Central Europe / Features
Armenia’s Pashinyan, Turkey’s Erdogan set for unprecedented face-to-face Prague meeting
Encounter is “huge” says analyst. However, hopes for a breakthrough in resolving Armenia-Azerbaijan conflict are low.
Orban faces perfect economic storm of his own making
Hungary’s radical right-wing leader is struggling to cope with the country’s unfolding cost of living crisis, a task made much harder because of his pre-election spending spree and his isolation inside the European Union.
Czechs try to transform EU's relationship with Israel
As the current rotating president of the European Union, Prague has convened a meeting of the long moribund EU Israel Association to try to boost EU links with the Jewish state.
More pain stored up for Emerging Europe in 2023
Government efforts to shield populations from the energy crisis and rampant inflation have shifted the economic impact to next year, says the EBRD as it downgrades GDP growth forecasts for 2023.
Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins set to benefit from hardline stance on Ukraine war
Baltic state's election campaign has been dominated by the cost of living crisis and Russia's invasion.
BRUEGEL: National policies to shield consumers from rising energy prices
The current increase in wholesale energy prices in Europe has prompted governments to try to shield consumers from the direct impact of an energy crisis that is sweeping the Continent and the rising prices that are costing hundreds of billions.
Kazakhstan offers Europe chance to kick its Russian uranium habit
Obstacle to hopes is Russia’s ownership of 40% of world's uranium conversion infrastructure, vital to making nuclear fuel.
Desperate Southeast Europe governments scramble for energy resources
Facing a cold winter, Southeast European countries look to coal from Indonesia, gas from Azerbaijan and oil from Iran.
Energy crisis: Europe’s industry shutting down
Dozens of plants across a diverse range of industries such as steel, aluminium, fertilisers and the power industry have been forced to close up shop as sky-high gas and power prices make their businesses lossmaking.
Eastern EU governments under pressure to act on rising living costs
Discontent is growing in Central and Southeast European countries that are suffering the highest inflation in the EU, pumped up by soaring food and energy prices.
An EU visa ban on Belarusians risks playing right into Lukashenko's hands
As several EU countries want to increase visa restrictions for Russians, Belarusians risk getting caught in the crossfire, and in today's geopolitical climate it becomes ever more important to differentiate between a Russian and Belarusian passport.
Emerging Europe’s suicide hotspots
A cluster of countries in the former Soviet Union have some of the highest suicide rates in the world.
The economic war with Russia has already cost the West $380bn
The economic war that the West launched against Russia in the days following the invasion of Ukraine has already cost developing nations $379bn, analysts estimate.
Czech government remains colour blind on green issues
This could prevent it from tackling some of the country’s biggest problems, such as its dependency on Russian energy, soaring energy bills, worsening environmental problems, and its stuttering economic model.
Poland ups the ante in feud with Brussels over judiciary reforms
If Kaczynski and other PiS figures are to be believed, Poland no longer wants to meet the EU's milestones and will engage in direct opposition to the Commission.
DATACRUNCH: Stagflation visualisation
Stagflation is here. The world is facing a global recession that could go on for several years as central banks everywhere will be forced to put through growth-crushing large rate hikes to control runaway inflation. But just how bad is it now?
FDI in CEE: It’s about Russia, inflation and populism
After February 24, when the first Russian tanks rolled into Ukraine, looking at a map of Europe is no longer what it used to be.
Tougher times ahead for Emerging Europe
With no end to the Ukraine war in sight, spiralling inflation is set to drag down growth across Emerging Europe in the second half of 2022 and into 2023, wiiw’s latest forecasts say.
