Baltic States
bneGREEN: Europe saves €100bn from the switch to renewables due to the Ukraine war
European electricity consumers will save some €100bn on their energy bills, due to the rapid expansion of renewable energy sources caused by the Russian induced energy crisis the International Energy Agency said in a report.
Central Europe launches new austerity drive
Czechia, Estonia and Slovakia are planning budget cuts at a time when interest rates are still painfully high and many economies have yet to emerge from recession.
Support for Moldova, solidarity with Ukraine at second EPC summit
European leaders stress the importance of European solidarity and affirm support for states on the continent’s Eastern Flank.
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VISEGRAD BLOG: Macron makes the weather in Eastern Europe
The French president tried to persuade sceptical East Europeans that they had nothing to fear from a Europe that was more self-reliant in security – and he almost pulled it off.
Latvian Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics elected president
Narrow victory of ruling party candidate could damage the coalition as the other two parties are unhappy about New Unity holding the presidency as well as the premiership.
Vote for new Latvian president could break up ruling coalition
The election of Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics could precipitate the formation of a new coalition as the ruling New Unity's partners do not want it to hold the presidency as well as the premiership.
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BALKAN BLOG: Political upheavals force uneasy new alliances
Grand coalitions between rivals are one symptom of the radically changed political landscape of the last decade.
INTERVIEW: Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya
“Ukraine’s victory will trigger something big – a change of regime not only in Russia, but in Belarus too.”
Lithuania’s ruling coalition and opposition quarrel over what must come first: government resignation or snap elections
Lithuanian opposition parties are demanding that the governing coalition resign before they consent to early elections.
Latvian premier dismisses talk of government collapse as ‘speculation’
Coalition failure to agree on single candidate for president, and ruling party's attempt to install its minister in the post could bring down whole government.
Lithuania poised for early elections over local government expenses scandal
Ruling Homeland Union party says it will push for the coalition government’s resignation unless snap polls are held.
EBRD 2023: Bank to expand into the whole of Africa plus Iraq
The first investments are due to begin in six counties in sub-Saharan Africa in 2025.
Baltic states to create unified MSCI stock market index
Move aimed at increasing attraction to international investors as part of a plan to upgrade the capital markets from frontier to developed market status.
EBRD cuts regional growth forecasts again but Central Asia still going strong
Inflation remains a drag on growth in Emerging Europe, along with sluggish growth in advanced economies and stricter financing conditions in Central Europe and the Baltic states.
Narva: The EU's eastern output is still looking for an identity
Russia's invasion of Ukraine made Narva a symbol of the new “iron curtain” that had descended upon Europe. Now the Estonian city is trying to better integrate its Russian-speaking majority and reverse years of population decline.
Levits will not seek second term as Latvian president
President's decision could open the way for Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics to take over.
PROFILE: Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas
Like the original "iron lady" Margaret Thatcher, Kallas has won a reputation for her tough stance against Russia, whilst also seeing her popularity rise during a war.
NEMETHY: Some thoughts on inflation
I have been writing that we are facing a period of high inflation since long before it was fashionable. Now I believe that, on the balance of probability, we face an entire decade of high inflation.
bneGREEN: Europe suffers second-worst year for wildfires since records began
Fires in 45 countries burnt an area the size of Montenegro, with Ukraine, Spain and Romania the worst affected countries.
New Estonian government reveals tax plans, including income tax cut for the rich
Tax plans include a cut for higher-paid workers, hikes in the overall income tax rate and VAT by two percentage points, and increased excise duties.