Varvara Prodai
Hungary’s government recast Budapest Pride as a danger to children and national security, then banned the 2025 march. Varvara Prodai’s data show that the 'security threat' framing spiked in Hungarian, while English-language messaging remained legalistic, revealing a two-track playbook that weakens minority rights and narrows civic space Read more
Nayara F. Macedo de Medeiros Albrecht
Nayara Albrecht argues that although the proposal claims to target privileges, it risks undermining the integrity of public administration. She suggests that the agenda should also address disparities within the public sector Read more
Benjamin Faude
This month marks ten years since the adoption of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals. Yet there is little cause for celebration: progress has been dismal. Benjamin Faude and Jack Taggart argue that the governance of the goals has undermined progress. They warn that rather than achieving transformative change, such governance risks entrenching the beleaguered status quo Read more
Ann-Kathrin Reinl
Ann-Kathrin Reinl argues that welfare security is the quiet hinge of public support for EU enlargement. Credible guarantees on national benefits blunt fears about costs and migration. If we reassure citizens on welfare, support for a larger EU holds Read more
Catherine Forde
The climate crisis is having an alarming impact on Europe – and women and marginalised communities are disproportionately affected. Despite these challenges, Irish and EU climate policy remains largely gender blind. Catherine Forde and Fiona Dukelow consider what impact this has on the development of effective climate change policy Read more
Dimitra Mareta
This new phase in the Science of Democracy series posits the idea of a 'Fourth Theorist' – a still-to-exist thinker who may in future come to life. But, asks Dimitra Mareta, will that person, or thing, deliver on their promises? Or will it the Fourth Theorist prove a false idol? Read more
Henrique Garbino
The Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel landmines is under serious challenge. In 2025, six state parties — Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Finland and Ukraine — began the procedure to withdraw from the convention. Henrique Garbino and Priscyll Anctil Avoine argue for a critical assessment of the rationale behind this decision, and its consequences Read more
Alexander Kondakov
In 2024, Georgia adopted a new legal framework that mirrors Russia’s ‘gay propaganda’ ban. Alexander Kondakov and Sandro Tabatadze explore how this law blends Russian-inspired anti-gender policies with homegrown political logic. It is reshaping Georgia’s identity and challenging its Western ties, while raising broader implications for global authoritarian movements Read more
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