Society

Every June and July, the European Commission publishes studies on the rule of law in individual European Union member states. The Rule of Law Report and the EU Justice Scoreboard show how the situation is changing in areas relevant to the functioning of the justice system, respect for the rule of law and doing business, among other things.

These KEKVAs are a unique Hungarian legal construct, technically classified as private-law entities, to which the state has outsourced its former public duties, primarily the running of universities, research, and culture.

France has been in turmoil (again) since mid-September: peaceful student blockades turned into street fights unusually quickly, and alongside mainstream media, social media plays an invaluable role in this.

Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni\'s government has introduced the Decreto Scuola 2026. The law entered into effect on October 1, 2026, and the Italian Parliament must convert it into a permanent statute within 60 days. The law includes several measures affecting the education system and minorities across Italy.

The resurfacing of the controversial “heartbeat law” for pregnancy interruptions in Hungary gave the newly elected government an opportunity to consult civil and expert opinion before a legislative decision. Understanding the chain of events and the arguments of the different actors involved in the public discourse is crucial for evaluating the successes and failures of the public consultation.

Are women’s rights compatible with religion? How have women\'s rights evolved in the Islamic Republic? Has the recent conflict involving Israel, the United States, and Iran brought Iran any closer to freedom? And what is the endgame? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American journalist and human rights activist.

The central paradox of the Hungarian situation is that the very same direct, platform-based communication that helped Péter Magyar circumvent a politically captive media system also enables him, as Prime Minister, to bypass the critical press. The democratic risk arises when citizens come to regard the authorities’ own communications as sufficient for assessing a decision, and independent scrutiny, further questioning or the consideration of alternative interpretations are pushed into the background.

Specialization has bought us precision, and that is no small thing. A narrow view often catches what someone trying to take in everything will miss. But a doctor who set out to cure one organ without asking what the treatment would do to the rest of the body would cause more trouble than they cured. The difficulty begins when a specialist treats one aspect of a life as enough to explain the whole of it.

Liberal Communicators Network aims to empower liberal communicators to adapt cutting-edge communication strategies, innovation, and marketing trends for the specific context of the mission-driven sector. LCN develops a professional community of non-profit communicators from civil society organizations, foundations, think tanks, and change-makers working on liberal topics.

According to Europol data, minors who are victims of sexual exploitation in Europe predominantly come from the V4 countries, with Hungary being particularly overrepresented. Whether they are family members or members of criminal organizations, those involved in child trafficking primarily operate in the online sphere.