Opinion

Illiberal axis between Budapest and Balkans threatens regional stability, analyst warns

Clare Nuttall in Glasgow March 15, 2024

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban’s close ties with leaders of Serbia and Bosnia’s Republika Srpska have encouraged nationalism and authoritarian tendencies with negative consequences for stability, says paper published by EPC.

PANNIER: Kyrgyz cabinet chief’s strictures on public behaviour have echoes of Iran and Afghanistan

Bruce Pannier March 13, 2024

Scruffy trolleybus passengers and wayward daughters-in-law among Akylbek Japarov’s targets, as well as that old favourite, lavish wedding receptions.

With Russia and Serbia distracted, Montenegro takes aim at EU accession progress

Clare Nuttall in Glasgow March 11, 2024

Milojko Spajic's government tries to seize window of opportunity, but still risks derailment by domestic political conflicts.

COMMENT: How deep is the crisis in Poland’s Law and Justice party?

Aleks Szczerbiak in Brighton March 11, 2024

With important local elections coming up in April and to the European Parliament in June, the party faces one of its most serious crises.

CENUSA: Europe needs to reduce the risks of destabilisation in its eastern neighbourhood

Denis Cenusa in Giessen March 8, 2024

Candidate states for EU accession such as Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia remain in a zone of insecurity where Russia can intervene minimally in a hybrid way.

Two years later: addressing long-term consequences of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine – Bruegel discussion

Ben Aris in Peterborough March 8, 2024

Sanctions on Russia have had mixed results after two years of war, inflicting real pain on the Russian economy, but the lack of effective enforcement has muted their effect, a panel organised by Brussels-based think-tank Bruegel.

KSE: Ukraine’s state debt review 2023

Kyiv School of Economics Center of Public Finance and Governance March 6, 2024

In 2023, the combined state debt and state-guaranteed debt increased by 30.4% to $145.3bn, representing 85% of the estimated GDP (up from 49% in 2021 and 77.8% in 2022).

Two ways of fighting Putin: Navalny vs Maidan

Leonid Ragozin in Riga March 1, 2024

February is the new August in Russia. Ever since the 1991 coup that ended Soviet communism August was reputed to be the month of black swans that changed the course of Russian history.

How Albania went from isolated basketcase to diplomatic powerhouse

Clare Nuttall in Glasgow February 28, 2024

Albania has been transformed from an isolated country whose name evoked poverty, drugs and crime to an increasingly prominent player on the world stage.

INTERVIEW: Opening up Uzbekistan debt capital market to foreign investors

Ben Aris in Berlin February 27, 2024

Uzbekistan is moving towards opening its local debt market up to international investors to create a new source of funding that could be worth billions of dollars a year.

KABANOVSKY: Cynicism is Russia's Achilles’ Heel

Alexander Kabanovsky in Berlin February 26, 2024

Watching Yulia Navalnaya's stoic declaration to carry on her husband's battle against Putin and his regime, I found myself wrestling with scepticism, not about Yulia's intentions or her undeniable bravery, but about the broader context she is in.

Balkans a prime target for Russia's unconventional warfare tactics

bne IntelliNews February 22, 2024

Moldova and Montenegro already targets of Russian destabilisation efforts, says RUSI report.

KABANOVSKY: Has Putin created a martyr?

Alexander Kabanovsky in Berlin February 17, 2024

It is a sad day for anyone interested in Russia and the former Soviet Union. Alexey Navalny, for all his flaws, represented a brave, unyielding voice in the wilderness refusing to succumb to fear of a merciless regime.

IIF’s pessimistic scenario forecasts dire results for the Middle East if a regional war breaks out

Ben Aris in Berlin February 16, 2024

The recent escalation in hostilities in the Middle East between Israel and Hamas has heightened the risk of a wider and prolonged conflict that would significantly impact the global economy and have dire consequences for the Middle East.

McFAUL: Trump does not understand or value Nato and that’s very dangerous

Michael McFaul in Stanford February 14, 2024

I cannot recall another instance in history when a US president invited an enemy to attack our allies. Imagine how those comments sound in Lithuania, Estonia, or Poland.

KSE: Just under 10% of foreign companies working in Russia have left, more than half are staying

Kyiv School of Economics February 13, 2024

As of February 4, 2024, 356 international companies (9.6% of the total number of entries in the KSE database, or 27.8% of the companies that generated revenue in Russia in 2022) have entirely ceased operations in Russia.

Tashkent Stock Exchange raising its game on marked gains in reform and retail

Odil Musaev February 10, 2024

Delving into pivotal shifts of Uzbekistan's capital market seen throughout 2023, Odil Musaev, managing director at investment banking boutique Alkes Research, offers some insights.

COMMENT: An Armenia-Azerbaijan ‘peace’ is further away than ever

Neil Hauer in Yerevan February 8, 2024

Over the past few months, speculation over an impending Armenia-Azerbaijan peace treaty has reached a fever pitch.

Expert warns Houthis’ Red Sea attacks could be precursor to more regional instability

bne IntelliNews February 7, 2024

ECFR’s Africa director says Houthi attacks on shipping are a “fundamental shift” in the security threat in the region.

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