GlobalSource Partners | Country Insights

Senator Flávio Bolsonaro finished ahead of President Lula in the first round of the presidential election. Flávio received 47.03% of the valid votes, compared with 45.16% for President Lula, a difference of just 1.85 percentage points. Campaigning for the runoff begins on Friday (Oct. 9) and will...

Fast politics, slow economy

TURKEY · Report · 04 Oct 2026

President Erdogan belatedly grasped that the fund scandal could cost him a large amount of votes, and decided to bite the bullet and compensate all victims to the tune of TL1 million, max. In the end, all holders of funds with the suspect assets managers will be compensated at the principal value...

Retail margin caps may be lifted quite soon

HUNGARY · In Brief · 04 Oct 2026 · 1 response

Two days ago, PM Magyar visited the economically less prosperous north-eastern region of Hungary, on the occasion that the newly established National Asset Recovery and Protection Agency (NVVH) previously took into custody a former economy minister of the Fidesz government in the 2010s, not long ...

GULF WEEKLY: Hormuz transits and East-West flows pick up, Saudi pre-budget statement, Qatar’s GDP contracts by -15%

GULF COUNTRIES · Report · 02 Oct 2026

A skimmable summary overlaid with our analysis and links. Headlines: * Ongoing Qatari mediation produced a new proposal but has not yet bridged the US-Iran differences. * Trump has ordered a third aircraft carrier to the region, adding to fears of a post-election escalation. * Oil and LNG Ho...

Globo canceled last night’s presidential debate, TSE Justice Estela Aranha barred the network from showing an empty podium for President Lula, and there was negative backlash surrounding the court decisions

BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 02 Oct 2026

After two court decisions interfered with Globo’s presidential debate, combined with Senator Flávio Bolsonaro’s (PL) decision to withdraw from the event, Globo canceled what was expected to be the decisive debate of the election campaign. Superior Electoral Court (TSE) Justice Estela Aranha barre...

Slide presentation - Colombia: Off to a rough start

COLOMBIA · Report · 02 Oct 2026

What are the fiscal challenges facing newly-elected President Abelardo de la Espriella? What are the expectations for Colombia's growth and how will they affect the fiscal situation? What might be the possible impact of a strong El Niño and how could this influence rates? What are the prospects f...

TOPIC OF THE WEEK: Gold-rich, shock-proof? Testing external buffers across the Caucasus and Central Asia

CAUCASUS / CENTRAL ASIA · Report · 02 Oct 2026

CCA countries have been breaking records in accumulating FX reserves. While Uzbekistan has mostly been on the radar screen given its very large stock of reserves, the rest of the countries have also been setting new highs in building up FX buffers, albeit for different reasons, ranging from remit...

Essential CIS Politics: September 16 - October 1, 2026

CIS POLITICS · Report · 01 Oct 2026

Key topics: -Ukraine retakes Lyman after months of attacks and blunts the northern threat to Slavyansk, while Russia tightens the ring around Dobropole, nibbles at the Kharkov and Sumy pockets, encircles Terovatoe, and opens a winter campaign against power plants, heating systems and the lines...

Economic statistics appeared unimpressive in August

RUSSIA ECONOMICS · In Brief · 01 Oct 2026

Recent monthly economic data from Rosstat suggests that the nation’s growth model, driven by steadily increasing government spending to meet specific needs, is nearing a tipping point that may require changes. The short-term indicator of economic activity - covering industry, agriculture, constru...

Today is the final day of the election campaign, the TSE formed a majority to remove a series of posts regarding Flávio and Our Lady of Aparecida, and today is the deadline for amendments to be submitted to two MPs

BRAZIL POLITICS · Report · 01 Oct 2026

Today is the final day of the election campaign. The main event will be the presidential debate broadcast by TV Globo beginning at 9:20 p.m local time. Flávio Bolsonaro (PL), Ronaldo Caiado (PSD), Augusto Cury (Avante), and Romeu Zema (Novo) have confirmed their participation, but President Lula ...

Russia: a brief market watch

RUSSIA ECONOMICS · In Brief · 01 Oct 2026

In the second half of September, the big news for the local market was the release of the 2027 budget parameters and an updated version of the 2026 budget, submitted to Parliament at the month’s end. Minfin proposed lowering the cut-off oil price for the fiscal rule from $59/bbl to $50. While thi...

Czechia in eight questions

CZECHIA · Report · 01 Oct 2026

This is the first report in our Czechia coverage. It runs longer than our usual reports by design, setting out the questions investors most often ask about the country's economy and politics. Three things are in play as we begin. The Senate and municipal elections of October 9 and 10 give the fir...

BCRD Raises Monetary Policy Rate

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC · In Brief · 30 Sep 2026

On September 30, the Central Bank of the Dominican Republic (BCRD) decided to raise its monetary policy rate by 25 basis points, from 5.25% to 5.50% per year. It also increased the one-day liquidity expansion facility rate to 6.00% and the overnight deposit rate to 4.75%. The Central Bank said it...

Open to close: Interministerial Commission opens the door to a negotiated restart of Cobre Panamá while key aspects remain uncertain

PANAMA · Report · 30 Sep 2026

Panama's Interministerial Commission has recommended that President José Raúl Mulino authorize formal negotiations with Cobre Panamá and its parent company, First Quantum Minerals (FQM), to assess the feasibility of a new agreement. That agreement would serve two purposes: settling the pending in...

Legitimacy abroad, impatience at home

VENEZUELA · Report · 30 Sep 2026

The UN General Assembly was the stage where Delcy Rodríguez introduced the world to her alliance with the Trump administration and, above all, to her first political manifesto. In language free of ideological markers, Rodríguez outlined a transition “from within,” led through existing institution...