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Recovering Moldovan identity through literature

Contemporary Moldovan novels offer fresh perspectives on how linguistic, social and ethnic identities are formed in the shadow of the Soviet past. Written in tones that range from tragic to ironic, they recreate the atmosphere of Soviet Moldova with striking honesty, exposing the depth of the identity crisis it produced. Taken together, these works become acts of memory and recovery, reaching far beyond the boundaries of fiction.

December 8, 2025 - Oxana Gherman

Lithuania’s memory of communism

The opening of Grūtas Park, an open-air museum with statues from the Soviet era, in 2001 provoked considerable public debate, with leading politicians expressing both strong support and firm opposition. The arguments on both sides revealed a deeper societal divide over how to evaluate – and what to do with – the heritage of communism.

December 8, 2025 - Paweł Plichta

Russia’s religion of victory

In Russia, the May 9th Victory Day celebration has become a disciplinary date. It enforces participation in the cult and delineates the boundaries of loyalty to the state. Outside, the myth of Soviet victory of fascism has become one of the central instruments of Russian foreign policy.

December 8, 2025 - Bartłomiej Brążkiewicz

Shifting ground in Russia–Azerbaijan relations

The tensions between Moscow and Baku seemed to thaw in Dushanbe this past October, as Vladimir Putin and Ilham Aliyev met for the first time since the catastrophic downing of an Azerbaijani passenger jet last year. In a rare gesture, Putin offered a guarded apology – a move seen as an attempt to halt months of escalating hostility. Yet, beneath the optics of reconciliation, the meeting revealed the limits of the two leaders’ once pragmatic relationship.

December 8, 2025 - Murad Muradov

Capitulation is not peace: Europe’s strategic failure and the coming collapse of deterrence

The recently announced peace plan drawn up by the US and Russia speaks volumes about the level of support for Ukraine. While Europe has talked a good game when it comes to military supplies, it has not maximized these efforts. Real action is needed now in order to ensure Kyiv’s independence.

November 26, 2025 - Joshua Kroeker

Serbia: “The government’s “expecting violence” rhetoric is a clear warning sign… that they’re preparing to create it.”

An interview with Jovana Spremo, Advocacy Director at the Lawyers’ Committee for Human Rights (YUCOM). Interviewer: The Human Rights House Foundation.

November 21, 2025 - Jovana Spremo The Human Rights House Foundation

There is still time to pressure Georgian authorities

The Georgian Dream government is still sensitive to international pressure. It is still acting as though international legitimacy is important and responding to international monitoring and reporting. But this window will close and the international community will lose some of its leverage. This is the moment to apply maximal pressure.

October 2, 2025 - Dave Elseroad

Testing NATO’s Limits?

There is little reason to believe that Russia is planning a large-scale war against Berlin, Amsterdam and Paris. However, Russia needs far less to achieve its goals.

October 1, 2025 - Joshua Kroeker

Resistance, resilience, recovery: Ukraine’s civil society in wartime

Since gaining independence in 1991, Ukraine’s civil society has grown into one of the most vibrant and resilient in the region, playing a central role in shaping the country’s democratic path and pro-European identity. Throughout this time, citizens have mobilized in defence of human rights, sovereignty and political accountability. This civic strength became essential in responding to Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 and this is still true today.

September 27, 2025 - Liza Bezvershenko

Georgian civil society forced into survival mode

After decades of striving for independence and democratic reform, Georgia is now facing a reversal towards authoritarianism. The ruling Georgian Dream party, mimicking the Kremlin, initiated controversial laws in an accelerated manner to legalize its repressions over independent voices of society. The elimination of independent media outlets, grassroots movements, non-governmental organizations, professional unions, and activists has now become the priority for the Russian-backed government.

September 27, 2025 - Nino Lezhava

Can Belarusian civil society survive and even pose a threat to the dictatorship?

Since August 2020, Belarusian civil society has been experiencing a crackdown from the Alyaksandr Lukashenka regime that has been unprecedented in the 21st century. After widespread peaceful protests, the authorities launched a systematic extermination of all civil initiatives and NGOs without taking into consideration their political involvement. However, this did not prevent Belarusian civil society from not only existing, but developing in various forms, sometimes in ways completely surprising.

September 27, 2025 - Zmicier Mickievič

Democracy in Moldova: can civil society deliver?

Moldova is still navigating a complex path towards democratization, shaped by political instability, economic hardship, and institutional fragility. In this process, the Moldovan civil society plays a significant role, though its influence has often been limited by a combination of internal barriers, such as corruption, weak democratic institutions, overdependence on international funding, and fragility to external threats.

September 27, 2025 - Alexandru Fordea

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