V4 Reloaded: Central Europe Unites to Defend Cohesion and Agricultural Funding
The next big debate on the future of the European Union has already begun—not over enlargement, migration or defence, but over the EU's next long-term budget.
2026
A collection of 11 posts
Slovak referendum on Fico's lifetime pension fails amid record-low turnout
A failed Slovak referendum on Prime Minister Robert Fico's lifetime pension has exposed a pattern playing out well beyond Slovakia: across Europe, benefits for former heads of state are becoming political ammunition precisely where societies and elites are most deeply divided.
Budapest Regional Summit: The V4 Is Coming Back to Life
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar aims to breathe new life into the Visegrád Four format. To achieve this, the countries will have to overcome political differences – particularly regarding their approach toward Russia.
Post-election deadlock in Slovenia: this is how voters did (not) decide
Slovenia’s domestic political uncertainty could even culminate in a new election: following the late-March vote, no political force appears to have secured a governing majority.
Friendship Restored (?): Russian Oil Flows Resume
Recent developments around the Druzhba (Friendship) oil pipeline have highlighted just how vulnerable and politically entangled Central Europe’s energy supply remains.
Bulgaria is turning – but in which direction?
The April 2026 Bulgarian election is not just another domestic political episode, but a turning point whose significance goes beyond the country’s borders.
Oil price shocks: how the energy crisis is dividing Central Europe
As Hormuz closes and Druzhba stays shut, the four Visegrád countries face the same vulnerability from opposite directions.
Markets cheer, agencies warn: Hungary’s new government faces a sobering economic welcome
Tisza’s landslide victory on April 12 sent the forint to a four-year high and Budapest stocks to a record, as investors priced in the end of the Orbán-era risk premium and the prospect of unlocking frozen EU funds.
Election sprint in Hungary: 16 years of Fidesz rule under review
Opinion polls are divergent, but results from government-independent research institutes suggest the possible defeat of the Orbán government in Hungary.
From the Gulf to Central Europe: a distant conflict with close-to-home consequences
The Strait of Hormuz is thousands of miles from Budapest or Prague. Yet the crisis unfolding there is already hitting Central European drivers at the pump.
What’s next in 2026 for Central and Eastern Europe?
Can CEE develop a realistic policy response that shields the region from Europe’s structural decline?