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
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
Rafaela Gonzalez Lucioni
EU enlargement, without credible enforcement of democratic standards, threatens the Union’s integrity. Cases like Hungary and Serbia expose the dangers of performative reforms and weak accountability. Rafaela Gonzalez Lucioni argues that to remain a values-based project, the EU must reform internal mechanisms and adopt a phased, conditional approach to accession Read more
Gabriela-Elena Plăpămaru
Amid rising illiberalism, Romanian democratic institutions face growing pressure. Gabriela Plăpămaru reveals how the traditional right tried to undermine Romania’s education sector — and how progressives responded with institutional resilience Read more
Paula Iacobescu
In countries the world over, the patriotic man is the face of illiberal masculinity. Paula Iacobescu explores the illiberal male ideal in contemporary Romanian politics, through its figurehead, George Simion Read more
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