Czech Republic
The use of the ruble in EU trade settlements reaches a record $15.2bn in March
The use of the ruble in settlements for goods and services exported by Russia to European partners was up 58.5% in March 2024 to record levels, according to data from the Central Bank of Russia.
BOFIT: The bilateral relations between China and the European Union are important but challenging
In early May, Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Europe for the first time since 2019. The destinations of the visit were France, Hungary and Serbia. China sought to improve its relationship with Europe, but relations remain tense.
Global warming acceleration at its peak but the La Nina effect this year will reduce temperatures less than expected
Global temperature is now near its peak due to El Niño aerosol decrease. How far will it fall in the coming La Niña? Less than expected.
EBRD2024: EBRD expects Emerging Europe growth boost in 2024, but slightly lowers forecast
Development bank makes downward revision in latest forecasts after worse than expected Q1 figures for Central Europe.
_1715617947.png)
Czech inflation accelerated to 2.9% y/y in April
Consumer price indices in Czechia increased by 2.9% year on year and by 0.7% month on month as food, alcohol and tobacco prices spiked.
University of Ljubljana students occupy faculty in protest against military operations in Gaza
Students at the University of Ljubljana have occupied the main lecture hall at the Faculty of Social Sciences in protest over Israeli military operations against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Czech government slams Liberty Steel for missed social payments and unrealistic promises
Government says Liberty owner Sanjeev Gupta's restructuring plans are not realistic.
Trees are “coughing not breathing” due to climate crisis stress, study finds
"We found that trees in warmer, drier climates are essentially coughing instead of breathing," a study by Penn State found.
_1715174778.png)
Czech industry returns to decline in March
Czech industry decreased by 2.7% year on year and by 1.6% month on month in March, the Czech Statistical Office (CZSO) reported. The drop comes after a slight 0.7% y/y increase in February, which ended a three-month skid in industrial output.
April 2024 sets global moisture record
April 2024 set a global moisture record for the planet, reports climatologist Ben Noll
__4.png)
Premier Energy seeks to raise over €135mn with Bucharest IPO
Power and gas utility group Premier Energy's IPO kicks off on May 8, raising funds for its expansion into renewables in Romania and Moldova.
_1714659021.png)
Czech central bank lowers interest rate to 5.25%
CNB also improves its economic outlook for this year to 1.4% growth, up from the 0.4% growth it predicted in February.
_1714712248.png)
Czech PMI deteriorates in April
S&P highlighted stronger contractions in production and weak client demand amid the burdens of the difficult manufacturing environment, which was also pressured by waning external demand.
_1714574778.png)
Czech GDP grew by 0.4% y/y in the Q1 2024
The estimate released by the Czech Statistical Office follows a GDP drop of 0.8% in the third quarter of 2023 and a growth of 0.4% in Q4. Following the revision released by CZSO in late March, the Czech economy declined by 0.2% in 2023 overall.
‘Accession bonus’ gave new EU members advantage over fellow emerging markets
EBRD research shows GDP per capita in 8 CEE countries that joined the EU in 2004 has close to doubled as a share of Germany’s GDP per capita.
20 years after accession 'big bang' wiiw economists say CEE needs a new model to catch up with the West
Eastern EU members are growing much faster than the eurozone, but must focus more on innovation for a full catchup.
Central European populism bites the hand that feeds it
20 years after Central European countries' accession, the region's populists present a grave threat to the EU's fundamental values.
_0_1714459341.jpg)
Czech police point to Russia's GRU as investigation into ammunition explosion is shelved
Czech interior minister says that Russia is “transgressing valid international agreements” after it refused to cooperate with Czech authorities on the case.
France's EDF seen as favourite as Czech nuclear tender enters next stage
It is already clear that the estimated price of CZK160bn (€6.4bn), which the Czech government calculated in 2020, will be exceeded.
COMMENT: Testing the limits – the politics of EU membership in CEE 20 years after accession
Apathy and lack of trust in national institutions, combined with ‘convergence fatigue’, have created favourable conditions for populist forces that have degraded the quality of institutions in many of the CEE states that joined the EU in 2004.