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ranking already develop their opera- tions or explore entrance possibilities in countries outside Central Europe,” she said. “The export of technology is an optimistic prognostic for the region.”
In addition to the Fast 50 ranking Deloitte also issued a Most Disruptive Innovation award for the second year running, to recognise a company it con- siders will be one of the technology lead- ers of tomorrow with the greatest poten- tial for revolutionising their markets.
This year, Deloitte picked Serbia-based heating and ventilation technology busi- ness DADANCO Europe, with a special mention for Bucharest-based robotic process automation vendor UiPath.
As the ranking was published, many of the selected companies took to social media to welcome their inclusion.
“We're proud to tell you that Kiwi. com has been ranked the fastest- growing technology company in
Central Europe,” Kiwi.com greeted the news of its top position.
“#1 in Poland; #4 in Central Europe; Enough said,” wrote Polish software development company Tooploox on its Facebook page, while Lithuania’s Tiny Lab Kids enthused “Happy to be part of Tech- nology Fast 50 Central Europe”, and anoth- er Lithuanian entrant, digital marketing agency Good one, attributed its inclusion to the “marketing-oriented approach” that it considers to be its main driving force.
Visegrad citizens believe in benefits of EU membership
bne IntelliNews
The majority of the populations in the Visegrad Four states believe they have benefitted from EU membership, according to the Euro- pean Parliament’s latest Parlemeter poll released on October 18.
The poll’s results are in stark contrast to the populist, Eurosceptic rhetoric from political leaders in the region, especially so-called “illiberal democrats” such as Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Enthusiasm for EU membership was well above the average in the EU28 across Poland (where 84% of respondents said they had benefitted), Slovakia (74%) and Hungary (72%). Hungarians and Poles also believed things were going in the right direction in both their home coun- tries and the EU as a whole, in contrast to most CEE/SEE respondents who thought things were going in the right direction in the EU – but not in their home countries.
In CEE only Czechia has EU approval ratings that were lower than the EU28 average: just 56% of respondents said the Czech Republic had on balance ben- efitted from EU membership versus the
EU wide average of 64%. Czechs also thought things were going in the right direction at home, but not in the EU and made the point by voting in Andrej Babis’ Eurosceptic, anti-immigrant ANO party in elections at the end of October.
Further afield, the highest level of enthusiasm for EU membership was recorded in Latvia (88%), putting it third overall after Ireland (90%) and Malta (89%). The other Baltic states has similarly high numbers such as Estonia (81%), while the most negative were Italy, Cyprus and Greece – the only three members where fewer than 50% of respondents thought EU membership had brought net benefits.
There was also a very clear consensus among the eastern EU members that the greatest benefit the EU brought was new work opportunities. Respondents in all countries from the region except Estonia and Slovenia rated work opportunities the top reason why their country had benefited. In Estonia and Slovenia the primary reason was also economic; they appreciated the contribution the EU had made to their country’s growth.
The emphasis placed on the economic benefits of EU membership and
most respondents’ enthusiasm for membership is food for thought for political leaders in the region.
In Hungary, Orban has been at log- gerheads with the EU for years, but the attack on the European Union has become a centrepiece of his policies since the refugee crisis in 2015.
Hungary adamantly rejects the EUs refugee resettlement quotas and even after a recent ECJ’s ruling it is not will- ing to admit its share of 2,300 asylum seekers. The recent ruling on EU refugee resettlement quotas opened the door
for the “Soros Plan,” which Brussels will now try to force on Hungary”, Orban reportedly told MPs earlier last month, as his government continues to demo- nise businessman and philanthropist George Soros.
The government has even launched The government has even launched a nation- al consultation entitled “Stop Brussels,” focusing on six specific issues.
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