If one thing is clear, it is that Central Europeans will not come out onto the streets solely for an abstract idea of “more democracy in Europe.” The question therefore remains: how to inspire Central Europeans to mobilize for real reform?
Your new pan-European movement seeks to democratize Europe. In that case, it is essential that it is joined by people from Central Europe—where xenophobia, racism, and neo-fascism are dramatically on the rise.
The tide of anti-refugee hysteria sweeping Europe brought Poland’s right-wing, autocratic-leaning PiS (Law and Justice) party a stunning victory in last weekend’s elections, pushing the country’s electoral left even further to the margins.
Far from being a NIMBY conceit, the anti-fracking movement is central to the global fight against climate change—and for a more just, sustainable economy.
Cross-posted from Waging Nonviolence. On November 9, 1989—twenty-five years ago—huge crowds of East Germans descended on the Berlin Wall. The restless citizens were responding to an announcement by authorities suggesting that the government would loosen travel restrictions. In truth, those …
In the post-1989 era, “there is no alternative” became not only the slogan of Poland’s economic transition but a very palpable reality. Today, as Poles celebrate #25yearsoffreedom, aggressive free-market reforms are still the order of the day, and the right is rising. So what does Poland’s post-communist generation actually have to celebrate?
Is there such a thing as a leftist foreign policy? What are the characteristic views of the left about the world abroad? When have leftists, rightly or wrongly, defended the use of force?
If the twentieth century was the age of fear, the twenty-first is the age of shame. This is the most succinct way to describe how the dominant form of repression has changed. The twentieth cen-tury was full of terrible events …
Since the end of the Communist regime, Poles have celebrated their Independence Day on November 11. Under conservative governments, marches on November 11 have become expressions of national chauvinism and homophobia, punctuated by outbursts of violence.
It is no longer clear that social democracy possesses a coherent and compelling political identity. But it is clear that social democracy has one important thing going for it: the serious commitment to democracy.
I had always wanted to go to Poland—the country where my father’s family comes from, but also where much of that family was wiped out.
The only common immigration policy that EU states have is fear.
During the last three years, the ruling elites in the countries of Eastern Europe, especially Poland, have clearly aimed to limit or even liquidate entirely the welfare state. They have introduced various forms of commercialization and privatization into the sphere …
At the beginning of 1990, the ideology of laissez-faire had made a triumphal return to the Polish political scene, and nothing appeared likely to disturb the self-assurance of the neoliberals. By now, however, there are increasing signs of disarray, crisis, …
Returning to Warsaw after a lapse of nine years, a visitor expects visual changes as dramatic as the political. That expectation is quickly dashed. The Polish capital simply looks more tired than ever, with its heartbreaking Stalinist architecture, mercifully relieved …
