A collection of 87 posts
Lithuania’s new Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas plans to increase the country’s defence spending to 3.5% of GDP in response to security concerns, he announced as he took office on Thursday, 21 November. MPs in the Baltic country’s parliament, the Seimas, confirmed Paluckas, 45, as the country’
The European Commission (EC) analyses the accession prospects of all ten prospective members of the EU in a new set of reports on how the countries measure up to the criteria for governance, judicial independence and democratic standards required to join the bloc. The EC publishes an annual detailing of
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
European leaders committed to developing a defence industry base and enhancing EU competitiveness at an informal European Council summit in the Hungarian capital last week. Summit at pivotal moment for US, EU politics The two days of meetings in Budapest came the same week as Donald Trump’s victory in
In the wake of the parliamentary elections in Georgia held on 26 October 2024, international reactions ranged from congratulations to expressions of concern over the integrity of the electoral process. Doubts over the legitimacy of last weekend’s vote have placed the country at the centre of a geopolitical tug-of-war,
Lithuania’s centre-left Social Democrats (SD) emerged as the clear leaders in the country’s second round of parliamentary elections on Sunday 27 October, securing an initial 52 out of 141 seats, according to preliminary results. Voters were electing 63 constituency MPs under Lithuania’s mixed electoral system. Turnout was
Bulgarian ex-prime minister Boyko Borissov’s conservative, pro-EU GERB (Citizens for European Development of Bulgaria) party garnered approximately 25% of the votes in Bulgaria’s 7th general election in 4 years on Sunday, 27 October, falling well short of a majority to rule independently. An exit poll by local firm
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
Serbian MPs voted down the enactment of a ban on lithium and boron exploration on Thursday, 10 October. An opposition-tabled House motion had suggested amending the Mining and Geological Research Act but was rejected by 128 MPs opposed, while 84 supported the change and 2 abstained. The Serbian Parliament is
Croatia and Serbia have both announced plans to reintroduce compulsory military service, saying it is necessary to strengthen national defence due to growing regional uncertainties, largely driven by the war in Ukraine. Croatia moves to meet NATO commitments Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic’s coalition in August announced plans to
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
Czech opposition party ANO, led by former prime minister Andrej Babis, scored a significant victory in Saturday’s elections for the country’s upper house the Senate, winning 8 of 27 seats up for grabs. Despite ANO’s gains, the ruling coalition, led by Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala, retained