In Czech and Slovak cinemas from this week, but it’ll also be available to stream online, I believe…

Spot the outlier and wonder why the British economy isn’t growing. Britain makes far less of what the world wants to buy, and the world wants much less of what Britain makes.

My theory of Central European politics: the pendulum will always swing between the liberal part of the society that seeks to approximate the West, and the nationalist, socially conservative part that thrives on fear. It’s part of the post-1989 social fabric – not a bug, but a feature of the society.

And succeed he did. This vote makes it virtually impossible for LGBT people in Slovakia to be treated as equals under the law and lead a decent life, while exposing a fractured opposition. That division bodes ill for any united front against Fico in the next election, two years from now. 4/4

Fico’s proposal passed not only with the votes of his populist-nationalist coalition but also the opposition Christian Democrats and two other MPs. This was his aim all along: to lure the Christian Democrats, expose the opposition as divided, and divert attention from the public finances fiasco. 3/4

In Slovakia, LGBT people still lack even the most basic rights: no registered partnership, let alone marriage. This constitutional amendment will entrench discrimination and treat LGBT people as second-class citizens under the law. It pushes Slovakia one step closer to Orbán’s Hungary. 2/4

He also called his political opponent, Slovak nationalist Andrej Hlinka “a fool”, for pacting with Hungarian revisionists to push for Slovak statehood.

And on the Germans, he said: “give them what they deserve, but no more.”

I mean, if only you knew what came later, mate!

Ha, a very fair point! Thanks for looking on the bright side, David.

Cc @loreleiking.bsky.social

Here’s the link to the study:

www.bertelsmann-stiftung.de/en/our-proje...