Poland’s election campaign is starting before anyone is ready to call it a campaign. There are signs that Donald Tusk may be shifting from managing the coalition to preparing for the next vote.

Can the new prime minister move beyond the politics of permanent campaigning? The first 100 days have shown that Magyar knows how to win a political argument. The clock is ticking on the question of how well he can govern Hungary for the remaining time.

Robert Fico and Peter Pellegrini’s overtures with foreign companies benefit no one but themselves.

Presidents in Central and Eastern Europe are shifting their cards, but not everyone will be able to make the winning play. Watch out for what will happen in Czechia, Hungary, Poland, Romania and Ukraine.

Karol Nawrocki completed 12 months in office on 6 August 2026 with 41 vetoes – the highest count of any Polish president – and approval ratings his opponents cannot match. But numbers are less important than they look.

Europe must be able to defend itself without Uncle Sam’s sword and shield. Ukraine can help – but the groundwork must begin now.

The summer of extremes is straining unity on two fronts at once. A migration surge presses the southern EU border while record heat and a collapsing Danube test CEE’s economic resilience with blackouts and industrial cuts.

Ten years ago, last month, Britain voted to exit the EU. Keir Starmer became the sixth prime minister to leave Downing Street since then. The legacy of Brexit should concern CEE countries, too.

Poland’s Law and Justice party lost over 30 of its MPs ahead of make-or-break elections next year. Yet, talks of conservative defeat would be premature. Will security tip the balance?

Is Péter Magyar about to break the rule of law while restoring it in Hungary?