Baltic States
Relief in Emerging Europe at AfD’s election defeat, but concern over party's gains
Mainstream politicians across Central and Southeast Europe have expressed relief at the outcome of Germany's general election, which saw the far-right Alternative for Germany make gains but ultimately fall short of securing victory.
Potential US troop withdrawal from Europe to leave Kosovo exposed
Fears US may consider withdrawing its troops from Europe, including Kosovo, if Trump and Putin reach an agreement to end the war in Ukraine.
Iraqi migrants face trial in Russia after EU-border jump to Latvia
Twenty-three men from Iraq's Kurdistan Region are awaiting trial in Russia following their detention at European Union borders, with one illegal migrant reportedly dying in custody.
Kaliningrad becomes an energy island after Baltic States cut Russian grid connection
The Russian exclave on the Baltic Sea has become an energy island after the Baltics States cut themselves off from the Soviet-era BRELL power grid on February 8, thus becoming vulnerable to sanctions.
Europe's economic woes made worse by looming trade war with US, says Goldman Sachs
Cyclical industries across Europe are in danger from the economic slowdown sweeping Europe, Goldman Sachs warned in a note on February 4. They were already reeling from years of a polycrisis, but now President Trump is threatening a trade war.
“Unchained” Trump is main risk to broadly positive Emerging Europe growth prospects
Steep US tariffs on the EU or a sudden cut in support for Ukraine are the major downside risks for the region, says new wiiw report.
Lack of megadeals drags down M&A volume in Emerging Europe
The number of deals in Central and Southeast Europe rose in 2024 but aggregate deal value fell by 31%, finds law firm CMS.
Turkey’s role in European security on agenda as top diplomats of Ankara, EU meet
Donald Trump policies could set in motion an attempt at reconfiguring relations.
COMMENT: Europe needs to start the fightback against Trump now
The European centre-right is facilitating the populist attack on liberal democracy.
Analysts expect ‘perfect storm’ of political risks in 2025
Global political risk is set to intensify in 2025 with international trade becoming a geopolitical battleground after Trump’s return to office, said Verisk Maplecroft analysts.
Love in the Baltics in a time of war
The human twists of the war in Ukraine are gut-wrenching. For Lithuanian Aleksej Zanemanski it is an uphill battle for the right to live with his wife he loves unconditionally but who happens to be Russian.
Emerging Europe split between eager anticipation and wary acceptance ahead of Trump inauguration
For some leaders in Central and Southeast Europe, the new Trump presidency is seen as a opportunity; for others it’s a challenge to navigate carefully.
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airBaltic CEO and IPO under pressure after flight cancellations
State-owned airline reveals that engine maintenance issues would force it to cancel 4,670 flights scheduled for this summer.
COMMENT: The EU’s Green Deal is a “policy disaster”
Energy analyst Dr Tom O'Donnell has issued a stark critique of the European Union's Green Deal, describing it as a "policy disaster" that requires radical reform to prevent further industrial decline and to bolster energy security.
Damage of key infrastructure on the seabed of the Baltic raises security concerns, calls for Nato involvement
Estonia’s Elisa Eesti AS and CITIC Telecom CPC reported late on December 25 outages in three submarine communication cables between Estonia and Finland, the EstLink2.
Telia willing to sell its Latvian operations back to government if price is right
If the Latvian government's offer fails to meet the Swedish group's expectations, it is prepared to make an offer to buy out the state-owned shares in both telecom companies.
The EU Council calls for a European geothermal action plan
The energy ministers in the EU Energy Council approved the outline of a European geothermal energy action plan on December 17.
FDI in Emerging Europe hit by geopolitical uncertainty and German slowdown
wiiw report warns lower investment trend could continue as Central and Eastern Europe's role as a production hub for Western companies is waning.
IMF: The 2004 EU enlargement was a success story built on deep reform efforts
New accession candidates will need to undertake equally ambitious reforms to make the next expansion a comparable success.
For the Baltic states, bigger defence spending may never be enough
The significant increase in the Baltic states’ defence spending is already starting to strain their economies.