New Podcast - CEE Outlook 2026: Making Decisions Amid Uncertainty
03 February 2026
In the latest episode of the CEE Exchange podcast, part of wiiw’s Executive Network, Executive Director Mario Holzner and Deputy Director Richard Grieveson discuss the geopolitical and economic outlook for Central and Eastern Europe in 2026
image credit: wiiw/Fred Schneider
In the new episode of CEE Exchange, Executive Director Mario Holzner and Deputy Director Richard Grieveson of the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) join the discussion on the geopolitical and economic outlook for Central and Eastern Europe in 2026.
Rather than focusing on forecasts, the conversation looks at what has structurally changed in the region’s macro environment, how geopolitical uncertainty has become a permanent condition, and which factors are likely to shape competitiveness across CEE.
Drawing on macroeconomic analysis and recent executive survey insights, the episode explores labor and productivity, investment dynamics, energy costs, and the challenge of making decisions in an environment where certainty is unlikely to arrive before action is required.
CEE Exchange is a podcast by the wiiw Executive Network, featuring in-depth conversations with senior executives and economic analysts focused on Central and Eastern Europe.
Check out the CEE Exchange podcast on Spotify.
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