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For decades, the European Union's democratisation of its neighbours and potential future accession countries has been the primary objective of its external relations and at the core of what constitutes it as "soft power". Now, 16 years after the accession of the eastern European countries, it remains questionable whether the intended democratisation succeeded. Several countries, above all Hungary and Poland, show increasing authoritarian tendencies and a retreat from liberal democracy. This article analyses the EU's democratisation process before the 2004 enlargement and seeks to shed light on whether and why democratisation seems to have failed in Eastern European countries.

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the resistance of Poland and Hungary, the European Commission allocated 750 billion euros to help European countries to cope with the deep undergoing economic crisis. This article provides an overview of the Recovery Fund, with a closer look at Italy and at Italian strategies by exploring possibilities and threats.

The Malthusian myth of overpopulation directly pushes towards eco-fascist rhetorics, endangering the rights and safety of minorities around the world. Though the Malthusian myth has been disproved by various scientists, this ‘theory’ stands reputed, and the group which flourishes in the discussion are the far-right white supremacists.

The contemporary political narrative is loud, filled with politicians fighting over wealth and power. This leaves little space for issues that are relevant to Polish citizens, such as economic security, freedom of speech and social stability. So what is really going on in Poland, an entity defined not by a group of megalomaniac politicians, but by the inhabitants, which make it all work?