If the polls are to believed, 2026 could finally see the end of the 16 years of dominance of Viktor Orban and his Fidesz party, and pave the way for a relatively unknown and definitely inexperienced new government. Yet defeating Orban at the ballot box might not be enough: retaining …

The Hungarian PM’s cautious response to a new law targeting Slovakia’s ethnic-Hungarian minority is creating credibility issues for his Fidesz party on both sides of the border and perhaps opening up an opportunity for Hungary’s extreme-right to benefit. “We do not accept collective guilt, either in our own country or …

Two things can be said about Poland at the beginning of 2026: it is doing well and doing badly at the same time. The Polish economy is growing faster than almost anywhere else in Europe, EU funds are arriving in record amounts, and defence spending is set to reach nearly …

Israel faces mounting challenges: a stalled ceasefire in Gaza, rising Hezbollah threats in Lebanon, and a critical security opportunity with Syria. With ceasefires unraveling on nearly every front, Israel is once again confronting the unstable reality of the Middle East. The coming weeks will decide whether the Jewish state drifts …

The inquiry surfaced as internet monitors and media reported near-total connectivity loss across Iran, renewing attention on satellite internet as a tool to bypass state shutdowns. Deputy Minister Almog Cohen, a junior minister in Israel’s Prime Minister’s Office, contacted Israeli-American venture capitalist Dovi Frances this week to ask whether Starlink …

The demonstrations, which began in Tehran last month, have spread to all of Iran’s 31 provinces but have yet to reach the scale of the 2022-3 unrest sparked by the death of Mahsa Amini. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei accused protesters of acting on behalf of US President Donald …

As new early elections approach, scheduled for December 28th, the debate in Kosovo regarding voting rights for the influential and large diaspora is reopening: some are proposing the introduction of reserved seats, along the lines of Croatia Kosovo’s diaspora abroad is, according to the World Bank 2024 country report, among …

Protests in Iran raged Friday night in the Islamic Republic, online videos purported to show, despite a threat from the country’s theocracy to crack down on demonstrators after shutting down the internet and cutting telephone lines off to the world. At least 65 people have been killed in the protests …

Toplines Ukrainian and Russian officials confirmed that Russian forces conducted an Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM) strike against Lviv Oblast on the night of January 8 to 9, likely as part of the Kremlin’s reflexive control campaign that aims to deter Western support for Ukraine. The Ukrainian Air Force reported …

Sheikh Maqsoud and Ashrafieh neighborhoods in northern Aleppo saw rapid field developments, as parts of the two areas began to be handed over to the Syrian state, according to on-the-ground information verified by Enab Baladi correspondents. Successive defections were recorded among members of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and its …