The fallout from Eyjafjallajökull — the Icelandic volcano that spewed a cloud of ash from the British Isles to beyond the Baltics — is nothing compared to the political ramifications the ongoing trial of Iceland’s former prime minister could bring. Geir Haarde will go down in history as the first world leader to face criminal charges over the 2008 financial crisis that brought Europe to its knees. But will he be the last?

Against expectations of a flat figure, Czech unemployment rose slightly in February to stand at 9.2 percent, the fourth month in a row for worse jobless statistics.

Czech Minister of Industry and Trade Martin Kuba (ODS) proudly unveiled his proposal for economic diplomacy to play a key role in boosting exports and diversifying sales abroad to reduce dependence on a struggling Europe. But he failed to get the foreign ministry on board beforehand — and it has a long list of complaints about allegedly major flaws in Kuba’s proposal.

Confidence among Czech manufacturers has crept higher according to a monthly survey of purchasing managers in spite of a sharp drop in new export orders. Although production climbed, companies are continuing to lay off workers.