Recent articles
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Gradual EU Integration of the Western Balkans in Times of War in Europe: Security and the Politics of EU Enlargement in the 2020s
(Volume 21, Issue 4)Abstract This article contributes to debates on the politics of European Union (EU) enlargement to the Western Balkans (WB) in the 2020s. During the 2010s, the enlargement process stalled due to a lack of progress on the EU's fundamental requirements of 'rule of law' and 'democracy'. Since 2022, Russia's protracted war against Ukraine suggests that geopolitical considerations have become more important in the politics of EU enlargement. In order to overcome the enlargement impasse, the EU has...
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Public Attitudes and Societal Influences on Hungarian Foreign Policy
(Volume 21, Issue 4)Abstract This study examines Hungarian foreign policy attitudes and assesses the influence of public perceptions and societal interests on policymaking. Using theoretical frameworks, secondary sources and an opinion poll, it analyses Hungary’s foreign policy orientation since 2010, decision-making structures, the patterns of public perceptions and the impact of societal influences. Findings reveal a multi-layered model of foreign policy formation in which institutional centralisation, control...
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Dimensions and Effects of Poland's Socio-Economic Support for Ukrainian Women in the Face of the War in Ukraine
(Volume 21, Issue 4)Abstract The article explores Poland’s socio-economic support for Ukrainian women during the war in Ukraine, emphasising how this assistance has enabled their integration into the workforce. The article explores Poland’s socio-economic support and presents the socio-economic dimension of Poland's support for Ukrainian women amid the war in Ukraine, highlighting how this support has facilitated their participation in the workforce. The aim of the article is to analyse the decisions of the...
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How Czech Politicians and Parties Securitise Refugees: Comparing the MENA and Ukrainian Crises
(Volume 21, Issue 4)Abstract This comparative analysis scrutinises the distinctive features of the 2015 MENA and 2022 Ukrainian refugee crises in the Czech Republic, revealing notable differences in threat perceptions and stakeholder engagement while answering who was finally portrayed as the victim and by whom. Hence, the MENA crisis prompted EU-level action and migration system reform, and the Czech government was the leading securitisation actor; meanwhile, the Ukrainian crisis differs. Cultural and religious...
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Converging Narratives on the European Green Deal: Polarised Homogeneity in Central European MEPs’ Facebook Discourse
(Volume 21, Issue 4)Abstract This study examines political narratives surrounding the European Green Deal (EGD) in seven Central European countries, revealing four separate dominant framings of the EGD, as well a pattern of strategic narrative convergence and interpretative polarization. Analysing 351 Facebook posts from 82 MEPs from 2019 to 2024, I identify four distinct meta-narratives: a strongly anti-EGD narrative, an uncritical pro-EGD narrative, a critical pro-EGD narrative advocating for greater ambition,...
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Concepts and Dangers of Authoritarian Law and Politics
(Volume 21, Issue 4)Abstract The rise of authoritarian populism and hybrid regimes has become a pressing challenge to liberal democracy, raising urgent questions about the role of law in these political transformations. This paper examines how authoritarian regimes reshape legal systems by creating and deploying what will be termed ‘authoritarian law’. The study applies a comparative and theory-oriented approach, systematically engaging with major conceptual frameworks to examine how authoritarian regimes...