47 h. ago When populists win in Prague, that’s nothing peculiarly ‘east European’. It’s the new normal of the western world | Timothy Garton Ash

The likely new Czech government will add one more state opposed to the EU’s green deal and migration and asylum pactIf you open your window on a quiet street in central Prague, the first sound you hear is the trrrrk-trrrrk-trrrrk of carry-on suitcases trundling across paving stones, as tourists walk to their hotel or Airbnb. (The Czech capital had 8 million visitors last year.) As they trek around Prague Castle and fill the Old Town bars with cheerful chatter, these visitors – many of them probably unaware of the recent election victory of rightwing populist nationalist parties – may think this is just another normal European country. And you know what: they will be right.Some more extensively informed newspaper commentators, reaching for an attention-grabbing generalisation, tell a different story. This is eastern Europe reverting to type, they say. After Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, now Czechia as well! The truth is more interesting – and more worrying.Timothy Garton Ash is a his...

Politics

47 h. ago When Czech populists win, that’s nothing peculiarly ‘east European’. It’s the new normal of the western world | Timothy Garton Ash

The likely new government in Prague will add one more state opposed to the EU’s green deal and migration and asylum pactIf you open your window on a quiet street in central Prague, the first sound you hear is the trrrrk-trrrrk-trrrrk of carry-on suitcases trundling across paving stones, as tourists walk to their hotel or Airbnb. (The Czech capital had 8 million visitors last year.) As they trek around Prague Castle and fill the Old Town bars with cheerful chatter, these visitors – many of them probably unaware of the recent election victory of rightwing populist nationalist parties – may think this is just another normal European country. And you know what: they will be right.Some more extensively informed newspaper commentators, reaching for an attention-grabbing generalisation, tell a different story. This is eastern Europe reverting to type, they say. After Hungary, Poland and Slovakia, now Czechia as well! The truth is more interesting – and more worrying.Timothy Garton Ash is a...

Politics

1 week ago Don’t fall for the authoritarian hype – Reform and the hard right can be stopped in their tracks | Gordon Brown

From the US to Europe and Asia, grievances are being exploited to gain power. But moderate voices are still in tune with the majorityGordon Brown was UK prime minister from 2007 to 2010Nigel Farage portrays his Reform UK party as a unique phenomenon that has burst on to the global stage, its meteoric rise an exceptional epochal event. But this week, in every one of Europe’s major countries and from India and Thailand to the US and Argentina, hard-right, anti-immigrant, anti-globalisation parties like his are also ahead in the opinion polls.In last Saturday’s Czech elections, the rightwing, pro-Putin populist Andrej Babiš toppled prime minister Petr Fiala. National Rally, which has just brought down yet another French prime minister, is leading the polls for both the French presidency and parliament. In Germany, the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) is currently the most popular party. Hungary’s Fidesz party, Robert Fico’s pro-Russian Slovakian coalition and the Brothers of...

Culture

2 w. ago Andrej Babiš to hold talks with other Czech parties on forming government

Billionaire faces tricky task trying to secure enough support to become PM after ANO wins elections without majorityAndrej Babiš has met the Czech president, Petr Pavel, and is to hold talks with other party leaders as the billionaire populist begins the tricky job of trying to form a stable government after his ANO (Yes) party won parliamentary elections, but failed to secure a majority.Final results showed ANO won 34.5% of the vote, held on Friday and Saturday, translating to a provisional 80 seats in the 200-member parliament. The centre-right Spolu coalition of the outgoing prime minister, Petr Fiala, came second on 23.4%. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Can Czech populist Andrej Babiš form stable government after election win?

Billionaire begins talks with other party leaders after ANO party triumphs in elections but fails to secure majorityAndrej Babiš has met the Czech president, Petr Pavel, and is to hold talks with other party leaders as the billionaire populist begins the tricky job of trying to form a stable government after his ANO (Yes) party won parliamentary elections, but failed to secure a majority.Final results showed ANO won 34.5% of the vote, held on Friday and Saturday, translating to a provisional 80 seats in the 200-member parliament. The centre-right Spolu coalition of the outgoing prime minister, Petr Fiala, came second on 23.4%. Continue reading...

Politics

2 w. ago Billionaire populist Andrej Babis' party wins Czech general election

With the votes from almost all of the polling stations counted, Andrej Babis' ANO movement captured 35 per cent of the vote, campaigning on pledges of halting military aid of Ukraine.

Politics

2 w. ago Kasper Schmeichel on the 'biggest advantage' Celtic have amid fan tensions with board

The Dane has loved soaked up the atmosphere of Glasgow's east end on European nights

Events

3 w. ago Hamas considers Trump's Gaza plan which would see them hand over their weapons

Hamas is considering a peace proposal for Gaza put forward by Donald Trump that would see the terror group hand over their weapons. 

Politics

3 w. ago Moldovan prime minister accuses Russia of using country's election to 'take power'

Moldova’s Prime Minister Dorin Recean warns that Russia is spending heavily to influence an upcoming parliamentary election

Politics