Commentary
Society
Wounds That Won’t Heal: Trauma, Power and Politics in Slovakia – COMMENTARY
16 May 2025
Putin’s most powerful weapon is not visible at first sight and can take many forms.
Ukraine is neither a member of NATO nor the European Union. Yet, in recent weeks it has appeared to belong to the Western community of democracies by the public support that politicians have expressed and the military aid that has been directed to Kyiv. There is no need to be under any illusions about politics, but hypocrisy plays a huge part in Western support for the Ukrainians who are now defending their country against the aggressor Russia.
We have our fingers crossed for the Ukrainians, but we have been unable to do anything to blunt the main weapon that the Russian regime is using against democracies — corruption.
Corruption in Heart of Europe
The most visible face of this failure is that of former German Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, who is in charge of the company building the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and is due to take over the entire state-owned Gazprom in the summer. He is now estimated to have a fortune of around 20,000,000 euros thanks to his work for Russian companies.
Subscribe
Democratic security comes at a price. What is yours? By subscribing or donating now gain access to analysis, forecasts and scenarios by leading analysts and reporters who monitor democratic risks and develop policy debate from Central Europe on Central Europe.
MonthlyVAT included
See all details
- Full access to articles and all reports in PDF
- Weekly outlook on democratic security in CEE delivered by e-mail
- Weekly newsletter with essential highlights
- Invitations to all Visegrad Insight events online and offline
AnnualVAT included
See all details
- Individual subscribers only. Check our CORPORATE OFFER below
- 15% Discount (8 EUR off monthly cost if paid annually)
- Full access to articles and all reports in PDF
- Weekly outlook on democratic security in CEE delivered by e-mail
- Weekly newsletter with essential highlights
- Invitations to all Visegrad Insight events online and offline
Student OR Donation
See all details
- Full access to articles and all reports in PDF
- Weekly newsletter with essential highlights
- Some Visegrad Insight events invitations
I am a representative of an institution/business. Is there a corporate offer?
The annual subscription for up to ten institutional users: EUR 999
GO TO CHECKOUT
For a tailor-made offer email us: contact@visegradinsight.eu
- Access to all articles for your team
- Access to all Reports for your team
- Every Monday a Weekly Outlook with an update on key developments in Central Europe delivered by e-mail
- Every Thursday a newsletter with the most important highlights and invitations
- Personal invitations to Visegrad Insight Events
- Foresight, policy, and risk analysis reports (on-demand)
Intelligence prepared by a group of Visegrad Insight Fellows from all across
Can I receive an invoice?
Yes. You will receive a receipt immediately after purchase and a VAT invoice upon request. The subscription amount includes tax. In case of a donation, there is no tax.
Are my credit card details safe?
Yes. The payment is processed by STRIPE www.stripe.com entrusted also by Amazon, Zoom, Booking.com and used by other global NGOs and businesses in the world. We do not store your credit card details.
How modify or cancel my subscription?
At any moment you can manage your subscription and account details. Sign in to modify or cancel.
