A collection of 17 posts
US President Donald Trump’s new raft of global tariffs threatens to hammer the export-driven economies of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), with his 25% duty on foreign-made cars posing a direct risk to regional manufacturing. As highly integrated suppliers in Germany-led EU value chains, Slovakia, Hungary and Czechia are
Stock markets in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) fell sharply after US President Donald Trump announced retaliatory tariffs on global imports on 2 April 2025, spooking the region's export-dependent economies and reviving fears of a wider economic slowdown. CEE Stock Market Weekly Performance to 7 April 2025 Most
Liberation Day is here. Trump has announced his tariffs targeting the US’s biggest trading partners, delivering one of the biggest blows to the global economy since the pandemic—and hitting the US especially hard. Likely countermeasures will target the heart of the US economy: its service sector - including
As political landscapes shift across Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), governments are recalibrating their approaches to Ukraine, European security, and internal governance. The region remains split between pro-European integration and nationalist, often pro-Kremlin, forces: Czechia and Poland reinforce their commitments to Ukraine, while Hungary and Slovakia align with Moscow. Meanwhile,
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
One of the most disappointing characteristics of our 21st Century is that while we live in a high-tech world, billions are still struggling under cruel political systems. Our century has seen many attempts to dethrone dictators. Surprisingly few prevailed. One exception was Ukraine, which overthrew Russian influence in February 2014,
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
Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Sikorski stressed the necessity of European involvement in any peace talks involving Russia and Ukraine, at a meeting in Paris on 12 February, arguing that a fair deal with strong security guarantees is essential for lasting peace. Poland inks open letter with other major EU powers
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
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk has urged European countries to increase defence expenditures in alignment with the official 2% of GDP target for NATO members, as frequently cited by US President Donald Trump. Speaking at the European Parliament in Strasbourg, Tusk emphasised that the EU’s survival depends on its
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
Romania’s Constitutional Court (CCR) annulled the country’s presidential election on Friday, 6 December after the emergence of evidence of Russian interference in the lead-up to the first-round vote late last month. Pro-Russian ultranationalist candidate and political newcomer Calin Georgescu unexpectedly won the first round of voting on 24
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