Posts | Central European Affairs

Canada as the EU’s First Associate Member? The Emergence of a New Model of Transatlantic Integration

September 17, 2026
Szilárd Szélpál
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The idea of Canada becoming the European Union’s first “associate member” could signal more than another upgrade of transatlantic cooperation. With trade, research, defence, economic security and strategic technologies already drawing the two sides closer together, the proposal raises a broader question: could the EU develop a new form of integration for close partners that falls short of membership but goes significantly beyond a conventional strategic partnership?

The Legend of Closeness – When Two People Find Each Other Across the Distance

September 14, 2026
Olga Nádra
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Meeting someone online can hardly be considered unusual these days. Almost every age group has some presence in the digital world, and while a love story once needed a workplace, a circle of friends, a night out, a chance encounter or at least a shared geographical location, today it can sometimes begin with a single message.

When the Children Leave Home – and Four Tiny Paws Move In

September 11, 2026
Szilvia Filó
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There is a period in parents’ lives that we talk about surprisingly little. For years, even decades, someone needs us. We get up in the morning, organise, worry, cook, do the laundry, ask questions, wait, drive them around and offer advice, even when it has not been requested. Meanwhile, almost without noticing, caring for others becomes one of the central organising principles of our lives.

The AfD’s Victory and the Responsibility of Germany’s Mainstream Elite

September 8, 2026
Mihály Barcza
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The social and economic problems left unanswered by Germany’s political elite have become a matter concerning the future of the entire European Union. Yet the AfD’s rise may also expose conflicts of interest that the party’s Central European supporters scarcely seem to anticipate.

One Wedding, Six Breweries, Six Million Visitors: The Story of the Wiesn

September 3, 2026
Judit Szilos-Zongor
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From a royal wedding in 1810 to the world’s largest beer festival, Oktoberfest has grown into far more than a celebration of beer. It is a temporary city, a living Bavarian tradition and an experience that transforms Munich every autumn. Having watched the Wiesn rise from an empty field outside my office window, I discovered its history, rituals and the unmistakable magic behind the words: “O’zapft is!”

The Hiring Crisis – When HR Lost Sight of the Human Being

August 18, 2026
Olga Nádra
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One of the greatest contradictions in Central Europe’s labour market is that, while companies complain of labour shortages, qualified people who genuinely want to work are being caught in increasingly rigid selection filters.

The Pineapple Effect

Judit Szilos-Zongor has been living in Munich for three years. Inspired in part by the story of her Danube Swabian ancestors, she explores what it means to find a sense of home in a country to which her family’s history reconnects nearly three hundred years later.

The Nation Is Not a Club for Winners

July 22, 2026
Olga Nádra
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Hungary is preparing to elect a new President of the Republic, but the debate is not merely about filling a constitutional office. It is also about whether we understand the nation as a shared political community or as a club belonging to the winners of the latest election.

The Silent Crisis of Fathers

July 17, 2026
Olga Nádra
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The modern father is expected to be a provider, an emotionally available partner and an actively involved caregiver at the same time. Yet while his performance is constantly scrutinised, we rarely ask him the simplest question: how is he?

What Should Hungary Do with Its Defence Industry after 2026?

A new PROSUM Foundation policy paper argues that Hungary’s emerging defence industrial base should not be dismantled, but strategically consolidated, depoliticised and integrated into NATO and EU defence planning.

Canada as the EU’s First Associate Member? The Emergence of a New Model of Transatlantic Integration

The Legend of Closeness – When Two People Find Each Other Across the Distance

When the Children Leave Home – and Four Tiny Paws Move In

The AfD’s Victory and the Responsibility of Germany’s Mainstream Elite

One Wedding, Six Breweries, Six Million Visitors: The Story of the Wiesn

The Hiring Crisis – When HR Lost Sight of the Human Being

The Pineapple Effect

The Nation Is Not a Club for Winners

The Silent Crisis of Fathers

What Should Hungary Do with Its Defence Industry after 2026?

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