Narrow victory for Social Democrats in North Macedonia means country may have a long wait for a new government
Voters in North Macedonia appear to have handed Zoran Zaev, the country’s former prime minister who negotiated a deal with Greece that ended a three decades-long dispute over the use of the term Macedonia, a new mandate to move the country further towards the European Union.In a tight election held on July 15, Mr Zaev’s…
Zoran Zaev is back in charge of North Macedonia
North Macedonia’s parliament has approved a new government led by the country’s former prime minister, Zoran Zaev, ending weeks of political uncertainty that followed an inconclusive general election in July.Mr Zaev, who resigned last year in order to bring about the early election, returns to office at the head of a coalition government that includes…
Romania has EU’s largest ‘VAT Gap’
European Union countries lost an estimated 140 billion euros in Value-Added Tax (VAT) revenues in 2018, according to a new report released by the European Commission on September 10.Though still extremely high, the overall VAT Gap – or the difference between expected revenues in EU member states and the revenues actually collected – has improved…
Bulgaria could be an attractive destination for refugees from the Middle East. Xenophobia means it isn’t
A fire two weeks ago at the Greek Moria refugee camp left more than 13,000 people homeless and without access to basic necessities. Bulgaria is one of few EU countries that have so far agreed to host a small number of asylum seekers affected by the fire.During a phone conversation last week, the Greek Alternate…
Emerging Europe and Central Asia set for deeper economic contraction and softer recovery
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is forecasting a deeper economic contraction and softer recovery in 2021 for its region, saying the fallout from the Covid-19 pandemic had been longer lasting than expected.The EBRD is now forecasting an overall contraction across its economies of 3.9 per cent this year, and a return to…
Enough of double standards in Bosnia and Herzegovina
Deutsche Welle recently published a comment on Bosnia and Herzegovina written by Stefan Schwarz, a renowned German politician. In the text, the author advocates a revision of the German policy towards Bosnia, proposing a change of the country’s constitution, which needs to be jointly supported by Germany and the US. According to Schwarz, the current…
Is the US about to finance a motorway linking the Baltic and Black Seas?
Romania’s less-than-discerning press corps last week reported with barely-disguised joy that the United States had announced plans to finance – to the tune of seven billion US dollars – the construction of a motorway linking the Baltic and Black Seas. What’s more, a railway would be built alongside the motorway. It didn’t take long for…
EU minimum wage proposal should make sure workers in the east ‘get their fair share’
Nicolas Schmit, European Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, has said that the idea of a common, uniform minimum wage for the whole of the European Union is “unrealistic”, and “totally impossible”. “It would be irresponsible,” he told the press this week after presenting a Commission proposal that seeks to ensure workers throughout the Union…
Emerging Europe is failing to protect citizens from air pollution
Governments across emerging Europe are failing to protect their citizens from toxic air pollution, with most Europeans still breathing filthy air in their cities, according to new data.Better air quality has led to a significant reduction of premature deaths over the past decade in Europe, according to a new report from the European Environment Agency…
Covid-19 is accentuating the need to bridge digital divides
We are at a turning point in the digital transformation, according to a new report from the OECD.Improved internet connectivity and skills have helped many countries to cope with the health and economic crisis from Covid-19. Yet the pandemic has raised the bar for the digital transition and underscores the need to close the digital…