The new Central Europe

Central Europe has become one of the great success stories of the post-1989 transformation. Yet economic convergence, EU membership and growing prosperity have not shielded the region from political fragmentation, social disillusionment and democratic backsliding. Today, the question is no longer whether Central Europe belongs to the European mainstream, but what role it wants to play in shaping Europe’s increasingly uncertain future.

September 11, 2026 - Pavel Havlíček