IES Commentaries | Institute of Central Europe

Central and South-Eastern Europe Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1568

24 March 2026

Szczepan Czarnecki - Central and South-Eastern Europe Team

Czech Republic: New Budget Amid Disputes over the Deficit and Defense Spending

On 11 March this year, the Parliament of the Czech Republic adopted the government’s budget bill for 2026, bringing to an end a three-month period of provisional budgeting. Despite opposition resistance—effectively deprived of any real influence over the final shape of the budget—the law was passed and subsequently signed on 20 March by President Petr Pavel, who at the same...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1563

18 March 2026

Jakub Bornio - Baltic Team

The Impact of the Crisis in the Strait of Hormuz on Transatlantic Cohesion

Since 14 March 2026, Donald Trump has been urging European NATO allies to engage in efforts to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The coercive tone employed by the President of the United States in his appeal to NATO member states, coupled with the unequivocal rejection of his proposal by European leaders, constitutes yet another manifestation of tensions...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1552

10 March 2026

Michał Paszkowski - Eastern Team

The Devastated Ukrainian Power Sector and the Growing Dependence on Electricity Imports from the European Union

Ukraine’s power sector is among the most heavily damaged components of the country’s infrastructure as a result of the full-scale war launched in February 2022. A system that only a few years earlier possessed substantial export potential to European Union member states has, over the four years of war, undergone profound technical and structural degradation. Large-scale...

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Baltic Team, Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1544

4 March 2026

Michał Paszkowski | Marlena Gołębiowska - Baltic Team, Eastern Team

The U.S.–Israel–Iran Conflict and the Energy and Economic Situation of Central European Countries

The armed conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran—encompassing both strikes on targets inside Iran and Iranian retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf—together with the effective suspension of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, has triggered the most severe shock to global energy markets since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in...

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Central and South-Eastern Europe Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1541

2 March 2026

Robert Rajczyk | Szczepan Czarnecki | Agata Tatarenko - Central and South-Eastern Europe Team

Reactions of Central European States to the U.S.–Israeli Strike on Iran

The U.S.–Israeli strike on Iran has forced Central European states to take clear positions. The prime minister of Slovakia used the occasion to criticize the European Union, while the Hungarian head of government incorporated the potential negative consequences of the intervention into his election campaign and Hunagry’s relations with Ukraine. The Czech Republic, in turn,...

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European Integration and Conflict Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1534

25 February 2026

Spasimir Domaradzki | Piotr Oleksy - European Integration and Conflict Team

Reverse enlargement – plans for fundamental changes in the EU

Together with some Member States, the EU is working on a plan to change the rules for admitting new members. Its aim is to enable the accession of Albania, Montenegro, Moldova, and Ukraine as early as 2027. The political game is primarily about a fast track to membership for the Ukraine. However, a revolution in the enlargement process would change the entire structure of the...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1533

25 February 2026

Michał Paszkowski - Baltic Team

Hungary and Slovakia in the Face of a Disruption to Crude Oil Supplies via the Druzhba Pipeline

The Druzhba pipeline constitutes a critical component of Central Europe’s energy infrastructure, supplying Russian crude oil to refineries in Slovakia and Hungary. Following the suspension of deliveries through the southern branch on 27 January 2026, both countries found themselves facing a serious threat to energy security, as they remain among the last EU member states still...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1528

16 February 2026

Jakub Olchowski - Eastern Team

Veterans in Ukrainian politics – what’s next for Valerii Zaluzhnyi?

Amidst the prolonged war, growing corruption scandals, and declining trust in traditional elites, the military and veterans have gained significant social capital. General Valerii Zaluzhnyi’s dismissal and “exile” to the UK have not weakened his position—on the contrary, they have strengthened his image as an independent leader, remaining outside the current party...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1524

12 February 2026

Jakub Bornio - Baltic Team

The Impact of the Expiration of the New START Treaty on the Security of Central and Eastern Europe

On 5 February 2026, the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (New START), concluded in 2010 by the United States and Russia, expired. Although the treaty did not cover the systems used by Russia for nuclear coercion against the states of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), its termination has global implications and therefore...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1522

10 February 2026

Aleksandra Kuczyńska-Zonik - Baltic Team

A “Military Schengen Area” in the Baltic States

On 30 January 2026, the Ministers of Defence of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia signed a Declaration of Intent on the establishment of the Baltic Military Mobility Area (BMMA). The objective is to streamline procedures and facilitate the expeditious movement of troops and equipment across the three nations, particularly in crisis situations. The initiative aims to increase the...

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