When it comes business continuity, today’s geo-political dynamics are keeping things interesting. In this context, recent elections have the potential to change customer management in the European and American nearshores. With voters expressing a will for change in crucial delivery markets, this may provide outsourcers and their clients with re-emerging alternatives; in others, it could limit them.
Any discussion around business continuity should come with an assessment of where risk tolerance sits among CX leaders, and it appears to be at a minimum. This was encapsulated in the 2026 CX Technology and Global Services Survey, recently published by Ryan Strategic Advisory. This report, which sounded the views of 815 enterprise customer management leaders across 12 different demand markets at the end of Q1 shows that decision-makers place a premium on offshore stability.
In fact, when asked which factors are most important when choosing an offshore location, political stability ranked second out of nearly two-dozen choices. This was followed closely by a destination’s economic stability and the presence of governments that are inherently pro-business in nature. In this light, recent elections in Europe and Latin America have the potential to shift the proverbial goalposts when it comes to captive operator nearshore preferences.
Hungary’s election in April is making many CX leaders in Europe take notice. In previous years, Hungary had been seen as a high quality, high value destination for managing European multilingual delivery, but more recently the country has fallen off the BPO map. This is understandable due to the previous administration’s rapprochement with Russia, its promotion of discriminatory social policies and backsliding on democratic transparency.
Amid these setbacks, there was a noted slowdown in anecdotal discussions around Hungary as a feasible location for hosting nearshore contact center delivery. And, while this has helped drive more CX investment toward neighboring destinations such as Poland, Romania and Albania, the recent swearing-in of Hungary’s new Prime Minister, who is perceived to be more inclusive and pro-EU in nature, may lead BPOs and their clients to give his country a second look. It is notable that in the CX Technology and Global Services Survey, enterprise customer management leaders in Germany and Italy especially hold Hungary in high regard, so rebuilding a dynamic nearshore CX delivery sector in the country could occur relatively swiftly.
However, when shifting focus to Colombia’s first-round of presidential voting that took place at the end of May, the situation is less rosy. When the ballots were tallied, the second round’s choices are unlikely to appeal to many investors, given that it will be a race between candidates from the far left and hard right (who combined for over 80% of total votes cast). Many CX executives had been eagerly waiting for a change in policy direction following the term of Gustavo Petro, who was widely perceived to be anti-business. Given the options in the run-off, slated to take place June 21st, CX leaders currently in Colombia, or who are considering this location will be watching closely – but more importantly, planning contingencies accordingly.
For those in Colombia’s CX ecosystem, these developments are very concerning. The South American nearshore powerhouse has served as an anchor destination for US enterprises eager to leverage its proximity, multi-city delivery platform, and reputation for customer service quality. It is also worth noting that Colombia is the most favored offshore destination for captive operators in Spain. Up until Petro’s time in office, it was seen to be a destination that was oriented toward centrist, commercially-friendly policies. That said, for the sake of risk management, many CX services players may decide that, in face of one extreme or another in round two, the time has come to explore alternative delivery points in LATAM.
More broadly, the political dynamics in Europe and South America underscore how quickly the game can change when it comes to business continuity. Savvy outsourcing leaders need to constantly keep their eyes peeled for developments (including elections) that can adversely impact their ability to seamlessly ensure smooth interactions. Clients are being clear that location strategies in 2026 need to include destinations that are business friendly and stable. Ignoring macro-level realities in offshore delivery locales can either mean missing out on emerging CX delivery opportunities, or being overexposed to difficult circumstances that could have been avoided.
Recent Elections Could Reshape Nearshore CX
By Ryan Strategic Advisory
When it comes business continuity, today’s geo-political dynamics are keeping things interesting. In this context, recent elections have the potential to change customer management in the European and American nearshores. With voters expressing a will for change in crucial delivery markets, this may provide outsourcers and their clients with re-emerging alternatives; in others, it could limit them.
Any discussion around business continuity should come with an assessment of where risk tolerance sits among CX leaders, and it appears to be at a minimum. This was encapsulated in the 2026 CX Technology and Global Services Survey, recently published by Ryan Strategic Advisory. This report, which sounded the views of 815 enterprise customer management leaders across 12 different demand markets at the end of Q1 shows that decision-makers place a premium on offshore stability.
In fact, when asked which factors are most important when choosing an offshore location, political stability ranked second out of nearly two-dozen choices. This was followed closely by a destination’s economic stability and the presence of governments that are inherently pro-business in nature. In this light, recent elections in Europe and Latin America have the potential to shift the proverbial goalposts when it comes to captive operator nearshore preferences.
Hungary’s election in April is making many CX leaders in Europe take notice. In previous years, Hungary had been seen as a high quality, high value destination for managing European multilingual delivery, but more recently the country has fallen off the BPO map. This is understandable due to the previous administration’s rapprochement with Russia, its promotion of discriminatory social policies and backsliding on democratic transparency.
Amid these setbacks, there was a noted slowdown in anecdotal discussions around Hungary as a feasible location for hosting nearshore contact center delivery. And, while this has helped drive more CX investment toward neighboring destinations such as Poland, Romania and Albania, the recent swearing-in of Hungary’s new Prime Minister, who is perceived to be more inclusive and pro-EU in nature, may lead BPOs and their clients to give his country a second look. It is notable that in the CX Technology and Global Services Survey, enterprise customer management leaders in Germany and Italy especially hold Hungary in high regard, so rebuilding a dynamic nearshore CX delivery sector in the country could occur relatively swiftly.
However, when shifting focus to Colombia’s first-round of presidential voting that took place at the end of May, the situation is less rosy. When the ballots were tallied, the second round’s choices are unlikely to appeal to many investors, given that it will be a race between candidates from the far left and hard right (who combined for over 80% of total votes cast). Many CX executives had been eagerly waiting for a change in policy direction following the term of Gustavo Petro, who was widely perceived to be anti-business. Given the options in the run-off, slated to take place June 21st, CX leaders currently in Colombia, or who are considering this location will be watching closely – but more importantly, planning contingencies accordingly.
For those in Colombia’s CX ecosystem, these developments are very concerning. The South American nearshore powerhouse has served as an anchor destination for US enterprises eager to leverage its proximity, multi-city delivery platform, and reputation for customer service quality. It is also worth noting that Colombia is the most favored offshore destination for captive operators in Spain. Up until Petro’s time in office, it was seen to be a destination that was oriented toward centrist, commercially-friendly policies. That said, for the sake of risk management, many CX services players may decide that, in face of one extreme or another in round two, the time has come to explore alternative delivery points in LATAM.
More broadly, the political dynamics in Europe and South America underscore how quickly the game can change when it comes to business continuity. Savvy outsourcing leaders need to constantly keep their eyes peeled for developments (including elections) that can adversely impact their ability to seamlessly ensure smooth interactions. Clients are being clear that location strategies in 2026 need to include destinations that are business friendly and stable. Ignoring macro-level realities in offshore delivery locales can either mean missing out on emerging CX delivery opportunities, or being overexposed to difficult circumstances that could have been avoided.