News about Macroeconomics
Luxembourg, a country with a population of about 700,000, became the European leader in attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in 2024, surpassing major economies such as France, Spain, and Italy, according to the “World Investment Report 2025” published by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD).
The European labor market appears unified only on paper. In practice, the workweek varies so widely across the continent’s countries that the difference between the extremes is nearly equivalent to a full workday.
Consumer inflation in the U.S. accelerated to 4.2% year-over-year in May—the highest level since April 2023.
The government is selling government securities at a record pace, capitalizing on increased demand for them as a high-yield investment vehicle that outperforms bank deposits. Monthly sales are rising thanks to short-term securities. In the first five months of 2026, GSBs worth 26 billion lei were sold, which is one-third higher than sales volumes for the same period last year.
In May 2026, average consumer prices in Moldova rose by 6.8% year-over-year and by 4.9% year-to-date. The annual inflation rate in April remained unchanged. In April, annual inflation reached a four-month high following a January low of 4.8%. The data is provided by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
An online job fair for the diaspora will be held on Thursday, June 11. The event is intended for Moldovan citizens living abroad who are looking for employment opportunities in the Republic of Moldova.
Parliament Speaker Igor Grosu stated that the Republic of Moldova is on the verge of an “important announcement” from the EU, and expressed hope that the breaks between the negotiation clusters on accession would not be too long.
In the coming days, the European Commission will launch the first round of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced this at a briefing on Tuesday, June 9.
It may seem surprising, but it’s a fact: the government agency responsible for the state’s finances makes errors in its accounting of fixed and current assets—and these errors are quite significant.
Paris is no longer among the five most expensive cities in Europe in terms of housing costs. According to data from the Global Property Guide, the French capital has been overtaken by four Swiss cities and Luxembourg. Zurich remains at the top of the ranking, with prices exceeding 18,000 euros per square meter.
The Romanian Competition Council fined 10 banks a total of 3.73 billion Romanian lei (14.32 billion Moldovan lei or EUR 710 million) for coordination in the ROBOR setting procedure.
The eurozone economy shrank by 0.2% in January-March 2026 compared to the previous quarter, according to revised Eurostat data. This is the first decline in eurozone GDP recorded since the fourth quarter of 2022.
Shares of major European air carriers fell on Monday after the International Air Transport Association (IATA) sharply downgraded the aviation industry’s profit forecast for 2026. The reason was rising jet fuel prices and the consequences of the conflict in the Middle East.
Military budgets of different countries are often compared in dollar terms, but an analysis of expenditures relative to GDP seems more appropriate because it shows which countries bear the greatest defense burden.
Major investors are predicting the collapse of the neural network economy in its current form. Billionaire Ray Dalio, founder of Bridgewater Associates, has predicted the deflation of the artificial intelligence bubble. The reasons will be related not so much to the financial failure of companies working in this field, but to the banal desire of investors to lock in profits. All the signs of retreat are already in place. Meanwhile, a downturn in the AI sector could hit the broader economy: first of all, the American economy, but eventually the global economy as well.
The Republic of Moldova ranked 101st in the Global Investment Risk and Sustainability Index as of May 2026, dropping by 19 positions over the year.
Today, nine states wish to join the European Union. The process is delayed due to the complicated accession procedure. However, as early as 2028, the European Union may admit a new, 28th member.
Last year, the degree of utilization of funds from external sources amounted to 96.2%, decreasing compared to the previous year. Out of the total amount of 16.7 billion lei allocated from external sources, 78.2 per cent was used to support the state budget and only 21.8 per cent to implement development projects. This is stated in the Audit Chamber’s audit report on the government’s fulfillment of the state budget in 2025. This applies both to loans taken by the government and grants.
Moldova is implementing a new mechanism for calculating and adjusting the minimum wage in accordance with the EU Adequate Minimum Wages Directive. The government will be obliged to review this indicator annually, using 50% of the projected average monthly wage for the economy as a benchmark.
Moldovan Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popşoi, who is a Romanian citizen, supports unification with this country and is ready to vote for it if a referendum is held. He made this statement on air on the Vocea Basarabiei radio station.
