Emerging Europe growth resilient despite global risks, wiiw says

Economies across Central, Eastern and Southeast Europe are set to maintain solid growth in 2025 and 2026 but face downside risks from Middle East tensions, the war in Ukraine and US trade policy.

Slovak MFA Blanár causes international outrage for his statements on forgiving Russia

Slovak Minister of Foreign Affairs Juraj Blanár has caused international outrage for his statement about the need to “find some way of cooperation and maybe also of forgiveness” to Russia.

EU eyes new Asian trade alliances to offset US trade war risks

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is pushing for closer ties with Asia as part of a new EU trade strategy to offset the growing trade war risks with the Trump administration and reforming the global trade system.

Europe swelters in historic heatwave

Record-breaking temperatures for the time of year are likely to occur across a large part of western Europe in the coming days as a historically unprecedented heatwave intensifies.

Czech real estate tycoon Vitek is reportedly mulling sale of his CPI empire

CPIPG is one of the largest real estate groups in Central Europe, with assets in all the V4 countries and Germany.

Slovak President Pellegrini backs postponement of new Nato spending target to 2035

Slovak President Peter Pellegrini has backed the postponement of the new Nato defence spending target of 5% of GDP to 2035.

Global uncertainty causes FDI to plummet in Emerging Europe

wiiw research blames crisis in German industry and the uncertainty surrounding Donald Trump’s second term as US president for sharp slowdown in FDI.

Proposed defence spending hike to 5% of GDP exposes divisions among Nato members

Russia hawks in Poland and the Baltic States are firmly behind plan to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP, while other members question new target.

COMMENT: Fico hints Slovakia won’t spend 5% GDP on Nato defence under his watch

Prime Minister Robert Fico said that Slovakia would not increase defence spending to 5% of GDP as demanded by Nato, as his country has better things to spend budget money on.

Slovak ultranationalist leader Danko stirs rows inside Fico’s ruling coalition with talk about Nato exit

Andrej Danko's seeks to boost SNS’ faltering popularity in the radical anti-establishment electoral waters with anti-Nato rhetoric.

Slovak unemployment stays at 3.71% in May

Unemployment in Slovakia stayed at 3.71% in May, the same as in the previous month. The April level was the lowest on record since 1993. Year on year, it dropped by 0.07 percentage points.

European Commission concerned about proposed changes to Slovak constitution

The European Commission is concerned about the changes to the Slovak constitution, which the left-right cabinet of populist Prime Minister Robert Fico is trying to push through the country’s parliament this week.

Who hold the most gold reserves?

In 2025, gold prices reached unprecedented levels, with spot gold trading at above $3,932 per troy ounce as of May 7th, an increase of over 83% within just a year.

US resists EU and UK push to cut Russian oil price cap at G7 summit

The US is resisting calls from European governments to reduce the G7 price cap on Russian oil from $60 to $45 per barrel, frustrating efforts by the EU and UK to increase financial pressure on Moscow as leaders meet for a G7 in Canada.

Slovak PM Fico wants EU leaders to postpone vote on new sanctions against Russia

Fico had previously criticised the plan to phase out Russian fossil fuel imports by 2027, which the EU introduced last month.

Europe’s defence needs to adapt to different US, Czech President Pavel says

Europe must be able to defend its own interests "without active American support if necessary", Petr Pavel tells the Globsec security forum.

Slovak inflation spikes to 4.1% y/y in May, highest since 2023

Consumer price indices in Slovakia increased by 4.1% year on year in May, the highest value since December, and returned to an accelerating trajectory after easing in April to 3.7% y/y.

Ukraine’s “enemies database” adds foreign leaders over Moscow ties

A Ukrainian website that catalogues perceived "enemies of Ukraine" has added several prominent Russia-friendly foreign leaders to its database, including Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico.

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.

Slovak industry returns to decline of 0.4% y/y in April