The German – Polish Relationship, Soft Bigotry and Long Grievances

German Chancellor Frederich Merz and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Photo credit: Klaudia Radecka via Reuters Connect.

“We must all turn our backs upon the horrors of the past and look to the future.”Winston Churchill, September 19, 1946, Zurich  Germany and Poland are European Union and NATO members, neighbors committed to the fight against an expansionist Russia with a combined massive economic might. They should be the closest of natural allies, but […]

Europe Faces a Threat Bigger Than Russia: Its Own Balkanization

The bridge connecting south and north Mitrovica. Photo credit: REUTERS/Ognen Teofilovski.

Bridge construction in the Western Balkans may be a microcosm of Europe’s fragmented, post-American future. During the Kosovo War of 1998-1999, the main bridge over the river Ibar in the ethnically divided town of Mitrovica was an important focal point. “On one side, sitting in chairs outside the Dolce Vita bar and listening to Italian music, are […]

Democracy in Poland

Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk. Photo credit: Beata Zawrzel via Reuters Connect.

Poland’s democratic transition is proving to be turbulent and challenging.  The liberal center-right government led by Donald Tusk took office on December 13, 2023, after eight years of rule by “Law and Justice,” a nationalist right-wing party. The new government’s reform efforts face the kind of domestic opposition that may pose the biggest threat to […]