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Economic Growth


Turkey Wants to Become 9th Largest Economy by 2050

Turkey is hoping to become the ninth largest economy worldwide by the year 2050. Growth rates will be around 5.2 percent in the years from 2012 to 2017.
August 30, 2013


Serbia: SMEs Driver for Economy

Serbia's private sector employs 45% of the total number of employees.
August 30, 2013


Austria: OeNB Increases Growth Forecast for 2013

The Austrian National Bank (OeNB) has slightly increased its growth forecast for Austria in 2013 from 0.2 percent to 0.5 percent. Govenor Nowotny said there was a better development than expected in the second quarter.
August 30, 2013


EU Commissioner Sees First Signs of Economic Turn-Around

EU Commissioner for Economic and Monetary Affairs Olli Rehn can see the first signs of an economic turn-around in the European Union.
August 29, 2013


Austrian Economy Minister: “No Time for Idle Complacency”

Austrian Minister of Economics and former general secretary of the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO), Reinhold Mitterlehner avoids any dispute with Christoph Leitl, President of WKO but signals a different opinion.
August 27, 2013


Austria: First Chancellor’s Duel

Chancellor Werner Faymann (SPÖ) and Deputy Chancellor Michael Spindelegger (ÖVP) had their first official chancellor’s duel on TV on Monday. However, people waiting for a major dispute had been disppointed.
August 27, 2013


Bulgaria's Banks’ External Debt Totalled 15.2 Percent Of GDP

Bulgaria's banks’ external debt totalled EUR 6,219.8 million (15.2% of GDP). It declined by EUR 234.8 million (3.6%) from end-2012 (EUR 6,454.7 million, 16.3% of GDP), and increased by EUR 280.6 million (4.7%) year-on-year (from EUR 5,939.2 million).
August 26, 2013


Turkey: Overall Dissatisfaction Grows

A new poll carried out by Gallup shows that about a third of the Turks feel themselves suffering from an economic point of view.
August 25, 2013


Russia: GDP to Increase without Economic Growth

Russia will change its GDP account practice. Foreign investors will benefit from the new standards, head of Rosstat says.
August 24, 2013


Turkey: Capital Outflow Endangers Economic Stability

The monetary and economic stability is under enormous pressure. Turkey´s National Bank does not have sufficient reserve to support the Turkish lira.
August 24, 2013


CESEE Faces Economic Recovery

According to Moody´s, the economic outlook for Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe is positive. Nevertheless, the recovery is still fragile.
August 24, 2013


Faymann: Joint Combat against Unemployment

During a meeting with Slovenian Prime Minister Bratusek and Croatian Prime Minister Milanovic and Austria’s second biggest city Graz, Austrian Chancellor Faymann pointed out the governments’ key tasks.
August 23, 2013


Austria: Leitl Reiterates Criticizm

State Secretary Schieder considers Leitl’s statements “totally out of place”.
August 23, 2013


Romanians Not Satisfied with Wages

More than half of Romanian employees claim not to be paid enough for their work.
August 22, 2013


Eurozone: Strongest Growth Rates in Two Years

The Eurozone continues to recover. Businesses in industrial production and in the service sector increased to a new high in more than two years. However, growth in both sectors is still not enough for the creation of new jobs.
August 22, 2013


Leitl: “Austria Screwed Up”

If the US, as the perpetrator of the financial and economic crisis, shows two percent in economic growth, while Austria only 0.2 percent, then this was a “disgrace”, Leitl announced during the economic forum in Alpbach.
August 21, 2013


Poland: Budget Amendment Passed in Parliament

In order to adapt to the slow economic growth the government has amended the budet by permitting this year’s budget deficit to increase to PLN 16bn as well as approving PLN in spending cut, as announced at a press conferenced on Tuesday.
August 21, 2013


Turkish National Bank to Increase Key Rate

In the fight against the downgrade of the Turkish Lira, the Central Bank of the Republic of Turkey (CBRT) has increased the key rate unexpectedly.
August 20, 2013


Slovenia: Business Organizations Post Wishlist to Government

Slovenian business organizations have forewarded a wishlist to the government in which they request more "breathing room" by the lowering of taxes and measures to enhance development and competitiveness.
August 20, 2013


Ukraine Remains in a Recession for a Year

In the second quarter of 2013 GDP contracted by 1.1 percent on a year-on-year comparison basis.
August 20, 2013


Austria: Spindelegger Demands Flexibility of Working Hours

Working hours have become the main issue of the election campaigns. The dispute was incensed by the claims of Minister of Economy Mitterlehner to allow up to twelve hours of work per day.
August 19, 2013


Russia: Stable Outlook, Lower Growth Rates

The rating agency Fitch reiterates the “BBB” rating for Russia. The outlook remains stable. However, Russia´s GDP forecast had to be lowered.
August 17, 2013


Poland´s Economic Growth Accelerates

In the second quarter of 2013, the annual growth rate came at 0.8%. Due to combined monetary and fiscal measures, the outlook is positive.
August 17, 2013


Romania: GDP Slowed Down in Second Quarter 2013

Romania: GDP slowed down in Q2, as expected by RBI.
August 16, 2013


Czech Republic to Crawl out of Recession

In the second quarter the Czech economy grew by 0.7 percent compared to the first quarter.
August 15, 2013


End of Recession Supports Stock Exchanges in Europe

The Eurozone seems to have finally left recession behind. This is one of the reasons why markets closed trades with a plus on Wednesday.
August 15, 2013


Can We Eliminate Extreme Poverty By 2030?

Over the last 200 years the world as a whole has seen a marked decline in the incidence of absolute poverty.
August 14, 2013


Cyprus: Bailout Should Have Come Sooner

Cyprus should have applied for an EU rescue package in 2011 to avoid the restrictive terms forced on investors to ensure support, its central bank governor said yesterday.
August 14, 2013


Schieder: “Successful Employment and Regional Economic Policy Has to Be Continued“

Austrian State Secretary rejects unreliable surveys “talking down” Austrian economy.
August 14, 2013


Eurozone: GDP Grew Slightly

Euro area and EU27 GDP both up by 0.3% -0.7% and -0.2% respectively compared with the second quarter of 2012.
August 14, 2013


Wifo: Minor Growth in Second Quarter 2013

According to a current flash estimate by the Austrian Institute of Economic Research (Wifo), the Austrian economy grew by 0.2 percent in real terms in the second quarter of 2013 compared to the previous period.
August 14, 2013


Eurozone: Minor Growth in Industrial Production

Industrial production up by 0.7% in euro area. Up by 0.9% in EU27.
August 14, 2013


Slovenian PM Convinced Agreement on 2014 Budget Will Be Reached

Slovenian Prime Minister Alenka Bratusek is convinced an agreement will be reached regarding changes to the 2014 budget
August 13, 2013


New Erste Group Loan Contributes to La Fantana Recapitalization

La Fantana, the leading bottler and distributor of water in Romania, announced it has successfully raised EUR 34mn in debt financing. La Fantana is controlled by private equity funds managed by Innova Capital.
August 13, 2013


Romania: Significant Drop in Purchase Power

General consumption climate is unfavorable in Europe at the moment.
August 12, 2013


Commerzbank: Austria to Miss Budget Goals

Without a new austerity package, Austria will run up more debts than calculated in the bugdet plan, German Commerzbank says. The country’s AAA ratings are likely to decrease.
August 12, 2013


Leitl: Positive Export Development Despited of Economically Difficult Times

The Austrian economy should, according to the President of WKO, focus export growth in third countries and distant markets.
August 10, 2013


Austria: Spindelegger Wants Reform Government

The next government has to be a “reform government”, according to Austrian Vice Chancellor Michael Spindelegger, since the one in office now has only shown little reform zeal.
August 9, 2013


Fitch: European Investors See Withdrawal of Bank Stimulus

More European investors now see the withdrawal of central bank stimulus as a bigger risk to European credit markets than eurozone sovereign debt problems.
August 9, 2013


Romania: Good Prospects for Economic Upturn

In Romania, the inflation forecast for 2013 and for 2014 has been lowered to 3.1 percent which is 0.1 percent less compared to previous figures.
August 9, 2013


Wifo: Economic Growth with Brakes On

Economic upswing will take time. Considering the individual branches an uneven picture emerges.
August 9, 2013


Slovenia: Stakes of at Least 80 Enterprises

The Slovenian state owns shares in at least 80 companies directly or indirectly.
August 8, 2013


UniCredit: No Withdrawal from Hungary

CEO of UniCredit Federico Ghizzoni has rejected rumors about disengagement plans from Hungary.
August 7, 2013


Serbia: Moderate Upward Trend

In the first three months, Serbia´s GDP was up by 0.5%. However, domestic demand is still declining.
August 6, 2013


Slovenia: Economic Sentiment Stabilizes

This year, Slovenia will not be able to leave the recession behind. However, the economic sentiment begins to improve in some sectors.
August 5, 2013


Romania Initiates Structural Reforms

In order to receive a precautionary loan from the IMF, Romania´s government will implement a series of reform steps. Above all, Romania starts privatizations again. Romania´s economic outlook continues to brighten.
August 3, 2013


CESEE: „Growth Story Did Not End“

In an interview with the Austrian newspaper “Presse”, chairman of the CEESEG supervisory board Willibald Cernko explains that Central and Eastern Europe needs a new growth model.
August 3, 2013


Czech Republic: Interest Rates Remain Flat

The Czech National Bank (CNB) holds the base rate at its historical low. In the course of 2014, the Czech economy is expected to recover.
August 2, 2013


Poland: Slow, but Steady Progress

Poland´s National Bank anticipates a longer term of interest rate stabilization. The economic trend reversal will come in the third quarter, rate setter Andrzej Bratkowski stated.
August 2, 2013


Cautious Optimism in Slovakia

The economic outlook for Slovakia brightens slightly. The export-oriented country benefits from the stabilization in the Eurozone.
August 2, 2013