Central and Eastern Europe

Yearbook

    Towards the League of the Balkan Left
  • The Balkan Peninsula has played a special role in Europe’s political imagination. For the greater part of contemporary history this region figured as a kind of barbaric wasteland. Barbaric in the original sense of the word, that is, of people speaking incomprehensible languages. Beyond this...
    Non-Voting and Support for Left Parties in Poland
  • Introduction For the first time since 1918, the Polish left has no representation in parliament. The country is now governed by a conservative nationalist party, which has managed to gain the support of sections of society that are amongst the most excluded and dissatisfied by the reality of...
    Transformation of the Czech Republic: New Challenges and Problems
  • The transformation process in the Czech Republic is a complex combination of economic and political dynamics. It represents the same logic that has underlain similar post-1989 processes in other countries of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). We will first briefly summarise the parameters and...
    Elections in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland
  • Taken together, the three Baltic republics Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania occupy an area about half the size of Germany. Poland, by contrast, is one of the largest EU member countries. In other respects too, Poland is very different from the three Baltic states. Unlike Lithuania, Latvia and...
    East of the West – The Visegrad Four
  • The Karlovy Vary Film Festival always presents a series called ‘East of the West’. The survey that follows will likewise look at the area east of the West, though in the slightly narrower sense of that part of Central Europe otherwise known as the Visegrad Four – the Czech Republic, Slovakia,...
    The European Union and Its Neighbours
  • Literally on a daily basis, the nature of the European Union’s relations with its neighbours is called into question by the never-ending refugee drama on the EU’s southern borders, the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, and the domestic struggles in Turkey and North Africa. The EU’s self-image...
    Some Notes on the Socialist Alternative in Post-Yugoslav Space
  • What if nobody attacks you? Stane Dolanc (1925-1999) was one of the most important Slovenian politicians in former Yugoslavia and among a few of the close trusted friends of President Josip Broz Tito. During his political career he held various high posts and argued for a strong, authoritarian...
    Croatia After EU Accession
  • From the perspective of economic policy initiatives, one of most notable developments since Croatia’s entry into the EU on 1 July 2013 is an intensified drive towards completing the privatisation process of the remaining publicly owned assets.
    Austerity Policy in Hungary
  • Recently Hungary appears much more often in the western media than ever before, usually, in critical articles that mention the Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and refer to the activity of the government and laws adopted by the parliament. The reason for this is the drastic change in Hungary’s policy and...
    Reforms in the Czech Republic – Towards Social Darwinism
  • The current situation in the Czech Republic is quite tense. Once again, twenty years after the so-called Velvet Revolution, citizens are asked to “tighten their belts” – however, this time not with the perspective that better times are coming, but that they are definitively behind them. The current...
    The Hungarian Disaster
  • I hate writing this article. Since I oppose the alarming authoritarian developments in my country and am pleading for the restoration of civil liberties, I might appear to be what I definitely am not: someone who thinks that the 21st-century European variant of liberal democracy is a political order...
    Losing the “Left” in Hungary?
  • The European elections demonstrated and further contributed to a deep disillusionment on the left in Hungary. The equilibrium between the two main parties in Hungary was shaken for the first time. The Socialists lost dramatically, their coalition-partner Free Democrats did not gain any seats. The...
    A Critical Report on the Crisis in Romania
  • Introduction: crisis upon crises It would not be far from the truth to say that in Romania the crisis overlapped an already embedded multi-layered crisis. What is happening today to Romanians in the Romanian state and society – a high degree of poverty, increased discrepancies between the poor and...

Focus

    The Extreme Right in the Baltic States: Introduction
  • The positions of far-right forces in the Baltics show the differences between these countries. Looking at them as one whole turns out to be a simplification, making it difficult to understand the internal specifics of each nation. Read our article series on the different approaches, successes and failures of far-right forces in these countries.
    European elections in Romania
  • In Romania, the European elections come against the background of an upsurge in class struggle that has not been matched, though, by any significant left-wing option at the polls on Sunday. The past year or so has witnessed a wave of important strikes, mostly in the industrial sector. For example,...
    European elections in 2019 in Hungary
  • The list of nine registered Hungarian parties participating on 26 May 2019 in the EUP elections and their main campaign slogans, but also a political comment on the current political landscape in Hungary.
    Latvia
  • Landslide win for Conservatives, Left significantly short of 5% threshold.
    Landslide victory for FIDESZ in the Parliamentary elections
  • At the parliamentary elections held in Hungary on 6 April 2014 the ruling rigth-wing populist Fidesz party won a landslide victory over its opponents and retained its 2/3 majority. Prime Minister Viktor Orban's policy has been justified by a strong nationalist course in order to catch the wind from the sails of Jobbik.
    The Foundation of the “United Left”
  • After some months of intensive discussion on a common program, three parties of the Slovene alternative Left, the “Party for Sustainable Development” (TRS), the “Democratic Labor Party” (DSD) and the “Initiative for Democratic Socialism” (IDS), agreed to join forces and compete together as a coalition in the crucial forthcoming European elections.
    The Hungarian Disaster
  • I hate writing this article. Since I oppose the alarming authoritarian developments in my country and am pleading for the restoration of civil liberties, I might appear to be what I definitely am not: someone who thinks that the 21st-century European variant of liberal democracy is a political order...

Blog

    A New Europe Will Be Born in the Periphery? 100 Shades of the EU
  • This special episode of Cross-Border Talks is devoted to a study prepared under the auspices of transform! europe, entitled "Hundred Shades of the EU — Mapping the Political Economy of the EU Peripheries". Two of the three of our co-authors working on the study were invited to the Cross-Border Talks interview.
    Voices for Peace
  • In reaction to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, transform! europe has issued a Peace Manifesto. A variety of other organisations advocate for peace as well: left parties and movements, NGOs, human rights organisations, peace movements, trade unions, religious groups, and many more.
    The Contemporary Beginning of Czech McCarthyism
  • The new Czech right-wing government is not just one of the many governments that have taken power in the Czech Republic over the past 30 years. It is a government that recalls the beginnings of McCarthyism in the US in the late 1940s.
    Hundred Shades of the EU – Mapping the Political Economy of the EU Peripheries
  • “Hundred shades of the EU – Mapping the Political Economy of the EU Peripheries”, is a title of the research study, conducted by transform! europe with the support of the Rosa-Luxemburg Foundation that aims at characterizing at the socio-economic, political, and cultural levels the current existing peripheries within the European Union.
    A New Wave of Protest against Abortion Laws in Poland
  • There has been a new wave of civic protests in Poland against the anti-women policy of the conservative Law and Justice party government and its right-wing coalition partners. As a result of a ruling by the illegally appointed Constitutional Tribunal, politicised by the current government, abortion...
    The Victims on Europe’s Eastern Borders
  • A humanitarian emergency is once again developing on the European Union’s borders: Refugees find themselves trapped between Poland and Belarus as Polish government takes increasingly aggressive action and even declared the state of emergency in two of its regions.
    Czech Elections: All Fears Have Come True
  • Prime minister Andrej Babiš’s party narrowly lost in the Czech Republic’s parliamentary election. For the left, the result was a disaster: both social democrats and communists failed to enter Parliament.
    On the 140th Birthday of Otto Bauer (1881-1938)
  • On 5 September 1881, Otto Bauer, one of the most prominent Austro-Marxist theorist of the inter-war period, was born. Find here a compilation of texts and lectures on Otto Bauer's work and impact.
    The Relevance of Otto Bauer and Austro-Marxism Today
  • More than a century ago, socialists in Austria were calling themselves 'socialists' because they wanted to create a new social model known as 'socialism'. At their intellectual peak, they set up a school of Marxist theory, which they described as being separate from both social-democratic reformism...
    The Austrian Revolution
  • The classic work by the most prominent Austro-Marxist theorist of the inter-war period, Otto Bauer, now available in English for the first time in full.
    USSR and Germany: On the Way to 22 June 1941
  • On 22 June 1941, Nazi Germany began its war of extermination against the Soviet Union, displacing and killing millions. The date also marks the beginning of the extermination of Europe’s Jews. Russian-based historian and member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Shveitser, analyses the geopolitical situation preceding the German attack.
    Non-representative democracy — season Bulgaria, episode 2021
  • On April 4 in Bulgaria’s parliamentary elections, 25% of voters supported Prime Minister Boyko Borissov's right-wing party, GERB. But new parties that campaigned on anti-corruption and Covid denial also did extremely well. The left's decline is disastrous.
    We've Had Enough! Women's Strike 2020
  • Starting last autumn, massive demonstrations against the near-total ban on abortion have swept through the streets of Polish cities and towns under the banner of Women's Strike – the country's biggest protests in recent history.
    Slovak Left at the Crossroads
  • The parliamentary elections in March 2020 have redrawn the political map of Slovakia. It will undoubtedly have an impact on the left spectrum as well. What is the current state of the Slovak left and what are the challenges?
    Beach Politics Rule: The Epoch-Making Collapse of the Social Democrats
  • On the night of the first round of national elections in Lithuania, my head was spinning with possible article titles: the colossal defeat of the left, the era defining collapse, the epoch-making disaster of the socialdemocrats. I tried to remember the main slogan of their campaign but to no avail....
    The Hussite Town Tábor
  • Even though a society based on human dignity, ensuring a fair share of wealth and participation for everyone on matters concerning community has not yet been achieved, this Southern Bohemian town, founded 600 years ago, became an interesting example of the complexity and tenacity of this struggle.
    'WATCH OUT' – A New Anti-Fascist Educational Initiative Online
  • On the occasion of the International Day against Fascism and Antisemitism (9 November, the anniversary of the November pogrom 1938), the Polish ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association announces the launch of the online educational initiative ‘Watch Out’, conzeptualized by the ‘NEVER AGAIN’ Association and the Forward Foundation, supported by transform! europe.
    Czech communist party set for shake-up
  • KSČM politician Jiří Dolejš on the crisis facing the Czech left and his party’s renewal after the October regional elections. Dolejš is one of the protagonists in the debate on the party‘s future orientation before the upcoming party congress, which will be held in the runup to next year’s parliamentary elections.
    Feminism in Poland
  • On the rise of grass root movements and the possibilities for feminism in Poland.
    On the situation of the Czech left after the elections
  • The results of the Czech left in the regional elections are poor, for both the Communist KSČM and the social-democratic ČSSD. In regional councils, left-wing voices will be heard even less than in the past. A commentary by transform! europe's Board member Jiří Málek.
    Regional Elections in the Czech Republic
  • Regional elections were held in 13 regions (October 2/3 2020). They did not take place in Prague as the capital has a special statute. An overview from a left perspective.
    "Party of the Radical Left" founded in Serbia
  • The new party resulted from the transformation of the Social Democratic Union (SDU) – a process in which student movement activists participated as well as members of the Left Summit of Serbia and DiEM25 – which led to the most significant unification of Serbian left forces in the last thirty years.
    LGBT People Against the Authoritarianism of the Conservative Right
  • Recently, Poland's LGBT community and its supporters took to the streets in protest. It is a reaction to the growing trend of increased hateful rhetoric and actions expressed publicly by various organisations, politicians as well as by Poland's President Andrzej Duda and was fueled by the recent court ruling against an LGBT activist.
    European/Prague Spring 2020
  • UNITED for Intercultural Action, along with transform! europe, Prague Spring 2, Szab, Youth and Environment Europe, International Young Naturefriends, and SPaS, held a webinar to discuss the future of civic organizing in the context of the pandemic, and how leaders across Europe are responding to the crisis with a worryingly authoritarian way.
    Luka Mesec: 'We need a strong European left-wing alternative.'
  • Luka Mesec, MP and Coordinator of the Slovenian Levica (The Left), was the guest in the ninth edition of transform! europe's webinar series ‘Meeting the Left’. He spoke of the pandemic’s exposure of many shortcomings of capitalist systems, and pointed to opportunities for left politics.
    Poland’s Presidential Election plagued by Right-Wing Homophobia
  • Whilst the threat of the pandemic still hangs over Poland, the country is going to the polls at the end of the month to vote for its new President. The election is dominated by candidates from the two main right-wing parties, with the incumbent Andrzej Duda using homophobic propaganda as a central theme in his campaign.
    Economic Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic in the Czech Republic
  • The Czech Republic has so far fared well in containing the pandemic. However, the economic consequences of the lockdown and the rapidly worsening situation in the world economy are yet to come. This article deals with economic measures implemented to mitigate the economic consequences of the pandemic through the eyes of political economy.
    "Lūžis" – New Left-Wing Magazine in Lithuania Out Now
  • DEMOS Institute of Critical Thought, supported by transform! europe, has launched the first issue of its magazine Lūžis (Fracture). Lūžis is one of the rare left-wing magazines in Lithuania edited by progressive academics, political activists and trade unionists from Vilnius and Kaunas.
    What Awaits Slovakia After the Pandemic?
  • The pandemic crisis hit Slovakia in its most vulnerable period – just after the parliamentary elections in which the opposition defeated the coalition. Despite the fact that Bratislava had to manage a transition to a new government, Slovakia is one of the least affected countries. But for how long?
    "Plague Soft" in Arcadia: Lithuania Comes to Grips with Covid-19
  • The old Grand Duchy of Lithuania was variously described and compared to classic Arcadia, with its bucolic, rustic landscapes and woods, and the supposed tranquillity of its agrarian population. These rhetorical traditions persisted into modern nationalism, including the idea of Arcadian naivety and...
    States of Emergency in Europe: Poland
  • Series of overviews by authors of our network on political measures of state of emergency in European countries. The selection will be extended continuously.
    Political Earthquake in Slovakia: Government is Formed by Right-Wing Populists
  • The leitmotif of the parliamentary elections was the question of whether the opposition would be able to remove Smer-SD and its chairman Robert Fico from government. Although coalition negotiations are still ongoing, it is clear that Fico is going into opposition and his former coalition partners are outside parliament
    Unlimited Liberal Feminism in Lithuania
  • When thinking about the situation of feminism in Lithuania, the film Kramer vs. Kramer springs to mind. Or, perhaps it would be better to say that what arises is discussion within feminist circles about this film, decades after it was first seen on the screen.
    Vladimir Putin’s January Constitutional Coup
  • The constitutional reform that Vladimir Putin presented on 15th January 2020 was a surprise, especially for those who are not following Russia’s domestic political developments. The possibility of a significant transfer of powers from the president to the Duma (parliament) has been discussed repeatedly over the course of the past year.
    Municipal Elections in Hungary
  • Significant political changes in Hungary: In the larger cities, the fragmented opposition parties and civil organizations were able to increase their support due to the collaboration of different opposition factions. As a result of the disproportionate electoral system, in some places opposition was able to obtain a significant majority.
    Left Condemns Orbán’s Academia Power Grab
  • As thousands continue to protest against Viktor Orbán’s plans to curb Hungary’s academic freedom by seizing control of the country’s leading scientific research body, the Left in the European Parliament is throwing its full solidarity behind the campaign against this latest power grab.
    Ukraine’s Presidential Elections: Oligarch against Oligarch
  • Registered voters:   30,056,127 Turnout:  62.86 % (first round), 62.07 % (second round) second round: Volodymyr Zelensky - 73.22 % Petro Poroshenko - 24.45 % The recent presidential elections in Ukraine have provoked rather similar reactions in the West and in the post-Soviet countries,...
    A New Left Party Needed More Than Ever!
  • Eva Brenner in conversation with the Lithuanian scientists and activists Andrius Bielskis and Jolanta Bilskiene, co-founders of DEMOS Institute of Critical Thought.
    Building the Slovenian Left
  • Luka Mesec, the coordinator for the party Levica (“The Left”) in Slovenia, in conversation with the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung’s Wenke Christoph, on the political models that helped them succeed, and what challenges and chances come along with tolerating the government and building local structures.
    Chairman of the Hungarian Workers’ Party 2006 Attila Vajnai Facing Jail
  • Attila Vajnai was found guilty and sentenced by the Budapest 6th District Police to pay a fine of 50 thousand forints (about EUR 160). He was accused of  having taken photos at the demonstration organized by others during Turkish Head of State Erdogan`s visit to Budapest. On the photo those people...
    Anti-Government Demonstrations in Hungary
  • Representatives of the ruling FIDESZ party presented a bill to the Hungarian parliament on the amendment of the labour code increasing the number of working after-hours that can be ordered by employers to 400 a year in such a way that the wage for it is to be paid not immediately but only within...
    China and Central Europe – As the Left Sees It
  • Information on the proceedings and results of the international conference 'China and Central Europe. Political, Economic and Geopolitical Consequences - Standpoint of the Left', organised by the transform! europe member organisation SPED (Society for European Dialogue) with significant support from the RLS's Prague office.
    Building Bridges. Neighbourhood Central Europe?
  • To mark the 100th anniversary of the Austrian Republic, transform! europe and the Jahoda-Bauer Institute held a conference about the prospects for a common strategy for the Danube region and Central Europe. The event was supported financially by the Republic of Austria’s Fund for the Future and the Party of the European Left.
    Report From Vilnius
  • Activities accompanying the lecture on Bertolt Brecht and Brechtian Theater, „Performing Politics & Community Building: BRECHT for our Age“ (Lecture Demonstration), and a recent Vienna based theater production of Brecht’s „Refugee Dialogues“ (2018) by Projekt Theater/FLEISCHEREI_mobil, Nov. 29th 2018, Lithuanian State Youth Theater;
    BSTP Workshop: Is Nationalism Obsolete?
  • The Balkan Society for Theory and Practice will hold its second workshop on July 1-12th, 2019, in Prishtina, Kosovo. We welcome applications from all disciplines and encourage activists and artists to apply even if their work is not in the form of a traditional paper.
    Centre for the Politics of Emancipation
  • In autumn 2018, transform! europe could welcome the Centre for the Politics of Emancipation (CPE) as new observer organization. Read about the CPE presenting itself.
    Poland and the Left After the Local Elections
  • The recent local elections in Poland have once again been dominated by the country’s two main right-wing parties: Law and Justice Party (PiS) and Citizens’ Platform (PO). They have also underlined the present weakness of the Polish left, which was further marginalised during these elections.
    Social-Economic Situation in Ukraine: Gender Perspective
  • In this article, I shortly review the social-economic situation in Ukraine from the perspective of women and other vulnerable groups touching upon the issues of the structural adjustment policies, the armed conflict and the increase of the far-right violence.
    Protecting Children Against Violence
  • The topic of protecting children against violence is very actual all over the world. About the importance of this topic talks also a huge range of surveys, which verify that children have experiences with all types of violence. Therefore, transform! europe supported the Conference, aiming a multidisciplinary coordination of different entities.
    After the Referendum and the Vote in the Parliament of North Macedonia
  • The referendum in the Republic of North Macedonia on the approval of the Prespa Agreement, registered a strong majority of the YES, almost 94%, although this result was accompanied by a high percentage of abstention. In addition, what is happening in view of the debate in Parliament is indicative of...
    Counter Hegemony and the Rise of a New Historical Political Block
  • A critique of radical -and by now mainstream- anti-immigrant populism in Europe based solemnly on ideals of liberal-humanitarianism, without a systemic critique of capital is misleading in many respects. Such Analysts and commentators fail to understand properly or they just ignore, why...
    Neoconservative Movements in Slovenia
  • The report is analysing neoconservative movement that is focusing on opposing laws of and policies on sexual and reproductive rights in Slovenia. These movements are relying on religious beliefs to mobilize citizens to participate in politics around the ultra-conservative agenda related to family issues, gender, sexuality and reproductive health.
    From Love To Hate
  • An article by Viera Hudečková based on an intervention made at The International Conference “Another EU is necessary and possible” organised by the Party of the European Left on the 12th of May 2018, Sofia, Bulgaria.
    Naughty Kids from the East
  • The perception of the EU’s ‘Eastern wing’ by the so-called ‘old Europe’ seems to be going through a change. It has quickly become a target of Western criticism in the crisis’s aftermath.
    The Old-New Czech President
  • On the last weekend of January – and with a record-high turnout of 66% of 8,363,000 registered voters – Czechs chose the man who will be President of the Czech Republic for the next five years.
    26 Years of Apartheid and Ethnic Discrimination
  • With the proclamation of independence by Estonia in 1991, the Estonian political elite took action to prevent the Russian national minority from governing the country, depriving Russians of their political and civil rights. The Estonian Left needs the support of the European Left in its struggle for equality and human rights.
    Change and Continuity in the Polish Government
  • After two years in government, the ruling Law and Justice Party (PiS) has made some significant changes to the personnel of its government. Nevertheless, these changes are more designed to consolidate the government’s position, rather than signalling any significant alteration in its political course.
    ‘Independence March’ – The Unholy Alliance of the Polish Right
  • The annual Independence march (Marsz Niepodległości) took place in Warsaw on 11 November. Over 60,000 people attended, some of them masked and setting off red smoke bombs. Banners were carried with slogans supporting things such as a ‘white’ Poland and Europe and against refugees.
    A Black Autumn for the Czech Left
  • On 20 and 21 October, parliamentary elections were held in the Czech Republic. The populist ANO 2011 movement managed to gain the largest share of the vote mainly by applying smart marketing strategies during the election campaign. The Czech left, however, follows the European downward trend.
    The Transit Migration Situation in Serbia
  • Marta Stojić Mitrović, speaker at this year’s Summer University of EL and transform! europe on the transit migration in Serbia, the Serbian migration politics and the connection to the EU migration regime.
    The Bulgarian Election System Needs a Real Change
  • The proposed amendments in the Bulgarian Election code will not address the real problems. A majority voting electoral system cannot eliminate the problem with distrust in political parties, low turnout, unrepresentative, corrupted and dysfunctional public institutions.
    Polish Left: Mistakes of the Past and Challenges of the Future
  • When we observe the current political scene in Europe, we get the impression that something has gone very wrong. We can see that we – the left – have made many serious mistakes and that our weakness has given new opportunities to right-wing movements and parties.
    Why could a third-way party gain such a victory?
  • The results of the general elections in Albania came as a surprise to almost everyone: A landslide victory for the ruling Socialist Party, a political disaster for the Democratic Party and historically strong abstentionism.
    Few Points Regarding the Sense of the Revolution
  • On the background of this year’s 100th anniversary of the Russian Revolution Jiří Dolejš contemplates the role of revolutionary turmoil and its impact on the human society as well as the requirements under which a real change can be achieved.
    Which Way for the Left?
  • The Polish left-wing think tank Naprzód (Forward) co-organised a day-conference with transform! to discuss the common challenges facing the Polish and European left. How can the left rebuild itself in a situation when politics is increasingly dominated by the conservative and neo-liberal right?
    The Destruction of Reason
  • The Hungarian Academy of Sciences wants to dissolve the Georg Lukács Archives in Budapest. On a campaign against ‘Leftists’ and ‘Liberals’.
    Democracy Is More Than Just Elections
  • In last five years in Serbia the dominant political actor is conservative Serbian Progressive Party (SPP). In this period the opposition was hit by the defeat from which it hasn’t recovered until today and it does not represent substantial alternative to the current regime.
    The Law and Justice Party and Poland’s Turn to the Right
  • It has been over a year since the conservative Law and Justice party (PiS) took over complete governmental control in Poland. The presidential election won by Andrzej Duda in May 2015 and the victory of PiS five months later, gave party’s leader Jarosław Kaczyński almost total control of the state.
    Green peasant blues in Lithuania
  • Against the backdrop of the current rise in neo-nationalism and the growing xenophobia in the EU and across the Atlantic, one could say that the recent Lithuanian elections, which ended on 23 October, almost seemed to pass with bucolic tranquility. But it is a prelude to yet another phase of a deepening post-democratic crisis affecting national democracies without a politically mobilized precariat in the region.
    Nationalism and Xenophobia
  • The EU is facing enormous challenges. The coming months could be crucial in determining the future of the EU and its broad political orientations. The EU is facing an unprecedented series of challenges in particular on security, climate change, migration and the economy. This combination gives an opportunity for populism to rise and spread its venomous rhetoric.
    Racist state propaganda, migration policy and authoritarianism
  • On 2 October, a national referendum was held on the EU’s refugee quota system and Hungarian migration policy, in a climate dominated by racist state propaganda. While an overwhelming majority of voters rejected the EU's migrant quotas (98%), turnout was too low (43%) to render the poll valid. The government is still calling the referendum a success and wants to amend the Constitution accordingly.
    Some Reflections on the Visegrad Countries
  • In the Visegrad Group there are as many differences as similarities, which contributes to the Group having a certain dynamic. The Group has recently undertaken quite a lot of successful activities or at least initiatives.
    Regional elections in the Czech Republic
  • Elections to regional councils in the Czech Republic were held in 13 regions (except Prague) on 7 and 8 October 2016*. In one third of constituency's were together with Czech senate elections. In general the results show clear loss for both traditional left-wing parties as well as traditional right-wing parties across Czech Republic.
    CEE: Brexit, migration, EU crisis … and what’s next?
  • The current European situation dominated by issues such as Brexit, migration and EU crisis poses a set of questions for which we have to seek answers. Does the current European state of affairs have a specific influence on the CEE region in certain matters? How shall the radical Left act in this sphere and what kind of goals will they target?
    The Radical Left in Slovakia: Possibilities of recovery at the national and European level
  • The radical left is not only witnessing the global strengthening of the free market imperative at the expense of human rights – it is also suffering from it. This is most evident in the countries of the Central and Eastern Europe region in which traditional political subjects professing the ideals of socialism keep failing, owing to a whole range of specific factors that are both external and internal.
    Serbian 2016 Elections: Neoliberal Continuity
  • Even though Serbia’s recent elections featured some new candidacies, these “newcomers” are not new at all. The parliamentary landscape continues to look the same, with the same faces cropping up again and again over the past 25 years. Unfortunately, there is no left-wing option which could use current developments and propose an alternative to the current state of affairs.
    Right-wing radicalism from above
  • As things now stand, the new Croatian government is clearly demonstrating the intention of following most negative European political trends. These trends can be observed, for example, in Poland, Hungary and the Ukraine. Three months ago, a coalition of right wing parties came into power.
    CEE Social Forum
  • Globalization, racism, economic crisis, workers’ rights, imperialism – these are just some of the topics of the discussions during the 2nd CEE Social Forum held in Wroclaw, Poland, between 11 and 13 March. transform! Hungary participated in the forum which was attended by left-wing activists from around the world.
    Darkness at the End of the Tunnel
  • An analysis of the outcome of the 2016 Slovak parliamentary elections. What were the expectations beforehand, what actually happened and what does this mean for the Slovak and European left?
    The Fidesz Recipe
  • Fidesz is not a ground-up movement or the product of a specific political theory or philosophy. Instead, Fidesz is a precision-engineered religion – a power-center controlled by the government and the head of the church.
    Poverty and inequality in the Czech Republic
  • At first sight, according to mostly used indicators, the Czech Republic seems to be a very equal country with low poverty and inequality. However, the real situation is more complex as many citizens find themselves just close behind the poverty threshold.
    Back to the East?
  • The refugee crisis and immigration has opened up old divisions and created new ones between “the West” and “the East” within the European Union. How can this be understood beyond superficial media-ascribed labels?
    Refugee crisis and Hungary
  • Before the current refugee crisis Hungary’s immigration policy focused on the fight against illegal migration, but an explicit overall migration strategy was blatantly lacking.
    Transformation of the Czech Republic
  • The transformation of the Czech Republic, specifically of Czechoslovakia from 1990 to 1992, is a topic that relates not only to economics, but also has legal, social and political aspects. It is subject to many interpretations and also poses a fundamental question: whether the process is complete.
    Hungary’s municipal elections in 2014
  • The ruling right wing Fidesz party won a resounding victory in nationwide municipal elections on Sunday 12th October 2014, cementing prime minister Viktor Orban’s position as Hungary’s most dominant political force since the system change. Fidesz won the mayoralties in all but one of the 10 largest...
    Ukrainian Elections Results
  • Exit-polls and preliminary results showed a decisive victory for Petro Poroshenko at the presidential elections in Ukraine on 25 May. One of the richest man in the country (7th rank according to Ukrainian Forbes list) with liberal economic program is taking 54% according to over 64% counted...
    The Logic of a Revolt
  • Russian bureaucrats have been honestly surprised at the reaction by the official West – they did not expect such anger or unanimous condemnation. European politicians are beside themselves with fury. The mainstream press is relating appalling stories to its readers of Russian aggression against Ukraine. The television shows interviews with Kiev ministers and deputies who tearfully implore Europe to save their country from the enraged bear.
    Founding Congress of the Initiative for Democratic Socialism
  • On 8 March, the “Initiative for Democratic Socialism” (IDS) had its founding congress and officially transformed itself into a political party. In the invitation to the congress we have written that in the last twenty years all political parties in Slovenia have been representatives of one and the same fraction, the fraction of capital. We have emphasized that it is high time Slovenia gets a proper socialist party that openly and consciously represents a socialist alternative to both, the crisis in Slovenia as well as the crisis in European Union.
    Czech Labour Dilemmas in 2014
  • Currently, there are two immediate positive steps taken by the new Czech government: they instantly removed the hospital fees of CZK 100 (about 4 Euros) per person daily, and they continued refusing that Czech Post is privatized, as right-wing former governments have promoted in their agendas.
    A Revolution on the Periphery of Europe
  • On 7 February, government buildings were on fire all over Bosnia and Herzegovina. The people of Bosnia and Herzegovina, silent for a long time, finally decided to speak their minds. And when they did, those were not words – it was a roar. It was fire, stones and heavy fighting with the police.
    Albanian Political Forces and the EU Integration Process
  • Following the publication of the latest EU progress report on Albania, an intense debate broke out over the country’s accession prospects. A first approximation of the political discourse expressed by Albanian parties – irrespective of size or ideology – would reveal that the issue ranks high at the political agenda.
    The Crisis is not Solved, but Rather Intensified
  • After a government crisis in summer, early elections have been proclaimed in the Czech Republic. This weekend was the day D. The campaigning was relatively short and the program documents were to the majority not of much interest.
    May Day School 2013
  • The May Day School is a traditional event within the Spring-Summer conference circuit in the Balkans, held each year at the end of April by The Workers and Punks’ University (WPU) - a collective of students, researchers and activists from Ljubljana, Slovenia.
    Bulgarian Election: Fraud and Vote Buying
  • On 12 May in Bulgaria were held early parliamentary elections. They were reached after unprecedented massive protests in the whole country in February and the resignation of the government of the ruling party GERB.
    Findings of “Social Watch” in Hungary
  • The Party of the European Left organized a mapping of the social situation in various countries of member parties. In April it was Hungary – one of the so called post-communist countries. The author, living in Prague, took the opportunity to compare the Hungarian reality with the situation in the Czech Republic.
    The Bulgarian Winter of Protests
  • Over the past two months Bulgaria, the most passive country in the traditionally belligerent Balkans, has been shaken by protests. Since the beginning of February Bulgarians in most big cities have been out in the streets, protesting against the increased electricity and heating bills. After a few nights of clashes between police and protesters, the government of Boyko Borissov and his party GERB resigned.
    14/17N Day in the Czech Republic
  • With a certain distance, it is now possible to evaluate the participation of Czechs in Europe-wide actions against the advancing policy of cuts and the limitation of democracy. Two views are possible.
    Czech Elections: “No” to Austerity and “Yes” to Strengthening the Left
  • On 12–13 October 2012, elections took place in the Czech Republic. The elections were for regional assemblies and one-third of the Senate. Their political impact could have far-reaching results for the whole of society. They signalled a resounding “no” to cost cutting and complete submission to the demands of the world financial sector for a quick restart of neo-liberal capitalism.

Publication

    How the Czech Republic Became a Colony
  • ‘Jak jsme se stali kolonií’ was first published in 2015. It successfully undermined the myth of the ‘transformation success’ and showed that the position of the Czech Republic in the world economy is unsustainable and disadvantageous for its citizens. This eBook is an adapted and updated version for non-Czech readers.
    How to Enact Change – Through Legislative Initiative and Referendum Processes
  • In two successful left campaigns, the Institute of 8 March (Slovenia) has managed to effectively mobilise people to finally bring about legislative change. Supported by transform! europe, in this publication, the activists describe the steps in their remarkable success, the obstacles along the way and how they overcome them.
    The Covid-19 Pandemic: the End of Neoliberal Globalisation?
  • Leading Czech and Slovak scientists from various disciplines have contributed to this eDossier. Supported by transform! europe, economists, philosophers, sociologists, political scientists, historians, geologists and culturologists were brought together to reflect on the ongoing pandemic.
    The Situation of Women in Poland 2020
  • Starting in October 2020, feminist protests, which could not be ignored, have addressed the multitude of issues women are facing in the country. This publication of the Naprzód Foundation – available in English and Polish, co-financed by transform! europe – focuses on structural sexism and the current forms of patriarchal rule in Poland.
    Life Stories, Workers' Rights, and Feminism
  • The Slovenian Institute 8th March, supported by transform! europe, presents this collection of two sets of life stories: The first one was part of a cam­paign for workers’ rights, carried out before the pandemic, the second one is dedicated to the situation of self-employed parents during the pandemic.
    The Economic Response to the Covid-19 Pandemic in the Czech Republic
  • Ilona Švihlíková, a member of the National Economic Council, provides firsthand knowledge of the proposals concerning the Czech Republic’s socio-economic situation and analyses the measures implemented to mitigate the economic consequences of the pandemic through the viewpoint of political economy.
    Right to Water
  • Defending water as life's most important resource is becoming an increasingly important topic across Europe and the world. The pressures of private interests threaten the availability of drinking water and thus problematize the concept of water as a public good. The struggle for water is becoming more real in Serbia as well.
    Climate and Energy Transition in the Balkans
  • The publication starts with more general perspectives and the consequences of climate change for Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia and Bulgaria and continues in a second part with energy, using the examples of Croatia, Bulgaria, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. An eDossier by Bilten in cooperation with transform! europe.
    #jaztudi, Slovenia
  • In recent years, we have witnessed extraordinary events: with the hashtag #metoo, women have stepped into the public arena, revealing their experiences of systematic misogyny. The Institute of 8th March, supported by transform! europe, collected testimonies of #metoo stories, demonstrating the scope of sexual violence – also – in Slovenia.
    The New Right and the Old Left in South-East Europe
  • In recent years Europe has experienced an unexpected rise in the power and influence of the far-right. At the same time, some of the traditionally most important left-wing parties experienced their demise. To shed a light on the interconnectedness of these two processes, transform! europe offers this eDossier.
    Solving Energy Poverty
  • Solving Energy Poverty could be one of the biggest achievements of the 21st century. Rising energy costs and falling household incomes make energy poverty a growing concern in the European Union. This means that approximately 11% of the population in the EU is not able to adequately heat or cool their homes at affordable costs.
    The Law and Justice Party and Poland’s Turn to the Right
  • It has been over a year since the conservative Law and Justice party (PiS) took over complete governmental control in Poland. The presidential election won by Andrzej Duda in May 2015 and the victory of PiS five months later, gave party’s leader Jarosław Kaczyński almost total control of the state.

Calendar

    Unorthodox and Austro-Marxism in Eastern Europe and Beyond
  • The aim of the conference is to present current research, to deepen knowledge of Austro-Marxist and unorthodox Marxist thought in Eastern Europe from the early 1900s to the beginning of the Second World War, and to encourage further research on the subject.
    ¡No Pasarán! Contested Memories
  • A symposium politics of remembrance, revisionism, and anti-fascist resistance in the Alps-Adriatic Region, organised by the Interregional Forum of the Party of the European Left in the Alps-Adriatic Region, with the participation of transform! europe.
    War In Ukraine: Responses and Implications for Asia and the Pacific
  • While calling for peace in Ukraine, this webinar focuses on the responses and implications in the Asia-Pacific. We will look at how states, civil society, and peace movements of Asia-Pacific have reacted to the war and discuss on the role peace movements can play for a lasting peace.
    Hundred Shades of EU: Mapping the Political Economy of Euro Peripheries
  • This workshop will provide an overview of a study on the socio-economic, political and cultural dimensions of the EU periphery, designed by transform! europe in collaboration with the Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation. The workshop will focus on the political impact of the EU's core-periphery divide.
    Socialism in Central and Eastern Europe and Austro-Marxism
  • Austro-Marxism is a corpus of the Marxist theory developed by the intellectuals closely connected to the multinational Social Democratic Workers' Party of Austria. Labeled as the 'little International', in the last decades of the 19th century, it provided cultural and intellectual incubation space...
    CANCELLED: Race and Racism in the Balkans
  • The 2020 Balkan Society for Theory and Practice [BSTP] Workshop organised with support of transform! europe, which will be held in Prishtina, Kosova, will focus on the unique processes of racialization, ethnicization, and Othering particular to the Balkan region.

Webinars