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Rail cars loaded with steel sit at the ThyssenKrupp Schwelgern steel plant on May 30, 2018 in Duisburg, Germany. 

Economics

Politics

The European Union and the United States will increase efforts to deconflict their trade and climate policies ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential and EU parliamentary elections, but lingering disagreements will not allow for a complete respite of Trump-era tariffs on EU steel and aluminum.

EU-U.S. Steel and Aluminum Negotiations Make Limited Headway

German Minister of State for European Affairs Michael Roth speaks on the screen during a virtual EU press conference in Brussels, Belgium, on Nov. 17, 2020. 

Environment, Science & Technology

European Disintegration

Hungary and Poland’s move to veto an EU spending package could delay the disbursement of much-needed funds to the bloc’s struggling economies. 

A Rule of Law Dispute Threatens Europe’s Economic Recovery 

COVID-19

EU: Regional Blocs

The Fate of the Eurozone

China

Bulgaria

Croatia

Romania

Russia

A satellite image shows Europe at night.

Military & Security

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The move shows the White House remains committed to its security and economic engagements in the region, with an eye on countering China and Russia. 

The U.S. Ramps Up Financial Support to Central and Eastern Europe

Security

The New Silk Road

Divided EU Foreign Policies

2020 Second-Quarter Forecast

Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.

<p>To the west of Eurasia lays Europe, a region predisposed to division. It is surrounded on nearly all sides by islands and peninsulas that make it difficult for Europe to cohere. The northern half of the continent, moreover, sits on a plain whose short, meandering rivers tend to empower countries without forcing them to work with others. The southern half is situated on more mountainous terrain that has historically impeded the creation of strong, unified economies. As a result, Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.</p>

2020 Annual Forecast

2019 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

Assessments

Serbia

Albania

Many of Eastern Europe's governments are lurching away from democracy, provoking pushback from civil society.

As governments in EU members like the Czech Republic, Romania and others run roughshod over the bloc's values, civil society groups are fighting to uphold the rule of law.

Eastern Europe Witnesses a Quiet Revolution

2019 Third-Quarter Forecast

2019 Second-Quarter Forecast

2019 Annual Forecast

2018 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

2018 Second-Quarter Forecast

The European Parliament voted in favor of the EU Nature Restoration Law, the European Commission's proposal to restore degraded land and biodiversity within the bloc, with supporters of the law narrowly defeating an attempt by conservative groups to sink it, Euractiv reported on July 12.

EU: European Parliament Backs EU Nature Restoration Law by Narrow Margin

Taiwan

Taiwan's Foreign Minister Joseph Wu will attend a security conference in Prague on June 14, at which Wu will give a speech directly after Czech President Petr Pavel, Reuters reported on June 9. 

Taiwan, Czech Republic: Foreign Minister Wu's Visit to Prague Will Test Beijing's Restraint

Czech President-elect Petr Pavel called Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen to discuss their shared values of democracy and human rights, despite protests from China, Reuters reported Jan. 30.

Taiwan, Czech Republic: Czech President-Elect Calls Taiwanese President, Invokes Beijing's Ire

Iran

According to a German foreign ministry source, Germany, France, Denmark, Spain, Italy and the Czech Republic submitted 16 proposals for new EU sanctions against Iran due to its crackdown on anti-government demonstrators, Reuters reported Oct. 3.

Iran, EU: Bloc Plans More Sanctions Over Crackdown on Anti-Government Protesters

Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The Czech Republic has sent more than a dozen modernized Soviet-built T-72 tanks to Ukraine, marking the first time that Ukraine has received tanks from a foreign country since Russia invaded in February, The Wall Street Journal reported April 5.

Ukraine: Czech Republic, Slovakia Boost Military Support for Kyiv

Cyber

The U.S. Treasury Department Office of Foreign Assets Control added Czech Republic-registered cryptocurrency exchange Suex to its list of Specially Designated Nationals for its facilitation of ransomware payments, OFAC announced Sept. 21.

U.S.: Treasury Sanctions Cryptocurrency Exchange for Ransomware Payments

Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis accused the European Union's anti-fraud office, OLAF, of trying to "destabilize" the country on June 5 as at least 120,000 people crammed into a Prague square to demand his resignation, EUobserver reported. 

Czech Republic: Tens of Thousands Mass on Streets as Prime Minister Chides EU

Voters in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Malta and Latvia took part in European Parliament elections on May 25, AP reported.

EU: High-Stakes European Parliament Election Heads Toward Its Big Day

Afghanistan

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Antigua and Barbuda

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A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Angola

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Australia

Bahrain

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

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The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

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Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

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Bosnia and Herzegovina

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Japan

A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Morocco

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The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe surrounded by Austria, Germany, Poland and Slovakia. Its capital and most populous city is Prague. The Czech Republic's historic regions are Bohemia in the west, Moravia in the east and Czech Silesia in the north-east. These regions coincide with the basins of the country's main rivers with the Elbe and the Vltava for Bohemia, the Morava for Moravia and the Oder for Czech Silesia.     The Czech Republic's location and relatively flat landscape have historically brought prosperity to the region by placing it at the center of some of the oldest trade routes in Europe. Between the 11th and 19th centuries, the Kingdom of Bohemia was an essential part of the Holy Roman Empire and several of its kings were elected to rule as Holy Roman Emperors. But the Czech Republic's lack of natural barriers has also made it easy to invade. During World War II, for example, the territory that was then known as Czechoslovakia was occupied by the Nazis and, later, was brought under the Soviet sphere of influence. The end of the Cold War brought about drastic changes for the region and, in 1993, Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the independent states of the Czech Republic and Slovakia. The Czech Republic went on to join NATO in 1999 and the European in 2004.      Currently, The Czech Republic is a dynamic, export-driven economy with low unemployment levels. But its deep connection to the German economy is both an advantage and a threat, as the Czech economy is subject to fluctuations in the economic health of its main trading partner. As a small country, Prague often seeks to balance its membership in blocs such as the European Union with protecting its national sovereignty. The country has so far chosen not to join the eurozone but has also sought to deepen ties with its Central European neighbors through the Visegrad Group, which includes Hungary, Poland and Slovakia. As the European Union's core membership insists on efforts to federalize, this will present a challenge for the Czech Republic.

SITUATION REPORTS

EU: European Parliament Backs EU Nature Restoration Law by Narrow Margin

Taiwan, Czech Republic: Foreign Minister Wu's Visit to Prague Will Test Beijing's Restraint

Taiwan, Czech Republic: Czech President-Elect Calls Taiwanese President, Invokes Beijing's Ire

Iran, EU: Bloc Plans More Sanctions Over Crackdown on Anti-Government Protesters

Ukraine: Czech Republic, Slovakia Boost Military Support for Kyiv

U.S.: Treasury Sanctions Cryptocurrency Exchange for Ransomware Payments

Czech Republic: Tens of Thousands Mass on Streets as Prime Minister Chides EU

EU: High-Stakes European Parliament Election Heads Toward Its Big Day

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