Our weekly digest of articles about emerging Europe published elsewhere this week, all of which caught our eye and all of which are well worth your time. Listing them here, however, does not necessarily mean that we agree with every word, nor do they necessarily reflect Emerging Europe’s editorial policy.
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What to do about Eastern Europe’s population crisis?
Nine of the world’s ten fastest-shrinking countries are in Eastern Europe. This ranking is led by Bulgaria and Latvia, both of which are expected to lose almost one quarter of their population by 2050. Others are not far behind. If these projections hold true, virtually every country in the region will see its population shrink over the coming decades.
Read the full story here.
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How liberalism became ‘the god that failed’ in Eastern Europe
After communism fell, the promises of western liberalism to transform Central and Eastern Europe were never fully realised – and now we are seeing the backlash.
Read the full story here.
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Inside Bosnia’s ‘nightmare’ camp for migrants trying to enter the EU
Aid agencies are warning of a humanitarian disaster in Bosnia, with people facing a winter without proper accommodation. Bosnia is now a major route into the EU – 45,000 migrants have arrived in the country since the start of 2018.
Watch the full report here.
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Polish activists fight for rights already guaranteed in their constitution
The democratic community in Poland is under threat, but activists and judges who use the constitution to push back against the government and fight for human rights are now paying a steep price.
Read the full story here.
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Europe’s ‘No’ to Balkan hopefuls has undermined its influence
The EU’s decision not to open accession negotiations with North Macedonia and Albania will have damaging consequences for the Western Balkans – and for the EU’s transformative power in the region – analysts say.
Read the full story here.
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In defence of George Soros and democracy
George Soros is now the principal antagonist of many new autocrats, and he has become a handy scapegoat. Authoritarian regimes make effective use of character assassination to stay in power, and this is nowhere more apparent than in Hungary.
Read the full article here.
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The egalitarian promise of 1989 — and its betrayal
The deep unfairness of the transition from communism in Central and Eastern Europe fed the illiberal populist rebellion across the region today.
Read the full article here.
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Some 400 Korean artifacts go on show in Poland, a first in Eastern Europe
The first large-scale exhibition of Korean art in Eastern Europe, which opened at the National Museum in Warsaw on October 11, runs until January 12, 2020.
Read the full story here.
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The Cold War Legacy: Czechoslovakia
What do new generations of Czechs feel about the future as well as the communist past? First in a new BBC radio series looking at the legacy of the Cold War.
Listen here.
