Sweat, Tears and Strategic Foresight – The Best of 2025

2025 has been a rollercoaster for Visegrad countries and beyond. From populist victories in Poland and Czechia to glimmers of hope in Romania and Moldova, there was a lot to cover. Certain topics stood out among our readers: democracy, populism, war, corruption and the role of civil society in tackling the latter three.

After an electoral cliff-hanger in Poland’s presidential race in 2025, conservative candidate Karol Nawrocki, backed by Law and Justice, narrowly secured the presidency and opened a new chapter of cohabitation with Donald Tusk’s government. At the same time, Czech voters returned Andrej Babiš to power at the head of a populist coalition sceptical of the European Union’s green, migration and Ukraine policies.

In Brussels, the response has been to double down on safeguarding liberal democracy through the new European ‘Democracy Shield’ and a stronger strategy for civil society. All this happened alongside razor-thin victories of pro-European candidates in Romania and Moldova.

In Ukraine, the war held on for its fourth year as major corruption cases were unfolding alongside audacious attempts to inflict pain on the enemy. At the same time, the European Union has finally come to terms with competitiveness and the need to defend itself as the Commission introduced the instruments for both.

Here are the hand-picked stories on these topics that our readers appreciated the most in 2025.

What Europe Can Learn from Ukraine’s Anti-Corruption Ecosystem by Valeriia Novak, Visegrad Insight Future of Ukraine Fellow

Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions are under threat, but their hard-won successes offer a rare case of meaningful reform. In a Europe facing its own governance fatigue, Kyiv’s model deserves serious attention.

Seven Lessons from the Frontlines of Fighting Foreign and Domestic Interference in Europe by Alina Inayeh

Foreign and domestic interference are converging – powered by AI, amplified by extremists and spilling into the real world. Europe must urgently adapt. Recent cases of foreign and domestic information manipulation and interference (FIMI/DIMI) in Moldova, Romania, Germany, Hungary and Slovakia have exposed critical vulnerabilities – and taught Europe seven hard lessons.

What Democrats Can Learn from Tusk’s Defence Policy Playbook – Editorial commentary by Wojciech Przybylski

Europe faces a critical choice: defend democracy or leave it to nationalists. As military readiness declines and defence becomes a political tool, pro-democracy leaders must act. Poland’s approach — combining military preparedness with civic engagement — reflects the strategy we have long advocated and offers a model for Europe’s future security.

We must say it out loud: all of Europe must once again listen to our region on democratic security matters.

Security Without Barriers: Women in the Armed Forces – Editorial commentary by Magda Jakubowska

The world is moving forward, but military thinking remains stuck in the past. As Poland looks to double its army size, ignoring half the population is not just outdated – it’s strategically unsound. Women must be included, not as an afterthought, but as an essential part of national security.

My Primary Concern Is To Stop Russian Imperialism – Interview with Anne Applebaum

We sat down with Anne Applebaum to discuss the sustainability of political culture upholding Putin’s regime, as Res Publica Nowa was preparing a Polish-language volume on how Russia may fail.

Central Europe’s Rising Ambitions In the New EU Budget Game – Debate summary

Policy leaders from across Central and Eastern Europe see the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework as the stage for their region’s ambitions about European security and competitiveness against mounting global challenges.

The Visegrad Insight debate between the Czech Deputy Minister for European Affairs, former Polish EU Commissioner, former Slovak Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and a Lithuanian Government’s Strategic Analysis Centre expert set the stage for this year’s Europe Future Forum.

Prague’s Election Looms Large Over Central Europe’s Security Fate – Online events summary

With Russia’s war in Ukraine grinding on and Kremlin subversion tactics rippling across NATO allies – from disinformation campaigns to energy blackmail – Czechia’s recent parliamentary elections could heavily influence Central Europe’s defence posture. Yet amid the unknowns– will Babiš pivot towards Brussels-sceptic allies like Viktor Orbán, or hedge with pragmatism?

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