IES Commentaries | Institute of Central Europe

Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1187

Damian Szacawa - Baltic Team

“Soft security” in the Baltic Sea Region: regional cooperation to enhance societal resilience and critical infrastructure protection

The Nordic states consider critical infrastructure protection as part of their comprehensive security. The long-standing tradition of trans-border cooperation in this area will facilitate the implementation of the EU’s Critical Entities Resilience (CER) Directive. The exchange of experience and practical operational cooperation within regional structures (Nordic Council of...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1185

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

Expansion of natural gas infrastructure in Southern Europe

The process of expanding energy transport capacity is currently underway in Southern Europe, with a particular focus on the natural gas market. Since the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine in 2022, the primary goal has been to ensure greater diversification of natural gas sources and supply routes to Central European countries. Given the reduced availability of natural gas...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1180

Jakub Olchowski - Eastern Team

Digital Ukraine – the idea of modernizing the state

The digitization process in Ukraine gained momentum only after Volodymyr Zelensky and his entourage took power in 2019. It was then assumed that the “digitalization” of the state would help bridge the civilizational gap between Ukraine and the West and accelerate the modernization of the economy and public institutions. Within a few years, significant success was achieved....

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1179

Aleksandra Kuczyńska-Zonik - Baltic Team

Civil defence system in Estonia

The civil defence system in Estonia is part of a comprehensive model of security, in which society actively participates in the process of building the country’s resilience and is able to respond independently to military and non-military challenges. The peculiarities of the country’s civil defence system are: 1) the use of innovative communication solutions; 2) the...

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Baltic Team, Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1176

Aleksandra Poznar | Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team, Visegrad Team

Ukraine has restricted crude oil transit via the southern branch of the Druzhba pipeline

In June 2024, the Ukrainian authorities expanded their list of sanctioned entities to include Lukoil, which supplies crude oil to MOL Group refineries. This led to the suspension of crude oil supplies in mid-July 2024 to the Bratislava (Slovakia) and Százhalombatta (Hungary) plants. Both plants, thanks to the derogations they received in 2022 for sanctions imposed by the European...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1175

Marlena Gołębiowska - Baltic Team

Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, and Romania under the excessive deficit procedure

After the pandemic-related loosening of fiscal rules – in the new framework following the reform – the EU’s excessive deficit procedure is returning. On 26 July 2024, the Council of the European Union decided to initiate it against seven member states, including three from Central Europe: Poland, Slovakia, and Hungary. This is the result of failing to meet the deficit...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries Brief 1172

Aleksandra Kuczyńska-Zonik - Baltic Team

Estonia: priorities of the Kristen Michal’s government

On 23 July 2024, the government of Prime Minister Kristen Michal was sworn in at an extraordinary meeting of the Riigikogu after Kaja Kallas was nominated as EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy (“IEŚ Brief Commentaries”, no. 1167). Kristen Michal, Minister of Climate in Kaja Kallas’ government and previously Minister of Economy and Infrastructure...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1164

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

Romania: ambitious plans for natural gas exports

Romania, through the implementation of the Neptune Deep project, has the opportunity to become the largest producer of natural gas among the countries of the European Union. The development of the Domino and Pelican South fields could be an essential element in strengthening the energy security not only of Romania but also of Central European countries. The increased availability...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1163

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

Hungary: energy cooperation with Caspian Sea countries

Russia in Hungary’s energy policy. For many years, Hungary’s energy policy has been directed toward close cooperation with the Russian Federation. Importantly, the outbreak of the war in Ukraine and the subsequent EU sanctions did not fundamentally lead to a reorientation of mutual political and economic relations. Crude oil supplies via the Druzhba pipeline, as well as...

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Visegrad Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1162

Aleksandra Poznar - Visegrad Team

The Sovereignty Protection Office in Hungary – a threat to media freedom?

The Hungarian government has been systematically taking steps to tighten control over the media and limit funding for opposition parties for over a dozen years. An example of such measures is the adoption of the Law on the Protection of National Sovereignty by the Hungarian National Assembly in December 2023. Under this act, a new state administration body, the Office for the...

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