Impacts of Global Recession in Western Balkan Countries a Comparison with the EU New Member States

The current global crisis is systemic by being propagated in a banking, financial and economic crisis. It represents a negative external demand shock for Western Balkan Countries (WBC) with an impact on the banking and financial sector first (dice the third 2008 quarter) and then, since the first 2009 quarter on the real economy. The comparison with the crisis impacts for the EU New Member States reveals clearly that WBC were affected one quarter later due to specifics factors such as a less financial and trade integration with developed countries or a large informal sector. Finally, concerns about the financing of external deficits (trade and current account deficit) are arising due to the decline of remittances and Foreign Direct Investment inflows.