Prague
In 2004, the Central European and Baltic countries joined the European Union as new members. The Prague office seeks to strengthen liberal forces, both political and intellectual, in the region. Our project office particularly supports the 4liberty.eu network, which serves as a centre of competence and a platform for dialogue.
News
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Debate on "How Do CEE States Deal with Families?"
Join us for an online debate with the authors of articles about family policies in CEE published in the latest issue of the "4liberty.eu Review" (No. 18). Problems with restrictive laws and possibilities for solving demographic change will be discussed.
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Pro-Russian actors disinform about radiation in Slovakia , attacks against the Slovak President intensify
The explosion of an ammunition depot in Ukraine is being used as part of Kremlin propaganda.
. Disinformers utilized Putin’s public speech in order to validate their claims.
The hateful rhetoric against Slovak president Zuzana Čaputová reaches an all-time high. -
Disinformation about international military cooperation is on the rise, harmful rhetoric towards President Čaputová intensifies
The Slovak President Zuzana Čaputová is once again the main target of pro-Russian actors. They use harmful rhetoric to condemn her support for Ukraine. Pro-Kremlin propagandists are furthermore trying to justify the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by recycling the same narrative of NATO’s alleged aggression. An incident in Banská Bystrica involving an American soldier is being distorted by anti-Western disinformers who are using it to criticise military cooperation with the USA.
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From Poland with Love - April
This month main concern is the ban of imports off grain and other Ukrainian food. Meanwhile the polish government is also conducting changes in the in voting laws, depraving Poles living abroad from their voting rights. Furthermore Poland has reduced its record daily fines of EUR 1 million for judical reforms that undermine the independence of the courts were cut in half by the European Court of Justice. Read more in the April edition.
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Imported grain from Ukraine dubbed “toxic” by dubious actors spreading anti-Ukrainian sentiment
Disinformators are trying to paint the Western leaders as incompetent, for which the recent news of the US military documents leak is being widely utilisThe supposed “faulty” grain from Ukraine, which has been proven safe for consumers, became a focal point of anti-Ukrainian sentiment. Various dubious actors are especially criticising Slovakia for providing aid to Ukraine.
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Reinventing Family Policies in CEE
4liberty.eu, a network of representatives of liberal think tanks from Central and Eastern Europe, is pleased to present the latest issue of their Review, titled “Reinventing Family Policies in CEE”. This time, the network's primary focus is on the future of family policies, as the name tells.
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HYBRID CONFERENCE by the Hungarian Europe Society
Protagonists of liberal democracy face ongoing populist attacks. The emergence of authoritarian states and the influence of illiberal political entrepreneurs have recently made these attacks more salient. A political renewal of liberal-minded actors is needed in order to regain their dominant role in the political arena and the public spheres. The conference of the Hungarian Europe Society addresses these issues with renowned experts from CEE countries.
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New liberal government in Estonia
In the Estonian parliamentary elections held in March, Prime Minister Kallas' liberal Reform Party received 31 percent of the vote and at the same time had a free hand in choosing its coalition partners. After almost five weeks of coalition negotiations, Kallas brought the progressive-centrist Esti 200 party and the social democratic SDE party into her governing alliance. Today the new government takes office. In what situation does the coalition take over the country and what is its vision for the future of the countries political agenda?
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Disinformers condemn the support for Ukraine, national sovereignty of Slovakia becomes a point of debate
Anti-western narratives are still prevalent in the disinformation scene in Slovakia. Disinformers are especially utilising the widespread “Brussels dictate” narrative one again. Opposition politicians continue attacking the Slovak government for showing support to Ukraine and a big topic was also the news of the British government sending depleted uranium ammunition to Ukraine.
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From Poland with Love - March
A television documentary about Pope John Paul II’s alleged knowledge of pedophilia and sexual assault within the Catholic Church in Poland has caused a widespread outcry and created a new axis of polarization ahead of general elections. USA inaugurated its first permanent garrison in Poland. An activist was found guilty by a Polish court for assisting an abortion by supplying pills to a woman who was a victim of domestic violence. Read more in the March edition.
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Pro-Russian actors are praising Putin and accusing Slovak government of committing treason
Anti-western narratives clearly dominate the flow of disinformation. Many dubious actors are accusing Slovak politicians of being “slaves” to western countries, especially the USA, and undermining Slovakia’s autonomy. The delivery of MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine was a prevalent topic among pro-Russian politicians who are shaping the narrative to fit their own political agenda.
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From Poland with Love - February
The first anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine dominated the news from Poland in February. The news of the month was clearly the visit of the US President to Poland. Meantime in Belarus, a Polish journalist who reported on the protests against Lukashenko in 2021 was imprisoned. And on a more positive note, Warsaw was named European Best Destination 2023.
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Attacks against mainstream media dominate Slovak information space, military aid to Ukraine is still a prevalent topic
The war in Ukraine is still a popular topic among disinformation actors in Slovak information space. The main narratives include alleged widespread corruption in Western countries and calling for “peace” from supporters of Russia. The decision of the Slovak government to donate MiG-29 fighter jets to the Ukrainian armed forces has also been a prevalent topic of many dubious actors.
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From Poland with Love - January
Poland continues its internal fight for money from the European Recovery Fund in 2023, and so far things are not looking very good.The Poles have again asked Western partners for more support for Ukraine, most recently in the form of delivery of modern German Leopard 2 tanks. In contrast, Germany's reluctance to do so has drawn criticism from the Polish side. And surprising news from the society, only 32% of Polish women say they are planning to have children.
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Hearts and Minds
The Mathias Corvinus Collegium is a Hungarian organization providing scholarships for studying abroad, organizing events with international speakers and offering interesting study programmes to its students. However, below the surface, it is yet another tool of Orbán's regime, which connects domestic and international actors, who promote the ideology of illiberalism.
Social Media
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After his participation in a CPAC Event in Hungary, the liberal values of Mr. Babiš, leader of the ANO party in Czech Republic, have been questioned.  The ALDE Party Bureau now officially condemned his actions and started an evaluation of ANO’s commitment to liberal values. What else was important in CEE last week?  Swipe through our post! #top5 #news #topnews #updates #cee #liberal #politics
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This year's second session of the Hungarian Women's Academy took place in Budapest on May 12-13th. This regular event is open to any Hungarian woman, who already is or would like to take part in political life. This time, the programme consisted of social media training, a round table with alumni and a gala evening with former participants of the academy. The event was organised by the Momentum Foundation IBMF and supported by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom. #femaleforward #womensleadership #hungary #training #academy
