Lazard, celebrating its 175th anniversary, has evolved significantly since its inception in New Orleans. Currently, it is navigating a period of transition amid changing global financial markets. Nick Fowler, a managing director at Lazard, plays a key role in the company's equity advisory team, offering a range of advisory services including IPOs and capital-raising activities.

MUFG's capital markets team, led by co-heads Fabianna Del Canto and Antoine Baudron, is experiencing a strong start to 2023, benefiting from groundwork laid in the previous year. The team oversees a range of products and has a significant presence in London, with operations for EU clients executed through the Paris branch. They have been involved in key transactions, such as a €1bn green hybrid bond issue by Iberdrola and a €600m hybrid bond by Eurofins Scientific. MUFG is focusing on growing its hybrid business and sees opportunities in project finance, particularly in renewables and digital infrastructure. The co-heads are optimistic about the recovery of capital markets and MUFG's prospects in the EMEA region.

Jiri Rusnok, governor of the Czech National Bank, discusses the Czech banking sector's strong performance despite the Covid-19 crisis, with high capital adequacy and solid profits. The CNB, known for its focus on price stability, is preparing for interest rate hikes to manage inflation. Rusnok also addresses the political nature of Czech Republic's potential eurozone membership, stating the CNB's technical readiness but political neutrality. He anticipates no specific challenges for Czech banks with the implementation of the full Basel framework and notes the push for technological development in the banking sector.

Cyprus has faced numerous challenges over the past decades, including the 1974 Turkish invasion and the 2013 banking crisis. The country is now confronting the economic fallout from the global coronavirus pandemic, with projections suggesting a contraction between 3.5% and 9.2% in 2020. The tourism sector, a significant contributor to GDP, is expected to be particularly affected. Despite this, Cyprus has demonstrated resilience and fiscal prudence, having recovered robustly from the 2013 financial crash. The government has implemented a job-retention program and is planning to raise funds through international bond markets and domestic Treasury bills to support the economy. Cyprus's sovereign credit rating has been upgraded due to fiscal discipline, but the country still faces challenges such as a high public debt and a banking sector with a significant ratio of non-performing loans. The Aphrodite gas field's potential economic benefits are also uncertain due to plummeting oil and gas prices and geopolitical tensions.

Albin Kurti, Kosovo's newly installed prime minister, asserts that the country is poised for change and ready to turn a new page. He acknowledges the challenges of overcoming the past while building the future in the Balkans. Kurti, once nicknamed 'Kosovo's Che Guevara' for his role in student protests, now faces the task of leading Kosovo's push for international recognition, managing relations with Serbia, and tackling domestic issues such as corruption, poverty, and weak public services.

Blatina wine, despite its 'muddy' reputation, is appreciated for its unique taste and is a traditional pairing with cevapi, a local meatball dish in the Balkans. The wine's future is uncertain due to vineyard changes. Mostar, still divided after the 1992-95 war, reacts to the suicide of Slobodan Praljak, a Croat convicted of war crimes, with mixed feelings of injustice and heroism. The author reflects on the complexity of the region's history and expresses a desire to cover stories beyond the war.

Ivan Glavchev, a Bulgarian rapper known as Vanko 1, left Bulgaria’s Celebrity Big Brother after protests from women’s rights campaigners. Glavchev, who was convicted in 2003 for trafficking women and a child into prostitution, had his appearance on the show criticized by viewers and the group Ne Si Sama. Modern Times Group, owner of Nova TV which airs the show, stated they would revise contestant selection criteria. Glavchev's early release from a 12-year sentence to three years due to penal code amendments has been linked to judicial corruption. The controversy highlights issues with media standards in Bulgaria and the country's status as a primary source of human trafficking in the EU.

A US-supported proposal for a land-swap between Kosovo and Serbia is facing criticism from various parties, including Kosovo's president Hashim Thaçi and Serbia's president Aleksandar Vučić, who have discussed the possibility as part of a broader settlement. The plan, which could involve exchanging ethnically concentrated territories, has received a tentative nod from the US, with John Bolton indicating no opposition. However, it has sparked concerns about regional stability and opposition from figures such as Kosovo's prime minister Ramush Haradinaj and Germany's chancellor Angela Merkel. The potential for a deal also raises questions about Russia's position, with its support contingent on the interests of the Serb people.

Kosovo celebrates its 10th independence anniversary amid pride and enthusiasm, with events and international guests like Rita Ora. Despite the festive mood, Kosovo faces challenges such as migration, unemployment, corruption, and international recognition. Kosovo's accomplishments include institutional development and recognition by 115 countries. The EU and US's role in Kosovo's stability is significant, but the country's future in international politics remains uncertain, with Serbia not recognizing its independence and Kosovo not being a UN member. Discussions about Kosovo's territorial integrity continue, with fears that changes could lead to conflict in the Balkans.

Romania's privatisation efforts have faced political and economic challenges since the fall of communism. The Social Democratic party proposed a moratorium on privatisations, but it's unclear if it's a serious proposal or for public consumption. Successful privatisations include Sidex steel mill, Petrom, and BCR. The Bucharest Stock Exchange facilitated a second wave of privatisations through IPOs. The government plans to create a sovereign wealth fund to finance infrastructure investments, with Hidroelectrica's IPO being a potential future listing. However, the quality of remaining state enterprises and political instability are challenges to the privatisation process. Investors are watching for the government's actions regarding the Sovereign Development Fund and the privatisation of companies like Hidroelectrica.

The Balkans are facing renewed tensions with questions over borders, ethnic strife, and potential land swaps, posing a potential foreign policy challenge for U.S. President Donald Trump. The region, still grappling with the aftermath of the Yugoslav wars, is witnessing a Serbian train incident escalating tensions in Kosovo, political instability in Bosnia, alleged Russian involvement in a Montenegrin coup attempt, and ethnic Albanian unrest in Macedonia. The EU's waning interest in expansion and the unclear stance of the Trump administration further complicate the situation. Despite nationalist posturing, there is little desire for conflict among the populace, who feel powerless against larger geopolitical forces. Diplomats downplay the likelihood of conflict but acknowledge the risks of political manipulation. Discussions of land swaps, particularly involving North Mitrovica and the Preševo valley, have resurfaced, though local leaders like Preševo's mayor Shqiprim Arifi reject border changes, emphasizing the need for regional cooperation within the EU framework.

Montenegro's Prime Minister Milo Djukanovic has resigned from his position, a move that is anticipated to bolster Montenegro's prospects of joining the European Union. Djukanovic has been a dominant political figure in Montenegro for the last 25 years and oversaw the country's peaceful split from Serbia in 2006. However, he has faced allegations of fostering corruption and organized crime. His party, the Democratic Party of Socialists, won the most recent election but needs to form a coalition to govern. The resignation comes after the arrest of 20 Serbs on election day for allegedly planning an attack on the government, which Djukanovic states is unrelated to his resignation.

The Serbian Progressive Party, led by Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic, is poised for a significant victory in Serbia's snap election, securing 49 percent of the vote with 82 percent of ballots counted. The Socialist Party of Serbia is expected to win 11 percent, while a pro-Russian party led by Vojislav Seselj, recently acquitted of war crimes, is set to enter Parliament with 8 percent. The election, which had a 55 percent voter turnout, was called by President Tomislav Nikolic after Vucic sought a new mandate to advance his economic agenda aimed at EU membership, amidst concerns of voting irregularities by the opposition.