Twenty-five years after the dissolution of the Soviet Union, Belarus stands out as a special case in transition blending, on the one hand, signs of relative prosperity, socially oriented policies and sprouts of entrepreneurships and, on the other hand, remnants of the communist past. The core of...

The study analyses the dynamics and the structure of Ukraine's public finances. It assesses the medium-term impact of fiscal austerity 2014-2016, examines fiscal sustainability and estimates further fiscal adjustment efforts. It evaluates the economic and social implications of current fiscal...

Foreign direct investment (FDI) has been the main driver of restructuring and modernisation in Central and Eastern Europe. This paper looks into FDI stocks and flows in a dynamic and cross-country perspective, comparing the key EAEU countries (Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia) as well as DCFTA...

Die russische Wirtschaft hat im vergangenen Jahr die Folgen der Finanz- und Währungskrise vom August 1998 weitgehend überwunden. Dazu trugen bessere äußere Bedingungen bei, wie insbesondere die Beseitigung der Überbewertung des Rubels, der Anstieg des Rohölpreises und die Belebung der...

In the wake of the 'Arab Spring' several observers compared the changes in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) to the transition of the former communist countries in Central, East and Southeast Europe (CESEE) to parliamentary democracy and market economy starting two decades ago. Relying on...

Introduction Reflecting the diversity of countries in its neighbourhood, the European Union (EU) has established different cooperation processes, institutional arrangements and forums for its discussions with these countries. Each form of cooperation is characterized by its own dynamics,...

The Vilnius Eastern Partnership Summit on 28-29th November represents a milestone in EU relations not just with respect to the six Eastern Partnership countries (EaP Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova and particularly Ukraine), but also with the EU's 'strategic partner' Russia. The...

The Ukraine conflict is having serious consequences not only for Russia and Ukraine, but it also potentially threatens to damage the still frail economic recovery in Europe. In Ukraine, which is the main victim of the conflict, the economy may decline by up to 8% this year. In Russia, the costs...

The imbalance between the costs and benefits of DCFTAs is a call to the EU to display greater thoughtfulness and pragmatism if it does not want to lose support for reforms in its neighbourhood. What has to happen so that their potential can be more beneficial? The Policy Brief written by Amat...

Vladimir Putin's presidency will last until 2024 – longer than most other Russian or Soviet leaders ruled. This Policy Note provides a brief review of past economic developments and reform attempts. We argue that past reforms have in effect failed yet the main economic challenges currently...