Kafkadesk News Updates

Komarno/Komarom –A convergence is haunting the Euro-Atlantic – the convergence of illiberalism. In recent days this convergence has been on stark display in the sister Danubian towns of Komárno, on the Slovak left-bank – and Komárom on the Hungarian right-bank. For it is here that Slovakia’s Prime Minister Robert Fico… Read more »

Prague, Czech Republic – In this episode, Kafkadesk contributor Adrien Beauduin interviews political scientist Jiří Koubek of Charles University in Prague about the roots of nationwide social discontent in the Czech Republic. They also speak about the successes and failures of the government; the reasons for the high popularity of… Read more »

Prague, Czech Republic – Pavel Čanda was a Czechoslovak artist born in Prague in 1930, and died in Saverne, France, in 1995. At the age of 18, he left his country and arrived in France, where he obtained refugee status and started working as farm boy. A former student at… Read more »

Bratislava, Slovakia – Reversing Slovakia’s brain drain can happen right now, as long as the strategy expands beyond simply bridging and bonding with the diaspora. Offering irresistible financial incentives, like tax-breaks for newly established businesses, low interest-loans for first-time home buyers, or family-friendly polices like personal exemption on income-tax for… Read more »

Lyon, France – The Rugby World Cup is in full swing in France, but once again Central European teams are conspicuously absent. Rugby tries to slowly make its mark in the region and faces various challenges, explains Tomasz Putra, former coach of Poland (2006-2013) and the Czech Republic (2014-2017). Kafkadesk:… Read more »

Support Lazy Women now to help them become an independent media. Budapest, Hungary – Looking at how Lazy Women, partners of Kafkadesk, overcomes gender stereotypes and build a new kind of feminist community in Europe. The activists of the Lazy Women international platform break taboos and stereotypes even with their… Read more »

Bratislava, Slovakia – In this episode, Kafkadesk contributor Adrien Beauduin interviews political sociologist Michal Vašečka, president of the Bratislava Policy Institute, about the Slovak parliamentary elections taking place on September 30. They analyse the political turmoil of the last years; explain the success of nationalist and conservative parties; and sketch possible future coalitions,… Read more »

Warsaw, Poland – On July 22, the March for Equality for LGBT+ rights was held in Sanok, Poland, under the motto “Miłość naszym prawem! – Love is our right!”. Sanok, a town of 40,000 in the Podkarpackie voivodship held its second March for Equality (Marsz Równości), in a region were… Read more »

Bratislava, Slovakia – “We were almost there when a bullet hit me again – this time in my right foot. Instantly, my shoe filled with blood.” These are the words of Alexander Dubček, describing his desperate escape from German troops in the aftermath of the Slovak National Uprising of 1944.… Read more »

Because humour is a fitting tool to discuss a world gone topsy-turvy, Kafkadesk is happy to present its new Satire column. Brno, Czech Republic – Czech co-workers Markéta, Filip and Milan were seen calmly nodding their heads for a solid 12 minutes as they listened to the incoherent rambling of Slovak colleague… Read more »