Every tenth Czech is chased by a debt collector. Many of the one million debtors go into the shadow economy, work illegally, do not pay taxes or insurance. You have to think about what these people will do in their old age. What will society do with so many people on the verge of poverty?”—asks…

The scandal that erupted after the announcement of sex education classes in Warsaw schools heralded a third wave of modernization in Poland. The only question is whether this modernization would be as ephemeral as the previous two. “Hands off!” When in mid-March the mayor of Warsaw Rafał Trzaskowski—a representative of the Civic Platform party (PO),…

Ironically, in the big clash between Politics and Technology, the authoritarian systems (China, Russia) are proving to be far more skilled and unscrupulous than the democracies in the use and manipulation of the web. The West seems to have forgotten that technology spawns culture and politics and that it is not neutral: if the free…

Russian society has a great capacity for inventiveness, creativity and ingenuity, this being well demonstrated in their prowess with computers, software and information technology, says Marlene Laruelle in an interview with Jakub Dymek. JAKUB DYMEK: Your recent research focuses on Russia’s youngest generations. These youngsters do not live for protesting and politicking. Among them, you…

This seems to be a necessary consequence of modernization: citizens have turned into customers of public services, feeling entitled to change the “shop” and vote with their feet if not satisfied. “Unfortunately, the investor has to travel to Bulgaria, as Bulgarian banks are unwilling to open bank accounts for non-EU citizens remotely” explains a private…

The renaissance of nationalism in Central European societies is one of the greatest paradoxes of united Europe. The more Poles or Hungarians benefit from EU membership, the more they support politicians who promise that their countries will never be anything like Europe. Poles and Hungarians want to imitate European modernization (i.e. enjoy a steadily increasing…

Dear Readers, The idea of citizenship has its roots in civis Romanum of the Roman Empire. A modern citizen endowed with civil rights and actively participating in res publica emerged during the era of the Enlightenment. Having drawn on the ancient notion of citizenship, America’s Founding Fathers held no illusions about the idealist nature of…

We have been observing a general decline in the popularity of other nations amongst Poles, even those traditionally liked by them, such as Americans or the French. It seems to me that this is the aftermath of the policy of Polish authorities, says Myroslava Keryk in an interview with Zbigniew Rokita. ZBIGNIEW ROKITA: In 2017,…

It’s ironic that the Eastern Europeans who had so benefited from migration themselves weren’t willing to extend the same opportunity to other people who wanted to move – says Michael W. Doyle in an interview with Olena Jennings. OLENA JENNINGS: Columbia University’s Global Policy Initiative, where you served as director, developed the Model International Mobility…

For deterrence to work and have the intended effects, the material capability must be fused together with credibility. Even if the next White House occupant turns out to be a committed transatlanticist, the rupture of trust between Europe and America may, in fact, linger on. Words mean little to U.S. President Donald Trump. He eagerly…

The U.S. is like a lonely sheriff who is tired of defending the town against gangs of gunslingers. He can throw away the badge and set up his own gang – Donald Trump chose this path. Even before the Berlin Wall collapsed, Americans offered the divided German state a partnership in leadership, and envisioned a…

Some two decades ago, far-right parties were but a marginal presence. At present, however, one in four votes cast was for a far-right party. For them, the forthcoming European elections is a mere rehearsal. The citizens of the European Union will be called to cast their votes in several months for the future composition of…

As I am writing this text, there are barely a hundred days left to Brexit. The mist surrounding the prospects for Britain’s future relations with the European Union is as dense, however, as that over the Thames on an average fall or winter day. Although we still do not know under what conditions, when and…

Brexit is a huge impediment in Multi-annual Financial Framework negotiations but also an opportunity: it opens the window of opportunity to reform the income side of the EU budget – says Janusz Lewandowski in an interview with Konrad Niklewicz. KONRAD NIKLEWICZ: How advanced is the process of negotiating the next Multi-annual Financial Framework? JANUSZ LEWANDOWSKI:…

The winners and losers of the current variant of globalization are pitted against one another, just as in the past. Although the losers are becoming politically radicalized, forecasts concerning the demographic development for the near future nevertheless raise the hope that, even in the era of hyper-globalization, the negotiating power of human labor will continue…

Cars comprise two-thirds of Slovakia’s total exports to the U.S. They mostly represent the luxury end of the market, which is why Slovak politicians are not yet panicking. When Donald Trump told French President Emmanuel Macron how much he resents seeing European Mercedes being driven around New York, it made headline news. Top managers pricked…

Since the middle of the twentieth century, world trade has grown faster than the gross domestic product of individual countries. Trade was conducive to economic growth and stabilized the political situation. In 1947, the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was signed. Successive rounds of negotiations on trade facilitation under GATT led to average…

President Trump has boldly decided to expose China’s economic strategy to the global community and challenge it head-on. China is being forced to come to terms with the fact that business, as usual, cannot continue indefinitely. Vice President Mike Pence’s 4 October speech on China at Hudson Institute was termed “the most important event of…