Countries in the EU's eastern wing grew faster than expected in the second quarter. Slovakia led the pack, with 1.2% growth from the previous three months and a 4.6% expansion from a year ago.

The Czechs grew 0.8% and 2.2%, a touch above forecast. Czech economic growth accelerated to the fastest pace in almost two years. Gross domestic product expanded an annual 2.2 percent, the quickest rate in seven quarters, after a 1.1 percent increase in the first three months, the statistics office in Prague said  on its website. According to Bloomberg, the Czech economy benefited as consumers in the euro area bought more of the country’s products, including cars made by the local factories of Skoda Auto AS and Hyundai Motor Co.
Czech annual growth was “positively influenced mainly by an increase in the manufacturing industry,” the statistics office said in its statement.
The central bank on Aug. 5 raised its forecast for 2010 economic growth to 1.6 percent from the previous 1.4 percent.

After contractions last year ranging from 4% in the Czech Republic to 7.1% in Romania, unemployment is at or near double-digits in most of the region