Poland: farmers’ protests influenced by Russian agents

Poland’s Foreign Ministry has said that some elements in the ongoing protests by Polish farmers could “possibly be influenced by Russian agents” after banners appeared expressing anti-Ukrainian and pro-Putin sentiment. One of the protest leaders expressed regret over the incidents, which he suggested could be a deliberate “provocation”. This week, one farmer was photographed with…

Ukraine: entrepreneurs receive 567 loans worth over UAH 1.9 billion under state guarantees on portfolio basis in January 2204

As part of support for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises in Ukraine, 33,199 loans totalling UAH 105.4 billion have been granted under the portfolio-based state guarantee instrument since December 2020. As of February 1, 29 lending banks were servicing 19,080 loans worth UAH 67.2 billion. The principal obligations, which were partially secured by state guarantees…

Bulgaria: household expenses up in Q3 2023

At the end of 2023, household expenses increased by 19.1%, with the majority spent on food – approximately one-third of all expenditures. This is indicated by the data from the National Statistical Institute (NSI). In the third quarter of 2023, the average total income of households was 2,874 BGN, increasing by 22.5% compared to the…