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The Regions This Week
January 12, 2018 www.intellinews.com I Page 4
Central Europe
Hungary and Poland, the EU’s biggest net gainers per capita from the EU budget, expressed their readiness to increase their contribution to the EU budget from 1% of gross national income
to 1.2% in the 2020-27 budget cycle. European Union president Jean-Claude Juncker urged the 27 member states to fill the annual €12bn-€13bn structural revenue gap after the UK leaves the European Union.
Poland’s National Broadcasting Council (KRRiT) cancelled on January 10 its own decision in December to fine the US-owned media group TVN PLN1.48mn (€350,000) for covering protests against the government. The decision comes after the fine caused widespread controversy in the international media and
drew criticism from the US Department of State.
The Polish unemployment rate came in at 6.6% in December, a drop of 1.6pp y/y. The rate of the decrease in joblessness was 0.1pp slower than the annual decline in November. In monthly terms, the unemployment rate increased 0.1pp.
The Polish parliament passed the state budget for 2018 that assumes a PN41.5bn (€9.96bn) deficit, smaller deficit than planned for the previous years thanks to improved tax collection.
Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis announced on January 11 that he would vote for President Milos Zeman in the presidential election on January 12-13, adding his backing to that of the leaders of the hardline Communist and the far right Freedom and Direct Democracy parties.
Czech retail sales expanded by 7.8% year-on- year and 3.1% month-on-month in November, the country’s statistical office reported.
Czech inflation fell to 2.4% year-on-year in December, down 0.2pp, with the month-on-month rise in consumer prices staying at 0.1%.
Czech unemployment rose slightly to 3.8% at the end of December from 3.5% in November, but was down from 5.2% a year ago and was the lowest ever end of year figure.
Slovak industrial production continued to motor ahead in November, expanding by 6.2% year- on-year after 5.4% growth the month before. Seasonally adjusted, the month-on-month growth was 0.9% compared to 1.4% in October.
The Slovak trade surplus rose to €535.5mn in November, up €247mn or 86% year-on-year, the biggest monthly surplus since July 2014.
Slovak retail sales continued to accelerate in November, growing by 6.0% year-on-year. Month-on-month growth was 0.7%.
Alcohol adverts in foreign media have to be covered with stickers before they can be legally distributed in Lithuania, an effect of a blanket ban on alcohol advertising that entered into force in the Baltic state from January 1.
The population of Lithuania fell 1.3% in 2017 to 2.81mn. The pace of the fall eased slightly against the decrease of 1.4% seen in 2016, but still the trend of falling population numbers has continued unabated since 1990.
President Janos Ader has set April 8 as the date of Hungary's general election. The economy ministry has asked the tax authority to delay collecting fines from opposition parties imposed by the state auditor ASZ to ensure that their pre- election budgets and campaign subsidies are left intact in the run-up to the general election. Oppo- sition parties are still refusing to pay the fines.
A Visegrad Group conference on the Future of Eu- rope scheduled for January 23-25 in Budapest will be put off until after the Hungarian general election in April after the invitation of British political com- mentator Milo Yiannopoulos sparked controversy.