Southeast Europe / Features
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.
INTERVIEW: How tiny Slovenia’s equity market outpaced global peers
InterCapital’s Divo Pulitika analyses why Slovenia and Romania have quietly delivered some of the best equity market returns in the world over the past decade — and whether this can continue.
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INTERVIEW: From cinema to Serbian police cell in one unlucky “take”
An Italian software engineer caught in Belgrade’s August protests recounts a night of mistaken arrest and police violence in the city’s tense political climate.
Disastrous harvest gives bitter taste of food inflation in North Macedonia
Cash-strapped shoppers tell bne IntelliNews’ Skopje correspondent that preparing ajvar and other traditional winter preserves is becoming prohibitively expensive.
Serbia reportedly seeks foreign workers for Stellantis plant
Serbia is looking to bring in foreign workers from Nepal and Morocco to support operations at the Stellantis car factory in Kragujevac, amid labour shortages and limited local interest in factory jobs.
Western Balkans gradually gaining on EU economies, but Ukraine falls further behind
Bruegel study finds all candidates and potential candidates except Ukraine have converged somewhat towards the EU average in GDP per capita terms.
Protests enter a dangerous new phase in Serbia
Violent clashes between anti-government demonstrators, regime supporters and riot police have become a nightly occurrence.
Does Donald Trump deserve a Nobel Peace Prize?
After the White House dubbed Donald Trump the "president for peace", bne IntelliNews contributors assess how much substance there is behind the international diplomatic triumphs claimed by his administration.
Europe overtakes US as main supplier of military aid to Ukraine
Europe, including the United Kingdom, has outstripped the United States in total military aid to Ukraine for the first time since mid-2022, with a growing share of support sourced directly from defence industry production rather stockpiles.
€1bn EU energy crisis aid in Western Balkans largely untraceable, watchdog says
CEE Bankwatch research reveals only €163.1mn of €1bn spent could be clearly linked to advancing the Green Agenda.
Fleet-cannibalised Russian aviation can only look on as Central Asia carriers take over regional market segments
Moscow has even considered asking Kazakhstan to run some of its domestic flight connections.
EXPLAINER: Ukraine's EU accession path
The war is not an obstacle to Ukraine's membership of the EU, and most of the EU members states have thrown their support behind getting Ukraine into the club as fast as possible.
CEE healthcare remains attractive as private equity investors branch out into dental and pet care
Two decades after private equity firms first started to bet big on Central Europe’s private healthcare, the sector remains a magnet for investors, who are also eyeing deals in adjacent sectors.
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Russian aid agency seeking to fill USAID gaps in former Soviet Union
Imperial attitudes undermine ambitions for expanded influence.