Hungary has enjoyed stronger economic growth than many of its European neighbours in recent years, but the country's minister of economy Mihály Varga is wary of taking this success for granted, insisting that the country's long-term outlook hinges on a number of external factors, from the recovery of the eurozone to a resolution of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

Government intervention – both to tackle the country's problematic foreign exchange loans and stimulate new lending – has revived the Hungarian banking market. Now, the race is on for banks to return to profitability. 

As the Swiss National Bank removed its cap against the euro, the risk of borrowing in foreign currencies was made clear, as countries that had been busily borrowing in the Swiss franc reeled at the impact of its sudden appreciation. 

As the need to resolve the eurozone crisis intensifies, member states seem to be moving further apart on key issues, including the architecture of the union and the terms of Greece's bail-out package. But while political rifts open up, many economists agree that the only way forward is by working towards greater economic integration. 

Lithuania became the 19th country to adopt the euro as its currency in January, joining Baltic neighbours Latvia and Estonia. But what benefits can the country expect to see from this move?

Russia's banks endured a tough 2013, as shown by the results in The Banker's Top 100 ranking, with the picture only likely to get bleaker when the impact of a turbulent 2014 is known.