Bulgarian president’s advisors arrested after raid on presidency

There is speculation that the probe is intended to silence President Rumen Radev, the loudest critic of the government and the prosecution.

Moldova seeks $550mn from IMF and new €100mn MFA with EU

PM Ion Chicu says a new IMF arrangement is "essential" to help Moldova through the coronacrisis.

Serbia’s president claims foreign intelligence influence in anti-government protests

President Aleksandar Vucic says foreign powers aimed to weaken Belgrade’s international position ahead of talks with Merkel and Macron on restarting the Belgrade-Pristina negotiation process.

Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov takes a holiday as WHO mission finally arrives in Ashgabat

Turkmenistan is one of the only countries worldwide that has not officially registered a single COVID-19 case. Independent reports say the virus has been allowed to spread to all regions of the country.

Violent clashes with police at thousands-strong anti-lockdown protest in Belgrade

Curfew imposed for this weekend as new coronavirus cases push Serbia's healthcare system close to capacity. Protesters fear a new lockdown will cause economic hardship and job losses.

ING Bank launches fashion marketplace in Romania

ING takes on Romanian online retailers Fashion Days and answear.ro, but plans international expansion for its DealWise platform.

Ucom tries to block Team’s acquisition of Veon Armenia

Telco Ucom is seeking to block an attempt by rival Team – set up earlier this year by two of its former executives – to buy Veon Armenia.

Kazakhstan launches mobile app to combat counterfeit and illegal alcohol sales

e-Sapa app based on tracker for fuel sales developed as industry association says around 40% of alcohol sold in Kazakhstan is counterfeit or illegal.

Microsoft sets up new development centre in Romania

The Movial office in Iasi will become the fourth technology development centre in the region for Microsoft.

Bank of Lithuania to become first eurozone bank to issue digital coin

The Lithuanian central bank was one of many to be looking at how they might issue their own digital currencies as the use of cash declines – a process speeded up by the COVID-19 pandemic.

COMMENT: Smolii’s Resignation and the soft coup underway in Ukraine

The resignation of Yakiv Smolii as governor of the NBU could be taken as the end of serious reforms in Ukraine and a "soft coup" that puts the old guard back in charge of the country

COMMENT: Five reasons why Zelenskiy is failing in Ukraine: Zelenskiy faces a political future that is no laughing matter

Volodymyr Zelenskiy's presidency seems to have gone off the tracks but no one is quite sure what is going on. Is he a puppet or just out of his depth? Melinda Haring of the Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council offers five theories.

COMMENT: Finding a third Musketeer to run the National Bank of Ukraine

The governor of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) Yakiv Smolii abruptly quit on July 1, sending a shock through the investment community. Now he has gone, who will replace him?

COMMENT: Yanukovych’s “Own Goal;” Zelenskiy’s “Lesson Learned”

In September 2013, at the Annual “YES” Conference in Yalta, former President Yanukovych said: ”We have to move toward European integration,” causing participants to dance on the beach. He didn't do it and sparked the Maidan revolution

BEYOND THE BOSPHORUS: Tobin tax means it’s back to the good old money changing days at Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar

Prying officials also driving business clients away from banks.

Czech industrial production down by 25% y/y in May, up 13.8% m/m

May production revived after being dragged down by shutdowns at the Czech Republic's main car factories in April, but the overall increase was softer than expected.

Foreigners’ share at Borsa Istanbul falls below 50%

This is the first time since June 2004 that foreigners’ share in the stock exchange has dropped below the 50% mark.

Albania’s annual CPI inflation slows to 1.8% in June

The IMF expects Albania’s consumer prices to increase by 2.4% in 2020 and 2.7% in 2021, speeding up from the 1.4% inflation last year.

COVID-19 lockdown sends Hungary's industrial output back to 2013 levels

Statistics office KSH said preliminary data suggests the drop in vehicle manufacturing was "extreme", despite Hungary's main carmakers partially reopening in May.

Russia’s Watcom Shopping Index regains three quarters of ground lost to coronacrisis

Russia’s Watcom Shopping Index has recovered three quarters of the ground lost during the coronacrisis, according to the latest data for week 26 of this year, after restrictions in Russia were eased in June.

Profits of Ukraine’s banks still ahead of last year, but first signs of crisis impact visible

Suma Chakrabati leaves the EBRD a greener bank

Green financing reached close to 50% of the EBRD’s volume of investment in 2019, but as he leaves the bank Chakrabati warns of the need to put the green economy at the heart of the post-COVID recovery.

Udokan: Alisher Usmanov’s Siberian copper valley

With its launch scheduled for 2023, Siberia's Udokan copper deposit is among the largest in the world.

Letter to Putin exposes campaign against US investor Calvey

Letters to President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s powerful Federal Security Service (FSB) reveal how shareholders in Russian lender Vostochny Bank sought to smear US investor Michael Calvey

Leading Czech aviation specialist turns to high-tech respirator production

It's a sort of coronacrisis-inspired version of the swords to ploughshares story. WPA, the Czech Republic’s leading aircraft component supplier, has turned its high-tech production skills to producing high-quality respirators

BUCHAREST BLOG: Romania becomes the latest battleground in Central Europe’s gender wars

A law approved by both houses of the Romanian parliament in June bans the teaching of gender studies in schools and universities. Opponents warn Romania is following in the footsteps of Central Europe's "illiberal democracies".

BALKAN BLOG: Anyone for COVID?

Adria Tour fiasco shows how not to relaunch sporting events during a pandemic — and gives the Croatian opposition ammunition against PM Andrej Plenkovic ahead of next week’s general election.

VISEGRAD BLOG: Poland’s illiberals facing their make or break moment this Sunday

President Andrzej Duda's reelection seemed like a formality but is now in doubt after missteps such as an attack on LGBT people. Polls suggest the liberal mayor of Warsaw Rafal Trzaskowski has a real chance to win.

BALKAN BLOG: Gangster-style photos from Bulgarian PM’s bedroom ratchet up dirty war with anonymous enemy

Borissov’s latest term in office has been plagued by constant scandals, but photos of the PM sleeping next to a Glock 9mm handgun and a drawer full of €500 bills and gold bars indicate he has a bitter enemy close to home.

VISEGRAD BLOG: Returning migrants but no COVID baby boom for emerging Europe

What does the coronavirus pandemic mean for the region's dismal demographics?