State hate on judges
Close associates of Poland’s justice minister organised a smear campaign aimed at judges who were critical of the changes in the Polish judiciary
Elections under the Polish and Russian watchful eyes
In November 2018, several Polish activists and journalists from a leftist website joined Russia’s CIS-EMO delegation on a trip to Madagascar to monitor the country’s presidential election. The group of observers included people with links to the Kremlin. Yet instead of acting as observers, they secretly funded the campaigns of several presidential candidates.
The growing fear of anti-LGBT sentiment in Hungary
Máté Hegedűs was walking on Deák tér, one of the busiest areas of Budapest recently. His long hair, his earring, flower-patterned shirt and colorful shoes made him stand out from the crowd. Someone suddenly shouted at him ’look, there goes a gay guy!’. He actually used a very vulgar expression. ’I don’t mind being stared […]
Anita Komuves
Inland, though Offshore. How Russia planned to secure its money
Many Western allies of Hungary are worried about Russia’s International Investment Bank (IIB) having moved its seat to Budapest. In the meantime the government of Hungary and IIB’s management are arguing that this is only a regular international bank and cannot even be categorized as ‘Russian.’ However, VSquare and its partners reveal how IIB’s head […]
Budapest. A welcoming gateway to Europe for a Russian bank
The management board of the Russian-led International Investment Bank (IIB) held its first meeting in its new headquarters, Budapest, this week. The move of IIB from Moscow to Budapest has been controversial since it was announced: experts, historians and the media have been worried that the bank would be a tool for the Kremlin to […]
An apple with a bonus: who is poisoning us?
Pesticides which can cause brain damage in children are sold and consumed across Europe. Polish fruits and vegetables regularly cause alarm during store inspections abroad.
Rule-of-law problems at the door
The parliamentary elections in the fall in Poland will be crucial. We’ve already seen in Hungary what eight years in power can mean both for the governing party and its loyalist structures and the opposition — says Zselyke Csaky form Freedom House in intervew with Vsquare
Orban’s spin doctor granted diplomatic passport despite holding no official government role
The Hungarian prime minister’s enigmatic spin doctor, Arpad Habony has a diplomatic passport – Atlatszo learned recently. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade confirmed that Habony got a diplomatic passport, it was issued on February 15, 2019, and it was granted to him by minister Peter Szijjártó. Written by Katalin Erdélyi. English version by […]