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Tag: politics

From political defeat to the Slovenian presidency: Borut Pahor’s spectacular comeback through the mastery of communication

The former Slovenian politician Borut Pahor’s political trajectory defied traditional expectations. His campaign to become the president of Slovenia after a loss in popularity relied on a skilful use of public engagement both in real life and on social media.

September 30, 2026 - Tunacan Tuna

Navigating the narrowing space for lawful dissent in Russia

When the Russian government moved to block Telegram this year, activists across the country attempted to organize protests against what many saw as the latest step in the Kremlin’s tightening grip on freedom of expression. Their efforts, and the authorities’ response, reveal how even limited forms of public dissent in Russia are increasingly treated as a threat while the shrinking digital space leaves civil society with fewer and fewer ways to organize.

June 23, 2026 - Veronica Snoj

Georgia’s government takes on the diaspora

Georgia’s ruling party argues that new restrictions on diaspora voting are meant to protect elections from foreign interference. In practice, however, the changes could make it nearly impossible for many Georgians living abroad to participate in future elections.

June 23, 2026 - Nino Chanadiri

A storm over Lithuania

In Lithuania the second half of 2025 was marked by mass protests, the likes of which the country had not seen in a long time. They were caused by a shift in the political landscape following the 2024 parliamentary elections, which resulted in a victory for the Social Democratic Party. From the very beginning, this situation stirred up strong emotions and deepened divisions within society.

June 23, 2026 - Nikodem Szczygłowski

The left bench in Hungary is empty

With a two-thirds majority, Péter Magyar and his Tisza party can push through almost any decision. The question is not whether the new authorities will be more democratic than Viktor Orbán – they clearly are – but whether they will restrain themselves over the long term.

June 23, 2026 - Gábor Harangozó

Georgia’s democracy is being quietly strangled

Georgia’s democratic decline has arrived quietly through procedural changes and repressive laws disguised as promoting transparency. Yet the cumulative effect is unmistakable: a former success story is being hijacked by an authoritarian regime systematically capturing its institutions. The question is no longer whether Georgia’s democracy is eroding, but whether that erosion has now become irreversible.

April 21, 2026 - George Melashvili

A stop off at the gambling hall on the way to school

In rural Romania, gambling rooms stand just steps away from schools, drawing in students long before lessons start. Despite legislation banning betting halls near educational institutions, lax enforcement and local habits mean minors still find easy access – a reflection of how gambling regulation often fails to reach beyond the country’s big cities.

December 7, 2025 - Raluca Cristea

Lessons from the Romanian experience in NATO and the EU

An interview with Rufin Zamfir, a Romanian political scientist. Interviewer: Liliia Shutiak

September 19, 2025 - Liliia Shutiak Rufin Zamfir

Inside Viktor Orbán’s worst political crisis yet

There is no sugar-coating it: after 15 years of unchecked power, Hungary’s Fidesz has plunged into its most severe political crisis yet. Worsening economic data, the rise of a far more potent opposition, and shifting international political trends have led to an unprecedented situation. For much of 2025, Fidesz has no longer been the strongest party. That position now belongs to the new challenger, Péter Magyar’s Tisza Party.

With parliamentary elections scheduled in Hungary for next year, it is now entirely possible, though still hard to believe, that the Viktor Orbán regime could come to an end. Yet the situation is far from simple. Orbán and his allies still possess overwhelming economic power and, crucially, continue to conduct precise polling on voter attitudes.

July 8, 2025 - Samu Czabán

Belarus after the war: at a crossroads

A possible truce in Russia’s war against Ukraine, resulting in what could be a frozen conflict, looks to be the best scenario for Alyaksandr Lukashenka. On the one hand, Russia would not completely shift away from its military focus, keeping a large army near the front line and preparing for possible future operations. On the other hand, a truce could help open the door to a partial lifting of western sanctions, many of which were imposed alongside Russia.

In late 2024, the potential return of Donald Trump was perceived by the Belarusian authorities as a window of opportunity for political bargaining with the West in the shadow of the start of possible peace talks over the Russo-Ukrainian War. In order to be as prepared as possible, the Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka held his electoral campaign six months before the end of his 2020 presidential term, right on the verge of the inauguration of the new US president.

July 8, 2025 - Pavlo Rad

Between law and loyalty: Milorad Dodik and the challenge to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s statehood

Bosnia and Herzegovina is facing a key challenge. Will it manage to preserve its constitutional order or will the political will of one man prevail over the state’s laws and international obligations? Milorad Dodik is not just a symptom of the problem, but its embodiment.

he political situation in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) is currently facing its deepest institutional and legal crisis since the end of the war. Deep divisions are present at all levels of government and are most evident in the political moves of Milorad Dodik, the president of Republika Srpska, the Serb-majority entity of BiH. Dodik has become a key political actor whose actions often cause divisions both within and outside of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

July 8, 2025 - Samir Comaga

A time for unconventional leaders: Croatian assistance to Ukraine

With its remarkable post-conflict transformation, Croatia may have something unique to offer Ukraine at this critical juncture for European security. The Croatian government is punching above its weight in terms of humanitarian assistance, but the country will need to overcome serious domestic rifts and manage the failures of its transition to become a true geopolitical leader.

The first months of Donald Trump’s second term as US president have already put Ukraine’s existence and Europe’s prevailing security architecture at great risk. Trump’s style of foreign policy, including his undermining of long-held alliances and major international institutions, is creating a vacuum that may have to be filled by leaders in unlikely places. Croatia has the potential to be one of those leaders if Prime Minister Andrej Plenković wins out in a domestic political battle that exposes deep-seeded deficiencies in Croatian democracy.

May 5, 2025 - Alexandra Karppi

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