South Eastern Europe / News
Croatia's Podravka holds first-half profit at €41.1mn as pharma unit leads growth
Croatia's Podravka held normalised net profit at €41.1mn in the first half of 2026 as operating revenue rose to €520.7mn, with pharmaceutical unit Belupo posting the strongest growth at 7.1%.
Nato pledges to defend Bulgaria from Iran after Sofia approves US refuelling aircraft
Nato has pledged to defend Bulgaria against Iranian retaliation after parliament voted 136 to 13 to host up to eight US KC-135 refuelling aircraft at Bezmer Air Base from July 24, defying warnings from Tehran.
Bulgaria posts EU's steepest annual fuel price rise at 26% in June
Bulgarian fuel and lubricant prices rose 26% year on year in June, the steepest increase in the EU and nearly double the bloc's 13.7% average, though down from 33.9% in May as monthly prices fell across all member states.
UniCredit Serbia, KfW launch €43mn green financing scheme
UniCredit Bank Serbia has launched a €43mn KfW-backed credit line for energy efficiency and renewable energy projects, part of a €47.3mn package expected to reach 300 companies and cut 24,000 tonnes of CO2 a year by 2028.
DP World secures €25mn EBRD loan for Constanta terminal electrification in Romania
DP World has secured a €25mn EBRD loan towards a €100mn programme to electrify its Constanta South Container Terminal in Romania, cutting CO2 emissions by more than 6,000 tonnes
Gas tanker bound for Ukraine hit in Black Sea within Romania’s Exclusive Economic Zone
A Liberian-flagged LPG tanker caught fire after an explosion during the night of July 20-21, after being struck by three drones while sailing approximately 20 nautical miles southeast of Sfântu Gheorghe.
Bosnia launches instant payment system with EU support
Bosnia and Herzegovina's central bank has launched the country's first domestic instant payment system, enabling round-the-clock transfers within seconds in the biggest infrastructure upgrade in 25 years.
Suspected water contamination leaves over 1,000 ill in North Macedonia's Gostivar
A suspected contamination of the drinking water supply has triggered a major public health scare in the western North Macedonia town of Gostivar.
EIB approves €800mn loan for refurbishment of Romania's Cernavodă nuclear unit
EU's development bank gives a major financing boost for one of Romania's largest strategic energy projects, with an estimated cost of approximately €1.9bn.
Student List overtakes Serbia's ruling SNS in poll ahead of expected elections
First published poll to place the Student List ahead of the ruling party, suggesting sustained support for the country's student-led protest movement is beginning to translate into electoral backing.
Serbia raises €500mn to finance military modernisation
€500mn raised through a private placement of six-year euro-denominated notes with international institutional investors to finance the modernisation of its armed forces.
Albania to amend protected areas law after protests and EU pressure
Announcement follows weeks of protests known as the “Flamingo Revolution”, initially sparked by plans for a luxury resort in the protected Vjosa-Narta lagoon area on the Adriatic coast.
Bulgaria withdraws from Coalition of the Willing
Bulgaria is pulling out of the Western-backed "Coalition of the Willing" supporting Ukraine, in the latest sign of Sofia's shift away from the European Union's mainstream policy towards Russia.
Montenegro confirms EU accession frontrunner status with closing of two more chapters
Montenegro provisionally closed two more chapters in its European Union accession negotiations, as it aims to join the bloc before the end of the decade.
EU population to decline from 2029, east-west demographic divide widens
European Commission report points to sustained population losses in the Baltic states, and parts of Bulgaria, Poland and Romania.
Albanian police investigate alleged campaign of fake one-star reviews targeting government-linked businesses
Police reported “suspicious activity” by over 10,000 social media accounts that left negative online reviews of government-linked businesses during Flamingo Revolution.
Rating agencies begin Romania review as authorities seek to preserve investment-grade status
Ahead of scheduled sovereign reviews by Fitch in mid-July and Moody's in early August, maintaining Romania's investment-grade status is the government's top financing priority.
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Moldova’s president nominates businessman Vasile Tofan for prime minister
Vasile Tofan, a senior partner at Kyiv-based private equity fund Horizon Capital, has 15 days to present a cabinet and governing programme to parliament and seek a vote of confidence.
EU formally opens excessive deficit procedure against Bulgaria
Forecasts showed Bulgaria's general government deficit would reach 4.1% of GDP in 2026, well above the EU's 3% ceiling.
Serbia's Vučić says general election likely before presidential vote
After more than a year of anti-government protests, Aleksandar Vučić said he would resign as president and trigger early elections.