Transatlantic Tale of Fear and Politics [4liberty.eu Newsletter]

The December issue of the 4liberty.eu Newsletter provides an overview of the articles published on the 4liberty.eu website, serving as a starting point for further exploration.

Renata Nagy (Republikon Institute): Transatlantic Tale of Fear and Politics: Implications of Charlie Kirk’s Assassination in Hungary

The death of Charlie Kirk, a controversial right-wing political activist, has had a widespread impact, not only in U.S. politics but also across the globe. This article examines how the assassination of a conservative figure has affected the domestic politics of a country known for its long-standing government that prides itself on having traditional, conservative values, exactly what Charlie Kirk stood for.

Mateusz Michnik & Eryk Ziędalski (FOR): EU–US Agreement: Humiliation, or Art of the Deal?

‘Liberation Day’ marked a real threat to the world, as it risked sparking a global trade war. On 2 April, Donald Trump announced the largest tariff hike since the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act, 1930. This move reflected Trump’s views on international trade and the global economy: He sees trade as a zero-sum game that the US is losing, and, to him, tariffs are a way to help the American economy and public finances.

[NEW RELEASE] Deregulation, Not Simplification: Blueprint for Europe’s Competitiveness

Europe stands at a crucial moment. While global competitors move faster and innovate freely, European businesses, especially SMEs, find themselves tangled in growing layers of rules and procedures. The newly released 4liberty.eu Manifesto, Deregulation, not Simplification – Europe’s Way Out of Bureaucracy, sets out a clear and actionable alternative: less red tape, more room to grow, and a stronger Europe in the global economy.

Elena Leontjeva (LFMI): Europe’s Competitiveness Drama

Competitiveness is a strange beast—always measured against outsiders, yet forged internally. In her annual address, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen reminded us of a hard truth, one that “after Draghi and Trump” can no longer be ignored: competitiveness is not a game, it is a matter of survival. And today, the fiercest battle is not abroad—it is inside Europe, between a forward-looking, dynamism-driven mindset and the inertia of the old guard. The continent’s future hinges on which side wins.

Jakub Kuneš (CETA): Putin, Do Not Bother Us! We Are Decarbonizing!

Priorities. Practically every ministry, every coalition, even every group sitting at a table in a pub has a whole list of them. But so as not to sound too self-deprecating, this is not just a problem in the Czech Republic. For three and a half years, we have been hearing that defense is our European priority. I would very much like to agree with that. But then I looked at the figures on support for Ukraine, which is currently at war with the country that poses the greatest security risk to Europe.

European Liberal Forum & Liberte!: Total Defense in Europe: What Is It and Why Do We Need It? with Helena Quis [PODCAST]

When talking about total defense, for whom and against what is it? What should the European total defense look like? Why cannot everyone be like Finland? And is total defense even possible in polarized societies? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Helena Quis, who works in the Bertelsmann Stiftung’s Europe Programme as an expert on European security and resilience, focusing on total defense and civil preparedness.