Eurasia

There were no major surprises in the draft three-year budget submitted by the Russian government to the State Duma this week. The largest budget expense—defense spending—has been slightly reduced for the first time since the start of the full-scale war against Ukraine, but that is sadly not a sign of …

Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán’s once-admired “illiberal model” is faltering — plagued by economic crisis, voter frustration, and collapsing governance. With the 2026 election looming, his future — and the global appeal of his system — is at stake as his government faces its biggest political test. Viktor Orbán is facing …

On X/Twitter, Visegrád24 became famous for its anti-Muslim and anti-migration stance as well as waves of disinformation. A recent report by the Centre for Information Integrity in Africa (CINIA) brings to light people, funding and political actors tied to their Central Europe-based but international network. What does a multimillion Polish …

Teaser: A modest territorial concession, backed by NATO guarantees and Russian investment, could end the stalemate, secure Ukrainian sovereignty, and lay the groundwork for lasting European stability. Summary: This essay argues that the war in Ukraine will not end through total victory but through pragmatic compromise—a “5% solution.” Ukraine would …

The peace plan proposed by Israel and the United States for Gaza is not only a trap, but it repeats the same mistakes of the past that did not lead to peace. It reduces resistance to terrorism and limits terrorism to what Hamas does; there is no mention of Israeli …

Kosovo’s local elections on October 12 come at a time of unusual strain. What should have been a routine democratic exercise has instead become a test of whether the country can sustain its institutions, integrate its Serb minority, and manage the costs of decisions taken in pursuit of sovereignty. The …

“A few weeks before the 2024 election campaign in Bosnia and Herzegovina started, my phone rang – it was a top-ranking person in the city administration and the ruling party. This person had never called me before nor have they since,” recounted Aleksandar Drakulic, the owner of a local news …

Gathered under the rallying cry to “prevent the rule of extremists”, thousands of people converged Sunday afternoon on Prague’s Old Town Square in support of the country’s pro-Western democratic orientation. “We want to show that there is also a positive patriotism that is on the side of the West, freedom …

“Tell them you’re only offering educational materials,” one said into the camera. “Nothing more.” The raid was one of 22 carried out the same day in Serbia, Bulgaria and Cyprus, coordinated by Europol and involving considerable manpower and intelligence from Germany. Four call centres were hit, all of them in …

No one seems to care about the beaten woman. Instead, those who performed their civic duty are in the dock while their attackers – who clearly pulled strings – remain at liberty. Their escape from justice is hardly unusual. If they are off the hook because of kickbacks and political …