On the occasion of the International Women’s Day, I asked four MEPs from Central-Eastern Europe what they think where we stand now on the issue of female political leadership in Europe. I was interested in what they consider the biggest obstacles for women pursuing a career in politics.
Shortly after the EPP Group in the European Parliament approved an amendment to its Rules of Procedure, which paved the way for Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party to be suspended from its ranks, the Hungarian PM announced that his party’s MEPs will leave the Group of the Christian Democrats.
Hungary had a scandal-ridden month in the EU. As the new EU budget is connected to rule of law, Hungary fought it tooth and nail, claiming it’s not about corruption but Soros and immigrants.
Hearings, even outside the grilling season, are done in a similar fashion. When a committee invites a guest for an “exchange of views”, the way it is handled in the committee is by and large the same. MEPs are lectured by the Committee Chair how to use their five-minute slot and how to ask a question.
The Kremlin has used massive disinformation efforts, among others, to interfere in democratic processes across the West in the past few years. Consequently, the 2019 EP elections were always treated as potential targets for Russia, which was acknowledged by European institutions well in advance.
For the first time in years, the citizens of European Union actually proved to be somewhat interested in the future of our Union – the voting turnout turned out to be incredibly high this year. Over 50% Europeans have raised their voices. What can we learn from the results?
The following narrative analysis takes into consideration the qualitative analysis of the posts on selected Polish portals that publish content that is Eurosceptic and coherent with Russian propaganda. The monitoring shows that the narratives refer to the current events in Poland and around the world.
The last days of the Hungarian EP election campaign were characterized by an ever-intensifying anti-EU campaign on government-controlled and fringe disinformation portals. The Hungarian government seeks a strong mandate to represent its interest in the European Union
A few days before the European elections we already know one of the results that will appear on the TV after the polling stations are closed. And although we are not able to estimate it precisely, no one has any doubts – the turnout in Poland will be record high.
Political Capital and its research partners (Jonas Syrovatka, Adam Lelonek, Grigorij Meseznikov) explored the narratives the Kremlin used to influence public opinion in Europe and, in particular, the Visegrád Group since January 1, 2019.
