
How the European Parliament Entrenched the Region’s Autocrats
European parties were supposed to create a European democracy. Instead, they’ve given cover to bad actors.

How Press Freedom Came Under Attack in 2020
Citizens hungry for information turned to the media during the pandemic, but governments around the world used the crisis to restrict journalists.

Western Europe Is Losing Its Immigrants
Eastern Europeans are returning home in droves. Here’s what that means for Eastern Europe’s economies—and the European Union.

Biden’s Victory Is No Balm for American Exceptionalism
Trump was a much weaker potential autocrat than others have faced.

Poland’s Culture Wars
Central Europe’s battles over rights are dangerous, and Europe can’t risk handing Russia a victory.

Orban’s Macbeth
The tragic figure behind the Hungarian populist leader’s efforts to remake his country’s theater.

Europe’s Faustian Union
The EU’s budget deal shows that the club has long given up on rule of law in its member states.

Viktor Orban Has Declared War on Mayors
Hungary’s prime minister has used the pandemic to drain power from one of the last sources of opposition to his rule.

How the Coronavirus Crisis Is Silencing Dissent and Sparking Repression
A look at how protests, political violence, and conflict have played out during the pandemic.

Hungary’s Democracy Is Still Under Threat
Viktor Orban’s emergency rule by decree has ended for now, but the return to illiberal politics as usual incites fear and stifles dissent.

Where Should Confederate Statues Go to Die?
The United States can learn from the graveyards of fallen regimes worldwide.

Why Populists Understand Eastern Europe
Liberals have changed the region for the better—but don’t perceive its sense of loss.

Viktor Orban Can’t Eradicate the Coronavirus by Decree
Hungary’s authoritarian leader has granted himself dictatorial powers, but his neglect of the country’s health system and his powerlessness in the face of a depreciating currency will come back to haunt him.

Nationalists Claim They Want to Redefine Conservatism, but They’re Not Sure What It Is
A February gathering in Rome outlined a muddled vision for the future, claiming the mantle of Ronald Reagan and St. John Paul II while indulging the far-right.

Our Top Weekend Reads
Market response to the coronavirus, China deflecting blame, and the dawn of post-democratic Europe.

Coronavirus Has Started a Censorship Pandemic
Governments around the world are banning fake news about the crisis—and cracking down on their critics while they’re at it.

The Shocking ‘Coronavirus Coup’ in Hungary Was a Wake-Up Call
While the world is shut down, history hasn’t stopped. Authoritarians are seizing the opportunity.

Coronavirus and the Dawn of Post-Democratic Europe
Hungary has used the pandemic to abandon its last vestiges of democracy—and to dare the EU to do anything about it.