Slovakia's parliament has approved a constitutional amendment enshrining the existence of just two genders.

#Slovakia's government fighting on all fronts w thx to @matisaksk.bsky.social Michal Simecka and Radoslav Stefancik www.dw.com/en/slovakia-...

Cracking piece by @tgoscee.bsky.social documents millions being spent by Orban / Fidesz on a bunch of disinformation across multiple EU countries balkaninsight.com/2025/07/28/h...

See Orban's ban of Budapest Pride is going well ...

Czech Republic to become the first in Europe to legalise magic mushrooms for mental health treatment? www.thetimes.com/world/europe...

Central Europe's right-wing populist networks up their game p.dw.com/p/4vT8Y

Journalist who broke the Bitcoin scandal now roiling the #Czech govt says the focus is being turned on her as a distraction from the multiplying questions re: who knew what, when, where the money came from, how much there was, who accessed it etc etc ...

Excellent analysis here from my colleague @aslak.bsky.social arguing for the activation of the ACI against Russia to get rid of Hungary's veto threat.

South Korea's KHNP and the #Czech government have completed the long-delayed signing of the contract to expand the Dukovany nuclear plant ct24.ceskatelevize.cz/clanek/domac...

New (IDEA) poll from Hungary confirms continued advantage of opposition Tisza Party over Fidesz (44 vs 37 among decided voters). Left-liberal Democratic Coalition & extreme right Our Homeland around the threshold. MSZP, Jobbik, LMP, PM - leading opposition parties in the mid-2010s - are at 0%.

Slovak PM Fico has accused a judge of 'criminal acts' and serving the opposition after the conviction of his former finance minister for bribery aje.io/vsx3s3

A group of Republican lawmakers has written to the EU to raise concern that “Obama, Soros, and the Globalist Left are trying to rig Poland’s presidential election” in favour of the centrist, government-aligned candidate against his conservative rival.

#Czech Republic accuses #China of running "malicious cyber campaign" against its foreign ministry mzv.cz/jnp/cz/udalo...

🇨🇿🗳️Election watch: Czech independent media are being squeezed at the worst possible time. Read Albin Sybera's analysis⤵️

MEPs debated the "Russian style" Hungarian law. Commissioner McGrath raised some concerns, but didn't announce any action. nepszava.hu/3280615_atla...

Hungary: Foreign funding bill poses most serious threat to independent media in years ipi.media/hungary-fore...

Dozens of news outlets, think tanks and rights groups published an open letter protesting against planned legislation that they said is meant to silence criticism of the Hungarian government.

#Hungary's new "Transparency Bill" surpasses all previous efforts in its open attack on basic democratic norms and fundamental rights & on the core principles of EU law and the authority of the @ec.europa.eu . My piece for @euobserver.com 👇 euobserver.com/rule-of-law/... @gmfus.bsky.social

Diplomatic spat ignites as #Poland accuses #Russia of sabotage aje.io/2du8c0 via @ajenglish.bsky.social

Ukraine accuses duo of spying for Hungary aje.io/1krtsz

Pellegrini vs Fico: Is It Theatre or War between #Slovakia’s President and PM? balkaninsight.com/2025/05/05/p...

👩‍👧‍👦💰Peak nepotism: Today, Donald Trump Jr. speaks at a closed-door business forum held at Orbán’s daughter and son-in-law’s luxury hotel in Budapest. The same hotel the Orbáns used to milk EU delegations during Hungary’s EU presidency—just like Trump did with his DC hotel: vsquare.org/hungary-eu-p...

HOW HAVE VIEWS OF MAJOR POWERS IN V4 CHANGED? Our polling reveals that: ❌ 🇷🇺 #Russia's image has significantly deteriorated since 2020 ✅ 🇺🇸 The #USA remains the most positively seen major power 🆗 🇨🇳 #China's perception is largely immune to geopolitical change Take a closer look at our 📈!

Will Trump's tariffs break 'backbone' of Slovakian economy?

🇪🇺 🇨🇿 Good news from @vonderleyen.ec.europa.eu. #Czechia is a proud host to @rferl.org.web.brid.gy in Prague.

#Hungary's ruling party has submitted a bill to ban @budapestpride by changing the constitution to restrict the right of assembly. Menacing move for the right to protest.

Great article by @tgoscee.bsky.social on the growing suppression of #CivilSociety in #Hungary #Slovakia #Serbia & how changes in the Transatlantic space catalyze it, with quotes from @milanninberlin.bsky.social & yours truly. @deutschewelle.bsky.social www.dw.com/en/civil-soc...

Facing political challenges at home and emboldened by #Trump's dismantling of #USAID, the governments of #Hungary, #Serbia and #Slovakia are cracking down on civil society. With insight from @danielhegedus.bsky.social @milanninberlin.bsky.social Budapest Pride p.dw.com/p/4rfhL

Poland's conservative opposition enthusiastically welcomed Donald Trump's return to the White House, but it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to maintain a tough anti-Russian line while also showing allegiance to the US president, writes @danieltilles1.bsky.social.

Today, Czech MPs approved an increase in licence fees for public service media and introduced a system of automatic indexation based on inflation. Given the current climate across Europe, it is almost a miracle. I spoke about the developments for Balkan Insight: balkaninsight.com/2025/02/26/b...

The #Czech lower house has passed a bill to raise the licence fee for public service media. However, Czech Television and Czech Radio could face a bigger threat following elections in the autumn ipi.media/czechia-publ...

Russia paid recruits in Poland to carry out tasks including spray-painting vulgar slogans attacking the then ruling PiS party and President Duda. The operatives, hired online and paid in cryptocurrency, also carried out espionage on behalf of Russia.

Hungary says it will veto the new upcoming EU sanctions package unless several people are excluded from it. Per Systema, here are the people Budapest wants left off. t.me/systemasyste...

Excellent analysis of the latest developments in the long & tortuous struggle to secure financial sustainability and political independence of the #Czech public service media.

Battle Over #Czech Public Service Broadcaster: Another Rerun balkaninsight.com/2025/02/26/b... w insight from @vstetka.bsky.social @marinaurbanikova.bsky.social balkaninsight.com/2025/02/26/b...

Slovak government teeters as more mass protests planned, by @tgoscee.bsky.social www.dw.com/en/slovak-go... #Slovakia #politics

Back to the streets in Slovakia tomorrow ... Good write up from @tgoscee.bsky.social www.dw.com/en/slovak-go...

#Slovakia PM Fico is looking increasingly panicky, with rallies planned in more than 50 towns and cities for Friday. p.dw.com/p/4q6Rf

🥳🇨🇿 This is huge! Czechs are the first to join the EU Commission’s lawsuit against Orbán’s Russia-style foreign agent law, which targets Hungarian anti-corruption and environmental activists, plus investigative journalists. A key symbolic move and show of solidarity. Děkuji!🙏

Good piece on culture wars that don't exactly exist in Slovak society, yet Fico / Smer use to tie up parliamentary time & chew through social media Just exhausting .. which is the point @tgoscee.bsky.social spravy.pravda.sk/domace/clano...

Performing his common trick, #Hungary's Orban looks set to back down on his threat to block EU sanctions against #Russia when it comes to the crunch. www.reuters.com/world/europe...

Huge protest in Bratislava this evening against PM Fico's pro-Russian foreign policy moves. Fico claims that a coup is being organised against his #Slovakia's govt.

Life from Slovakia.

Could Fico's risky pro-Russian strategy rebound on #Slovakia 's coalition govt? p.dw.com/p/4pGrj

The date of Poland's presidential election has been officially announced. It will take place on 18 May. If no candidate wins over 50% of the vote, a second-round run-off between the top two will take place on 1 June.

Ukraine says it's ready to fill any vacant space in the EU and NATO if Hungary chooses to vacate it in favor of membership in Russian-led blocs. mfa.gov.ua/en/news/kome...

‼️Why Viktor Orbán's right-hand man was sanctioned under US Global Magnitsky: "Rogan has used his role to enrich himself and those loyal to his party... Rogan has orchestrated Hungary’s system for distributing public contracts and resources to cronies loyal to himself and the Fidesz political party."

#Slovakia govt says PM Fico will meet w EU Commission on Jan 9 to "discuss the end of Russian gas transit through Ukraine" and probably to rant a bit ...

As promised, posting an update on EU funds to Hungary. Out of the €19.2B frozen: ▪️Budapest has permanently lost €1.04B under rule of law conditionality ▪️€400M+ is being deducted due to the ECJ's June decision on asylum If no progress on either, Hungary set to lose additional ~€1.4B at year's end.