A collection of 353 posts
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
US President Donald Trump underscored this week that he intends to impose 25% tariffs on EU imports, reinforcing his claim that the bloc enjoys unfair advantages in transatlantic trade. Trump even went on to say the EU was created “to screw the United States”. Trump may be correct that the
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban described 2025 as a “breakthrough year” when he set out his government’s agenda for the coming year in Budapest on Saturday, 22 February. In his annual “state of the nation” address, Orban referred to the returning US President Donald Trump as “our comrade in
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
Poland’s economy emerged as a regional standout in 2024, recording a GDP growth of 2.9%, significantly outpacing its Central and Eastern European (CEE) peers, according to an ING Bank analysis that cited Poland’s StatOffice. While other CEE economies fell short of expectations, Poland’s economic expansion was
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
The suspension of foreign aid by incoming US President Donald Trump on 24 January is causing major disruption in sectors including independent media and NGOs across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), with many institutions now frantically seeking alternative funding sources. The US has traditionally played a key role in funding
Hungary’s political landscape is marked by a mix of economic uncertainty increasing opposition momentum and continued tensions with the EU, according to the annual report of independent Budapest-based think tank Policy Solutions. “Fifteen years in power was supposed to be a key milestone when things could have mellowed for
US President Donald Trump’s inauguration ceremony on Monday, 20 January, broke with tradition and extended invitations to political leaders. However, footage of former Poland prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki attempting to cross a barricade into the ceremony site by showing US National Guard members his Wikipedia page, which went viral
Although Romania joined the Schengen free travel area at the beginning of 2025, international trains are still running on unchanged schedules and waiting at border stations due to the inaction of the Hungarian Transport Ministry, local transport website kozlekedotomeg.hu reported. Free travel zone entry delayed in practice Romania and
Telco 4iG’s One Hungary brand launched this month, combining Digi Hungary and Vodafone Hungary into a single, state-backed telco, after a government-subsidized shopping spree aimed at challenging Deutsche Telekom’s local subsidiary, Magyar Telekom. The new company One Hungary will offer fixed, mobile, and pay-TV services as part of
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
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he will prioritise security, defence and support for Ukraine while strengthening sanctions on Russia, at the launch event of his country’s presidency of the Council of the EU on 3 January, 2025. The gala began with a speech from Tusk, who outlined the
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
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