William Nattrass

Czech Foreign Minister: Ukraine needs to ‘transform’ before it can join the EU

30 May 2023 6:18 pm

It doesn’t take long for visitors to Prague to figure out how the locals feel about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.…

Ukraine could lose one of its closest allies in Europe

10 May 2023 10:50 pm

Could one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies in Europe soon flip to become one of the most sceptical nations in the…

It has become illegal to support Russia in the Czech Republic

11 April 2023 4:41 pm

Supporting Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine is now socially and morally beyond the pale in most of the western world.…

Should Hungary be punished for its stance on Ukraine?

5 March 2023 6:01 pm

After months of delay, the Hungarian parliament finally started the process of approving Finland and Sweden’s Nato membership this week.…

Novak Djokovic and the real reason many Serbs support Russia

27 January 2023 2:04 am

Novak Djokovic is no stranger to controversy. A year ago, the Serbian tennis star was deported from Australia after failing…

Serbia’s membership talks should embarrass the EU

6 November 2022 12:59 am

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz looked on with uneasy pride as leaders from…

Viktor Orban is facing pressure from the right on abortion

16 September 2022 4:00 pm

Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán has become a towering figure in European politics over the past 12 years thanks to…

Why Poland wants Germany to pay war reparations

4 September 2022 5:00 pm

Poland commemorated the 83rd anniversary of its invasion by Nazi Germany this week. To mark the occasion the leader of…

Is war brewing between Serbia and Kosovo?

3 August 2022 2:16 am

Serbia and Kosovo are close to conflict. Of all things, a dispute over car number plates is threatening the fragile…

Hungary’s revenge: Orban is sacrificing EU unity for Russian gas

24 July 2022 4:30 pm

Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov spoke magnanimously while receiving his Hungarian counterpart Péter Szijjártó in Moscow this week. He promised…

What’s behind the mysterious wave of bomb threats terrorising Serbia?

18 June 2022 7:30 pm

Is Serbia being terrorised into supporting Ukraine? The question may sound like it comes from the fevered imagination of a…

How Hungary torpedoed the EU's sanctions crackdown on Russia

5 May 2022 8:59 pm

‘Hungary’s stance on oil and gas sanctions on Russia remains unchanged,’ Hungarian government spokesperson Zoltán Kovacs said on Monday. ‘We…

Is Slovakia a mafia state?

26 April 2022 9:15 pm

As soul searching in Britain continues over Boris Johnson’s alleged proximity to a slice of cake, a different sort of…

Why Viktor Orbán keeps winning

4 April 2022 5:00 pm

Viktor Orbán took the stage for a victory speech in Budapest last night with supporters chanting his name. Not long…

Hungary’s ‘patriotic fight’ with the EU: an interview with justice minister Judit Varga

6 March 2022 8:00 pm

Budapest is racked with tension. As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine sends a stream of refugees to Hungary’s eastern border, Viktor…

The crisis in Ukraine is strengthening the EU

3 March 2022 12:30 am

The EU has a knack for turning a crisis into an opportunity. The Eurozone crisis led to the centralisation of…

Hungary is standing by the EU on Ukraine

27 February 2022 8:30 pm

Thursday marked the beginning of a new era in European politics. Nowhere has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine been met with…

The EU is pushing Hungary and Poland to the brink

17 February 2022 4:15 am

Storm clouds looming over the EU’s ‘rule of law’ dispute turned a shade darker on Wednesday. The European Court of…

Could Viktor Orbán be a peacemaker in Ukraine?

5 February 2022 8:30 pm

For a politician whose calling card is the struggle for Hungarian national sovereignty, Viktor Orbán and Vladimir Putin’s press conference…

Can the Czech Republic challenge Europe’s vaccine orthodoxy?

30 January 2022 9:30 pm

The Omicron wave has left European counties standing at a crossroads this year. Despite the relative mildness of Omicron compared…

Eastern Europe's toxic relationship with Russia has left the EU divided

23 January 2022 7:00 pm

Joe Biden’s fatalistic statement this week that suggested a ‘minor incursion’ by Russia into Ukraine might be tolerated by the…

The attempt to oust Viktor Orbán is falling apart

16 January 2022 9:00 pm

This week it was confirmed that a Hungarian general election – framed as a referendum on Viktor Orbán’s leadership –…

Eastern Europe is paying for the EU’s climate revolution

19 December 2021 9:00 pm

Europe’s energy crisis shows little sign of abating. After Germany this week withheld approval for the Nord Stream 2 gas…

Poland’s abortion culture war is a battle for the country’s soul

12 December 2021 7:30 pm

This week it emerged that a hospital in the city of Białystok in Poland refused to grant an abortion to…

Why Viktor Orbán is fighting a war against ‘LGBT ideology’

4 December 2021 7:06 pm

‘Do you support the unrestricted presentation of sexual media content that influences the development of underage children?’ In a national…