government

In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Leszek Jażdżewski (Fundacja Liberté!) talks about Polish upcoming parliamentary elections, EU funds and the rule of law, and how to deal with populists.

The Polish government, criticized for violating the rule of law, often refers to a sense of limited \'sovereignty\', which, according to the opposition and some commentators, may in the future lead to a so-called Polexit.

The period of instability in 2021 could easily be redefined as stretching up to 2022, given that the cabinet of Kiril Petkov lasted twice as short as that of Plamen Oresharski. The most recent elections show that the political crisis in Bulgaria is far from over.

It is good to think about the situation now, what could have changed during the brief life of the 47th National Assembly, and what is laid out by the current caretaker government in Bulgaria.

There are private solutions, for healthcare, schools, and transport. They are popular or at least coveted. Yet, there is a catch. The state always lurks beneath the surface. Many taxi companies are owned by cronies and have a huge lobbying power. There is a fixed rate and no competition in Budapest.

In 2021, public expenditure per capita in Poland for the first time exceeded the amount of PLN 30,000. It accounted for 44.2% of GDP - less than the year before when the pandemic hit, but still much more than in 2019. Since 2015, public spending in Poland has increased in real terms by over 35%.

In times of galloping inflation, the Polish government creates another inflation impulse - the \"Coal allowance\", the payment of which is expected to cost as much as PLN 11.5 billion.

The role of the media is more important in politics than it was 20-30 years ago. Political parties and politicians are using the media all around the world to promote themselves, their ideology, and their aims. These actions made media post objective, which means that almost every media outlet is close to a political party, which, of course, doesn’t mean that they’re making propaganda.

Estonia has witnessed several changes of government in the last few years. In July 18, there has been another one. However, Estonia\'s success story as the most economically and technologically developed country in transition has not stopped yet. The previous Prime Minister, Kaja Kallas, has now retaken his position as the new Prime Minister, thus ensuring that his country manages well under transition.

There are undoubtedly many factors that determine how individual governments dealt with the COVID-19 pandemic. However, one of the main aspects that has determined the success of mitigating the health impacts of the pandemic is the level of public trust in government institutions, as noted in numerous scientific publications.