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In the Spotlight – #European Union
While Homophobia in Hungary is rising, the Fidesz government actively furthers the stigmatisation and marginalisation of the LGBT+ community. Ahead of the 2022 election, the government introduced another law that increases penalties for pedophiles while at the same time outlawing the "promotion of homosexuality" for those under 18 - thereby censoring sexual identity and conflating pedophilia with homosexuality.
In the midst of the escalation of tensions between Russia and Ukraine, Joe Biden follows the policy of Obama's presidency, which had underestimated the Russian threat.
Amidst the current pressing crises occupying the EU, another potentially pivotal moment may encounter the block this year. In April 2022, the EU’s problem child, Hungary, will hold parliamentary elections, deciding on their next government and prime minister. Several questions remain: Can the united opposition finally defeat Orbán and his Fidesz party, despite evidence for irregularities in previous elections? And if so, could that actually lead to meaningful reforms?
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Your nightly read – An Introduction to the Eastern Mediterranean
This analysis is a six-part series on the Eastern Mediterranean
The Eastern Mediterranean has been the historic crossroads of four regions: Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
The Historic Crossroads of Four Regions
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Our Opinion – Your Food for Thought
The power of Putin's regime lies in one person. Redistribution of power in Russia has disappeared since 1993 when Yeltsin destroyed the Russian Parliament. Putin has completed this process: he has eliminated all independent centres of power. He managed to take power into his own hands. From today's point of view, Putin's regime is very interesting. Putin's rule shares no similarities with other authoritarian regimes, it has its own tactics.
Amidst the current pressing crises occupying the EU, another potentially pivotal moment may encounter the block this year. In April 2022, the EU’s problem child, Hungary, will hold parliamentary elections, deciding on their next government and prime minister. Several questions remain: Can the united opposition finally defeat Orbán and his Fidesz party, despite evidence for irregularities in previous elections? And if so, could that actually lead to meaningful reforms?
Talking about the ethics of war over Ukraine seems abstract and naïve in light of Donbas and its abandoned villages. It seems pointless to think about just war in a world of suffering where war is just war. Yet, it is because the suffering of war is real that we should think and talk about the ethics of war. Only when we talk can we take a stance, constrain violence, and hold military leaders accountable.
We are now on Discord!
We are now on Discord and you can join us here https://discord.gg/qrx6nVxtCh.
When we started “Quo Vademus”, it was always about creating a community of like-minded people and the idea that we together can create change. On our new Discord server, we have multiple channels. Public as well as private ones. Rooms where we can meet other people with shared interests and discuss topics, news, ideas, thoughts, as well as "Quo Vademus" itself.
Our Editorial Pick
All tough Conspiracy theories are not new, as they exist since as early as the Middle Ages, there is something special about the QAnon movement. It is a global phenomenon, attracting large numbers across the globe and there are many different factors contributing to its success. How can a far-right conspiracy theory about a global child sex-trafficking ring, run by a cabal of paedophiles who are worshipping Satan become that successful?
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The Latest
This analysis studies the transformations in Russian civil society from the eighteenth through the twenty-first century. It argues that powerful political structures, formed during the Imperial, Soviet and post-Soviet periods, have influenced civil society arrangements in the modern-day Russian Federation. Similar to Russian forms of democracy and the market economy, which diverge substantially from Western European models, civil society as it exists in the RussianFederation has not followed the West’s trajectory of development. This Russian iteration of civil society, which emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union, is the result of successive transformations across social sectors over several centuries and is justified through various factors unique to the Russian socio-political context.
Polygraphs are an incredibly popular tool. They are used in criminal and civil cases, by the prosecution and defense alike, to determine the credibility of sources, defendants, and suspects. However, polygraphs are incredibly problematic. As has been shown by various scientific reports and assessments, they have zero scientific basis, are far too open to individual bias and partial interpretation, and incredibly unreliable. Yet they are in use by nearly every federal law enforcement agency for employment and investigative purposes and are utilized by the courts in certain circumstances. My own view on polygraphs is rather negative, having personally researched the issue and been the subject of such an exam for employment purposes.
Forged under the pressure of the Second World War, the Five Eyes has linked together the United States (US), the United Kingdom (UK), Australia, Canada and New Zealand in unprecedented cooperation on intelligence sharing. The current international security backdrop, however, remains particularly salient in terms of great-power competition from authoritarian powers seeking to challenge the US-led liberal international order. For the Five Eyes to strengthen its security resilience, enhanced intelligence cooperation and alliance expansion will be vital to effectively thwart the malign behaviour of rogue powers on the international stage.
