GlobalSource Partners | Country Insights

Between Monday and Tuesday, three opinion polls were released. The Nexus/BTG, Apex/Futura, and CNT/MDA polls converge on one central point: the presidential election remains polarized between Lula and Flávio Bolsonaro, with both holding a wide lead over the other candidates. Today, the Lower Hous...

Peace Process: A Happy Ending of Sorts

TURKEY · In Brief · 11 Aug 2026

Global Source Partners TURKEY has publicly declared a recess for the month of August, but the Turkish parliament stubbornly denies this fundamental right. Instead, after sitting on its fat derriere for most of the winter/spring session, it passed a very useful piece of legislation before ITS rece...

High-tech employment remains stable, but AI is changing hiring patterns

ISRAEL · In Brief · 11 Aug 2026

In recent months, the debate regarding the impact of AI on the labor market has intensified. This has been driven by a growing number of announcements from technology companies about layoffs and efficiency measures. Against this backdrop, a recent survey by the Israel Innovation Authority and Zvi...

GDP slowdown: disappointing but expected

PHILIPPINES · Report · 11 Aug 2026

The Philippines’ second quarter 2026 real GDP is deeply disappointing, but hardly surprising. The slowdown reflects not only external shocks such as the Middle East conflict and higher energy prices, but also weakening domestic fundamentals. Household consumption has lost momentum as inflation c...

Congress begins a week of concentrated legislative activity, Lula may meet with Senate President Alcolumbre to discuss Senate priorities, and House President Motta has announced his support for Lula in the elections

BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 11 Aug 2026

Today, the Lower House and the Senate begin a week of concentrated legislative activity. The voting agenda has yet to be finalized. This morning, Institutional Relations Minister José Guimarães and government leaders in Congress will have breakfast with Finance Minister Dario Durigan in an effort...

Mecca Pact: Face-saver or game-changer?

TURKEY · In Brief · 10 Aug 2026

First, my apologies for posting this Market Brief at this Godawful hour, but my humble dwelling in Istanbul turned into a mini-heat sink frying my brains during the day. The heat wave is a nice segway to jump to the Holy City of Mecca, Saudi Arabia, which is also suffering from it and has recentl...

Weekly report, August 10, 2026: Israel's election campaign heats up; the budget "miracle" continues

ISRAEL · Report · 10 Aug 2026

Key points: Israel's election campaign is advancing ahead of the October 27 election. The latest polls continue to show a highly divided political map. The current coalition, led by Likud together with the ultra-Orthodox and right-wing parties, has around 50 seats. The opposition has around 59...

Lula's strategy pays off and other weekly topics

BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 10 Aug 2026

The National Congress holds its first concentrated legislative session ahead of the elections. Political parties have until August 15 to register their candidates with the Electoral Court. Electoral campaigning begins the following day. Seven polls on presidential voting intentions and the federa...

Contradictory signals

BRAZIL ECONOMICS · Report · 10 Aug 2026

Real wage decline in the second quarter comes in the context of an unemployment rate still near historical lows. This behavior of real income was not driven solely by inflation, which did in fact accelerate in the second quarter, but rather by a sharp slowdown in nominal wages. However, with a ti...

Congress will hold a week of concentrated activity this week, House Speaker Motta will meet with party leaders tomorrow to discuss the agenda, and parties have until Sunday to register their candidates

BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 10 Aug 2026

This will be a week of concentrated legislative activity in the Lower House and the Senate. Due to the elections, both chambers have decided to hold only two weeks of congressional activity before the first round, scheduled for October 4. House Speaker Hugo Motta (Republicanos-PB) will meet with ...

Politics: Freedom of expression is at risk under a new initiative

MEXICO · Report · 10 Aug 2026

Mexico's government is advancing Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (CRT) guidelines meant to regulate audience rights under Articles 6 and 7 of the Constitution and the 2025 Telecommunications Law, but the initiative has triggered sharp controversy. Critics argue the rules concentrate exce...

Truly impressive: massive budget surplus reported for July

HUNGARY · In Brief · 10 Aug 2026

Well, this is quite brutal: the Finance Ministry reported a preliminary HUF523bn cash surplus for the central budget for July, bringing the cumulative seven-month deficit down to HUF2858bn or an annualised 5.4% of GDP: Indeed, the central budget had surpluses in each of the three months since Tis...

Economics: Mexico's public finances, Pemex and the CFE face mounting risks

MEXICO · Report · 10 Aug 2026

The first half of 2026 reveals a fiscal fragility that the federal government has tried to ignore, and even to portray as evidence that public finances are strengthening. The fiscal deficit barely narrowed, while the primary balance collapsed—evidence that a growing share of debt is being contrac...

Lowest inflation for the last ten years, and its policy consequences

HUNGARY · In Brief · 08 Aug 2026

The headline rate of CPI-inflation fell to 1.2% yoy in July, from 1.7% yoy in June, the lowest figure seen since November 2016. This was a great surprise, analysts expected 1.5% yoy. Core inflation decreased by less, to 1.9% yoy from the previous month's 2% yoy, but non-fuel inflation was also do...

NBU Inflation Report: a new narrative — weapons production as the growth story

UKRAINE · In Brief · 07 Aug 2026

The NBU has released a new Inflation Report, which marks a significant shift in tone compared to what we've seen from the central bank previously. The first point relates to the worsened inflation outlook already flagged in the NBU's communications following the Board's decision on the key policy...