News & Opinions

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has fundamentally changed Central, East and Southeast Europe - 24 Feb 2026

The war has ended the region’s three-decade growth model and replaced it with one defined by security and capital intensity read more

Reorientation of Ukraine’s economy towards the EU - 24 Feb 2026

EU now Ukraine’s most important trading partner; high dependence on China for drones; critical raw materials, defence and renewables are opportunities for Europe; robust agriculture, greater role for the government read more

New study: fiscal consolidation dampens growth and increases inequality - 18 Feb 2026

Study shows: dampening effects of fiscal consolidation are significantly stronger in a recession than in an upturn; negative impact in Austria limited so far; ensure socially balanced consolidation read more

United Europe 2031: Widen, Deepen, Survive - 17 Feb 2026

Europe must grasp the nettle and use enlargement to force deep integration – before delay turns into decline read more

Winter forecast for Eastern Europe: Solid growth despite uncertainties - 04 Feb 2026

Structural change in Central and Eastern Europe is in full swing, while Trump, budget deficits and a dictated peace in Ukraine pose risks; Ukraine faces a difficult future, whereas Russia’s economy is stagnating read more

A dictated peace would be a disaster for Ukraine and Central Eastern Europe - 15 Jan 2026

Without credible security guarantees, Ukraine is likely to become a vassal state of Moscow and will continue to get poorer. The EU members of the region would face economic decline and protracted conflict with Russia read more

Recent Publications

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Beyond occupational sorting: How skills shape task allocation and immigrant disadvantage

wiiw Working Papers read more

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Economic implications for Europe of a potential reintegration of Iran into the world economy

wiiw Research Reports read more

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Structural shifts in Ukraine’s foreign trade and investment and implications for EU-Ukraine relations

wiiw Policy Notes and Reports read more

Projects in Focus

A new growth model in EU-CEE

Client: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung
Duration: August 2020 - May 2021 read more

Demographic and economic development in Central and East European countries (CEECs)

Client: City of Vienna
Duration: September 2021 - June 2022 read more

Fiscal rules and fiscal councils in the Western Balkans

Client: The World Bank
Duration: August 2023 - October 2024 read more

Labour market effects of Austrian foreign trade

Client: Austrian Federal Ministry of Labour and Economy
Duration: November 2023 - September 2024 read more

Interreg Transnational Programmes: needs and opportunities for the future cooperation (TNCOOP)

Client: European Observation Network, Territorial Development and Cohesion (ESPON)
Duration: April 2025 - April 2026 read more

Tax and Contribution Burdens in Firms with Different Value Creation Structures

Client: AK Lower Austria
Duration: December 2024 - June 2025 read more

Human Mobility in the Western Balkans: Pathways for Inclusive Growth and Human Development

Client: United Nations Development Programme (UNDP)
Duration: February 2025 - August 2025 read more

Carbon Intensive Regions in Transition – Unravelling the Challenges of Structural Change (CINTRAN)

Client: European Commission, Horizon 2020
Duration: May 2020 - April 2024 read more

Challenges for Cohesion: Looking ahead to 2035

Client: European Commission, DG Regional Policy
Duration: September 2022 - April 2024 read more


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