In September, Russian exile Sergei Guriev, a professor of economics, takes over as the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s chief economist. He tells Stefanie Linhardt about his plans and expectations, and why business acumen trumps academic prestige.

A sluggish economy, high interest rates and greater scrutiny are hitting Russia's banks, especially smaller institutions, with some opting for consolidation as a way to survive, as Stefanie Linhardt reports.

As Russia continues to grapple with low oil prices and Western sanctions, the government's structural reforms and privatisation plans are designed to kick-start growth and balance the budget deficit. But is the time right to sell state assets? Stefanie Linhardt investigates.

The euro’s continuing fall against the dollar held back the major players in the EU, but Austria made a startling comeback and there was further good news from Romania and Croatia.

Much has been written about Austria's Heta, the ‘bad bank’ which took on the toxic assets of Hypo Alpe Adria. But what of Addiko, which was created from the good parts of its south-eastern European network? Stefanie Linhardt investigates.

In the aftermath of the global financial crisis, populist politicians in central and eastern Europe realised that struggling homeowners could be their new powerbase. Lenders are facing a potential onslaught of unwelcome government intervention in the banking sector, though there could be a silver lining. Stefanie Linhardt reports.

With only a few months to go before the country’s elections, Romanian minister of public finance Anca Dana Dragu talks to Stefanie Linhardt about her ministry’s tax and infrastructure plans.

Bucharest Stock Exchange lacks only liquidity to move from 'frontier' to 'emerging' market status. And, as Stefanie Linhardt discovers, a partnership with the pan-south-eastern European trading platform SEE Link could help the Romanian bourse get there.

Poland’s outgoing central bank chief Marek Belka tells Stefanie Linhardt that maintaining banking stability will be the major issue for his replacement. 

In two years, Otkritie FC Bank’s Konstantin Tserazov has transformed its investment business through a three-way split between its bond portfolio, repurchase agreements and derivatives. Now, he tells Stefanie Linhardt, he intends to diversify the Russia-focused bank even further.