Opportunities and Risks of Ukraine for Socio-Economic Development, FDI and European Integration

Guest Lecture by Hannes Meissner at the University of Vienna

Managing Partner Hannes Meissner recently gave a guest lecture at the University of Vienna, addressing the questions of what development prospects Ukraine has in regards to socioeconomic development and EU integration and what opportunities and risks the country opens up for foreign direct investment. Major Western support for Ukraine in the form of possible EU membership and the high level of financial support for reconstruction raise hopes of a democratic Ukraine that guarantees maximum security to enterprises through a functioning rule of law, and whose economy is booming thanks to the inflow of external financial resources and investment. In this regard, the lecture discussed two important political risk categories that are major obstacles to this development perspective: state capture and geopolitical risks. The lecture concluded that it is unlikely that a peace agreement will be reached soon, that important reforms have recently been delayed under the conditions of war, and that the EU has only limited options in the current battle for geopolitical zones of influence. Details and arguments can be found in the slides.