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„Brussels Must Reconsider Enlargement Policy“

Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sebastian Kurz criticized the EU´s approach towards Ukraine. However, the EU has to develop further.

April 25, 2014

Poland Fears War in Ukraine

According to Poland´s Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Poland should prepare for the worst case in Ukraine.

April 25, 2014

Austrian Public Debt Almost at 80% of GDP

The Austrian public debt burden will reach a new all-time high at the end of the current year. The challenging fiscal situation is partly attributable to the capital injections into Hypo Group Alpe Adria.

April 24, 2014

Do Taxes Justify a Relocation of Business?

Tax sensitive business operations should be relocated to other areas if necessary, according to the head of Erste Bank Austria.

April 24, 2014

Buwog Soon to be Listed at Three Stock Exchanges

Immofinanz‘ residential real estate affiliate Buwog will celebrate its IPO at the stock exchanges in Frankfurt and Vienna on Monday, April 28 and in Warsaw on Tuesday, April 29.

April 24, 2014

Austria: Difficult Market Situation for Selling Bawag

The selling of Bawag PSK proves difficult for its owner which is why an IPO is considered a realistic phasing-out scenario. However, experts doubt that an IPO will be a “highflyer”.

April 24, 2014

Eder: Policy-Makers Have to Make Decisions

Wolfgang Eder, CEO of Austrian steel manufacturer voestalpine, claims not to have heard anything from the Austrian policy makers after he raised criticizm with regard to the Austrian business location.

April 24, 2014

Serbia: “Huge Challenges Ahead”

President Tomislav Nikolic appointed Aleksandar Vucic to form a new Serbian government.

April 23, 2014

Austria: Bawag to Go Public?

Bawag PSK is likely to go public, as reported by Bloomberg.

April 23, 2014

Austria: Calls for Reduction of Bureaucracy Become Louder

Bureaucratic hurdles burden the Austrian enterprises the most apart from taxes and other levies.

April 23, 2014

Serbia: Key Rate Kept Unchanged.

The NBS (National Bank of Serbia) decided to keep the policy rate unchanged as there is no threat of inflation.

April 22, 2014

Austria: Hypo Commission Costs Less than Anticipated

Irmgard Griss, head of the investigation commission appointed by the Finance Ministry with regard to Hypo Group Alpe Adria’s nationalization, announced wanting to leave the decision about the costs with the government.

April 22, 2014

Poland: VAT Likely to be Reduced

As announced by Polish Finance Minister Mateusz Szczurek, the government plans on cutting the VAT rate to 22 percent in 2017.

April 22, 2014

Serbia: EU Negotiations Important for Reforms

According to Tanja Miscevic, chief negotiator in Serbia’s EU accession talks, the opening of the Chapters 23 and 24 are crucial for the reform process in the Western Balkan country.

April 22, 2014

Eder: Austrian Industrial Location Not Attractive Anymore

Austria may lose one of its most important industrial flagships. Wolgang Eder, CEO of the Vienna-listed steel manufacturer voestalpine threatens to leave Austria.

April 18, 2014

Austria: Branch Network of Raiffeisen Shrinking

Because of the high number of mergers, the number of branch shops of Raiffeisen Group is dropping. However, the Austrian lender still has a market share of 43 percent.

April 18, 2014

Serbia: PM Nominated Next Week

The Serbian President will nominate the new Prime Minister on Tuesday, April 22.

April 18, 2014

Hypo Group: Italian Branch Turns Out a Huge Problem

According to CEO Picker there were more “skeletons in the closet than expected” which led to huge losses for the ailing bank. The Italian network may have to be downsized.

April 17, 2014

Slovenia: “Worst Thing if Nobody Dare Do Anything”

Finance Minister Cufer stressed that financial institutes needed stable guidance and confidence to continue their restructuring paths.

April 17, 2014

Austria: RLB OÖ Still Threatening to Leave

According to managing director of Raiffeisenlandesbank Oberösterreich (RLB OÖ) Heinrich Schaller, the tax burden is too high in Austria. The bank is still threatening to leave for Germany if the bank levy will not be changed.

April 17, 2014

Poland: Excessive Deficit Procedure for Two More Years

The Polish government expects the EU Commission to cancel the Excessive Deficit Procedure in “less than two years” due to the measures applied so far the continuing of economic recovery.

April 16, 2014

Industrial Location Austria Losing Attractiveness

Among other things, labor costs and energy prices are too high, according to the Austrian Federation of Industries.

April 16, 2014

Austria: RLB OÖ Rows Bank on Threat to Leave

Last year regional lender RLB OÖ (Raiffeisen Landesbank Oberösterreich), part of Raiffeisen group, saw a decline of six percent in its balance sheet totals while the operating results increased by almost three percent.

April 16, 2014

Slovakia as a Role Model?

In an interview with Austrian daily “Wirtschaftsblatt”, Tomas Malatinsky, Economy Minister of Slovakia, talked about budget discipline, investments and tax policy.

April 16, 2014

Serbian New Government More Efficient and Modern

The presidency of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS), which gained a landslide victory in the recent parliamentary elections, has decided to create a coalition with the Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM).

April 15, 2014

Fricke: “Man Needs Relatively Little Bank”

Fricke, chief economist at the European Climate Foundation and author of “Wie viel Bank braucht der Mensch?" (How much bank does man need?)

April 15, 2014

Serbia: “Radical Measures” Needed to Tackle Grey Economy

Experts call for higher penalties to make tax evasion and gray economy less profitable and establish financial discipline.

April 14, 2014

“Bank Rescue is a Crime”

Martin Ehrenhauser, leading candidate of the Austrian electorial alliance “Europa Anders”, which is running for the EU elections, has voiced harsh criticism about the saving of financial institutes.

April 14, 2014

Poland: No Tax Hike Required

According to Poland’s Finance Minister, a tax increase is not required this year.

April 14, 2014

Slovenia: Head of NLB Throws in Towel

On Friday France Ahar, President of the supervisory board of the biggest lender of Slovenia, state-controlled NLB, handed in his resignation.

April 14, 2014

„We Must Create A Free Trade Area with Russia“

Sebastian Kurz, Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs, proposes a deepening of the economic co-operation between Russia and the EU.

April 12, 2014

Raiffeisen Branch to Leave Austria?

One of the provincial units of Raiffeisen Group, regional lender Raiffeisen Landesbank Oberösterreich (RLB OÖ), is considering relocating its headquarters to Germany.

April 11, 2014

Serbia’s Goal to Join EU until 2020 “Realistic”

According to former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, Serbia’s aim to become a member of the European Union until 2020 is realistic.

April 11, 2014

Vucic: “Not Afraid of Social Riots”

The future Prime Minister of Serbia underlined the necessity of reforms.

April 10, 2014

Moldova: Urgent Call for EU-Membership

Getting out of the zone of uncertainty and instability, this is the aim of the Moldovan Prime Minister Iurie Leanca.

April 10, 2014

Hypo Group: Disastrous Losses Revealed

Huge write-offs and value adjustments have sent losses of nationalized problem Hypo Group Alpe Adria soaring. Losses running into the billions are expected.

April 10, 2014

Poland: Key Rate Kept on Hold

The Monetary Policy Council of Poland has kept the key interest rate on hold since it ended easening in July last year.

April 10, 2014

Austria: Hypo Group’s Investigation Committee Ready for Action

The group of foreign experts at the investigation commission for Hypo Group Alpe Adria is supposed to guarantee the required objectivity. The first results are expected to be published at the end of the year.

April 10, 2014

Poland: NBP Posts No Profits

In 2013 the Polish National Bank (NBP) posted no profit.

April 10, 2014

Erste Group to be Relocated to the Czech Republic?

CEO of Erste Group, Andreas Treichl, has informed Czech President Milos Zeman about the bank’s intention to move to Prague in the coming years.

April 9, 2014

Poland: Growth Forecast Raised Again

The International Monetary Fund has raised the forcast of GDP growth in Poland.

April 9, 2014

Serbia: Vucic Rejects Single-Party Government

Aleksandar Vucic, leader of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) and future Prime Minister, said on Tuesday that his party does not intend to govern on its own.

April 9, 2014

Fitch: Polish Rating Foundations Very Solid

As reported by news portal “Warsaw Voice”, rating agency Fitch considers the Polish credit rating foundations to be very solid.

April 8, 2014

Nikolic: “Russia Will Never Recognize Kosovo”

In an interview with Austrian daily “Presse”, Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic voiced his opinon on the political crisis on Crimea and the future about talks between Serbia and Kosovo.

April 8, 2014

Hungarian Electorial Law Supports Major Parties

Orban is the clear winner of the parliamentary elections in Hungary. He stressed that there are no more conflicts with the EU than any other member state had.

April 7, 2014

Serbia: Effective Measures for Economy

The Serbian Chamber of Commerce considers the measures for economic growth “a very big thing”.

April 7, 2014

RBI Awarded Best Bank in CEE Once Again

Global Finance Awards: RBI again “Best Bank in CEE”.

April 7, 2014

RBI to Shut Down Affiliates on Crimea

The Ukrainian affiliate of Raffeisen Bank International (RBI) is closing all its affiliate on Crimea until mid-April.

April 7, 2014

Poland: No Danger of Deflation

According to Marek Belka, governor of the National Bank of Poland (NBP), there is not threat of deflation.

April 7, 2014

Hypo Group: „We Are not the Only One Who Must Pay“

Austrian Minister of Finance Michael Spindelegger underlines that the Austrian taxpayers are not the only ones who must bear the losses of the nationalized lender Hypo Group Alpe Adria.

April 5, 2014