Every Sunday, check out our weekly news roundup of the best pieces and most insightful articles on Central Europe in international media (note: access to some of them might be restricted to subscribers only).
Hungary’s new patriotic education meets resistance, BBC
Hungary is increasingly divided on the government’s new national curriculum, which critics see as the latest expression of Prime Minister Orban’s “culture war” and push to promote his conservative and nationalist agenda to the detriment of historical accuracy.
Poland’s presidential soap opera, Balkan Insight
With Poland’s presidential election only a few months away, Balkan Insight looks at the key issues to look out for and what the ruling PiS party is doing to secure the re-election of its candidate, incumbent Andrzej Duda.
Poland is cocking up migration in a very European way, The Economist
Despite its anti-immigration rhetoric and being one of the most homogeneous countries in Europe, Poland is quietly becoming a country of immigration and imitating its peers in Western Europe.
The subsidy paradox: How EU cash props up populists, Balkan Insight
Meet the ‘subsidy paradox’, or when “EU cash meant to encourage development in Central Europe ends up misused by populist governments whose very existence undermines the bloc’s cherished values”. news central europe
Orban’s media machine in the Balkans investigated for suspicious transactions, Direkt36
A fascinating long-read by local investigative outlet Direkt36.hu on the expansion of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban’s media empire in the Balkan countries and their more than dubious inner workings.
Ukraine’s economic growth may spell trouble for Poland, Al Jazeera
Ukrainian immigrants coming to work in Poland have been a key ingredient of the country’s economic success and booming growth for some years. But now, many of them could be on the verge of returning home, or pushing further west to find higher-paid jobs in Germany.
The end of Eastern Europe’s great liberal hope, Foreign Policy
In less than two years, Slovakia’s Progressive Slovakia (PS) party sent Zuzana Caputova to the Presidential Palace and won the EU elections. Yet, they failed to even qualify for Parliament in last week’s elections. What went wrong?
Slovakia’s Matovic: Europe’s Mr Ordinary prepares for power, BBC
Igor Matovic’s shock victory in last week’s parliamentary elections in Slovakia has many people wondering whether the former media mogul, known for his stunts and theatrics, will be able to govern, and which kind of government coalition will emerge from post-election talks.
Follow our weekly KafkaDigest segment for more news from Central Europe in international media.
Main photo credit: Facebook/Orban Viktor
Kafkadesk 
Every Sunday, check out our weekly news roundup of the best pieces and most insightful articles on Central Europe in international media (note: access to some of them might be restricted to subscribers only).
Hungary’s new patriotic education meets resistance, BBC
Hungary is increasingly divided on the government’s new national curriculum, which critics see as the latest expression of Prime Minister Orban’s “culture war” and push to promote his conservative and nationalist agenda to the detriment of historical accuracy.
Poland’s presidential soap opera, Balkan Insight
With Poland’s presidential election only a few months away, Balkan Insight looks at the key issues to look out for and what the ruling PiS party is doing to secure the re-election of its candidate, incumbent Andrzej Duda.
Poland is cocking up migration in a very European way, The Economist
Despite its anti-immigration rhetoric and being one of the most homogeneous countries in Europe, Poland is quietly becoming a country of immigration and imitating its peers in Western Europe.
The subsidy paradox: How EU cash props up populists, Balkan Insight
Meet the ‘subsidy paradox’, or when “EU cash meant to encourage development in Central Europe ends up misused by populist governments whose very existence undermines the bloc’s cherished values”. news central europe
Orban’s media machine in the Balkans investigated for suspicious transactions, Direkt36
A fascinating long-read by local investigative outlet Direkt36.hu on the expansion of Hungarian PM Viktor Orban’s media empire in the Balkan countries and their more than dubious inner workings.
Ukraine’s economic growth may spell trouble for Poland, Al Jazeera
Ukrainian immigrants coming to work in Poland have been a key ingredient of the country’s economic success and booming growth for some years. But now, many of them could be on the verge of returning home, or pushing further west to find higher-paid jobs in Germany.
The end of Eastern Europe’s great liberal hope, Foreign Policy
In less than two years, Slovakia’s Progressive Slovakia (PS) party sent Zuzana Caputova to the Presidential Palace and won the EU elections. Yet, they failed to even qualify for Parliament in last week’s elections. What went wrong?
Slovakia’s Matovic: Europe’s Mr Ordinary prepares for power, BBC
Igor Matovic’s shock victory in last week’s parliamentary elections in Slovakia has many people wondering whether the former media mogul, known for his stunts and theatrics, will be able to govern, and which kind of government coalition will emerge from post-election talks.
Follow our weekly KafkaDigest segment for more news from Central Europe in international media.
Main photo credit: Facebook/Orban Viktor