With public concern about migration on the wane, the governing Law and Justice party is making opposition to gay rights a cornerstone of its campaigning.
Author: MARC SANTORA
Poland Bashes Immigrants, but Quietly Takes Christian Ones
The far-right government rails against accepting foreigners. But facing a labor crisis, the country has opened the door to record numbers of mostly Christian newcomers.
In Slovakia, Unlikely Presidential Candidate Signals a Backlash Against Populism
Zuzana Caputova, a campaigning lawyer making her first run for office, is leading in the polls while espousing liberal attitudes long considered politically toxic.
In Eastern Europe, U.S. Officials Talk Deals, Not Erosion of Democracy
Promoting weapons sales and isolation of Iran, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Vice President Mike Pence did not speak out on the illiberal direction of some allies.
Serbia Protests Shine Light on a Nation Tugged Between East and West
Even as he hopes to guide his country into joining the European Union, President Aleksandar Vucic faces growing unrest at home and accusations of creeping authoritarianism.
In a Divided Poland, Pope John Paul II Is Claimed by All Sides
At a moment when Poland finds itself torn by political conflicts that are cast as an existential fight for the country’s soul, the pope’s legacy is just one more battleground.
Croatia Dispatch: Oysters Lead Lives of Excitement and Danger. Especially in the Balkans.
Some of the world’s most delicious oysters have been farmed in the Adriatic Sea off the coast of Croatia since Roman times. They now face a deadly threat.
Czech Coal Mine Explosion Kills at Least 13
Fire and smoke forced rescue workers to turn back, so the number of casualties was unclear. It was the nation’s deadliest mining disaster since 1990.
George Soros-Founded University Is Forced Out of Hungary
Central European University, founded after the collapse of the Soviet Union, has been forced from its campus in Budapest by the increasingly authoritarian government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban.
Scandal Around Billionaire Prime Minister Leaves Czechs in Limbo
Andrej Babis, a bombastic populist, survived a no-confidence vote after his eldest son claimed to have been abducted to silence his testimony in a fraud case.