Czech Republic
Czech finance minister rejects calls for his resignation amid bitcoin scandal embarrassment
The unprecedented scandal has already cost th seat of Stanjura’s ODS party colleague and Minister of Justice Pavel Blažek, after it was revealed that Blažek’s ministry had accepted CZK1bn (€40mn) in bitcoin from a sentenced drug dealer.
Global energy investment to reach a record $3.3 trillion in 2025, but problems with grids remain – IEA
Global energy investment is projected to reach a record $3.3 trillion in 2025, despite continued economic uncertainty and heightened geopolitical risks, according to the International Energy Agency.
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Czech inflation accelerates to 2.8% y/y in May, according to flash estimate
Growth of consumer price indices (inflation) accelerated to 2.8% year on year, according to the flash estimate released by the Czech Statistical Office.
Czech Supreme Court lifts blocking of Dukovany nuclear contract
The Czech Supreme Administrative Court has lifted the blocking of the contract between the South Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power and the Czech side for the major €16bn Dukovany nuclear power plant enhancement.
40% of Europe already in a drought before summer gets fully underway
As Europe slides into its third disaster season, 40% of the EU is already officially facing a drought before the hottest months of the year arrive. And this year’s droughts are likely to become even worse than previous heatwaves.
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Czech PMI drops to 48 in May, returning to downward trajectory
The Czech manufacturing PMI index compiled monthly by the S&P Global market intelligence company posted 48 in May, in a disappointing drop from 48.9 in April, when PMI posted its highest since 2022, and ended the upward trajectory from recent months.
Czech Justice Minister Blažek resigns after revelations his ministry accepted CZK1bn in bitcoins from drug dealer
Pavel Blažek’s resignation comes just four months before the October elections, which the opposition ANO party is widely expected to win.
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Czech GDP increases by 2.2% y/y in Q1 after refinement
Czech statisticians refined the growth of the country’s gross domestic product to 2.2% year on year in the first quarter of this year, which is an improvement on the 2% preliminary estimate from last month.
COVID is back - a new "NB.1.8.1" strain is spreading across continents
The coronavirus (COVID-19) is back. Reports from health authorities around the world have detected a new highly contagious strain of the virus that has been spreading through Asia and has now reached Russia.
Czech PM Fiala admits cabinet may not be able to sign Dukovany nuclear contract
The contract with South Korean Hydro and Nuclear Power faces extended delays after one of the two unsuccessful bidders, French Électricité de France, filed a lawsuit against the selection of KHNP.
Czech PPF bosses are ready to take on Netflix and HBO in PPF’s home markets
PPF executives say the group's local content gives it a competitive advantage over international players in small CEE markets.
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BLOG: Efforts to tackle methane emissions continue, despite Trump’s regulatory rollback
Momentum behind improved methane monitoring, quantification and mitigation continues to build in the US – even without the same regulatory pressure.
Czechia gets nuclear fuel delivery from Westinghouse as it moves away from Russian supplies
Prague is pushing to replace the Russian state agency Rosatom and its TVEL arm, on which Czech nuclear power plants relied for years.
Record temperatures around the world – Statista
A heat wave is sweeping across South Asia, with temperatures having reached 44°C in India’s Jaipur and 50°C in Pakistan’s Shaheed Benazirabad in April, Statista reports.
COMMENT: How Europe can win the digital nomad race
Record levels of immigration are dominating political debate in the world’s wealthiest countries. But there is a latent trend, still bubbling under the surface, which might soon occupy the minds of Western policymakers: emigration.
Data centre power use expected to increase 20-fold in next five years
The first data centres consumed as much power as 20,000 homes, but the largest today use the same amount of power as100,000 homes, and are on track to burn up 5mn households' worth of power by 2030 – the same amount of power that Japan consumes.
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Brazil poultry sector hit as bird flu prompts global export bans
Brazil, the world's largest poultry exporter, has confirmed its first outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza on a commercial farm, triggering immediate import bans from major markets including China and the EU.
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.
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Czech unemployment stagnates at 4.3% in April
Czech unemployment remained at 4.3% in April, the same level as in March. Year on year, the unemployment increased by 0.6 percentage point, or by 38,462 persons.
EU Commissioner asks Czechs to wait to sign Dukovany nuclear contract
Czech media speculated that the European Commission could take action over the Dukovany nuclear tender, including a possible review of the selection of KHNP.