We are a platform for experts and intellectuals from Central and Eastern Europe, embodying the liberal environment, to share their opinions and ideas.

The Minister of Education has announced his intention to introduce compulsory pre-school education for children aged three in Slovakia. The Ministry has published only one press release to defend this blanket and mandatory measure. It contains a number of inaccurate claims that do not stand up to critical debate. In this text, I will describe three reasons why the proposed expansion of compulsory school attendance is the wrong public policy.

The answer is Solomonic – we should be asking a different question. Most people have a correct, rough idea that healthcare is not free and that someone, somewhere, somehow pays for it. Some people are even aware of health insurance contributions, and the most knowledgeable among them even know how much these contributions are in relation to their salary.

Slovakia’s response to the tariff threat? The Prime Minister and the Minister of Economy have begun saying they want to redirect EU funds to help companies affected by US tariffs. We do not yet know exactly what this crisis will look like—but we already know the solution: European money. Journalists are asking us whether this is a good or a bad decision. You might be surprised, but I do not have an answer.

What are the main Iranian actors and their options in the conflict with Israel? Are negotiations possible? What is the legitimacy of the regime and the potential for change from within the Iranian society? And can Eastern Europe serve as an inspiration for the Iranian reformists? Leszek Jazdzewski talks with Dr. Walter Posch, a trained orientalist who works as a Middle East expert at the Institute for Peacekeeping and Conflict Management at the National Defense Academy in Vienna.

There is a great transportation divide between Western and Eastern Europe. The latter is slow to catch up to the growing high-speed train network of wealthier countries, hindering cohesion efforts. Trains revolutionized the transportation of people and goods, significantly reducing travel time and costs.