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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Media Pluralism in Eastern Europe Under Pressure
The Polish government's campaign against unfavourable reporting has just culminated in a new advertising tax. The end result could be the weakening or dissolution of independent private media in Poland. The EU must act decisively now to defend the rule of law, our experts analyse.
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From Poland With Love - January
From media state capture in Poland to a renewed discussion of LGBT-free zones: In his monthly newsletter, guest contributor Dr. Milosz Hodun is giving us updates about current news, events and all other things you need to know about Poland.
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Kaja Kallas and the liberal Estonia of the future
After the resignation of Jüri Ratas (Estonian Centre Party) on January 13th, due to an inquiry entailing alleged corruption charges against his party, Kaja Kallas, the centre-right Reform Party’s leader, has become the first female Estonian Prime Minister. The list of the leading women in Northern Europe is growing faster. This is good news for equal opportunities, open society, and meritocracy, writes Amedeo Gasparini in his guest contribution.
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Czech Republic: Corona as Pretext for Protectionism
The Czech government is currently planning a protectionist food quota for domestic products. This would be a blatant violation of European law. The proposal shows economic ignorance and is met with strong objections by the opposition and abroad, our experts analyse.
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Outlook for Hungary for 2021
2020 has been spent in the spirit of punishing opposition cities for voting against Orbán in the October 2019 municipal elections. Most of the pandemic has been used for that. The only mitigating factor was that Orbán had his wars to fight in Brussels. Those being out of the way, 2021 will be the year when the financial crackdown on opposition cities will gain momentum. No self-restraint can be expected in this regard, writes Eszter Nova in her guest contribution.
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Tying EU Subsidies to the Rule of Law?
The European Union is not only an economic union, but also a union based on the principles of democracy and the rule of law. Any state that wants to join the EU must comply with these principles. But what happens when the state is already a part of the EU and its government suddenly violates these values? Hungary is without doubt one of these cases.
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From Poland With Love - December
In his monthly newsletter, guest contributor Dr. Milosz Hodun is giving us updates about current news, events and all other things you need to know about Poland.
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Colors of Polish Opposition
Democracy is undoubtedly a greatly fragile regime. As history has taught us, it can defend itself as long as the people and politicians will actively participate in this uninterrupted and ongoing war of freedom – although it may sound a bit overdramatic, it is not.
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DisinforNation: Disinformation Practices in CEE: 4liberty.eu Review No. 13 Now Available Online
We are pleased to present the thirteenth issue of 4liberty.eu Review, titled “DisinforNation: Disinformation Practices in CEE”. This time, our primary focus is the techniques employed by various agents in the region aimed at seeding and spreading false or manufactured information.
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Liberal Opposition Leader Kallas to become Estonia’s first Female Prime Minister
Estonia’s Prime Minister Jüri Ratas has resigned over a corruption investigation in his party. He paved the way for the opposition Reform Party to form a new governing coalition that excludes the right-wing populist allies of the previous government.
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From Poland With Love - November
Poland and Hungary vetoed the EU’s historic EUR 1,8 trillion budget and Covid-19 recovery plan over attempts to link funding to respect for the rule of law and democratic norms. The Rule of Law Mechanism would give the European Union a tool for sanctioning violations of stated democratic principles. In his monthly newsletter, guest contributor Dr. Milosz Hodun is giving us updates about current news, events and all other things you need to know about Poland.
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Female Politicians Encouraged to Take Over Orban’s Illiberal Regime
The number of women in politics is still low in East-European countries. Women face more challenges in politics than men. The Indítsuk Be Magyarországot Foundation (connected to Momentum Movement) wants to fight this by its new project called Hungarian Women’s Academy , which wants to motivate women to engage in politics.
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[Podcast] Baltic Bubble: Covid-19
In cooperation with the Academy of Liberalism, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom just released a podcast devoted to the topic of “Baltic Buble: COVID-19″. The episode, starring Estonian MP Keit Pentus-Rosimannus, Latvian MEP Ivars Ijabs, and Lithuanian mayor of Vilnius Remigijus Šimašius, focuses on how much COVID-19 has influenced the economy of the Baltic countries and how dark or bright is the future?
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Veto on EU Financial Package: EU Core Values Deserve Clear Message
Last Monday, Hungary and Poland blocked the EU’s historic financial package of 1.82 trillion euros. The right-wing nationalist governments of the two countries want to prevent the rule of law compliance conditionality in the distribution of EU funds. Meanwhile, the recently declared “State of Danger” in Hungary is being used by the government to amend the constitution again under the pretext of the Corona pandemic and to govern by decree. The new draft laws restrict the rights of LGBTI persons, undermine the transparency of expenditure of state funds and reduce the influence of opposition parties in the next parliamentary elections.
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Poland – Defending Women’s Rights
The Constitutional Tribunal in Poland has granted a request by more than 100 right-wing conservative MPs and declared abortions, even on account of severe foetal defects, to be unconstitutional. The ruling paves the way for a further tightening of the Polish abortion law, which is already one of the strictest in the European Union. In the future, abortion will only be allowed in cases of rape, incest, or a serious health threat to the mother. The court’s decision was met with intense objections from the opposition and society and triggered mass protests throughout the country.
Social Media
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⚖️ The EU is not only an economic union, but also a union based on the principles of #democracy and the #RuleOfLaw. Any state that wants to join the EU must comply with these principles. 🇭🇺 But what happens when the state is already a part of the EU and its government suddenly violates these values? #Hungary is without doubt one of these cases. . Find the full analysis, by Daniela Matoušová, at: http://bit.ly/RoLHungaryEU
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🗳 INSIDE THE BALLOT BOX! . 🇵🇹 On Sunday, the Portuguese will elect their head of state - despite the Corona pandemic and another lockdown. Although the elections are not expected to produce any surprises, #Portugal is also in the spotlight on the European stage with the presidency of the EU Council (#EU2021PT). A strong result for the incumbent president would boost the ambitious plans for the Council presidency, analyses Rahel Zibner (Friedrich Naumann Foundation Madrid). http://bit.ly/PTElection21
