Engaging Central Europe

Like It or Not, Democratic Societies Need Clearly Defined Adversaries

Penned together with the great @gbuldioski.bsky.social, our piece argues that even democratic societies need clear concepts of adversaries—and if democratic centrists don’t define them, the radical right and other opponents of democracy will.
www.gmfus.org/news/it-or-n...
@gmfus.bsky.social

China’s Quiet Strategy in Bulgaria: Economic Appeal, Political Constraints

🇧🇬🇨🇳
Great and comprehensive overview of #China–#Bulgaria relations and the PRC’s influence in Bulgaria by my always sharp colleagues Asya Metodieva and @dimker.bsky.social .
Highly recommended reading 👇
www.gmfus.org/news/chinas-...
@gmfus.bsky.social
@engagingce.bsky.social

Central Europe’s Role in Ukraine’s Reconstruction More than three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine faces an immense recovery and reconstruction challenge—regardless of when or how the war ends. With over 43,000 civilian lives lost an...

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🤝What role for Central Europe in Ukraine's reconstruction?

📌 July 15|4.00 p.m. CET|Online

#ReThinkCEE fellow Dominik Istrate, Bogdan Zawadewicz (Polish Development Bank), Ievgeniia Bodnya & @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social explore CE's recovery efforts in Ukraine.

@gmfus.bsky.social

YouTube video by The German Marshall Fund of the United States Battling the Backlash: The Future of Gender Equality in the Western Balkans

The rise of anti-gender movements threaten democratic values in the Western Balkans.
Watch #ReThinkCEE fellow Angel Dimitrievski,Adriana Zaharijevic(Uni Belgrade), Irena Cvetkovic(Coalition Margins) & @danielhegedus.bsky.social @gmfus.bsky.social discuss their impact.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=AVtx...

YouTube video by The German Marshall Fund of the United States Strengthening Civil Society-Local Governemnt Collaboration for Recovery in Ukraine

🤝Local collaboration among authorities & civil society is crucial for Ukraine's future.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ODw...

@gmfus.bsky.social

Central Europe’s Role in Ukraine’s Reconstruction More than three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine faces an immense recovery and reconstruction challenge—regardless of when or how the war ends. With over 43,000 civilian lives lost an...

🤝What role for Central Europe in Ukraine's reconstruction?

📌 July 15|4.00 p.m. CET|Online

#ReThinkCEE fellow Dominik Istrate, Bogdan Zawadewicz (Polish Development Bank), Ievgeniia Bodnya & @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social explore CE's recovery efforts: www.gmfus.org/event/centra...

@gmfus.bsky.social

Battling the Backlash: The Future of Gender Equality in the Western Balkans Anti-gender movements across the Western Balkans have gained momentum, challenging hard-won human rights and undermining fragile democratic norms. These movements, often backed by religious and far-ri...

Anti-gender movements are gaining momentum across Western societies, including in the Western Balkans.
Join our great #ReThinkCEE fellow Angel Dimitrievski, Adriana Zaharijevic, Irena Cvetkovic & yours truly to
discuss the impact.
📅June 26, 3:00 pm CET
RSVP⤵️
www.gmfus.org/event/battli...

In Uncertain Waters: The Restoration of the Rule of Law in Poland The victory of Karol Nawrocki, backed by the Law and Justice party (PiS), in the presidential election is set to alter the trajectory of one of the central projects of the coalition government led by…

🇵🇱 "Nawrocki presidency will likely focus on undermining and discrediting Tusk’s government and assisting PiS in winning the next parliamentary elections," writes Anna Wojcik.

Read her full analysis of Poland's presidential election:

Bulgaria’s Corruption Problem Is Washington’s Too

Bulgaria's corruption problem is Washington's too. If you would like to learn why that is, read my article here:

www.gmfus.org/news/bulgari...

@gmfus.bsky.social

🚀 Are you ready to embark on a unique and immersive journey?

🌎 The Marshall Memorial Fellowship program offers a unique chance for mid-career transatlantic leaders to enhance their understanding and foster collaboration between the United States and Europe.

The Anti-Gender Movement as a Threat to Democracy in the Western Balkans Over the past several years, the Western Balkans witnessed the rise of anti-gender movements that challenge fundamental human rights and threaten the region’s fragile democratic structures.…

🚫 Anti-gender movements (movements opposing what they call “gender ideology” or “gender theory”) across the Western Balkans have gained momentum, challenging hard-won human rights protections & undermining fragile democratic norms, writes fellow Angel Dimitrievski: www.gmfus.org/news/anti-ge...

Ukraine’s Local Actors: The Unspoken Heroes As Ukraine advances on its path toward EU integration, anticipation is building ahead of the Ukraine Recovery Conference 2025 in Rome, a key international political gathering where government…

💰 Direct EU funding for Ukrainian local and regional authorities is imperative, argues GMF ‪@engagingce.bsky.social‬ fellow Khrystyna Kvartsiana, ahead of next month's Ukraine Recovery Conference in Rome.

Read her analysis of how the allies should support Ukraine's "local heroes":

Rebalancing Transatlantic Relations—A Roadmap for 2030 As NATO leaders convene in The Hague this week, GMF has released a groundbreaking policy brief that charts an actionable roadmap for the transatlantic alliance through 2030. The transatlantic…

Find the details in GMF's critical new brief on rebalancing and strengthening the transatlantic alliance: www.gmfus.org/news/rebalan...

Day 1 of GMF's Brussels Forum. Brussels Forum | June 11

🔴 Starting at 12:00 CEST:

Day 1 of #BrusselsForum 2025—tune in for 2 days of critical conversations on the theme: Partnership Disrupted: How Can Transatlantic Cooperation Endure?

📺 Stream: www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsIN...

🔎 View the agenda: www.gmfus.org/brussels-for...

👋 Follow GMF's experts here on Bluesky

go.bsky.app/HVdpUkp

It was not only a great pleasure but also a lot of fun to discuss with @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social and Dorjana Bojanovska Popovska how #illiberal #Transatlantic ties are reshaping Western democracy, and not for the better.
🎧 revdem.ceu.edu/2025/04/16/i...
@revdem2020.bsky.social

Geo-Economics in Transition: Adapting to Global Economic Fragmentation in Central and Eastern Europe Recent economic and geopolitical tensions have sparked discussions about an emerging shift in global trade marked by growing concerns over global economic fragmentation (GEF). This trend is characteri...

Join us discussing how Central & Eastern Europe is adapting to global economic fragmentation with Jan Boguslawski, László Bruszt, Visnja Vukov & yours truly.
📅April 29 ⏲️3 PM CEST
RSVP 👇
gmfus.org/event/geo-ec...
@engagingce.bsky.social @gmfus.bsky.social @ceudeminst.bsky.social

PROTEUS Protecting EU Values and Fundamental Rights through Public Participation and Civil Society Assistance in Central Europe Protecting EU Values and Fundamental Rights through Public Participation and Civ...

Nézd meg a legújabb pályázati felhívásokat a #EU_CERV #PROTEUS projektünkből, amelynek célja, hogy:

👉 támogassa a #korruptióellenes és #átláthatósági kezdeményezéseket

👉 növelje az EU-s jogok és értékeinek ismertségét
8 országban

További információért látogass el ide 👉 gmfus.org/proteus-0

Dwa nowe zaproszenia do składania wnisoków w ramach programu grantowego EU CERV PROTEUS:

👉 wspieranie inicjatyw antykorupcyjnych #transparentność

👉 promowanie świadomości praw i wartości #UE

Dowiedz się więcej i aplikuj:
👉 gmfus.org/proteus-0

Empowering Women in Bulgaria's Political Landscape Dimitar Keranov

🇧🇬 Supported by @engagingce.bsky.social, Bulgarian NGO Bulgarian School of Politics “Dimitry Panitza" organized the "Active Women—Prosperous Democracy" program. It sought to improve women’s involvement in governance in 3 regions. Learn more about the project:

📣Novi pozivi za dostavu projektnih prijedloga u sklopu europskog CERV programa PROTEUS📣

ℹ️Više informacija:

www.gmfus.org/podupiranje-...

www.gmfus.org/promicanje-s...

PROTEUS Protecting EU Values and Fundamental Rights through Public Participation and Civil Society Assistance in Central Europe Protecting EU Values and Fundamental Rights through Public Participation and Civ...

Otvorili sme 2 nové grantové výzvy v rámci programu EU CERV PROTEUS na podporu:

-advokačných a osvetových aktivít na podporu transparentnosti a boja proti korupcii

-povedomia o právach a hodnotách EÚ v regionálnych mestách a vidieckych oblastiach

Pre viac informácii navštívte gmfus.org/proteus-0

📢Working Paper Alert!

In the age of spin dictatorships, propaganda isn’t just a tool of autocrats—it’s seeping into democracies, too.

Péter Krekó (Political Capital, @gmfus.bsky.social) explores how modern regimes use social media to manipulate public opinion.
www.authlib.eu/peter-kreko-...

Join our @authlibeu.bsky.social #FIMI conversation with Nad'a Kovalcikova, Vassilis Ntousas & Péter Krekó on March 25 👇

Hungary’s Power Play in North Macedonia

What's behind #Hungary's malign foreign influence game in North Macedonia?
Check @dimker.bsky.social's analysis published by GMFUS
www.gmfus.org/news/hungary...

🟩Нови покани за подаване на проектни предложения по EU CERV PROTEUS:

➡️застъпничество и повишаване на осведомеността относно прозрачността и борбата с корупцията

➡️насърчаване на осведомеността относно правата и ценностите на ЕС

ℹ️ www.gmfus.org/podkrepa-za-...

ℹ️ www.gmfus.org/nasrchavane-...

PROTEUS Protecting EU Values and Fundamental Rights through Public Participation and Civil Society Assistance in Central Europe Protecting EU Values and Fundamental Rights through Public Participation and Civ...

▶️ Check out the latest calls for proposals of the EU CERV PROTEUS project 🇪🇺, intended to:

👉 support anti-corruption & transparency initiatives;

👉promote awareness of 🇪🇺 EU rights & values;

✅ in 8 countries: 🇧🇬🇭🇷🇨🇿🇭🇺🇵🇱🇷🇴🇸🇰🇸🇮

🟢 To find out more, please visit 👉 gmfus.org/proteus-0

@gmfus.bsky.social

Transparency watchdogs & pro-European CSOs of Central Europe, Apply!
#EU #CERV #PROTEUS
#TransatlanticFoundation
The German Marshall Fund of the United States

Check out the latest #CallsforProposals of our #EU_CERV #PROTEUS project, intended to
👉 support anti-#corruption & #transparency initiatives
👉promote awareness of EU rights & values
in eight Central European countries.
To find out more, visit 👉https://gmfus.org/proteus-0
@EU_Commission
#EACEA