freedom

Europe has chosen to define itself as an open society. This allows for individual freedom. But it also gives enemies the opportunity to destroy open spaces, guaranteed by the state, intentionally and with the aim of causing maximum harm. However, it is not only terrorists who are putting the European model at risk.

Today we celebrate the Human Rights Day. Although it, technically, commemorates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, we think the Human Freedom Index and its definition of freedom – the absence of coercive constraint – can assist us in thinking more carefully about the state of freedom around the world.

In considering the extent to which the state should be relied upon to promote social cohesion and virtue, one must keep in mind the potential associated pitfalls as well as the other possible means to accomplish the same desired ends.

On October 28, Colleen Bell, American ambassador to Hungary, pointed out the dire political and social problems Hungary faces today – problems it must solve. The speech, delivered at a university in Budapest, is not the first criticism Hungary received from its Western ally.

Today, the Lithuanian Free Market Institute is gathering Central and Eastern European reformists to evaluate the past reforms and discuss future challenges. This international conference “Twenty Five Years on the Road to Freedom: Past Reforms and Future Challenges” also marks the 25th anniversary of LFMI’s establishment.

On April 24, 2015, Hungarian Europe Democracy (HED) convened a workshop about “Illiberal democracies, what can the European Union do in case a member state regularly and systematically breaches European values and regulations?”.

Free market institutions and individual liberty promote economic development and human resilience to a changing climate. So far, coercive and centrally planned regulation induced by climate change alarmism delivered a disappointing outcome.

We have the pleasure to present you the first round of 4discussion devoted to the situation in Ukraine and the EU sanctions directed at Russia. See what do Alexander Graf Lambsdorff, Taavi Roivas, Tanja Porcnik and Ivan Miklos say on the topic and feel free to comment on that!

The freedom of our Eastern neighbours seems to have fallen into the rabbit hole. Ukrainians will not catch it on their own. Only Alice holds the key to unlocking their civic rights, but Europe still refuses to man up and play this part. The Mad Hatter won\'t stop being mad just because someone says him to do so.

Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom proudly presents its latest publication: The European Union – Catalyst for Economic Freedom? As the name itself suggests, the collection of papers, including contributions by by Steffen Hentrich, Emmanuel Martin, Danko Tarabar and Andrew Young, is devoted to the issue of economic freedom within the EU.