that “the Baltic Defence Line supports NATO’s forward defense and is vital
Czechia’s former industry minister and crisis manager Jozef Sikela has been appointed to lead the EU’s EUR 300bn Global Gateway Strategy, the bloc’s riposte to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Sikela will oversee infrastructure investments aimed at countering the BRI by forging strategic international partnerships.
After months of negotiations with EU member states, European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen revealed the lineup for her second term’s College of Commissioners on Tuesday 17 September from Strasbourg. The centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) secured the largest share, with 15 of the 27 commissions,
US firm Intel has decided to delay its semiconductor plant project near Wroclaw, west Poland, until 2026 due to the company’s worsening global financial situation, the Polish Digital Affairs Ministry announced on Monday, 17 September. The ministry said Poland remains committed to semiconductor investments and plans to use its
Financed with a EUR 5mn EU grant and a EUR 100mn loan from the European Investment Bank (EIB), the nearly 1km-long Hercegovina Bridge on Corridor Vc (a.k.a. E73) opened on Wednesday, 4 September. The new bridge represents Bosnia and Herzegovina’s (BiH) largest infrastructure project and forms part
European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen announced further EU flood recovery funding and reiterated the EU’s commitment to addressing climate change, in Slovenia on Monday, 2 September. On a tour of the Balkans, von der Leyen visited northern Slovenia, which was hit by flooding in November 2023.
A total of 59 companies have been awarded non-reimbursable funding totalling some MDL 25mn (EUR 1.3mn) as part of a MDL 544mn (EUR 28.29mn) EU-led stimulation initiative. Since the beginning of the year, the Organization for Entrepreneurship Development (OED) has already facilitated grants of over MDL 144mn to
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu has requested that his country’s upcoming European Commissioner focuses on economic policies, following a meeting with European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels on Thursday. “I want a portfolio that is highly relevant, given that we are the sixth largest country