ROMANIA
Against the backdrop of record-high inflation and widening external imbalances, the NBR raised further its key 2-week repo rate by 75 bps (to 6.25%) in October.
The end of the rate hiking cycle appears near unless significant delays in necessary fiscal consolidation arise
NORTH MACEDONIA
North Macedonia sees another quarter of relatively lacklustre GDP growth (up 2.8% y-o-y in Q2:22), with inventory build-up and public investment driving economic expansion
Although public investment is expected to continue to outperform, GDP growth is seen slowing down over the next quarters, dragged down by weakening private consumption and net exports
ALBANIA
GDP growth moderated abruptly in Q2:22 (to 2.2% y-o-y from 6.5% in Q1:22), following the fading of several supportive base effects (related to strong post-earthquake reconstruction activity, the re-opening of the highly important tourism sector from the COVID-19 lockdown and a weather-induced spike in hydroelectric power production)
Persistently high inflation, together with weakening external demand and a tighter policy mix, should push economic growth lower in the period ahead
APPENDIX:
DETAILED MACROECONOMIC DATA
REGIONAL SNAPSHOT: MACROECONOMIC INDICATORS & FINANCIAL MARKETS