The Problem With Central European City-States
According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a city-state is “an autonomous state consisting of a city and surrounding territory.” It is a type of small independent country frequently also referred to as micro-state. There are multiple examples of such entities in the modern world, such as Qatar, Brunei, Kuwait, Bahrain or Malta. Historically, cities such as…
Macedonia Mulls Name Change
The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia is considering renaming the country, its airport and national motorway in order to resolve one of the world’s most vexing disputes. Among the new names being considered are Upper Macedonia, New Macedonia, Northern Macedonia and Macedonia (Skopje). The country’s Skopje Alexander the Great airport would become Skopje International Airport, and…
EU-Azerbaijan Relations Set for Bright Future
There has been an increase in the volume of dialogue between the EU and Azerbaijan of late, notably the visits of Azerbaijan’s President Ilham Aliyev’s to Brussels in February, and before that in November of last year. After the 15th meeting of the Azerbaijan-EU Cooperation Council in Brussels on February 9, the EU’s High Representative…
EU and G7 tankers facilitating Russian oil exports, report finds
A new report has found that EU countries are facilitating circumventing oil sanctions against Russia on a grand scale.Greek-owned ships in particular stand out, and have transported nearly a third of all Russian oil shipments between December 2022 (when the oil cap was implemented) and the end of July. Published by: euobserver.com
Why Greek state workers are protesting new labour law
Thousands of Greek public sector workers have marched towards the Greek parliament to protest against proposed changes to the country’s labour laws by the conservative government of prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.The one-day strike, on Thursday (21 September), was prompted by a parliamentary discussion over a new labour law. One that comes as the government’s (delayed)…
Maintaining Relationships
Alexander Manolev, the Bulgarian deputy minister of economy, speaks to Andrew Wrobel about the country’s stability and potential.Andrew Wrobel (AW):In April 2016, I spoke to Bojidar Loukarsky, the then minister of economy, who told me that Bulgaria was an island of stability in Europe. Is it still?Alexander Manolev (AM): It is, and several facts strongly…
Feeling Good: FDI in Bulgaria
Bulgaria has seen a significant rise in foreign direct investments since its accession to the EU. But what have investors told us about the business climate in the country?According to preliminary data from the Bulgarian National Bank, Bulgaria received 158.8 million euros in foreign direct investments (FDI) in January 2018 alone, a 64.7 per cent…
Emerging Europe is the future of the Old Continent
After the fall of the Iron Curtain, when emerging European countries began implementing market economy principles, the region was seen as a low-cost manufacturing destination. Fast forward three decades and most of emerging Europe is no longer a synonym for cheap labour. For example, since 2010, salaries in Romania — one of the three youngest…
China’s OBOR initiative: Opportunities for the South Caucasus
The South Caucasus has a strategic locational advantage by connecting Europe with Asia and the Middle East. After the collapse of the Soviet Union three internationally recognised independent states – Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia – emerged in the region and all three pursues distinctively different foreign policy goals since their inception.ArmeniaDue to the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, Armenia has no relations with Azerbaijan and Turkey and…
Georgia seeks to become a sustainable maritime hub
Georgia continues to strengthen its role as a transport hub between Europe and Asia. “Our railways are a crucial part of our transportation system and we are now looking at offering a multi-modal system,” Ivane Abashidze, deputy director at the Maritime Transport Agency of the Georgian Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development, tells Emerging Europe.The…