Struggling Through Simms
Brendan Simms’ history of Europe is overly deterministic.
Central Europe
How to Keep an Empire for a Thousand Years
Not through force, but by persuasion.
How Poland Ended Up Defying EU Law
A timeline of the last six years and a look at the EU’s options.
Who Wants to Live in Hungary?
Not Viktor Orbán’s Western fans.
Conservative Wunderkind Loses His Shine
Sebastian Kurz was the future of conservatism once.
First Things First: Vote the Authoritarians Out
Opposition parties in Hungary and Israel can learn from Democrats in the United States.
EU “Government Shutdown” Looms
If Hungary and Poland maintain their veto, the EU could be without a proper budget.
EU Must Hold Firm in Rule-of-Law Dispute with Hungary, Poland
The majority of Hungarians and Poles agree.
Viktor Orbán’s Authoritarian Playbook
Scapegoat minorities. Undermine the judiciary. Control the media.
Orbán Abolishes Democracy in Hungary
Parliament is dissolved and all elections are postponed for as long as Orbán wants.
Judicial Reforms Create Parallel Legal System in Poland
The ruling party has made numerous changes to weaken the judiciary’s independence.
Poland Needs EU Support to Meet Climate Goals
But it also has a responsibility of its own to stop burning coal.
Three Seas Initiative Breathes New Life into Central Europe
The countries between the Adriatic, Baltic and Black Seas agree to improve energy and transportation links.
Poland Launches Legal Challenge to Nord Stream 2
The European companies that are Russia’s partners in the project face steep fines.
Europe’s Blue-Red Culture War Comes to Czech Republic
Czech politics have become a contest between pro-European cosmopolitans and Russophile self-styled patriots.