Once front-runners of democracy in the CEE region, Hungary and Poland have become the most prominent cases of democratic backsliding in the EU. The two countries are famous for their centuries-old friendship (…). While their governing parties and populist leaders are careful to strengthen their friendship, the divisive rhetoric of Fidesz-KDNP and Law and Justice (PiS) managed to excavate the gap among their own people.
When no one was waiting, Tusk decided to return. What challenges will Tusk encounter? Poland has changed a lot during his absence. Much more than one might think judging by press reports or occasional meetings with supporters. Tusk’s former comrades refuse to acknowledge this. If Tusk becomes a hostage of their phobias and expectations, he will be doomed to failure.
The “Polish Order”, presented by the ruling Law and Justice party, is a marketing shell without comprehensive reforms and adequate and effective actions. It is not a plan for increasing prosperity. It is a plan for spending money and buying votes in those areas where the authorities have their electorate and can still gain some points.
The question of whether to leave a successful career behind to enter politics and try to change the political trajectory of one’s own country is central to the new documentary by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom – “Politics Is for Other People”. The documentary “Politics Is for Other People” features remarkable stories of representatives of liberal parties from Austria, Hungary, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, and Bulgaria.
The solemnly proclaimed “Polish Order” confirms the philosophy of the PiS government. Moreover, it is nothing less than the beginning of its election campaign. The strategy of the Law and Justice consistently aims to weaken civil society and to strengthen an infantile society because it is easy to rule. Civil society consists of socially mature people.
In order to defeat the Law and Justice party, it is essential to take the microphone away from the “scary grandpas”. Poland is still ruled by metrical and mental old-timers, who built their position in the early day of the Third Polish Republic. They are described as the creators and symbols of the Third Republic – the Deserving Ones.
July 1, 2021 is a special day for the former member states of the Warsaw Pact – the day marks the 30th anniversary of the disintegration of the military alliance. At Vaclav Havel’s invitation, Czechoslovak President, the official document heralding the end of the Soviet-dominated Warsaw Pact was signed in the Černín Palace in Prague on July 1, 1991. This closed a historic chapter for the eight member states of the Eastern alliance.
During his first trip to Europe, Joe Biden kept repeating that ‘America is back’. We have to wait for the long-term effects of this visit, though. Only after some time we will see whether specific political decisions will follow handshakes and declarations. Nevertheless, we can already see that America under its new leadership is more pragmatic, predictable, and surrounded by allies, and therefore stronger.
What is the attitude of Poles towards the European Union? Has the Law and Justice government already turned us from a nation of Euro-enthusiasts into Euro-skeptics? Some time ago, the alarming information spread to the media signalling that Poles’ trust in the EU has decreased.
The 21 Research Center and its collaborative partner Projekt:Polska invite you to a discussion on people’s political preference formation in rural areas of Hungary and Poland and the polarisation observed in their political views and perceptions.
