Czech Republic
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Premier Energy announces €125mn IPO in Bucharest to boost renewables portfolio
Bucharest Stock Exchange becomes increasingly attractive for investors after last year's Hidroelectrica IPO.
AI and cybersecurity to drive CEE tech sector
PwC and CEE Digital Coalition believe the Central and Eastern Europe region has the potential to create the EU’s Silicon Valley.
Czech tycoon Kretinsky’s £4.5bn bid for owner of Royal Mail rejected
IDS shares jumped by 29% on April 17 after it announced it had turned down an indicative offer at 320p per share from Kretinsky’s EP Group.
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Czechia paid five times more for energy imports from Russia than it spent on aid to Ukraine
The amount of money Czechia spent on Russian energy imports until the end of 2023 could finance more than three weeks of Russian fighting in Ukraine.
Pro-Kremlin Voice of Europe resumes operations from Kazakhstan
Media platform that has promoted far-right EU politicians was expelled from Czechia last month.
Creditors of Liberty Steel Ostrava greenlight restructuring plan
Creditors vote to eject biggest of them, power supplier Tameh Czech, from the list of creditors.
Fiala meets Biden to discuss support for Ukraine
US President praises Czech initiative to purchase ammunition for Ukraine outside the EU.
CEE falling inflation trend comes to an end
After spiking to 20-year highs thanks to the pandemic and Europe’s Russian induced energy crisis, inflation rates across the EU have tumbled in recent months. That trend has ended and CEE central banks are expected to hike rates again in 2H24.
Czech opposition tries to hold parliamentary session on PM’s financial affairs
Fiala had a holding in PDZ fund suspected of money laundering.
COMMENT: The Three Seas Initiative's digital imperative
While digital infrastructure in the region is growing, support infrastructure designed to handle the growth in demand is what requires investment.
IEA: Methane emissions at an all-time high need to be reduced by 75% by 2030 at a cost of $170bn
Methane emissions are 80 times more damaging than carbon dioxide. Rather than falling, they are currently at an all-time high and rising. The IEA says they need to fall by 75% by 2030 if the Paris Accord targets are going to be met.
The EU is preparing a new, fourteenth package of sanctions
The EU is preparing a new fourteenth package of sanctions that is slated for adoption in the coming months, but is unlikely to introduce any new products and will focus mostly on enforcing the existing thirteen rounds of sanctions.
Czechoslovak Group’s revenues rise 71% in 2023 as defence booms
Over 60% of the group’s revenues were generated in the CSG defence division, which specialises in production of ground military equipment and large-calibre ammunition.
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Czech inflation stagnated at 2% in March
Consumer price indices (inflation) in Czechia remained at 2% in March, the same year-on-year growth as in February, which is the lowest inflation rate since December 2018.
Where Nato has an enhanced forward presence
On Monday, 8 April, Germany sent an advance team of 20 soldiers to Lithuania, laying the groundwork for the recently discussed establishment of a permanent brigade in the Nato country, Statista reports.
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Czech unemployment inched down to 3.9% in March
Czech has long been the country with the lowest unemployment level in the EU.
Europe exits the winter heating season with record gas stocks
The EU has exited the heating season with a record volume of gas in storage, following another mild winter and as a result of reduced industrial demand and a concerted effort by policymakers to boost stockpiles.
Grid bottlenecks on the way in Europe?
A new analysis by the energy think-tank Ember has found that several countries in Europe could soon face bottlenecks in their national transmission energy grids, as more solar and wind power will be generated than these networks have capacity for.
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Czech industrial production increased by 0.7% y/y in February
The country’s robust car sector pushed an otherwise unconvincing result into growth.
Summer starts as EU gas tanks start to fill again
Winter is over, as the EU gas tanks switch from withdrawals to filling mode again in preparation for next winter. Injection into the gas tanks started on April 1, a week earlier than in 2023 and started at an all-time high record level of 59.3% full.