Bulgaria’s Fight against Corruption
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.
corruption
How to Renovate Your Apartment in Soviet Union
First of all, it was an overstatement to call the apartment yours. There was no private ownership of apartments in the Soviet Union. There existed only personal possession of small land parcels with small (or not, depending on the size of a bribe) houses.
Beneath It All in Hungary Is Political Corruption
Hungary is the black sheep of the European Union. Its contrarian agenda offends the common opinion of other member states. Just recently, the Hungarian government not only threatened to veto the EU recovery budget but also voiced its opposition to the Gender Action Plan, a foreign policy initiative to buttress the rights of women, girls and LGBTQI worldwide. But don’t be fooled: behind this maverick political performance of the Orban government lies a shrewd and…
Bulgaria’s March Against Corruption
The protests in Bulgaria have been going for almost two months now. As the government has failed to provide a meaningful alternative that could satisfy the demands of the demonstrators and thus solve the ongoing political crisis, let us examine the root causes that have driven it.
Murder, Blackmail, Corruption: Why CEE Needs Magnitsky Act
The Magnitsky Law can serve not only as a strong political message, but also as a keen deterrent to international bullies, big or small. Ultimately, whom else but the people of CEE, having suffered for decades under different autocratic regimes could better understand the significance of human rights?
Impact of Fake News on CEE
On February 27, 2020, the Republikon Institute organized the conference Fake News in the Region – The Impact of Fake News on Central and Eastern European Countries, supported by Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom.
Corruption Perception Index 2019: Thinking about Ukraine
According to new Corruption Perceptions Index (CPI) 2019 published by Transparency International, Ukraine scored 30 points out of 100. This means that Ukraine has gone back to the level from 2017 and now ranks 126th out of 180 countries, alongside Kyrgyzstan, Azerbaijan, and Djibouti.
Parliamentary Elections in Slovakia: Protest Party Wins, Pro-European Liberals Not in Parliament
The eagerly awaited parliamentary elections in Slovakia are all over. Igor Matovič, the expected new Slovakian Prime Minister, became the clear winner with his anti-corruption movement “Ordinary People and Independent Personalities” (OĽaNO).
Quo Vadis, Austria?
By most standards, Austria’s democratic credentials are sufficient to warrant a position at the top of rankings. Regardless of whether you take Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI), or Freedom House’s landmark report on Freedom in the World, Austria fares well.
REVIEW #9: No Freedom Allowed: Consolidation of Power in Hungary through Centralization
Centralization, decentralization in Hungary. How to best approach the subject? How best to describe a country, which at the moment has no other long-term goal other than the consolidation and retention of power for the governing Fidesz party?
