Democracy Digest: Brussels Takes Hungary, Slovakia to Task
Elsewhere, Slovakia’s top court suspends part of amendment to the Criminal Code; Rubio to visit Slovakia then Hungary; Czech PM inclined to back ban on social media for under 15s;…
Balkans Seeing ‘Serious Stagnation’ in Tackling Corruption: Transparency International
As Transparency International releases its latest corruption perception index, the watchdog’s Lidija Prokic tells BIRN that anti-graft drives have faltered across the Western Balkans – in Serbia especially. KAYNAK: Balkan…
‘They Treat Us Like Mangy Dogs’: Slovak Roma Face Discrimination from Pregnancy to Childbirth
From delayed examinations and verbal abuse to segregated hospital rooms and lost financial support, Roma mothers in Slovakia describe a healthcare system that treats them as second-class patients. KAYNAK: Balkan…
Democracy Digest: Poland to Probe Possible Epstein Links to Russian Intelligence
Elsewhere, Hungary government pushes Budapest to brink of bankruptcy; reports suggest Czech PM’s conflicts of interest not quite resolved; Tusk makes Ukraine trip in show of Polish support; and Slovak…
BIRN Publishes 2026 Trends Report – ‘Populism in Central Europe: A Reprise’
This year's report examines five trends that will be driven by the populist revival in the region. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight
Democracy Digest: Slovak PM Denies Describing Trump as ‘Dangerous’
Elsewhere, Hungarian minister denies his remark about Roma cleaning toilets was racist; more objects enter Polish airspace from direction of Belarus; and Czech president leaks foreign minister’s ‘blackmail’ texts. KAYNAK:…
Trump Meeting Complicates Slovak PM’s ‘Sovereign’ Foreign Policy
Depending on whom you speak to, Robert Fico’s recent trip to Mar-a-Lago is consistent with the Slovak PM’s international stance or an incoherent and risky PR stunt with few positives.…
Democracy Digest: Orban Signs Up to Trump’s ‘Board of Peace’, Nawrocki prevaricates
Elsewhere, Slovak PM also gets sit-down with US president; Czech president and new government differ over military aircraft sale to Ukraine; and Tisza recruits ‘Kapitany’ of industry as its chief…
It’s Wishful Thinking by the EU That Benes Decrees Will Split Fico and Orban
Slovakia may have criminalised criticism of the Benes Decrees – under which Hungarian property is still being confiscated – yet it’s clear that ‘sovereigntist’ alliances matter more to the Hungarian…
Democracy Digest: Slovaks Bridle at ‘Hungarians Living in Felvidek’ Phrase
Elsewhere, Hungary sets general election date for April 12; new Czech government faces interminable vote of confidence; and Poland successfully repels largest cyberattack on energy infrastructure in years. KAYNAK: Balkan…