When sanctions on Iran were lifted, the country moved toward market liberalization. Now pressure on the Iranian Rial is undermining non-oil export sectors as they lose competitiveness both nationally and internationally. If Iran’s economy is to flourish, policy makers will need to embrace a new mix of fiscal, structural and monetary policies.
Microfinance is based on the idea that people can be lifted out of poverty through the help of microloans. It has become a key part of the global development strategy, as a bottom-up poverty alleviation tool. But despite its wide popularity, various studies have shown that its effects have generally been far from beneficial to the poor.
Two years after the downing of Malaysia Airline flight MH17 the geopolitical rammifications of this tragic event – and the EU’s heavy-handed retaliation – are stronger than ever. This article explores the rhetorical dimension of the EU-Russian confrontation over the Ukrainian crisis and questions the effectiveness of the EU’s sanctions-led response.