In a shaky handheld video uploaded on 2 September to an obscure Facebook page, a man crouching low behind an earth berm films a busy highway. He mumbles the date and then says, “we are the Men of Light,” before an explosion immediately rips through a passing General Security vehicle …
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Prijedor’s Press Freedom Woes Mirror Wider Crisis in Bosnia’s Republika Srpska
“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 …
Read More »Populist Former PM Rides Wave of Discontent as Czechs Vote in Key Election
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 …
Read More »Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan: Comprehensive, Ambitious, and Uncomfortably Ambiguous
U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed peace plan for the Gaza Strip, unveiled on Monday during meetings with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, comes at a crossroads. On the eve of the war’s two-year anniversary, the humanitarian dimensions of the crisis increasingly are intersecting with political pressures and security priorities. This …
Read More »New Budget Confirms the Russian Public Is Paying for the War
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 …
Read More »The Era of Orbánism as an Exportable Model May Be Ending
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 …
Read More »Unmasking Visegrád24: Tracing the People, Money, and Political Connections
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 …
Read More »The 5% Solution: A Realpolitik Path to Peace in Ukraine
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 …
Read More »Gaza Peace Plan: Between the Stick and the Poisoned Carrot
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 …
Read More »In Kosovo’s Elections, Serb Representation Is the West’s Fig Leaf
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 …
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