Southeast Europe / Features
Ukraine gets a B grade from EU: good, but more work needed
President Volodymyr Zelenskiy rejected a two-tier solution proposed by Brussels to accelerate Ukraine’s EU accession bid, after the European Commission (EC) released a progress report on November 4.
CEE needs a new growth model as FDI plunges
wiiw economist Richard Grieveson says the CEE region’s long-standing model of attracting FDI through low labour costs no longer works.
INTERVIEW: Can Albania’s tourism miracle last?
As social media brings in the crowds, the head of the Albanian Tour Operators Association tells bne IntelliNews Albania should turn away from mass-market tourism and focus on higher-value offerings.
Draghi urges ‘pragmatic federalism’ as EU faces defeat in Ukraine and economic crises
The European Union must embrace “pragmatic federalism” to respond to mounting global and internal challenges, said former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi of Europe’s failure to face an accelerating slide into irrelevance.
Emerging Europe’s growth holds up but risks loom, says wiiw
Fiscal fragility, weakening industrial demand from Germany, and the prolonged fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine threaten to undermine growth momentum in parts of the region.
The EU needs to change to stay geopolitically relevant
Leading EU figures are pushing for the unanimity rule used to make important decisions to be dropped to enable faster enlargement — one of the bloc’s main tools for geopolitical influence.
Kosovo’s former president Thaçi fights for his freedom in The Hague
Ongoing war crimes trial of top former KLA leaders will shape the contested memory of Kosovo's war of independence and define its standing abroad.
EBRD warns CEE competitiveness at risk as China’s export power grows
China's exports have become more similar to those from Central Europe and Turkey, as its share in global manufacturing exports surges.
"Managed democracy" wins the Moldovan elections
It appears that the ruling Party of Action and Solidarity (PAS) has won the general election in Moldova on September 28, but President Maia Sandu has taken a page out of the Kremlin's “managed democracy" playbook.
EU’s influence declines in its neighbourhood as China and Russia gain ground
Chinese presence growing in Western Balkans, while Russia makes gains in Turkey, shows new index developed by wiiw, Bertelsmann Stiftung and ECIPE.
Young Moldovans face uncertain future as pivotal election approaches
With a razor-thin margin between pro-EU PAS and pro-Russian Patriotic Bloc, voters expect Moldova's general election to be a battle for the country’s future.
Poland building a drone wall to protect Europe
Poland will lead an effort to build a “drone wall” to block Europe’s airspace to swarms of Russian UAVs should a pan-regional war ever break out.
EBRD says geopolitics, tariffs and China competition weigh on Emerging Europe growth
Development bank downgrades 2025 forecasts for Central and Eastern Europe citing weak external demand, rising debt and the impact of US tariffs.
EU launches red-tape cutting reforms seeking to make Europe competitive again
Brussels will start cutting red tape with the so-called omnibus legislation this autumn as it sets out to make Europe competitive again, Politico reported on September 17.
INTERVIEW: Moldova seizes its moment
From rapid progress towards EU accession to the reconstruction of neighbouring Ukraine, factors have aligned to make Moldova an attractive FDI destination, says Invest Moldova head Natalia Bejan.
The European Commission proposes to “creatively” tap Russia’s $300bn of frozen assets with Reparation Loans
The European Commission is floating a new idea of how to “creatively” tap Russia’s $300bn of frozen assets without the need to appropriate, which is legally questionable, by replacing the money transferred to Kyiv with EU-backed bonds.
Bosnia on edge as Dodik weighs next move
Analysts speculate Bosnian Serb leadership could seek to escalate the ongoing crisis, potentially with a push for Republika Srpska's independence.
Moldova’s dramatic energy sector transformation
Chisinau ended decades of dependence on Russia in just four years — but will the upcoming general election derail the remaining reforms?
Kosovo’s flawed electricity market liberalisation leaves businesses in the dark
Companies face disconnections, uncertainty and higher costs, Kushtrim Ahmeti, executive director of the Chamber of Trade and Industry of Kosovo, tells bne IntelliNews.
LONG READ: Europeans face recession, financial crises, as they struggle to boost defence spending
US President Donald Trump has dropped the burden of supplying and supporting Ukraine’s battle against Russia firmly in Europe’s lap. But cash-strapped and with the UK and France on the verge of crisis, they are going to struggle to manage.