Central and Eastern Europe: Current affairs and analysis

The threat of hybrid attacks from Iran and Russia means the UK should develop a force dedicated to protecting its bases and infrastructure at home. Finland and Poland offer lessons.

Ending a dispute on minority rights would do more than progress Ukraine’s EU accession talks: it could strengthen the continent’s posture towards Moscow.

Protests about plans for a luxury resort expose issues confronting all developing countries - over natural resources and sovereignty in an age of a triple planetary crisis. 

Péter Magyar and his Tisza party have won a landslide victory, ending 16 years of Viktor Orbán’s rule. But to what extent voters have also rejected Orbán’s model remains to be seen.

Perhaps, but change will not mean transformation.

During a speech at Chatham House the president outlined why the EU must embrace ‘flexible integration’ to forge closer relations with the UK and countries like Ukraine.

Relying on imports of US LNG carries economic and environmental risk. In the long term, Greece should invest in its considerable clean energy infrastructure.

The event explored how to ensure positive, secure resource governance in Africa. 

From the US to Hungary, from Iraq to Ghana, new erosions of minority rights are a warning of democratic backsliding. To fight back this Pride month, new alliances must be formed, says Ari Shaw.

Residents of Estonia’s border city have strong but complicated ties to their Russian neighbours. Photojournalist Mario Heller meets some of them to discuss identity, language and Russian expansion.

A secret CIA operation spent decades flooding the Eastern Bloc with banned literature – nowhere more successfully than Poland in the 1980s, writes Charlie English.

Victory for Civic Coalition-backed candidate in May would end the government’s legislative deadlock with hardline president, writes Iona Allan.

With Trump in the White House, a key challenge for Europe will be the growing transatlantic illiberal ties which risk undermining European unity.

The two countries face unusually consequential elections where their populations must choose between moving unambiguously towards the West – or towards closer ties with Russia.

Focusing on three fundamental priorities to help safeguard European security will put NATO in a better position to tackle the many other challenges it faces.

Moscow’s agents are trying to destabilize Ukraine’s supporters – but while the Baltic states and Finland are boldly countering Russian espionage, others are more reticent, reports Helen Fitzwilliam.

Reconciling its transatlantic approach with EU defence initiatives could make Poland a leader on European defence.

The summit is not only a chance for the new UK government to build relationships with European leaders, but a key opportunity for European countries to make progress on shared political and security challenges.

Less than two weeks into Hungary’s EU Council presidency, Viktor Orbán has clearly shown he will not play by the rules. The EU must come up with a response.

A shrinking army risks the UK’s ability to fulfil its roles within the alliance. Boosting spending on recruitment, retention and upgrading capabilities is essential to maintaining a leadership role.

The award acknowledges the prime minister’s commitment to restoring democracy in Poland.

During his trip to Europe Xi could find it hard to address the damage wrought by COVID-19 and Beijing’s stance on Ukraine. But he may exploit existing tensions with Washington.

The case of Britons allegedly working for Russian intelligence is just one example of how Moscow is actively disrupting normal life in Europe and the Baltic region.

Alliance countries need better understanding of the risks to their undersea infrastructure, and improved signalling to deter Russian sabotage and hybrid attacks.

After a breakaway part of Moldova appeals for Russian protection, evidence mounts that Moscow is stepping up interference in the eastern European state ahead of key elections.

Containing Russia requires a holistic view of Black Sea security that considers how this is interlinked with the security of adjacent regions.

Donald Trump’s threats to NATO allies must unite European leaders in the defence of Europe.

As Russia continues to weaponize migrants to undermine EU unity on Ukraine, the EU can learn important lessons from Finland.

Hungary’s right-wing prime minister is frustrating efforts to deliver a €50 billion EU support package for Ukraine. Why?

The EU must tackle the challenge of rogue member states to fulfil its potential as a geostrategic actor.

Russia sees Belarus as a strategic asset in its confrontations with Ukraine and NATO. For the sake of regional security, Western governments must encourage Minsk towards a more neutral stance.

While the Black Sea plays a pivotal role in Russia’s strategic thinking, the region also presents a critical opportunity for the West to contain Moscow’s global ambitions.

Russia’s military industry is struggling to modernize under the weight of sanctions and the demands of war. The West must aim to widen the growing technological gap with Moscow to blunt the latter’s threat.

This report makes the case for dramatically increased Western military assistance to Ukraine, and counsels against concessions to Russia.

Efforts to understand the rise of populist parties and movements in Europe need to take into account the diverse contexts in which anti-establishment protest has flourished.

There is potential for complementary agendas in French and German approaches to Russia, but the Franco-German ‘motor’ will not be enough to push through an EU-wide Russia policy.

This report deconstructs 16 of the most prevalent myths that shape contemporary Western thinking on Russia, and explains their detrimental impact on the design and execution of policy.

This paper finds that the transition perspectives of Central and Eastern European member states can help shape the EU’s evolving partnership with Africa.

The COVID-19 crisis could lead to a wider rethink of Europe’s political economy. This paper explores what such a model might look like, and what it would mean for the governance of the European Union.

Instead of trying to resolve an unresolvable contradiction, Western policymakers should acknowledge the starkness of the Minsk conundrum.

Trade between Central and Eastern Europe and sub-Saharan Africa has increased significantly in the last decade and a half. There is a strong case to be made for greater economic re-engagement, especially in terms of investment, that has the potential to support inclusive growth in both regions.

In societies struggling to democratize, social uprisings are an opportunity for new political elites. This paper examines factors for political renewal.

Building the resilience of societies and institutions offers a potentially viable strategy for the three countries to achieve more secure and less damaging cohabitation with Russia.

In the first of a new annual series, Chatham House experts examine how aspects of the established order in global affairs are shifting.