Justin Keay, Author at Global Finance Magazine

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Emerging & Frontier Markets

SURPRISE PRESIDENTIAL WIN FOR GRABAR-KITAROVI

Newsmakers | Croatia Despite the ceremonial nature of the Croatian presidency, Grabar-Kitarovi has denounced the government for “cold-hearted” economic policies and says Croatia’s economy is a national disgrace.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

LITHUANIA FINALLY JOINS THE EUROZONE

Lithuania | Milestones On January 1, Lithuania abandoned the litas, becoming the 19th member of the eurozone and joining Baltic peers Estonia and Latvia in the economic and monetary union.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

CEE: STRUCTURAL REFORMS NEEDED

Central & Eastern Europe | Emerging Markets Regional Review Central and Eastern Europe has come a long way in the past 25 years, but the region must overcome some significant obstacles in 2015—particularly as Russia’s conflict with Ukraine continues.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

ROMANIAN VOTERS EMBRACE IOHANNIS’S POLITICS

Romania | Newsmakers Iohannis defeated prime minister and Social Democrat leader Victor Ponta, taking 54.5% of the vote against 45.5%. So who is Iohannis?

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

A WATERED-DOWN EEU

Milestones | Commonwealth Of Independent States In October, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia put the finishing legal touches to the creation of the Eurasian Economic Union, which comes into being on January 1, 2015.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

CYPRUS BEGINS LONG ROAD TO RECOVERY

COUNTRY REPORT | CYPRUS Amid continuing harsh austerity measures, things are—very slowly—starting to recover, alongside restructuring that will change the focus of the economy. GDP in 2014 should contract by 3.5% before flattening out next year, with 0.2% growth forecast.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

LEVANT: LONG-TERM PROSPECTS OUTWEIGH INSTABILITIES

Regional Focus | The Levant Offshore energy reserves, a stable banking sector and infrastructure gaps all present opportunities for foreign investment in the Levant region.

Country Report

MOVING BEYOND THE COMFORT ZONE

COUNTRY REPORT | TURKEY: OVERVIEW Recent presidential elections saw political continuity and investor appetite maintained in Turkey, but high levels of indebtedness and political divisions cause some concern.

News

NEW PM A RELATIVELY UNKNOWN QUANTITY

NEWSMAKERS | POLAND The crop-haired, bespectacled 58-year-old is barely known outside Poland. Even within, most people know Kopacz, a former doctor and Health minister more for her loyalty to Tusk than for anything else.

Banking

TURKISH BANKS UNDER FIRE

COUNTRY REPORT | TURKEY: BANKING Turkey’s president is not a fan of them, and an increasing tide of regulation and a growing debt profile make for a difficult operating environment for Turkish banks.

Economics, Policy & Regulation

RECOVERY IS UNDER WAY IN CEE

REGIONAL REPORT | CENTRAL & EASTERN EUROPE Central European countries are starting to recover, with growth accelerating in most markets. But the region’s banks still have some trials to overcome.

Capital Raising & Corporate Finance

WANTED: DOUBLE-DIGIT GROWTH IN AGRIBUSINESS

SECTOR REPORT: AGRIBUSINESS As the world’s population expands and diets improve in some of the most populous countries, agri-businesses must grow at a strong clip to keep up with demand.