On 24 October, during the third day of the conference ‘Polish Eastern Policy 2025’, KEW experts and fellows engaged in the ‘Protecting European Values’ project, co-financed by the European Commission, discussed the state of democracy in Central European countries. The panel ‘Democratic backsliding in Central Europe – implications for Eastern Europe and Western Balkans’ was attended by Zsuzsanna Végh, Program Offcer at the German Marshall Fund of the United States in Berlin, Dr Vit Dostál, Executive Director at Association for International Affairs and Dr Tomaš Strážay, Director of the Research Centre at the Slovak Foreign Policy Association. The discussion was moderated by Professor Maria Wincławska from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń. The experts analysed the impact of the situation in individual Central European countries on the development of EU cooperation with the Western Balkans and the Eastern Partnership countries. They emphasised the need to maintain transparency in policy towards the Eastern Partnership countries, especially Ukraine and Moldova, which are closest to membership. However the V4 countries role as transmitters of good practices in governance and improving democratic mandate to their neighbors in Western Balkans and Easter Europe is no longer valid. With growing corruption rate and control over media outlets in Hungary and Slovakia and with the growing trend to turn to populistic approach to politics in Czechia and Poland, Central Europe no longer stands as a democratic benchmark and guide for potential new members. The panellists also pointed out that for countries where pro-Russian sentiment is strong (Slovakia and Hungary), the project of European Union enlargement is not value-based but geopolitical in nature.
Next, the theses of the policy paper “In the crosshairs. France as a target of Russia’s malign interference: vulnerabilities, responses, challenges” by Dr Anais Marin, a fellow of Chatham House, were presented. The panel was moderated by Jarosław Kociszewski, editor-in-chief of the “New Eastern Europe” portal. The publication analyzed the mechanisms of Russian interference in France and assessed the weaknesses and responses of French institutions. The expert noted that France is perceived in Russia as NATO’s ‘soft underbelly’ – a country susceptible to disinformation due to the French elite’s long-standing fascination with Russia. The incitement of public sentiment in France is facilitated by far-right movements, which control an increasing number of media channels. However, Dr Marin noted that France’s efforts to combat disinformation and Russian influence are not entirely ineffective. France is countering Russia’s ‘sharp power’ tactics with political, institutional and doctrinal solutions.
This was the 20th edition of the Eastern Poland Policy Conference, which brought together experts, scholars, journalists, politicians, NGO activists, and diplomats from Poland, Europe, and around the world. The conference focused on debating the most pressing issues in Eastern Europe, Russia and China, as well as internal developments within the EU and NATO, placing them in broader global and continental contexts. It always emphasizes the significance of these topics for Polish Eastern policy.
