Central Europe / News
Ukrainian refugees fuelled Polish economy with €16bn boost in 2024
The study by consultancy Deloitte for UNHCR found that nearly 70% of working-age Ukrainians in Poland now have jobs, just shy of the 75% employment rate among locals.
Slovak environment ministry permits shooting of 126 protected brown bears
The Slovak Ministry of Environment, headed by the SNS party nominee Tomas Taraba, has permitted the shooting of 126 protected brown bears since the beginning of this year, which includes 24 exemptions.
Hungarian PM delivers firebrand Pentecost speech at far-right rally in France
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has declared that nationalist forces will seize control of the European Union within "a year or two", and is vowing to reshape the bloc from within and end what he calls the dominance of "Brussels bureaucrats".
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Talks begin on PLN1bn support plan for ArcelorMittal steelworks in Poland
Talks have begun over a public support package for steelmaker ArcelorMittal Poland’s plant in Dąbrowa Górnicza, with the government considering a PLN1bn (€230mn) allocation for the plant’s modernisation.
Czech government reiterates domestic suppliers will have 60% share in Dukovany nuclear project
The Czech government reiterated that domestic suppliers will have a 60% share in the CZK407bn (16.4bn) project to construct two new blocks at the Dukovany nuclear power plant.
Construction bosses turn witness in Turkey’s investigation into “Imamoglu Crime Syndicate”
Prosecution secures confessions from multiple individuals who experience claimed enlightenment in jail. Critics contend probe is entirely political and bogus.
Hungary’s MVM joins $2.9bn Shah Deniz gas project in Azerbaijan
Hungarian state-owned energy group MVM has secured a 5% stake in the next phase of Azerbaijan’s flagship Shah Deniz gas field, joining a $2.9bn development led by BP.
Czech finance minister rejects calls for his resignation amid bitcoin scandal embarrassment
The unprecedented scandal has already cost th seat of Stanjura’s ODS party colleague and Minister of Justice Pavel Blažek, after it was revealed that Blažek’s ministry had accepted CZK1bn (€40mn) in bitcoin from a sentenced drug dealer.
Hungary breached EU law by restricting LGBTQ content, CJEU adviser says
Hungary’s controversial "child protection" law violates EU rules by restricting access to LGBTQ content, according to Tamara Capeta, Advocate General of the European Court of Justice.
Slovak parliament passes resolution against anti-Russian sanctions after opposition boycott backfires
The Slovak parliament has passed a resolution urging members of the populist left-right cabinet of Robert Fico not to vote against new sanctions directed against Russia.
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Fico’s Slovak ruling coalition split over backing sentenced central banker Kažimír for another term
Left-right ruling coalition of the Slovak populist prime minister Robert Fico is split over whether to back Governor of the National Bank of Slovakia Peter Kažimír, for another six-year term in office after the current one expired on May 31.
Wizz Air shares nosedive after release of 2024 earnings report, lack of guidance
Wizz Air shares plummeted in early trading on June 5, after the low-cost carrier posted a sharp drop in earnings and declined to provide financial guidance for the coming quarters.
Hungary’s flagship battery sector racks up $112mn losses amid demand slump
Hungary’s battery manufacturing sector, heralded as a pillar of the manufacturing sector, has posted combined annual losses of nearly $112mn, as weakening global demand and shifting trade dynamics hit the industry hard.
Polish central bank holds rates but cuts seem imminent later this year
The decision to hold follows a cut of 50bp in May, the first reduction in NBP’s interest rates since 2023. The Polish inflation rate came in at 4.1% y/y in May, easing from 4.3% y/y the preceding month.
Budapest opposition mayor: government aims to "push the city to the brink of abyss"
Budapest’s transport and finance committees have convened an emergency session to assess the fallout from the government’s recent measures, which local leaders say have pushed the capital to the verge of financial collapse.
Trzaskowski says he did his best in campaign, plans to focus on Warsaw
Warsaw Mayor Rafał Trzaskowski said he had no regrets about his presidential campaign and that he gave it everything he had, speaking publicly for the first time since his narrow defeat to Karol Nawrocki in the June 1 election.
Czech Supreme Court lifts blocking of Dukovany nuclear contract
The Czech Supreme Administrative Court has lifted the blocking of the contract between the South Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and the Czech side for the major €16bn Dukovany nuclear power plant enhancement.
Orban vows to “do everything” to keep Ukraine out of the EU
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has vowed to “do everything” in his power to prevent Ukraine from joining the European Union, he said in a social media post on June 3, escalating tensions over the bloc’s enlargement policy.
Hungary's MOL signs onshore exploration agreement with Azerbaijan's SOCAR
MOL has signed key terms for an exploration, development and production sharing agreement with Azerbaijan’s state oil company SOCAR for the Shamakhi-Gobustan region of the country.
Vote of confidence on Tusk’s government set for June 11
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk will seek a vote of confidence in his government on June 11, following the narrow defeat of his presidential candidate Rafał Trzaskowski in the June 1 run-off election.