Politics

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.

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.

The 2024 EP and municipal elections in Hungary, held on the same day, provide a complex and illuminating study of how financial resources, legal frameworks, and media control shape electoral outcomes. The Fidesz party\'s overwhelming dominance in campaign spending, both directly and indirectly, highlights significant imbalances in the democratic process.

The Estonian Reform Party approved Prime Minister Kristen Michal to continue as the party leader at the general meeting held on Sunday. Michal said \"We are unique in Estonian politics. Our work culture brings people together but does not shy away from asking difficult questions. Our respect comes from mastering the subject and getting the work done, not merely nodding in agreement. (...)\"

As the Members of the European Parliament’s ninth term closed their books, we tracked the views of incumbent MEPs on authoritarian regimes. We used qualitative and quantitative methods to build an accurate picture of MEPs’ positions on authoritarian countries. We have analyzed 152 votes cast by MEPs between 2019 and December 2023 to determine the potential openness of these MEPs to authoritarian influence, particularly from Russia and China.

Bulgaria\'s justice deficits have become an invariable part of local political discourse. Often, this leads to numerous statutory changes and rarely to a quality change of the environment.

More and more people claim that liberalism has lost its power and influence over people. It has become entangled in futile discussions, whereas it should set the tone and provide solutions to our current challenges. As a result, it has betrayed the trust of people who see neither the courage of thought nor the consistency of action. How can this situation be changed?

Paris will host one of the most important sporting events this year - the Summer Olympic Games. And the race is already on, with nearly half of all voters worldwide expected to go to the ballot box this year. Nine parliamentary elections will occur or already have occurred in European countries alone, with thousands of candidates competing for 720 seats in the European Parliament.

On June 9, Hungary held the elections for the European Parliament along with its local elections to choose mayors and councilors. The elections saw a record turnout of 58.1 %, but the most interesting election, the Budapest mayoral election with a turnout of 60.51%, resulted in a very high number of spoiled ballots, at 2.98%.

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.