Column

Just as the region has leapfrogged in areas like economic transition, technology and digital governance, it can also become a global leader in political stability and democratic innovation. 

The next chapter of RIS must be bold. The programme needs a reinvention that addresses its most persistent challenges and embraces opportunities for meaningful transformation. 

For emerging Europe, rural development is a blank canvas. What it becomes will depend on the vision we’re willing to imagine and the courage we have to question everything we assume about it. 

Technology is at a crossroads. It can either be a tool for oppression or a weapon for freedom. The choice lies not with autocrats, but with innovators. 

Europe’s innovation spark is set to ignite from an unexpected powerhouse: the emerging Europe region, where start-ups and innovators are leading a new wave of reinvention.

The challenges Europe face may be unpredictable, but they’re also an invitation to reinvent how we approach unity, stability, and strength.

One of the pillars of reinvention is staying ahead of disruptions—responding to it before it arrives rather than reacting in the moment. 

Ukraine’s Cyrillic alphabet is not the same as Russia’s. Nor is there anything specifically Russian about Cyrillic. But perceptions matter.

Kosovo’s young people are more than ready to take on the challenges of the future.

For locals, the increasing presence of digital nomads in many places across emerging Europe offers them a chance to engage in a global conversation without leaving their home city.

The beauty of reinvention lies in its continuity—there’s always another step, another opportunity to adapt, to grow, to become something new.

While the start-up world glorifies success and rapid growth, it’s crucial to acknowledge and discuss the hidden toll of burnout that often accompanies these achievements.