IES Commentaries | Institute of Central Europe

Central and South-Eastern Europe Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1585

10 April 2026

Robert Rajczyk - Central and South-Eastern Europe Team

The Prime Minister of Hungary’s Political Offensive at the End of the Election Campaign

The organisation of the convention for the populist right from the Patriots for Europe political group, the conservative CPAC conference, and the visit to Hungary of the American vice president are all elements of building an international position for Viktor Orbán and mobilising the electoral base before the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 12. Polls, conducted by...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1581

7 April 2026

Nora Gigineishvili - Eastern Team

From EU Standard Institutional Reform to Party Control – The transformation of Georgia’s Public Service

Georgia’s foreign policy shift has resulted in multiple repressive and undemocratic measures aimed at suppressing the protests triggered by the decision to halt EU accession negotiations. The civil service became one of the targets of the coercive apparatus for systemic subordination, transforming it from an institution striving for alignment with European standards into an...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1576

31 March 2026

Jakub Olchowski - Eastern Team

Drones do not win wars

The war in Ukraine demonstrates the growing role of digital technologies, unmanned systems, and electronic warfare. The mass use of drones, supported by a developed IT sector and efficient institutional adaptation, has allowed Ukraine to effectively limit its opponent’s military advantage. At the same time, even the most advanced technological solutions do not eliminate the...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1571

25 March 2026

Michał Paszkowski - Eastern Team

The Crisis of Crude Oil Availability in Slovakia and Its Implications for the Regional Fuel Market

In 2026, liquid fuel tourism in Slovakia became one of the key manifestations of mounting tensions in the regional liquid fuel market, stemming from disruption on the crude oil supply side. Relatively low diesel prices – maintained despite the suspension of crude oil deliveries via the Druzhba pipeline, and the conflict in the Middle East – created strong demand-side...

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Central and South-Eastern Europe Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1568

24 March 2026

Szczepan Czarnecki - Central and South-Eastern Europe Team

Czech Republic: New Budget Amid Disputes over the Deficit and Defense Spending

On 11 March this year, the Parliament of the Czech Republic adopted the government’s budget bill for 2026, bringing to an end a three-month period of provisional budgeting. Despite opposition resistance—effectively deprived of any real influence over the final shape of the budget—the law was passed and subsequently signed on 20 March by President Petr Pavel, who at the same...

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Baltic Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1563

18 March 2026

Jakub Bornio - Baltic Team

The Impact of the Crisis in the Strait of Hormuz on Transatlantic Cohesion

Since 14 March 2026, Donald Trump has been urging European NATO allies to engage in efforts to restore freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. The coercive tone employed by the President of the United States in his appeal to NATO member states, coupled with the unequivocal rejection of his proposal by European leaders, constitutes yet another manifestation of tensions...

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Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1552

10 March 2026

Michał Paszkowski - Eastern Team

The Devastated Ukrainian Power Sector and the Growing Dependence on Electricity Imports from the European Union

Ukraine’s power sector is among the most heavily damaged components of the country’s infrastructure as a result of the full-scale war launched in February 2022. A system that only a few years earlier possessed substantial export potential to European Union member states has, over the four years of war, undergone profound technical and structural degradation. Large-scale...

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Baltic Team, Eastern Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1544

4 March 2026

Michał Paszkowski | Marlena Gołębiowska - Baltic Team, Eastern Team

The U.S.–Israel–Iran Conflict and the Energy and Economic Situation of Central European Countries

The armed conflict between the United States, Israel, and Iran—encompassing both strikes on targets inside Iran and Iranian retaliatory attacks on energy infrastructure in the Persian Gulf—together with the effective suspension of maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz, has triggered the most severe shock to global energy markets since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in...

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Central and South-Eastern Europe Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1541

2 March 2026

Robert Rajczyk | Szczepan Czarnecki | Agata Tatarenko - Central and South-Eastern Europe Team

Reactions of Central European States to the U.S.–Israeli Strike on Iran

The U.S.–Israeli strike on Iran has forced Central European states to take clear positions. The prime minister of Slovakia used the occasion to criticize the European Union, while the Hungarian head of government incorporated the potential negative consequences of the intervention into his election campaign and Hunagry’s relations with Ukraine. The Czech Republic, in turn,...

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European Integration and Conflict Team

IEŚ Commentaries 1534

25 February 2026

Spasimir Domaradzki | Piotr Oleksy - European Integration and Conflict Team

Reverse enlargement – plans for fundamental changes in the EU

Together with some Member States, the EU is working on a plan to change the rules for admitting new members. Its aim is to enable the accession of Albania, Montenegro, Moldova, and Ukraine as early as 2027. The political game is primarily about a fast track to membership for the Ukraine. However, a revolution in the enlargement process would change the entire structure of the...

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