Institute of Central Europe/IES Commentaries

IES Commentaries

Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1302
31 December 2025
Hanna Bazhenova - Eastern Team

Demographic Crisis in Ukraine

Since 1994, Ukraine’s population has been in steady decline; however, a severe demographic crisis has unfolded over the past three years. Russia’s armed aggression has led to mass internal and international migration, a sharp decline in the birth rate and life expectancy, as well as increased mortality and significant changes in the distribution of the population across the...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1371
29 December 2025
Hanna Bazhenova - Eastern Team

Re-evaluation of World War II Heritage in Ukraine

On 8 May 2025, the 80th anniversary of the signing of the act of unconditional surrender by Germany and its armed forces took place. On this day, Ukraine celebrated for the second time the Day of Remembrance and Victory over Nazism in World War II (1939–1945). The new public holiday was intended to combine two earlier traditions: Victory Day over Nazism in World War II, observed...

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European Integration and Conflict Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1486
16 December 2025
Spasimir Domaradzki - European Integration and Conflict Team

Bulgaria: The Resignation of Rosen Zhelyazkov’s Government. Society versus the Captured State

On 11 December 2025, the government of Rosen Zhelyazkov resigned. The decision followed the largest wave of social protests since 1989, which spread across the entire country. The immediate trigger for public opposition was the shape of the budget planned for the coming year. Following provocations directed at demonstrators by the leaders of GERB and DPS-NP—Boyko Borisov and...

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Civic Studies Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1485
12 December 2025
Szczepan Czarnecki - Civic Studies Team

Czech Republic: Government Formation in Czechia and the Prospect of a Vote of Confidence

The process of forming a new government following ANO’s electoral victory has been marked by both considerable momentum and clear political tensions. According to statements by the Speaker of the Chamber of Deputies, Tomio Okamura (SPD), the cabinet formed by ANO, SPD, and the Motorists is expected to be appointed a few days after Andrej Babiš is sworn in as prime minister,...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1423
12 December 2025
Hanna Bazhenova - Eastern Team

Changes on Ukraine’s Historical Front: The Law on State Policy of National Memory

Russia’s full-scale invasion prompted the Ukrainian authorities to rethink their national memory politics. The most recent innovation was the adoption on 21 August 2025 of the law on state policy in the field of national memory, which defines, in particular, the purpose, main principles, tasks, and legal foundations of this policy, as well as its subjects and their powers. The...

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History in the public space

IEŚ Commentaries 1383
11 December 2025
Łukasz Krzyżanowski - History in the public space

Why is the Holocaust part of the history of everyone living in Poland today?

The victims of the Holocaust included more than three million Jews who were citizens of Poland. Nazi persecution – carried out not only by Germans but also by Austrians and local collaborators of various nationalities, including Ukrainians, Lithuanians, and Poles – struck Jews with particular severity. It would be more accurate to say: those whom Nazi law and Nazi perpetrators...

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Civic Studies Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1481
29 November 2025
Jędrzej Jander - Civic Studies Team

The New Nationalities Policy Strategy of the Russian Federation: Deepening Securitization of Identity Issues

On 25 November 2025, the president of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, signed Decree No. 858 approving a new nationalities policy strategy for Russia for the years 2026–2036. Compared with previous editions, the document contains provisions that point to an ongoing securitization of nationality issues within the Russian Federation. It may be treated both as a statement of...

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Historical narrative and applied history team

IEŚ Commentaries 1477
27 November 2025
Jędrzej Piekara - Historical narrative and applied history team

Basic Concepts of Russian Geopolitics After 2022: The Global Majority and Minority

To understand the fundamental concepts and assumptions shaping contemporary Russian geopolitics, it is necessary to examine not only official state documents but also quasi-encyclopedic and quasi-academic publications such as The New Diplomatic Dictionary, which outline the key ideological elements underpinning Russia’s vision of the international order.[1] The political...

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European Integration and Conflict Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1473
20 November 2025
Krzysztof Fedorowicz - European Integration and Conflict Team

Amendments to the Acts on Military Security and Defense of the Republic of Belarus

Following a series of legal changes in recent years concerning national defense, the security of the (Russia-Belarus) Union State, and Belarus’s national security concept, the government began amending all laws related to military security and defense at the end of 2025. The new regulations are intended to reflect the current geopolitical environment. They will also enable rapid...

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Collective Memory Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1462
4 November 2025
Agata Tatarenko - Collective Memory Team

Czechs and Independence Day: Between History and Citizenship

The celebrations of the Czechoslovak Independence Day, held in Prague on 28 October 2025 with the participation of President Petr Pavel and the highest state authorities, highlighted the significance of the First Czechoslovak Republic’s traditions for contemporary Czech identity. The ceremonies at Vítkov and Prague Castle, during which state decorations and general appointments...

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