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 international organisations, NATO, and the European Union, are expressing doubts about the democratic legitimacy of the presidential elections in Russia. They base these doubts on the lack of political pluralism and independence of the media. The reelection of Vladimir Putin is widely anticipated, raising concerns in the Russian opposition regarding the legitimacy of it. At the same time, NATO and the EU reject the conduct of elections within the Russian-occupied Ukrainian territories. The call by Ukraine and Yulia Navalnaya, the widow of the late Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, for non-recognition of the elections intensifies international concern about the situation.

...the news that the Croatian Parliament has approved amendments related to the registration of femicide as a separate crime in the Criminal Code. On Thursday, March 14, 2024, Croatia, ranked third within the European Union in terms of femicide rates, granted legal recognition to this crime. The occasion was the recent murder of 20-year-old law student Michaela Barak by a police officer. Such acts will be punishable by a prison sentence of 10 to 40 years. According to the Croatian News Agency HINA, 77 MPs voted in favor of the amendment to the penal code. In this way, Croatia is protecting the dignity of women and condemning gender violence.

I dislike…

…the violent attack by the Pakistani police on supporters of the main opposition party. Police arrested more than 100 party members during protests across the country, mobilised over suspected rigging in last month’s parliamentary elections. The political party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), called for protests, demanding action against the election authorities and the caretaker government that oversaw the elections. In a statement, the party said that all arrested leaders should be released and that state repression, brutality, and fascism as means of enforcing law and order should be abolished. Finally, they stated that it would hold weekly demonstrations until their demands were met.

...the fact that the Polish President, Andrzej Duda, does not seem willing to sign in favour of changing the abortion law. The previous “Law and Justice” government in 2020 passed changes to the abortion law under which abortions can be performed up to the 12th week of pregnancy and if they fall under cases of rape or exceptional medical reason. The new government is trying to change the existing law to ensure a higher level of protection of women’s reproductive rights. However, these efforts are being hampered by the Polish President, who considers abortion to be abnormal and opposes this bill.