Bulgaria saw a sharp rise in labor costs at the close of 2025, with total employer expenses per hour worked increasing by 13.9% in the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024, according to preliminary figures from the National Statistical Institute. The rise was more pronounced in the services sector, which…
Lithuania’s Finance Ministry on March 24 downgraded its economic growth forecast for this year and warned that inflation would rise faster than previously expected, citing the impact of tensions in the Middle East. Under an updated economic scenario presented on March 24, the country’s gross domestic product is now projected to grow by 3.1% in…
On March 24, Deputy Minister of Finance of Ukraine Olga Zykova met with the Special Envoy for Ukraine of the Kingdom of the Netherlands Joost Klarenbeek. The Deputy Minister congratulated Joost Klarenbeek on his appointment and expressed gratitude to the Government of the Netherlands for its significant and consistent support to Ukraine since the beginning…
The Government is expanding support for internally displaced persons-changes have been made to the provision of housing assistance. This was announced by Ukrainian Prime Minister Yulia Svyrydenko. Three important steps have been taken to support IDPs: – Extending the duration of payments. Now, the most vulnerable categories of displaced persons shall be eligible to receive…
In March, a study and working visit of the Ukrainian delegation to Stockholm on the topic “Swedish system of multi-level governance in practice” was held, organized at the invitation of SALAR International within the framework of the Swedish-Ukrainian Polaris Program “Support for multi-level governance in Ukraine”. The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine was represented by…
A last-minute legislative amendment in Bulgaria is raising serious concerns among financial experts, as it could put up to one million citizens at risk of falling into a debt spiral. The change restricts financial institutions registered with the Bulgarian National Bank from fully assessing the creditworthiness of their clients, potentially leading to lending and leasing…
Home prices in Estonia rose by 5.2% YoY in 2025, the Statistics Estonia reported. The house price index (HPI), which increased rapidly in 2021 and 2022, continued to rise in the last three years, but at a more modest rate ranging from 5.2% to 6.1%, said Mart Umbleja, leading analyst at Statistics Estonia. In 2025,…