Politics

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.

According to the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) in the case of Bosev v. Bulgaria the inclusion of rules for judicial recusal and withdrawals in national legislation reflects the legislator’s care “to eliminate any legitimate doubt as to the impartiality of a judge or court and represents an attempt to ensure impartiality by removing the causes of concern in this area”.

On June 12, 1967, Chief Justice Earl Warren famously declared \"Under our Constitution, the freedom to marry, or not marry, a person of another race resides with the individual, and cannot be infringed by the State,\" a pivotal statement that, 58 years ago today, forever changed American lives. The Supreme Court case of Loving v. Virginia sought to challenge the Racial Integrity Act of 1924, a law that legalized segregation and the mistreatment of African Americans.

Nowadays, Polish Democrats must learn how to navigate the increasingly complicated reality of geopolitics and juggle competing priorities. In this context, however, the United States of America should be kept as a crucial associate as long as possible. The global balance of power and a realistic assessment of future trends make this strategy essential for Polish democracy.

What is the role of human rights advocacy in a full-scale Russian war in Ukraine? What part do Europeans play in this struggle? And how to fight the growing sense of indifference? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Oleksandra Matviichuk, a human rights defender who works on issues in Ukraine and the OSCE region. She heads the human rights organization Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the 2022 Nobel Peace Prize.

In February 2024, Hungarian public life, previously marked by apathy, underwent a dramatic shift. A political scandal that reached the highest levels of government awakened Hungarian society. This rapid change reshaped Hungary\'s political landscape within a few months and significantly shifted voter preferences. The party system was not spared from this rapid transformation either, and it can be clearly illustrated through Sartori’s party typology.

The rapid development of artificial intelligence technologies creates both unprecedented opportunities for progress and significant risks to fundamental human rights, security, and privacy. This necessitates the development of balanced regulatory frameworks that would ensure the safe use of AI.

Could the AFD party come to power in Germany? What would it mean for the German democracy and Europe? Why is the current historical narrative of the Bundesrepublik becoming useless? And what will be the identity of Germany in the future? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Klaus Bachmann, Professor of Political Science at the University of Social Sciences and Humanities (SWPS) in Warsaw, Poland.

Argentinian President Javier Milei filed lawsuits this month for defamation against three journalists, reports the Buenos Aires Herald. \"The journalists targeted are columnists Ari Lijalad and Carlos Pagni, as well as TV host Viviana Canosa. Canosa was a staunch Milei supporter until two years ago,\" says the newspaper reports.

EU antitrust regulations hinder innovation, which is the most effective way of fighting monopolies and strengthening the EU as a global power. That is ironic since the nominal purpose of those antitrust rules is to fight monopolies, not to empower them. The European Union needs to pivot its approach to businesses to be competitive globally, maybe even to fill the growing void left by the U.S.