Central Europeans overwhelmingly oppose Trumpist narratives about free speech, 2025 Media Freedom Poll shows

Citizens of Czechia, Hungary, Poland and Slovakia oppose the Trump administration’s narratives about free speech as allegedly not requiring the regulation of social media, with nearly 90% demanding that online platforms act against hate speech.

Slovak inflation eases to 3.7% y/y in April

COMMENT: Amid shrinking civic space, will the EBRD still uphold its democratic mandate?

As the global Democracy Index recorded a historic low in 2024, institutions tasked with upholding democratic values are under increasing pressure to adapt.

EBRD cuts 2025 growth forecasts citing tariffs and global uncertainty

Development bank lowers forecasts for Emerging Europe, Central Asia and North Africa as slowdowns in Germany and China take their toll.

Slovak industry returns to growth of 3.5% y/y in March

Slovakia’s industrial output increased by 3.5% year on year and by 0.7% month on month in March, registering the first month of growth this year.

Lithuanian activists hand out condoms on Victory Day to prevent 'another Putin' from being born

Activists gave out condoms at the entrance to the Antakalnis Cemetery in Vilnius, where the city’s Russian community were marking Victory over Fascism Day.

War is a growing concern across Europe – Statista

VE Day, or Victory in Europe Day, is celebrated on May 8 each year to mark the formal end of World War II in Europe, reports Statista.

Slovak Prime Minister Fico forced to fly around the houses on his way to Moscow

Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was forced to take the long way round on his trip to Moscow to attend Russia’s Victory Parade on Red Square on May 9.

UK insect numbers plummet by two thirds in three years, Bugs Matter survey shows

The population of flying insects in the United Kingdom has fallen by two thirds in just three years, according to new findings from a nationwide “Bugs Matter” citizen survey, raising alarm among ecologists and conservation groups.

EU swaps China for Russia in procurement of rare earth metals

The EU is increasingly turning to China to source hard-to-find rare earth metals and dropping previous import deals with Russia.

Trump policies won’t harm Emerging Europe badly – and will actively benefit Russia

Latest wiiw forecasts show little direct impact on Central and Southeast Europe from Trump trade wars.

Hungary and Slovakia warn EU against scrapping unanimity rule over Ukraine membership bid

The leaders of Hungary and Slovakia warned on April 28 against changing the European Union’s unanimity rule, after proposals emerged to bypass their opposition to Ukraine’s EU accession bid.

Protesters return to towns and cities across Slovakia against cabinet’s NGO bill

Protesters returned to the towns and cities across Slovakia in response to the NGO bill, which the left-right cabinet of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico pushed through Parliament last week.

Incoming German government compromises on carbon offsets to boost flagging economy

Germany’s incoming government has conditionally endorsed the European Union’s proposed 2040 climate goal and backed the EC's recommended 90% emissions reduction target but only if international carbon offsets and carbon removals are permitted.

Slovak unemployment drops to 3.72% in March

Slovak unemployment slightly dropped to 3.72% in March, down by 0.07 percentage point from February and by 0.16 pp from March 2024, while the number of unemployed persons was the lowest on record since 1993.

How Europe has weaned itself off Russian gas in the last three years

In 2021, Eastern European countries imported almost half of their gas from Russia. Only two countries in the region – Albania and Kosovo – were wholly independent of Russian gas.

Slovak GDP improves to 2.1% in 2024 after revision

Slovakia’s gross domestic product performance improved to 2.1% growth in 2024, following the spring revision of GDP growth in the years 2021-2024 released by the Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic.

COMMENT: Make no mistake: Trump’s tariff turmoil is a major economic crisis

A wave of erratic tariff announcements from the United States has further battered already the already weak Eurozone economic indicators, with last week's sharp decline in the ZEW Economic Sentiment Index collapsing further.

Bosqar’s Mplus expands with Conectart and Valoris acquisitions


Croatia-based BPO company announces takeovers in Romania and Slovakia expanding its footprint in the CEE region.

New study reveals extent of Russian disinformation targeting Emerging Europe

'Pravda network' targeting regions of geopolitical interest for the Kremlin with negative impact on democracy and regional stability.