Every Monday, the Research Trainees of the CERESE assess the news of the previous week. You can read their opinions below:

I like…

…the news that Japan is laying the groundwork for the reconstruction of Ukraine. Tokyo, aware of the country’s post-war economic challenges, has announced a new 4.2€ billion aid package. Ukraine, although unable to deal with its human losses, needs the international community to help manage the difficulties and adverse effects of the war, to build a sustainable society from scratch.

…the news that the Hungarian government has decided to accept Sweden’s entry into NATO and proceed to ratify its accession. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Nordic countries rushed to join the alliance to ensure their security. However, the conflict between the two countries within the European Union on the rule of law and LGBTQI+ rights issues led Hungary to react by extending Sweden’s accession resolution. It seems that the two countries can overcome this diplomatic impasse, following the visit of the Swedish Prime Minister to Budapest and their deal to provide fighter aircraft to Hungary.

I dislike…

…the news of the death of the Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny. Russia’s State Prison Service announced in a public statement on 16 February 2024 that Navalny had lost consciousness and could not be revived. Navalny was serving a prison sentence on several trumped-up charges when in 2023 he was sentenced to 19 more years on new charges, including extremism. He had been in prison since his return to Russia in 2021, after surviving a poisoning attempt in 2020, which many blamed on the Kremlin.

…the recent developments shortly after the 2024 general elections in Pakistan. More specifically, on Saturday, 17 February 2024, a state employee publicly admitted to being involved in an attempt to rig the recent election results. As a consequence, approximately 70,000 votes have been considered tampered with. The Pakistani Election Commission denies that fraud occurred, but pledges to investigate these allegations in the future. This news is particularly negative, as it is a serious violation of democracy, the rule of law, and the right of citizens to vote.