Articles

What influence the Catholic Church has on the Irish national identity? What was growing up in Catholic Ireland like? And how has the self-image of the Irish transformed over the years?

The September issue of the 4liberty.eu Newsletter provides an overview of the articles published on the 4liberty.eu website, serving as a starting point for further exploration.

One of the most frequently repeated electoral promises of the Civic Coalition and the Third Way in the parliamentary elections was the \"depoliticization of state-owned enterprises.\" This pledge was reflected in point 13 of the coalition agreement from November 10, 2023, which states, \"One of the coalition\'s priorities will be the depoliticization of state-owned companies by introducing clear recruitment criteria for managerial positions.\"[1]

In recent years, the quality of law-making in Poland has significantly deteriorated. Practices such as ignoring procedures, bypassing public consultations, using the deputies’ initiative route for government projects, and last-minute insertions in the final stage of the legislative process have been a constant element of the political landscape.

In the face of the energy crisis, politicians\' neglect of the development and modernization of the Polish energy sector is becoming increasingly visible. Freezing electricity prices is a costly and short-term solution, resulting from neglect in this area. The Polish energy mix, overly dependent on coal, requires decisive modernization actions, which, however, because of current policies, are systematically delayed.

The tax system has a profound impact on a country\'s economic growth for two reasons. Firstly, in developed countries, taxes typically amount to the equivalent of one-third to even half of the GDP. Such a high level of taxation affects taxpayers’ economic activity. Secondly, for the state to collect taxes, it must maintain appropriate regulations defining the tax base and rates.

Over the last eight years, the Law and Justice (PiS) government in Poland redefined the boundaries of regulations governing the lifestyle of citizens, introducing a series of laws and regulations aimed at promoting desired or healthy habits and behaviors, while limiting access to products and services deemed harmful.

Why do identity politics matter? How not to fall into the identity trap? And what strategy should liberals employ to be successful?

We do not like to lack anything in our daily lives. We do not like scarcity. Or, to put it even more strongly – we hate it. But what would happen if scarcity disappeared, and we began to lack scarcity? It is also worth looking at scarcity from a philosophical, less quotidian point of view, which allows us, among other things, to see everyday life itself in a different light.

The 1990s brought several significant changes for Europe. On January 1, 1993, Czechoslovakia was dissolved, and as a result, the Czech Republic and Slovakia have since been independent states of the Central and Eastern European region. The focus of European public discourse is not always on Slovak domestic politics, but the assassination attempt on Prime Minister Robert Fico in 2024 has shocked the continent.