The Financial Times is looking for a central Europe correspondent, based in Warsaw, to cover Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Belarus and Moldova.
A big priority is covering the Law and Justice-led government’s efforts to reshape Poland, in its ultra-conservative image. Its five year campaign to assert political control over the judiciary and its clamp down on independent media has sharply polarised the country and led to a crisis in relations with the EU. Brussels is threatening to withhold tens of billions of euros in EU funds unless Warsaw relents. The Czech Republic and Slovakia have taken steps back towards the European mainstream, but their liberal trajectory is far from certain.
Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia are vibrant economies, producing some exciting high-growth companies and are well-tied into the German industrial machine. But they are also suffering from labour and skills shortages and wage inflation and face a massive challenge to decarbonise their power and industrial sectors.
Belarus and Moldova are at the centre of Vladimir Putin’s attempts to establish a Russian sphere of influence in former Soviet countries and to thwart their alignment with the west. Alexander Lukashenko crushed the Belarus opposition movement after he stole the 2020 presidential election, but relies on Kremlin goodwill to remain in power. Putin’s attempt to redraw European security arrangements in his favour are a huge concern to central Europe.
Key responsibilities
Generate scoops and exclusive interviews while writing breaking news and original features and contributing to other sections of the FT
Cooperate effectively with colleagues in Brussels, London and across the European network
Demonstrate expertise in reporting across all digital platforms
Numerate and excellent proficiency in handling data
Produce simple charts and identify opportunities to collaborate with Visual and Data journalism team
Engage with our audience through social media and interactive content
Your skills
A flexible, energetic and enterprising self-starter
Capable of building and maintaining contacts in multiple countries and comfortable writing for all parts of the paper, from the companies section to the Weekend Magazine
The ability to grasp complex issues that cross political, economic and business disciplines The ability to collaborate effectively with editors and correspondents is essential
Knowledge of Polish, Russian, or another Slavic language would be a big advantage but is not a prerequisite
Please submit your application through Workday by Wednesday 5th January 2022
To apply, go here.
