Slovakia in 2026: A Year of Further Polarisation
Though not an election year, the country's prime minister warned in his New Year address that political divisions would become “even more visible” in 2026. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight
Democracy Digest: Fico Criticizes US While Orban Dissembles
Elsewhere, Mercedes to move entire A-Klasse manufacturing from Germany to Hungary; Slovak far-right agitator Bombic to face trial; Poland gets serious about prosecuting hate crimes; and ammo initiative for Ukraine…
Democracy Digest: EU Summit Agrees €90 Billion Loan to Ukraine Without Central Europe
Elsewhere, tensions in Slovak-Hungarian relations rise over Benes Decrees; Slovakia’s top court declares two pieces of coalition legislation unconstitutional; Polish president to meet Ukrainian counterpart in Warsaw on Friday; and…
The US’s Hostility to Europe Threatens to Sell Out Ukraine and its Eastern Flank
Trump’s ‘peace plan’ for Ukraine and the National Security Strategy treat European sovereignty with similar double standards. KAYNAK: Balkan Insight
Democracy Digest: Babis Appointed Czech PM But Fate of Motorists’ Turek Unclear
Elsewhere, legislative chaos as Slovak government rams through laws and president wields veto; yet another scandal in Hungary exposes government’s hollow ‘child-friendly’ narrative; and Poland invited to become first in…
Democracy Digest: Polish President Cancels Meeting with Orban at V4
Elsewhere, Slovak culture minister gets court injunction to stop former National Theatre director making any public statements about her; Czech president to appoint Babis PM on Tuesday; and Polish PM…
New Czech Government to Follow CEE Trend of Targeting NGOs
The difficult operating environment for NGOs in the region is about to get worse as Czechia under Andrej Babis’s populist coalition looks set to join Hungary, Slovakia and Serbia in…