Oct 5, 2026, 08:00 AM UTC

Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković announced plans to increase average monthly salaries to €1,600 by 2028, with consultations scheduled for October to set a new minimum wage. Alongside these targets, the government outlined a €3 billion national industrial strategy running through 2034 aimed at boosting manufacturing's share of GDP and technological resilience.

However, business representatives and economists have raised concerns over the sustainability of expansion. Mislav Balković, head of the Croatian Employers' Association, emphasized that the private sector must lead future growth as labor costs outpace productivity gains. Meanwhile, former economy minister Ljubo Jurčić warned that despite 22 consecutive quarters of GDP expansion, slowing momentum and inflation leave the economy drifting "without an engine or a rudder."

Sources: HRT Vijesti, Index, Poslovni dnevnik, Vijesti.

Russia launched overnight ballistic missile attacks on Kyiv, killing at least two people and injuring six, following earlier drone damage to an industrial site in northern Ukraine. In response, Ukrainian drone strikes targeted facilities in Russia's Saratov and Samara regions, triggering a fire at the Kuibyshev oil refinery. Regional officials in Samara reported shooting down dozens of drones aimed at industrial infrastructure.

Concurrently, US-led NATO forces engaged in military maneuvers near the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad. The operations involved Polish ground forces alongside American and Norwegian aircraft. Responding to inquiries about the maneuvers, NATO representatives described the alliance as defensive and stated that forces must continuously improve operational readiness.

Sources: Investor.bg, Mediapool, Nova TV

Moldova's authorities are advancing regulatory reforms across public health and medical oversight, drawing pushback from commercial sectors. Parliament approved the first reading of a bill tightening regulations on tobacco and electronic cigarettes, mandating updated health warnings and manufacturer disclosure rules. Concurrently, public health officials flagged the market launch of nicotine pouches by Philip Morris ahead of a scheduled June 2026 ban, despite corporate claims that sales remain legal until 2027.

In healthcare management, a Ministry of Health inspection at the Medicines and Medical Devices Agency uncovered systemic delays involving over 1,200 unexamined files and security vulnerabilities. Meanwhile, beverage producers urged the government to scrap a planned 2027 excise tax of 1.60 lei per liter, warning of price hikes up to 34 percent.

Sources: Moldova1, Newsmaker, Point, Ziarul de Gardă.

French authorities have established an interministerial crisis unit as nationwide student blockades escalate into severe urban disruptions. Sébastien Lecornu chaired the emergency meeting at the Interior Ministry following arson at the Nelson Mandela High School in Nantes and transit stoppages in Marseille and Strasbourg.

Education Minister Édouard Geffray announced that between 400 and 500 high schools will suspend in-person classes, with at least 24 establishments damaged or vandalized. Geffray condemned the acts as an "enterprise of destruction of the public education service."

Student organizations and trade unions called for continued mobilization to demand increased staffing and education funding. Government ministers were instructed to cancel upcoming travel as officials prepare for further protests.

Sources: Le Figaro, Le Monde, Le Soir, Libération, RTBF Info.

Czech child welfare authorities registered more than 10,000 cases of child abuse, neglect, or exploitation last year, marking a multi-decade high that resulted in 3,616 children being removed from their families. Welfare experts note these statistics represent only a portion of actual incidents, pointing to systemic shortcomings such as missing evaluation guidelines and insufficient specialized support services for vulnerable households.

Concurrently, the Czech Republic is completing a seven-billion-koruna, EU-funded expansion of early childcare facilities, though analysts warn the initiative lacks sufficient quality standards. Meanwhile, the European Commission introduced the proposed EU KIDS Act, designed to ban social media access for children under 13 and establish age verification controls across member states.

Sources: Deník N, Hospodářské noviny, iROZHLAS, Respect, Seznam Zprávy