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Funding Cuts to Czech NGOs Fuel Populist Surge Ahead of Elections

Amid declining international support, small organisations face existential threats

Czech NGOs are bracing for an uncertain future as US-linked funding cuts bite, exposing cracks in an already fragile financing system that even the largest organisations struggle to navigate.

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Far-Right’s Upper Hand in Presidential Run-off in Poland

The far-right mobilisation is the decisive factor in the presidential run-off

Poland’s presidential election has set the stage for a defining runoff between reform and rupture. With KO’s Rafał Trzaskowski and PiS-backed Karol Nawrocki neck and neck, the 1 June vote will determine whether Warsaw moves forward with long-delayed reforms that would strengthen its position in Europe – or remains paralysed...

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Romanian President-Elect Defeats Kremlin-Troll. New Headache: Fiscal Imbalance

Democratic Security Outlook 2025: 19-25 May

Now the hard work begins… Pro-European forces breathed a collective sigh of relief yesterday as liberal centrist Nicușor Dan staged a remarkable turnaround and defeated nationalist pro-MAGA George Simion to become the next Romanian President.  

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Wounds That Won’t Heal: Trauma, Power and Politics in Slovakia – COMMENTARY

When political fear fuels societal fracture and threatens democratic discourse

A year after the assassination attempt on Slovakia’s prime minister, political divisions have hardened. Trauma is no longer a wound to heal, but a weapon to silence critics and intimidate journalists.

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Isolationist Hypocrisy: Fico Courts Russia and Sells Ammo to Ukraine

An interview with Róbert Ondrejcsák 

Róbert Ondrejcsák offers a sharp assessment of shifting alliances, strategic confusion in Bratislava and what’s at stake for NATO unity.

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Romania’s Presidential Election: European Alliances vs Authoritarian Drift

This weekend's presidential race will test Romania’s commitment to liberal democracy, economic reform and NATO’s eastern flank

Romanians are heading to the polls this weekend to choose their next president, but this is more than a domestic political contest. It is a referendum on the country’s democratic trajectory, its role in European security and its economic future at a time of mounting regional volatility.

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Former Taiwanese President Visits Lithuania as Bilateral Ties Face Uncertainty – QUICK TAKE

A strategic tour at a critical moment

Former Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s visit to Vilnius comes as Lithuania’s new government reassesses its ties with Taiwan, raising questions about whether past solidarity will translate into future cooperation.

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Nationalist Simion Poised For Victory in Romania. Poland’s First Round

Democratic Security Outlook 2025: 12-18 May

Liberal Mayor Nicușor Dan is trailing by 10 points. The frontrunner pledges to get Cǎlin Georgescu into power. If polls are to be trusted and George Simion wins on 18 May, Romania will soon become a soft underbelly in NATO’s eastern flank. On the same day, in Poland, Rafał Trzaskowski...

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Foot-and-Mouth Disease Has Hit Slovakia, but Disinformation May Be the Bigger Threat

How disinformation is undermining the Fico government’s battle against foot-and-mouth disease

In Slovakia, the foot-and-mouth disease outbreak has become more than just an agricultural emergency – it’s a political battleground. As PM Fico grapples with the virus, disinformation from within his own party is threatening to unravel the government’s response, eroding trust in institutions just when it’s needed most.

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What Victory Parade? Fico and Vučić Get Sick Leave For Putin’s Day

Democratic Security Outlook 2025: 5-11 May

Vučić cites blood pressure problems. Fico has anxiety from his assasination attempt. This year, no European leaders will be present in Moscow for Russia’s ‘Victory Day’ on 9 May. Instead, this week Kyiv will ratify a minerals deal with the US, EU ministers will meet in Warsaw for informal Gymnich...

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The Great Reset Goes Transatlantic

How US and European ultra-conservatives are building an alliance to dismantle the EU and reshape it in their image — one nationalist policy at a time

A transatlantic alliance of far-right think tanks is promoting an illiberal reset of the European Union. With roots in the US Project 2025 and growing links to European actors, this effort aims to weaken EU institutions, roll back rule-of-law mechanisms and challenge the Union’s democratic foundations.

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A Nobel Peace Prize For Trump – COMMENTARY

It would solve a number of problems at once

It would solve a number of problems at once.

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Shielding European Democracy

The critical question for democracies today is how to wield their collective will and resources for a credible defence posture. For now, European democrats are primarily reactive and demobilised against mounting geopolitical pressures. This report presents perspectives on how the EU can safeguard democracies, based on the EU Values Foresight project conducted in four Central European countries.

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