Artur Domosławski, Ryszard Kapuściński: A Life. Translated by Antonia Lloyd-Jones. Verso 2012

Nomen est omen. How could I then fail to detect a suggestive and troubled connotation of Zvezna ulica or Union Street? Not because it is a dead-end street. In fact, it is a kind place for playful children and gossiping neighbors who like to hang out at the corner newsstand with a coffee machine. It’s…

In the past five years Bulgaria has found itself stranded between indecisive but progressing European common energy policies and Russia’s resurgent assertiveness in energy in Central and Eastern Europe.

It is now clear that the various measures that have been undertaken since 2010 have been ineffective and they have failed to stop the spread of the crisis. We have less than a year to abandon the euro and reintroduce national currencies.

It is going to take at least a decade before the reformed eurozone regains credibility and it will take at least as long for the Czech political system to develop the capacity to implement structural reforms that are necessary for successful functioning in a monetary union.

Donald Tusk’s government seems to be acting cautiously as far as joining the eurozone is concerned. The prime minister does not appear to have any idea what his policy towards the EU integration should be when the situation gets complicated.

I was born in 1976 in Bratislava in what was then the CSSR, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. I am part of the generation that is called Husák’s children, which was our equivalent of America’s baby boomers. I opposed the division of Czechoslovakia, as did my brother, my parents, and my friends. However, the powers-that-be weren’t…

In the course of two recent decades, impressive economic growth has been observed in Africa. Security and freedom have also increased. However, Africans will still need to wait some time for the arrival of democracy and human rights.

Albanians perceive European integration as bloodless unification with their compatriots in Kosovo and Macedonia. The debacle of the European project means an increase in anxiety for the whole region.

An interview with Mykola Riabchuk by Filip MemchesThe strategic aim of the Party of the Regions is to gain a constitutional majority. Victor Yanukovych wants to introduce changes in the constitution so that in three years the president would be elected by the parliament. This is the only way to guarantee his re-election—says the columnist…

The governing party has taken over all the crucial institutions, including education, the judiciary, the prosecutors offices and the media. Having a close look at Hungary, it is obvious that liberal democracy is dead and buried.

While protest swept through a range of Arab countries, due to the apathy of its population Syria was known as the “silent kingdom”. Who might benefit from the present-day chaos and bloodletting, who are the actors of the clashes and what are the root causes of the conflict that many analysts hesitate, rather unnecessarily, to…

An interview with Ivan Krastev by Maciej NowickiPussy Riot’s trial revealed the new foundations of the regime. Under this system of power, the sclerotic countryside and the Orthodox Church are playing an increasingly significant role. Also, the second in command is no longer Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev, but rather Patriarch Kirill. So claims the Bulgarian…

Since the end of the Cold War, Europe has enjoyed the largest peace dividend in its modern history. Unfortunately, it seems to have squandered it away, just like it squandered away twenty years of unprecedented prosperity only to end up with huge deficits and even huger debts. Today, Europe is waking up from the binge…

Assuming that current demographic trends are here to stay, every third inhabitant out of 30 million in Poland will have retired in 2050, whereas the combined population of Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary will have diminished by as many as 12 million people. This is the prospective trigger for geopolitical collapse of the whole…

An interview with Emmanuel Todd by Maciej NowickiEuropean history in recent years could be described as a gradual decline of American influence and a huge increase of the importance of Germany—says Emmanuel Todd interviewed by Maciej Nowicki.

The development of relations with the countries of “Greater” Central Europe should be a strategic goal for Warsaw in the coming decades.

The policy conducted by Moscow does not seem to indicate that its goal could be subordinating the region or reducing its status within the EU or NATO. Still, particular states should be aware what potential Russia has as far as its possible impact is concerned.