I dread the moment I need to see a doctor in Russia because I know that seeing a doctor in Russia is not a pleasent experience. The prospect of crass bureaucracy coupled with idiotic rules and endless waiting in line forces me to turn around and take the same […]

One of the first effects of the crisis on Slovakia – one of the most open, export dependent economies in Europe  – was felt when the country’s rich customers started importing fewer Slovak goods. Similar problems have started to occur again recently, with the slowdown in China, a major destination […]

When the financial crisis hit the Western world, a saying spread throughout Macedonia: ‘We can’t be hit by the crisis, we’re always in crisis’ This was very true at the time. The financial crisis of 2007-2008 brought the collapse of powerful financial institutions and caused a downward spiral in the […]

The current economic crisis has no doubt affected every country in one way or another. I can only speak of my own experience. As I described in my previous blog, many citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina are dependent upon remittances from their relatives living in more developed parts of the world.  The 1992-1995 war displaced […]

Will 2013 bring an economic drought?  U.S. National Archives via Flickr.com Once upon a time, there was wealth. If we were to portray it, it would be a handsome hunk with long blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin, riding carefree, roaming anywhere, spreading his beauty and joyfulness all around. Hey, wait! […]