Articles

An entrepreneurial state is one that is law-abiding, free and open. Not one that makes its presence felt in every sphere of life. Ignorance, archaic worldview conservatism, combined with years of legislative neglect by Polish politicians in the economy have made us an unpredictable business partner. Nevertheless, the upcoming elections are about more than just the economy – writes Jerzy Czubak, a Polish entrepreneur who has lived in Switzerland for more than 20 years.

Transnational repression, as defined by a Freedom House report, describes how authoritarian states reach across national borders to silence dissent and critical voices among diaspora and exile communities. It is essentially an assortment of methods that a state can use to subdue its own citizens living outside of its territory. Freedom House first drew attention to this phenomenon in their 2021 report, \"Out of Sight, Not Out of Reach.\"

Academic freedom is the cornerstone of a thriving educational environment, providing researchers, teachers, and students with the independence to pursue knowledge and engage in intellectual discourse without fear of censorship or political interference. It nurtures an atmosphere that promotes the unfettered exchange of ideas, challenges existing beliefs, and encourages the pursuit of truth.

On Friday, May 26, in the Sejm there was the passing and the signing of a bill to establish a commission on Russian influence by Andrzej Duda. This development marks a concerning step towards the establishment of an undemocratic state in Poland, where the principles of the rule of law are disregarded. The Commission, lacking any appeal standards, provides a platform for politicians from one party to potentially eliminate their opposition counterparts from the political arena.

In this episode, we talk about the biggest street protest in the history of Poland, what factors shape the parliamentary campaign in Poland, and what will be the outcome of the forthcoming elections.

For states and state economies to function properly in face of ageing European societies, it is crucial to develop a social system and an economic structure that can keep pace with – or even positively influence – demographic trends. Emigration, brain drain, depopulation, labor shortages, or ageing are all effects to which the countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) must find appropriate responses.

We are slowly but surely approaching the mark of a year and a half since Russia launched the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. During this time the necessity to track direct and indirect damage caused by it has become both a priority and an enormous challenge for numerous Ukrainian and international organizations. One thing is already clear - we will be doing the math long after the war is over.

You might be familiar with a popular phrase often used jokingly «The patient is more dead than alive». However, when used as an economic diagnosis for Ukraine, it is no laughing matter. Today\'s destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant (HPP) is making an already very tough situation a lot worse for a number of reasons.

Under the pretext of investigating the Russia\'s influence in Poland, the newly formed polish parliamentary commission has been granted the authority to silence the opposition and impose a ban on individuals holding public positions for up to 10 years. In the light of the upcoming fall parliamentary elections, this tool strikes at those seeking to run in the elections or get appointed.

In this episode, we talk about how much the history of fascism weighs on current Italian politics, what is the future of democracy in Israel, and how the Middle East is changing due to the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia under Chinese auspices.