Baltic States
CEE needs a new growth model as FDI plunges
wiiw economist Richard Grieveson says the CEE region’s long-standing model of attracting FDI through low labour costs no longer works.
Estonia has the world’s most competitive tax systems for the 11th year in a row – STATISTA
The Tax Foundation has released its International Tax Competitiveness Index which highlights the most competitive tax rates in different countries around the world. For the 11th consecutive year, Estonia had the highest score in the index.
EU rare earth supply dominated by China and Russia - Eurostat
The European Union remains heavily dependent on China and Russia for rare earth imports, with nearly three-quarters of its supply sourced from the two countries in 2024, according to data published by Eurostat and reported by Statista.
COMMENT: Europe’s “fake it till you make it” war approach cannot hold off Russia’s trillion dollar war machine
In their speeches on the war in Ukraine, European leaders appear like a video clip looped on repeat. Standing before the cameras they declare new packages of support for Kyiv and threaten new measures to pressure Russia as if it was still 2022.
Draghi urges ‘pragmatic federalism’ as EU faces defeat in Ukraine and economic crises
The European Union must embrace “pragmatic federalism” to respond to mounting global and internal challenges, said former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi of Europe’s failure to face an accelerating slide into irrelevance.
Emerging Europe’s growth holds up but risks loom, says wiiw
Fiscal fragility, weakening industrial demand from Germany, and the prolonged fallout from Russia’s war in Ukraine threaten to undermine growth momentum in parts of the region.
Smuggler balloons from Belarus disrupt flights for 4,000 passengers at Vilnius Airport
Lithuanian officials have accused Belarus of sending balloons across the border to transport contraband goods or disrupt air traffic near Vilnius.
Germany slowdown weighs on Lithuania’s export-driven manufacturing sector
Lithuania’s economy remains highly sensitive to the industrial cycle in Germany, its third largest trade partner.
Latvian fintech Eleving Group raises €275mn in oversubscribed bond issue
Proceeds to be used to refinance €150mn in existing bonds and to expand Eleving's loan portfolio.
Minsk asks for talks with Kyiv, as Lukashenko seeks to end Belarus’ isolation
Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko has opened the door to direct dialogue with Kyiv as part of negotiations to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, as he launches a diplomatic drive to break the republic’s isolation and dependence on Russia.
EXPLAINER: What is the EU’s CBAM and how will it affect global trade from 2026?
The European Union’s Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) will enter its full operational phase on January 1, 2026, marking a major shift in global climate and trade policy.
Global renewables to double by 2030, but IEA warns momentum must accelerate
Global renewable energy capacity is on course to double by 2030, reaching 4,600 GW—comparable to the current combined total of China, the European Union and Japan—according to the International Energy Agency’s Renewables 2025 report.
Protests intensify against Lithuanian culture minister exposed in viral sauna video
Lithuania’s cultural community has vowed to press ahead with protests over the government’s decision to hand the culture ministry to the radical right Nemunas Dawn party.
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EU presses ahead with December signing of divisive Mercosur deal
The European Commission is gearing up to sign its contentious trade agreement with South American bloc Mercosur on December 5 in Brazil, possibly sealing the fate of an accord that has languished in negotiations for more than a quarter-century.
European diplomats warn Kremlin that Nato is prepared to shoot planes over its airspace
European diplomats warned the Kremlin that Nato is prepared to shoot down any Russian fighter jets that violate their airspace, as military tensions between the EU and Russia continue to mount.
Lithuanian government confirmed despite outrage over minister’s half-naked dance video
Protests erupt after viral video shows incoming Culture Minister Ignotas Adomavicius dancing lewdly in a hot tub.
Poland building a drone wall to protect Europe
Poland will lead an effort to build a “drone wall” to block Europe’s airspace to swarms of Russian UAVs should a pan-regional war ever break out.
COMMENT: Trump is preparing a “back door” plan to blame EU for Ukraine’s failure - FT
European officials fear that US President Donald Trump’s dramatic U-turn on Ukraine is a back door plan to shift responsibility for the West’s failure to prevent Ukraine’s defeat in its war with Russia or help it recover afterwards.
EBRD says geopolitics, tariffs and China competition weigh on Emerging Europe growth
Development bank downgrades 2025 forecasts for Central and Eastern Europe citing weak external demand, rising debt and the impact of US tariffs.
EU launches red-tape cutting reforms seeking to make Europe competitive again
Brussels will start cutting red tape with the so-called omnibus legislation this autumn as it sets out to make Europe competitive again, Politico reported on September 17.