Will Europe act on the dismantling of Ukraine's anti-corruption institutions? Important piece by my GMF colleague Josh Rudolph euobserver.com/eu-and-the-w...

Crisp and clear take on stakes that could not be higher in #Poland's presidential elections. By Maria Skóra (@mariaskora.bsky.social‬). verfassungsblog.de/polands-pola...

Great overview of political dynamics in #Hungary one year ahead of key parliamentary elections. By my GMF (@gmfus.bsky.social‬) colleague Zsuzsanna Vegh (@veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social‬) for GSSC (@gssc-lt.bsky.social‬). www.gssc.lt/en/publicati...

How to support Ukraine’s 1.2 million+ war veterans? Join GMF for a deep dive into this key issue of Ukrainian stability and recovery. With ReThink.CEE Fellow Irina Dobrohorska, Mariia Kudelia (Veteran Hub), Jonathan Röders (Corioli Institute), and Iryna Khomiak (GMF). www.gmfus.org/event/reinte...

🇷🇸 The massive anti-government protests in Serbia following a deadly railway collapse last November are unprecedented in Serbian history. 🔗 GMF ReThink.CEE Fellow Aleksandar Ivković analyses what the protests mean for Serbian politics:

Join us for this event! The theme could not be timelier, and the cast of experts could not be better.

Keep an eye out on #Serbia today where months-long protests against the Vucic government are coming to a head. Hopefully without violence. www.danas.rs/vesti/politi...

Excellent, if depressing, piece on the end of US democracy aid and on possible responses by European funders. Thanks, Sarah Repucci and @zecsaky.bsky.social! europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu/filling-the-...

📢Working Paper Alert! In the age of spin dictatorships, propaganda isn’t just a tool of autocrats—it’s seeping into democracies, too. Péter Krekó (Political Capital, @gmfus.bsky.social) explores how modern regimes use social media to manipulate public opinion. www.authlib.eu/peter-kreko-...

💡 What are the costs & benefits of China expanding its influence in the Western Balkans via its Digital Silk Road? 🎙️ Join GMF #ReThinkCEE fellow Arta Haxhixhemajli, Ivana Karásková (AMO), Stefan Vladisavljev (BFPE) & Gordana Delic @gmfus.bsky.social on Mar 5, 3pm CET! www.gmfus.org/event/digita...

"The term DEI, frequently invoked by the Trump administration, functions as a smoke screen" read @adamserwer.bsky.social on the real goals of the 'anti-DEI' rhetoric www.theatlantic.com/politics/arc...

People are getting up off the mat.

Good snapshot of new Russian exiles by @nickbouchet.bsky.social of @gmfus.bsky.social and Anastasia Burakova of Ковчег/Ark www.gmfus.org/news/russias...

This NYT piece describes the devastation being wrought in the global health sector by the foreign assistance freeze. Let me say a few words about what this looks like in the sector I work in, often called democracy and governance (DRG). 🧵

What a despicable thing to say about an institution that, while imperfect, has made a difference to the lives of hundreds of million people. www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

1/UPDATES to this story include: “Late Sunday, a growing number of USAID employees began telling each other in chat groups that they had lost access to their official emails ... The loss of access added to worries that even more USAID staff will be put on leave.” www.politico.com/news/2025/02...

1/My colleagues & I have been covering Trump & Musk’s targeting of USAID from the start. We’ve heard rumblings of an executive order shifting a much-shrunken version of USAID under State. Dem lawmakers are furious, saying such a move is illegal w/out Congress’ consent. My guess is Trump team is …

This suspension of US foreign aid, and the likely termination of much of it, is a sea change. Not least for democracy and human rights that have been central to development assistance globally. www.justsecurity.org/106876/us-fo...

I’m not going to elaborate a lot here, but this is a global crisis for human rights work

How can exiled democrats help bring about change in their home countries? What challenges do they face? What kind of support do they need? Deep dive into two decades of Belarusian experiences by Nathaniel Myers for the @gmfus.bsky.social. www.gmfus.org/news/strateg...

Agree, the electoral cycle in Germany to worry about is 2029, after four years in which the AfD is the only opposition on the right.

Rubio und Trump stellen der globalen Nachkriegsordnung den Totenschein aus. Was nun? Ein ehrlicher Blick in den Spiegel könnte ein Anfang sein. Der erste Versuch in der Geoeconomics-Kolumne im morgigen Handelsblatt.

Good news from Belarus, however calculated by Lukashenka's regime it may be ahead of another election farce and in an attempt to re-establish some relations with the West. www.bbc.com/news/article...

Welcome, @claudmajor.bsky.social! www.gmfus.org/news/dr-clau...

Ich sehe in einer übermäßigen Fixierung auf böse Mächte von außen (Musk, Putin usw)., die auf Politik und Wahlen hierzulande Einfluß zu nehmen versuchen, eine Gefahr.

This is all the Russians have been able to take in almost a year, at the cost of about 1500 men A DAY. You heard that right, 1500 PER DAY

💥AUTHLIB Working Paper💥 How do the autocratizing regimes of Hungary & Russia use domestic propaganda and traditional media outlets to control the information space? Dorka Takacsy, visiting fellow at @gmfus.bsky.social, explains the connections. www.authlib.eu/dorka-takacs...

💡New on the AUTHLIB Blog💡 Originating from the US, extreme sovereigntist movements pose a threat to democracies. Ales Michal (Charles University) explores the movement and how its branches show up in Czechia. www.authlib.eu/extreme-sove...

💡New on the AUTHLIB Blog💡 Why do politicians defect from dominant parties? Dean Schafer from CEU Democracy Institute shows that in the case of AKP the motivation was self-interest. 🔗 www.authlib.eu/defecting-do...

🗳️ European Parliamentary Elections 🗳️ The far right won't dominate the new European Parliament, but its normalization, facilitated by the mainstream, has long-term consequences for European policymaking & democracy, writes @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social @gmfus.bsky.social www.authlib.eu/creeping-inf...

🗳️New on the AUTHLIB Blog🗳️ "The case of Hungary shows that governments can be the most efficient super-spreaders of disinformation", writes Péter Krekó (visiting fellow, @gmfus.bsky.social) about state-sponsored disinformation in the Hungarian EP campaign. www.authlib.eu/state-funded...

🗳 New on the AUTHLIB Blog 🗳 W/ the radical right rising in the EP elections & 3 illiberal govs sending members to the European Commission, an ambitious EU rule-of-law agenda is unrealistic in the 2nd half of 2024, argues @danielhegedus.bsky.social @gmfus.bsky.social www.authlib.eu/eu-election-...

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 What kind of social policies do illiberal actors pursue? Are their reforms popular? 📒 In her Authlib Working Paper, Dorottya Szikra (CEU) examines illiberals' social policies in Austria, Hungary, Italy, and Poland. Dive in for the details ➡️ www.authlib.eu/dorottya-szi...

🇸🇰 The Slovak presidential election brought the government-backed Peter Pellegrini's victory. But the real winner is PM Fico, argues Juraj Marusiak. ❓What led to Pellegrini's victory? ❓How will it impact Slovak politics? Find out on the Authlib Blog ⤵️ www.authlib.eu/presidential...

📚 New journal article 📚 AUTHLIB's @zsolt.bsky.social (CEU) explores the Orbán regime's ideology in his paper in Contemporary Politics. He finds 3 ideological modules: 🔹illiberal conservatism, 🔹civilizationist ethnocentrism, and 🔹paternalist populism. Find out more 👇 www.authlib.eu/illiberal-co...

🪪 Does 'illiberalism' matter when it comes to immigration and citizenship policy in Europe? 📽️ Dimitry Kochenov & Elena Basheshka (CEU) explored it discussing their recent working paper w/ Boldizsár Nagy & Alíz Nagy at CEU Democracy Institute. Watch our recording 👇 www.youtube.com/watch?v=1JGE...

Just out: GMF policy paper on "AI Policy in EU Illiberal Democracies: The Experience in Hungary and Poland". By our superb ReThink.CEE Fellow Filip Konopczynski. www.gmfus.org/news/ai-poli...

Hopeful piece on Armenia-Azerbaijan. By our ReThink.CEE Fellow Rusif Huseynov of Topchubashov Center. Via German Marshall Fund of the United States and Transitions Media tol.org/client/artic...

❄️ Our Quarterly Newsletter is out ❄️ As the Authlib – Neo-Authoritarianisms in Europe and the Liberal Democratic Response consortium is closing a busy but fruitful year, let us share with you what we are proud of from the past months and excited for the next few. www.authlib.eu/authlib-news...

The battle w/ the Hungarian government over financial & political support for Ukraine is far from over in the EU. Mustering a financial aid package for Ukraine is now critical. Our readout of last week's EUCO with @danielhegedus.bsky.social for Visegrad Insight. visegradinsight.eu/orbans-block...

How to undo an illiberal regime? Marta Żerkowska-Balas of SWPS University looks at the formidable task of returning democracy to Poland. Via @authlibeu.bsky.social www.authlib.eu/polands-retu...

Must read ahead of this week's European Council: As Hungary sabotages both a functioning EU and a secure Ukraine, it should lose its EU voting rights by Article 7 procedure, says my GMF colleague @danielhegedus.bsky.social @authlibeu.bsky.social visegradinsight.eu/the-eu-needs...

Another German Marshal Fund ReThink.CEE paper published. Jana Juzova looks at why and how the Visegrad Four countries try to influence the EU's enlargement policy, and to what extent they are able to. www.gmfus.org/news/v4-and-...

Coming soon: The Visegrad Four and their efforts at EU enlargement. On this, our ReThink.CEE Fellow Jana Juzova presents her new policy paper, and discusses with @engjellushem.bsky.social of @ecfr.bsky.social, Andrzej Sadecki of OSW, and @danielhegedus.bsky.social of GMF. shar.es/agb70y .

💥 Populism in Europe ahead of the European parliamentary elections Join this exciting panel on Dec 12, 4pm at our consortium member, SciencesPo in Paris or online w/ @caterinafr.bsky.social, Cas Mudde, Gilles Ivaldi, Nonna Mayer & Selma Šarenkapa. Register 👉 www.sciencespo.fr/centre-etude...

The EU Keeps Bulgaria and Romania Waiting for Schengen. Important reminder by Dimitar Keranov and Asya Metodieva of an overlooked EU failure-in-the-making. Via German Marshall Fund of the United States. shar.es/agbZ3q

Pretty sobering (read: scary) account by Grisa Meseznikov on where Slovakia is headed under the new-old Fico government @authlibeu.bsky.social visegradinsight.eu/ficos-govern...

Coming soon: The Visegrad Four and their efforts at EU enlargement. On this, our ReThink.CEE Fellow Jana Juzova presents her new policy paper, and discusses with @engjellushem.bsky.social of @ecfr.bsky.social, Andrzej Sadecki of OSW, and @danielhegedus.bsky.social of GMF. shar.es/agb70y .

Coming up shortly: Ukrainian lessons from Russian cyber warfare. Brand new policy paper by Khrystyna Kvartsiana​, ReThink.CEE Fellow at GMF, and discussion with Maksym Dvorovyi, Digital Security Lab Ukraine, Nad'a Kovalcikova of EU ISS and @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social. Register here👇 shar.es/agHM7k

Coming up shortly: Ukrainian lessons from Russian cyber warfare. Brand new policy paper by Khrystyna Kvartsiana​, ReThink.CEE Fellow at GMF, and discussion with Maksym Dvorovyi, Digital Security Lab Ukraine, Nad'a Kovalcikova of EU ISS and @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social. Register here👇 shar.es/agHM7k