Central and Eastern Europe needs reforms to counter demographic pressures and competition from Chinese exports, IMF regional representative Carlos Mulas-Granados said Tuesday.
Speaking at a Budapest conference, he put the region’s medium-term growth outlook at about 2.5%, compared with roughly 5% before EU accession, warning that catching up with Western Europe would take longer.
He called for trade diversification, greater workforce participation and faster adoption of artificial intelligence. Energy, climate and defence investment could provide new growth opportunities, he added, alongside the EU’s next budget.
