Czech Republic
Czech election winner Babiš signs coalition agreement with SPD and Motorists
ANO and its partners are poised to form the most rightwing cabinet in the country’s history.
Czech growth accelerates as domestic demand-side pressure builds
The Czech economy delivered an unexpected acceleration in the third quarter, marking a clear shift from its earlier position as a regional underperformer to one of Central and Eastern Europe’s fastest-growing economies.
COMMENT: Czechia economy powering ahead, Hungary’s economy stalls
Early third-quarter GDP figures from Central Europe point to a growing divergence between the region’s two largest economies outside Poland, with Czechia accelerating its recovery while Hungary continues to struggle.
The Arctic and Antarctica record "off the charts" heat as polar warming accelerates
Parts of both the Arctic and Antarctic have experienced historically high temperatures in recent weeks, with weather stations in East Antarctica recording record-breaking warmth for the month of October, alarming climate scientists.
CEE needs a new growth model as FDI plunges
wiiw economist Richard Grieveson says the CEE region’s long-standing model of attracting FDI through low labour costs no longer works.
Estonia has the world’s most competitive tax systems for the 11th year in a row – STATISTA
The Tax Foundation has released its International Tax Competitiveness Index which highlights the most competitive tax rates in different countries around the world. For the 11th consecutive year, Estonia had the highest score in the index.
EU rare earth supply dominated by China and Russia - Eurostat
The European Union remains heavily dependent on China and Russia for rare earth imports, with nearly three-quarters of its supply sourced from the two countries in 2024, according to data published by Eurostat and reported by Statista.
COMMENT: Europe’s “fake it till you make it” war approach cannot hold off Russia’s trillion dollar war machine
In their speeches on the war in Ukraine, European leaders appear like a video clip looped on repeat. Standing before the cameras they declare new packages of support for Kyiv and threaten new measures to pressure Russia as if it was still 2022.
Draghi urges ‘pragmatic federalism’ as EU faces defeat in Ukraine and economic crises
The European Union must embrace “pragmatic federalism” to respond to mounting global and internal challenges, said former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi of Europe’s failure to face an accelerating slide into irrelevance.
Emerging Europe’s growth holds up but risks loom, says wiiw
Fiscal fragility, weakening industrial demand from Germany, and the prolonged fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine threaten to undermine growth momentum in parts of the region.
Minsk asks for talks with Kyiv, as Lukashenko seeks to end Belarus’ isolation
Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko has opened the door to direct dialogue with Kyiv as part of negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, as he launches a diplomatic drive to break the republic’s isolation and dependence on Russia.
EXPLAINER: What is the EU’s CBAM and how will it affect global trade from 2026?
The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will enter its full operational phase on January 1, 2026, marking a major shift in global climate and trade policy.
IMF: Global economic outlook shows modest change amid policy shifts and complex forces
Dialing down uncertainty, reducing vulnerabilities, and investing in innovation can help deliver durable economic gains.
Global renewables to double by 2030, but IEA warns momentum must accelerate
Global renewable energy capacity is on course to double by 2030, reaching 4,600 GW—comparable to the current combined total of China, the European Union and Japan—according to the International Energy Agency’s Renewables 2025 report.
COMMENT: ANO’s election win to see looser Czech fiscal policy, firmer monetary stance
The victory of the populist, eurosceptic ANO party in Czechia’s parliamentary election on October 6 will likely usher in a looser fiscal stance that supports growth and reinforces the Czech National Bank’s recent hawkish shift.
Babiš says he will axe state military aid for Ukraine if ANO forms next Czech cabinet
After his ANO party won Czechia's general election, Babis told journalists he won’t give Ukraine a single crown for weapons.
Babiš in talks with far-right and anti-green parties after Czech election win
Prague is likely to get the most Eurosceptic government yet seen as ANO leader Andrej Babis confirms talks with far-right SPD and anti-green, Eurosceptic Motorists for Themselves.
Leaders of Hungary and Slovakia hail Babiš’ election victory in Czechia
Hungary’s Victor Orban and Slovakia’s Robert Fico have repeatedly clashed with fellow EU members on support for Ukraine and more broadly on the bloc’s values, and hope for an ally in ANO leader Andrej Babiš.
Populist ANO takes landslide victory in Czechia's parliamentary election
Billionaire ex-prime minister Andrej Babiš' ANO is poised to make a powerful comeback and form what could be the most eurosceptic cabinet Czechia has yet seen.
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EU presses ahead with December signing of divisive Mercosur deal
The European Commission is gearing up to sign its contentious trade agreement with South American bloc Mercosur on December 5 in Brazil, possibly sealing the fate of an accord that has languished in negotiations for more than a quarter-century.