Romania faces inflation pressure as CEE recovery remains uneven, says Allianz
CEE is entering an uneven economic recovery against a backdrop of inflationary pressures, with Romania remaining under pressure from inflation...
CEE is entering an uneven economic recovery against a backdrop of inflationary pressures, with Romania remaining under pressure from inflation...
MLP Group has completed a €350 million green bond issuance with a 5-year maturity and fixed coupon of 4.75%, in an offering attracted strong demand and was oversubscribed.
Central Europe's commercial real estate sector is experiencing a transformation, with Hungary leading the recovery through an 86% year-on-year increase in investment driven by Asian capital from China and South Korea. The CATL factory in Debrecen and BYD in Szeged, along with the planned Volvo plant in Košice, Slovakia, are reshaping the region's industrial landscape and creating demand for logistics space.
Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia have recorded an 18% increase in banking assets between 2021 and 2024.
Lululemon announced plans to expand into six new markets in 2026 through franchise partnerships. The athletic apparel brand will launch in Greece, Austria, Poland, Hungary, and Romania through a partnership with Arion Retail Group, as well as in India through Tata CLiQ.
Nepi Rockcastle has appointed Marius Barbu as COO, effective from April 2026, to succeed Marek Noetzel, current COO and CEO-designate. He has also been nominated as a Board Director and will stand for election at the next AGM in May 2026.
Colliers has published a new report focusing on CEE, examining economic and real estate trends across Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Slovakia. The study shows that 2025 brought moderate economic recovery, easing inflation and rising focus on sustainability, while real estate markets were shaped by modernization, limited new office supply, strong logistics demand and retail park expansion.
Romania faces an economic maturity test, with the key question being whether it can transform current vulnerabilities into reforms and progress.
EU enterprises are rapidly adopting artificial intelligence technologies, with 20% of companies with 10 or more employees now using AI to conduct business in 2025, according to Eurostat.
GTC reported rental revenues of €152 million in the first nine months of 2025, up 9% from €139 million in the same period of 2024. The increase followed the acquisition of a residential portfolio in Germany, which contributed €18 million, partially offset by a €4 million decrease after the sale of the GTC X and Matrix C properties.
Confidence is returning across CEE real estate markets, with investor sentiment shifting from cautious optimism to execution, according to Colliers. The region continues to demonstrate resilience, supported by moderating inflation, solid household consumption, and strong employment levels.
CEE recorded a 38% increase in real estate investments in the first three quarters of 2025, reaching over €7 billion across six major markets, according to Colliers' latest report.
Nepi Rockcastle has appointed Marek Noetzel as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 April 2026. Noetzel, who has served as the company's COO since June 2022, will succeed current CEO Rüdiger Dany.
Shopper Park Plus, a Hungarian real estate investment company, announced plans for a secondary public offering of approximately 8 million newly issued shares in the last quarter of 2025. The company expects to raise between €90 million and €110 million through the offering on the Budapest Stock Exchange.
CEE economies have been delivering solid GDP growth, outpacing many Western European peers despite external trade uncertainties and recent inflationary pressures, according to Colliers' latest report.
Romania's hospitality industry recorded a 19% increase in turnover in the first half of 2025, the third largest advance in the European Union after Greece (35%) and Hungary (22%), according to Eurostat data cited by Colliers. Rising room rates have pushed local pricing into line with established CEE markets such as Poland and the Czech Republic, even though the number of overnight stays in hotels almost stagnated, with an increase of less than 4%.
AG Capital has appointed Pavlin Petkov as CEO. Petkov brings over 25 years of international experience across the US, Western and Eastern Europe in private equity, insurance, banking, and pension fund management.
The first half of 2025 has confirmed a strong return of investor activity in Central and Eastern Europe. The Czech Republic, with the most remarkable performance, is emerging as the regional leader, ahead of even Poland, according to the latest iO Partners report.
Romania stands out in the European fiscal landscape with property taxation levels significantly lower than the EU average, according to an analysis by Cushman & Wakefield Echinox based on Eurostat data. This position has enhanced the attractiveness of the local real estate market and established a favorable tax framework for owners and investors.
The European Commission has committed €16.7 billion to Romania through the new Security Action for Europe (SAFE) financial instrument.

Premier Energy has completed its acquisition of a controlling stake in a 158 MW wind farm in Hungary.
The Austrian Post Group has acquired 100% of Hungarian parcel service provider Delivery Solutions Zrt., operating under the brand Sameday Hungary.
CEOs are more confident in their own companies' prospects than they are in the outlook for the global economy, according to the latest EY-Parthenon CEO Outlook Survey, a quarterly survey of 1,200 global CEOs across 21 countries.
PPC Renewables Romania has increased its installed capacity to over 1.5 GW, following additions of approximately 200 MW in 2025.
Government debt as a share of GDP rose in Q3 in both the eurozone to 88.5% from 88.2% in Q2, and in the European Union to 82.1% from 81.9%, according to data published by Eurostat.