Economy

Pârvulescu: Romanian President Băsescu is a ‘turbulence factor’ in times of crisis

07/12/2010 -  Nikolai Yotov Bucharest

According to the well known analyst Christian Pârvulescu, the political scene in Romania is increasingly controlled by the President Traian Băsescu. A problematic situation that seems to reinforce the symptoms of the economic and social crisis tormenting Romania today. Our interview

Čaršijas/çarshijas, ancient markets at the heart of the Balkans

23/11/2010 -  Marjola Rukaj

Traditional meeting points – commercial and trade neighbourhoods of Ottoman origin – have remained much as they were throughout history in many Balkan towns. Now, they represent an authentic barometer for gauging recent social changes and for understanding the Balkans' place in an enlarged Europe

Raspberries, Serbia’s Red Gold

22/11/2010 -  Risto Karajkov Belgrade

Although not exactly famous for it, Serbia is one of the biggest world producers and exporters of raspberries. This trade, which held out even during the Nato bombings now faces the new challenges of globalisation

Organic farming in Kosovo: if not today, then when?

19/10/2010 -  Matteo Vittuari

In Kosovo the agricultural sector has recently returned to centre stage in the political debate. But when food safety and very low standards of production are still main worries, is there much sense in thinking organic? There is, however, potential to be exploited: land abandonned for years, untouched by fertilisers and pesticides. Here is the fourth part in our enquiry into organic farming in South East Europe

Organic Croatia

31/08/2010 -  Matteo Vittuari Zagreb

A growing sector, organic production in Croatia. But it still has to deal with highly fragmented government assistance, scarce transparency of information and soaring prices. The third part of our survey on organic farming in South East Europe

Bulgaria: Euro-Nomads

19/08/2010 -  Tanya Mangalakova Sofia

They make the most of electronic communication and low-cost flights. They live inbetween the “here” of their country of origin, and the “there” of the one they have chosen to work in. They use multiple identities. They are the “Euro-nomads”, a group on the constant rise, even in Bulgaria

Bosnia Herzegovina: The land of rivers

01/07/2010 -  Eldina Pleho Sarajevo

Bosnia Herzegovina is rich in waters and has huge energy potential. The Bosnian Federation alone is planning the construction of 12 hydro-electric, thermal plants and wind mills during the next 10 years. Until now, the tenders carried out in this sector, however, have not been transparent

Crunch Time in Romania’s Austerity Plans

28/05/2010 -  Cornel Ban

The Romanian government wants to impose Europe’s most severe, IMF-approved austerity program. Next Monday, trade unions have called for the first general strike since Ceausescu's rule. This will test not only budget austerity plans but, most importantly, state-society relations in Romania’s version of liberal-democracy

Bosnia and Herzegovina: The Debts of War

04/06/2010 -  Eldina Pleho Sarajevo

An attack by war veterans on a federal government office reflects the serious problems in the economy of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The unsustainable cost of public administration; the war-related welfare expenses; the consequences of the global crisis. An analysis by economist Drazen Simic

The Greek crisis seen from Slovenia: the “Southern Brothers” syndrome

19/05/2010 -  Stefano Lusa Koper

For decades, Slovenians looked with growing bother at the aids destined to the “less developed areas” of Yugoslavia, often considering them an unjust squander intended for the privileged and the lazy. Today, with the Greek crisis, in Ljubljana the syndrome of the “Southern brothers” seems to have reappeared, but this time in an EU context

The Greek Crisis Seen from Skopje: So near, so far

13/05/2010 -  Risto Karajkov Skopje

Quite surprisingly, Macedonians have little interest in the Greek crisis on the other side of their southern border. Financial authorities forecast limited risks for the country, while some secretly rejoice at the difficulties of Macedonia’s opponent in the name dispute of the past decades

Romania: will the 'mamaliga' explode?

06/05/2010 -  Nikolai Yotov Bucharest

Romania continues to be one of the poorest countries in the EU. The international crisis causes a rapid worsening of conditions. The Romanian political elite concentrate, above all, on more centralisation of power. A weak civil society desperately struggles to be heard

Azerbaijan construction boom: good or bad?

07/05/2010 -  Arzu Geybullayeva Baku

A construction boom is dramatically transforming the urban face of Azerbaijan's capital city, Baku, yet questions are being raised about the sustainability of the process, especially where historical districts are concerned

Georgia: costruction fever

26/04/2010 -  Tengiz Ablotia Tbilisi

A real construction boom is taking place in Georgia, but the recent world financial crisis has had serious consequences for the construction sector; a sector in which the state is one of the major stakeholders

Heat

12/04/2010 -  Cecilia Ferrara Belgrade

Serbia is rich in geothermal fluids, a source of clean energy that could be tapped with additional knowledge and better tools. A consortium of Tuscan municipalities and Serbian local institutions are working together to make some progress

Back to the Danube

25/03/2010 -  Gilda Lyghounis

For over a century, Greek shipowners were the absolute lords of the Danube river. Their ships once carried goods from the Black Sea to Europe, but practically disappeared by War War II. Today, in spite of the serious economic crisis, Greece is trying to regain its role

Romania: Economic Woes Deepen

19/03/2010 -  Cornel Ban

The Romanian economy probably will remain in recession for most of 2010. A 20-billion-dollar rescue package from the IMF, World Bank and the EU will only try to serve as a macroeconomic stabiliser instead of as a stimulus package that could help Romania stop its economic tailspin

Business Incubator

06/04/2010 -  Risto Karajkov Skopje

Two of the most important sectors in the Balkans - economic growth and development cooperation – are becoming increasingly intertwined. For the first time, Macedonia is developing the 'business incubator' model of fostering young enterprises. Not-for-profit actors are implementing the strategy. An interview.

Moldova: austere budget

13/01/2010 -  Iulian Lungu Chişinău

In 2009, the economic crisis was aggravated by the difficult political situation in the country. The ruling Alliance for European Integration had to present an austere budget, characterised by tax raises and cuts in subsidies

Serbia: waiting for Fiat

21/01/2010 -  Lucia Manzotti Kragujevac

A journey to Kragujevac, the home town of Zastava - the “Made in Yugoslavia” car. The expectations of citizens and workers in the “Yugoslav Turin” in the wake of the recent agreement between Belgrade and the Fiat Group to establish the new Fiat Automobili Serbia in that city

After the Quake

21/12/2009 -  Onnik Krikorian Yerevan

Gyumri, the city symbol of the quake that 21 years ago struck Armenia. The stories of the homeless, the domiks, the migrants, waiting for the opening of the borders with Turkey. Reportage

Kosovo's stolen properties

15/12/2009 -  Veton Kasapolli Pristina

In Kosovo many buildings, mostly belonging to Serbian citizens, are occupied or sold illegally in the owners' absence. Swindlers often use false documents and conniving officials, unveiling the weakness of the rule of law. The case of Peja/Pec

Greece: the crisis will do us good

04/01/2010 -  Gilda Lyghounis

In an exclusive interview with Osservatorio, Serafeim Fyntanidi, director of Eleftherotypia, one of Athens's most influential dailies, talks in-depth about the economic and social crisis besieging Greece. He says he is convinced that the country will emerge from the crisis stronger.

Serbia: bread instead of reforms?

22/12/2009 -  Cecilia Ferrara Belgrade

A cynic and a pessimist according to many, he disagrees with most of the economic policies implemented by the Serbian government and does not think that postponing reforms to avoid social unrest is a good idea. An interview with economist Miroslav Prokopijević

Romania, between booms and busts

02/11/2009 -  Cornel Ban

Between 2000 and 2009 Romania experienced one of Europe's highest growth rates. Yet even before the economic crisis hit Bucharest hard, it became clear that the wealth of the economic boom was built with dramatic social costs, paid mostly by children, unemployed, pensioners, and Roma

Corporate environmental responsibility?

28/07/2009 -  Claudia Iatan

A further take on corporations, responsibility, and the market in Romania. The strong focus on environment, funding mechanisms, and fashion in an interview with Dragos Bucurenci, founder of a specialised NGO

Kosovo's costly World Bank membership

20/07/2009 -  Veton Kasapolli Pristina

Membership in the World Bank costs Kosovo greatly because it must pay its portion of the old Yugoslav debt. As outlined by the Ahtisaari plan, membership comes despite Kosovo not receiving any assets deriving from the dissolution of Yugoslavia. Belgrade's continuing politics to pay Kosovo's foreign debt, as part of Serbia's general debt, is breaking down

Responsibility or marketing?

15/07/2009 -  Claudia Iatan Bucharest

Sensitivity on corporate social responsibility is embryonic in Romania as well as elsewhere. Trade unions are absent, institutions are fragile, and NGOs draw on the business sector for their fund-raising activity

Belgrade's urban wilderness

02/07/2009 -  Lucia Manzotti Belgrade

Belgrade is a city almost half of which built in an "informal way," that is to say, illegally. At the heart of this phenomenon that never seems to slow, despite efforts on the part of the authorities to thwart it, lie real estate speculation and a systemic incapacity to respond to the need for basic housing

Invest in Macedonia?

25/06/2009 -  Risto Karajkov Skopje

Macedonia ranks third, after the United States and France, in Google searches for the term "invest in". Of course, the real level of foreign investment is most important, but this search statistic is a relevant statistic of the country's visibility as a possible destination for foreign investments