Amanda Coakley is an award-winning journalist covering central and eastern Europe, and a Europe’s Futures Fellow at the IWM in Vienna. 

Her work has been published in national and international outlets including Foreign Policy, TIME, The Irish Times, Prospect Magazine, The Independent, New ...

A hard line Slovak nationalist plots his return to power

30 Jan 2023  |  www.codastory.com  |  English  |  Disinformation

Slovakia's interim Prime Minister Eduard Heger has struggled to maintain his position after losing a parliamentary majority, leading to discussions of early elections. Former Prime Minister Robert Fico, a leading populist, is eager for a return to power, despite his resignation in 2018 following the murder of journalist Jan Kuciak. Fico's Smer party, although second in the polls, faces competition from HLAS–SD, a party formed by former Smer members. Slovakia is grappling with a cost-of-living crisis, healthcare issues, and Russian disinformation, with the upcoming elections expected to be influenced by populist narratives and disinformation. The political atmosphere is tense, but there is hope among progressive and educated groups for a balanced future.

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Igor Matovic Eduard Heger Robert Fico Jan Kuciak Juliana Sokolova Viktor Orban

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Center-Right

Political View

Miroslava Germanova is a journalist based in Bratislava, Slovakia.

Far-Right Extremism in Slovakia: Hate, Guns and Friends from Russia

20 Jan 2021  |  Balkan Insight  |  English  |  Neo-Nazism

Far-right extremism in Slovakia is characterized by the activities of groups like LSNS, Slovak Revival Movement, and Slovak Conscripts. These groups, often supported by disinformation networks and pro-Russian narratives, work to destabilize public trust in liberal democracy and human rights. LSNS, led by Marian Kotleba, has faced legal challenges for promoting neo-Nazi ideology, while the Slovak Revival Movement and Slovak Conscripts engage in nationalist and paramilitary activities. The Supreme Court and other state institutions have struggled to effectively counter these groups, leading to ongoing political and social tensions.

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Igor Matovic Miroslav Suja Marian Kotleba Grigorij Meseznikov Marian Kocner Alena Zsuzsova Robert Fico Jaromir Ciznar Maros Zilinka Robert Svec Peter Svrcek Jozef Tiso Jan Kuciak

Interpretive

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Far Right

Political View

Tim Gosling is a journalist, editor and analyst based in the Czech Republic. He covers politics, business, current affairs and football across Central & Eastern Europe. Regular bylines for Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, Foreign Policy, Politico, The Times. He provides political and economic analysis ...

Democracy Digest: Polish Opposition Begins to Assert Itself

17 Nov 2023  |  Balkan Insight  |  English  |  Football

The Polish opposition is preparing to reverse PiS reforms on judicial appointments, though President Duda may veto such efforts. A Warsaw court allowed a pro-Palestinian march, countering the municipality's ban. In Czechia, the High Court reopened the corruption case against former PM Andrej Babis. Karel Schwarzenberg, a significant figure in Czech politics, passed away. Slovakia's Interior Minister faced legal setbacks over suspensions of police investigators, while PM Robert Fico considered banning critical media outlets. Hungary hosted Israel's national football team, showcasing diplomatic support, and proposed a new law on foreign workers to address labor shortages while maintaining strict immigration controls.

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Igor Matovic Andrzej Duda Andrej Babis Karel Schwarzenberg Dominik Feri Matus Sutaj Estok Stefan Masin Branko Kiss Robert Fico Peter Pellegrini Jan Mazgut Viktor Orban George Soros

Informative

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Center-Right

Political View

I am based in Berlin and work as a Freelance journalist for tech topics and media freedom. I graduated with the Erasmus Mundus Master Journalism, Media and Globalisation, for which I studied in Denmark, Chile and Germany. My MA thesis is on Watchdog Journalism in Austria in a changing political ...

End of Cable Clutter

05 Oct 2022  |  EURACTIV.de  |  German  |  Environment

The EU has passed legislation mandating a single type of charger for all mobile phones and many other electronic devices by the end of 2024, aiming to reduce electronic waste and simplify consumer choices. This move will require companies to equip their devices with USB Type-C charging ports. The legislation is expected to significantly benefit both consumers and the environment by reducing waste and allowing consumers to choose whether to purchase devices with or without chargers. The European Commission had previously reduced the number of smartphone chargers from 32 to three types through a non-binding approach in 2009, but a binding approach was now necessary as the industry could not agree on a single solution voluntarily.

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Igor Matovič Waldemar Skrzypczak Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani Tanja Fajon

Informative

Factuality Scale

I'm a Warsaw-based journalist, producer, fixer, photographer and translator working in Central Europe and the Balkans currently mainly for Der Spiegel, one of Europe's top-notch magazines. 

Over the years, I have travelled throughout these regions extensively for multiple other news organizations, ...

The Rise and Fall of Igor Matovic

04 May 2021  |  Foreign Policy  |  English  |  Public Health

Igor Matovic, who became Slovakia's Prime Minister in March 2020, initially represented hope with his anti-corruption platform. However, his popularity plummeted due to his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly his decision to import Russia's Sputnik V vaccine without EU approval. This led to his resignation in April to save the coalition government. Matovic's tenure was marked by a chaotic style and internal tensions. Despite stepping down as Prime Minister, he remains in government as Finance Minister and Deputy Prime Minister, but faces criticism for his inconsistent decision-making. His party, Olano, won the 2020 elections but has since lost support. The article also discusses the broader implications of inexperienced opposition parties taking power in Central European countries.

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Igor Matovic Jan Kroslak Zuzana Caputova Irena Bihariova Andrej Stancik Eduard Heger Grigorij Meseznikov Milan Nic Jaroslaw Kaczynski Viktor Orban

Andrew MacDowall is a experienced correspondent, analyst, and consultant covering Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans. He has also done substantial work in the MENA region and South-East Asia as a business journalist and analyst. He has written for publications including the Guardian, ...

The Uncertain Future of Slovakia's Reformists

28 Apr 2021  |  www.realclearworld.com  |  English  |  COVID-19

Slovakian Prime Minister Igor Matovic's display of hubris over a controversial Russian coronavirus vaccine has led to his resignation, destabilizing a reformist government that had garnered significant public hope.

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Igor Matovic

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Edward Szekeres is a freelance journalist based in Bratislava, Slovakia. Well-versed in fixing, feature writing, interviewing and breaking news.

Democracy Digest: Leaked Emails Show Political Control over Poland’s Top Court

08 Jul 2022  |  Balkan Insight  |  English  |  Economic Policy

Leaked emails from Michal Dworczyk's personal account reveal political control over Poland's top court, with the Polish government attributing the leaks to a Russian cyberattack. Tomasz Lis, editor-in-chief of Newsweek Polska, was fired amid bullying accusations, leading to internal investigations and further allegations against other staff members. A draft report on Hungary's rule-of-law concerns highlights risks of breaching EU values, while the Hungarian forint hits a historic low, prompting central bank intervention. Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala outlines priorities for the EU Council presidency, focusing on Ukraine, energy, and democracy. Slovakia's new Visegrad Group presidency aims to rebuild regional cooperation amid internal political challenges.

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Igor Matovic Michal Dworczyk Julia Przylebska Tomasz Lis Tomasz Siekielski Renata Kim Gwendoline Delbos-Corfield Viktor Orban Judit Varga Gergely Gulyas Petr Fiala Radka Wildova Milos Zeman Ivan Korcok Eduard Heger Richard Sulik Robert Fico

Balanced

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Left

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