Israel’s human rights record is not untarnished, a fact which is amplified in the recent war in Gaza. It is right that Israel should be held accountable for its actions. However, this certainly does not mean that Israel does not have the right to defend itself against Hamas and other Iranian proxies, even if war measures are necessary. Nor should it relativize the horrors committed by the oppressive terrorists who attacked the civilians of a democratic country.

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Hungary has been fined an unprecedentedly large amount for the severe violation of EU law over the rights of asylum seekers. However, this is not about Hungary’s stance against the oppressive EU as the Hungarian governing party Fidesz wants to depict but about the party coming at odds with its ever-swaying populist positions. Yet the Hungarian voters, rather than EU activists, should punish the Hungarian government.

Since the systemic transformation in Poland in 1989, public media have varied in the intensity of presenting the ruling camp’s viewpoint while simultaneously allowing opposing narratives. However, since the Law and Justice Party (PiS) took power in 2015, the media have fully become a propaganda tool for the government, thus reverting to their worst traditions from the People’s Republic of Poland (PRL) era.

On June 4 and 18, 1989, partially free elections for the Sejm and fully free elections for the reconstituted Senate were held in Poland. As a result of these elections, a democratic political system was established, and decisive economic reforms were initiated between 1989 and 1990, which included stabilization and free-market changes. Poland was the first socialist country to begin departing from the system imposed by force, which was flawed.

Through its public awareness campaign, the Economic Freedom Foundation hopes to raise awareness of the economic realities of EU functioning that are sometimes disregarded while also encouraging participation in the upcoming European Parliament election. President of the foundation Marek Tatala says to Polish voters: “Vote on June 9 and don’t let yourself be taken out of the Union.”