Rightwing opposition leader is challenged by his former PiS protégé
Ilie Bolojan tried to push through austerity measures to rein in EU’s highest deficit
Opera houses, museums and Venice Biennale roiled by rightwing government’s bid to control the arts
The outer edges of both parties are overlapping on a growing number of issues
Proposal to limit inhabitants to 10mn people branded as ‘chaos initiative’ by business lobby
The UK’s stagnant economy and the US’s dynamic one are both politically dysfunctional
It feels like politics is more fraught today — is it?
Protests by authors at the French publishing house are a symptom of the struggle between establishment and insurgents
Mainstream party says it will back a vote of no confidence in Ilie Bolojan a week after leaving his coalition government
Electoral logic is driving a shift as polls lay bare European disgust at the US administration
Orbán’s election defeat is a blow to Trump and Maga
A decade into the age of nationalism, the idea of quitting the club is still remarkably taboo
White House and Kremlin make positive comments about Magyar despite previously endorsing Orbán
Populist nationalism can be beaten at the ballot box, even if it can endure a long time
Most of the things that make it distinct from traditional conservatism won’t last
What voters are really being drawn to is confident leadership that appears to offer new solutions
As the country considers capping its population, the drawbacks of direct democracy are up for debate
Sunday’s election will show if it’s possible to defeat Orbán’s illiberal democracy
Also in this newsletter: Brussels calls out Trump’s ‘illegal’ Iran threat
Hungary’s illiberal champion has benefited from the misjudgments and complacency of other leaders
Defeat for the populist rightwing premier would reverberate across Europe
A movement founded on loucheness is making an electorally risky turn towards religion
Donald Trump’s America is a world leader in democratic decline
Volatility traders have come for our democratic politics and are showing that turbulence pays
Prime Minister Robert Golob faces protracted coalition talks after edging populist challenger Janez Janša
