Czech unemployment remains at 4% in February

The Czech unemployment rate remained at 4% in February, unchanged month-on-month. In year-on-year terms, it increased by 0.1%.

Closing gender gap in workforce could double global growth rate says World Bank

Countries in Central and Eastern Europe and Eurasia have a lower gender gap than the global average but only Latvian women have equal legal standing with men.

Czech president says finance for Ukraine ammunition secured

Czech initiative to buy ammunition from third countries follows failure of EU to provide promised 1mn rounds from within the bloc.

Macron doubles down on idea of using Nato troops in Ukraine

French president for a "strategic leap" in Western thinking on help to Kyiv.

Central Europe's top security conference moves to Prague amid pressure from Slovak cabinet

Robert Fico's government is targeting Slovakia's strong roster of think-tanks, which he argues is part of the opposition campaign against him.

Slovak TV Markiza said to be scaling down politics in news

The reported editorial changes allegedly follow pressure from the new left-right government of Robert Fico, who has labelled the station an "enemy media".

Czech PMI inches upwards in February

The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for Czechia, compiled by market intelligence company S&P Global, inched upwards in February to 44.3 amid some positive signs in the struggling manufacturing sector.

Czech lower house passes watered down legislation enhancing the rights of same sex couples

Marriage for all staunchly opposed by the powerful conservative wing in the parliament.

Thailand's SCBX acquires PPF's Home Credit Vietnam business for €800mn

PPF founded Home Credit Vietnam in 2008, becoming the second largest player in the Vietnamese consumer finance sector.

Liberty Steel's financial crisis is just the latest blow for CEE's steel industry

The woes of Liberty Steel's mills also reflect the struggle of former Communist Central and Eastern Europe’s once mighty steel sector to remain competitive.

Czech court maintains Liberty Ostrava's protection from bankruptcy

Liberty Ostrava has not been operating since December after its main energy supplier cut off power and went into bankruptcy.

Czech plan reportedly secures 800,000 pieces of ammunition for Ukraine

Czechs use worldwide arms contacts to locate ammunition stocks which “for political reasons” the supplying countries won’t be able to deliver themselves.

Despite differences over Ukraine, V4 leaders stress the platform is not dead

Split over Ukraine has led analysts and journalists to describe the group as the V2+V2 rather than the V4, and to speculate whether it had a function anymore.

Macron says sending Nato ground troops to Ukraine should not be ruled out

French president says Russia now presents a greater danger and nothing should be excluded.

Commercial real estate investment dropped by 55% in Central Europe in 2023, says Cushman & Wakefield

The highest proportion of the capital went into the office sector, although its share dropped from 41% in 2022 to 32% in 2023 because of the increasing trend towards remote work.

Romania’s president pitches to be CEE's candidate for Nato top seat

The alliance's CEE countries had hoped to be strong contenders to helm the alliance this time around, but the Netherlands' Mark Rutte appears to have it in the bag already.

Is the worst of Europe's slowdown over as PMI recover?

VISEGRAD BLOG: Poland will be a test case of how to reconquer the state and rebuild a liberal democracy

Liberals are fundamentally misunderstanding the nature of the PiS system if they believe Donald Tusk should tread water.

CEE losing competitiveness because of soaring wages and weak productivity growth

Unit labour costs have surged by 25% since 2020 – something not seen since the early 2000s, says Capital Economics

Czech inflation collapses to its lowest y/y rise in almost three years in January

Consumer price indices (inflation) in Czechia increased by 2.3% year on year and by 1.5% month on month.