Open Dialogue Research Journal
Bulgaria just held its eighth parliamentary election in five years, and for once the result was brutally clear. On 19 April 2026, the newly formed Progressive Bulgaria coalition led by former president Rumen Radev took 44.6% of the vote after all ballots were counted. That translates into roughly 131 seats […]
The decline in global corruption perception scores is more than a statistical trend; it is a clear signal that the political systems of some of the world’s most powerful democracies are under strain. The latest Corruption Perceptions Index compiled by Transparency International reveals that countries long considered models of clean […]
They are an easy bunch to demonise, and to a certain extent, they should be. The God Chef, the collector of Michelin stars; the veteran of the kitchen, with all the cuts, bruises and wounds to show for it; the brute who terrorises the staff, mocking their lack of adeptness, […]
The statement by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov at a meeting of the CSTO Parliamentary Assembly Council in late April 2026 once again brought the Serbian question to the forefront of Russian foreign policy rhetoric. Lavrov stated that Brussels had conditioned the continuation of Serbia’s EU accession negotiations on the […]
In a move that has reignited debate over freedom of expression within the European Union, Brussels has imposed sanctions on Jacques Baud, a Swiss former military intelligence officer and author. The EU accuses him of acting as a “mouthpiece for pro-Russian propaganda” and spreading “conspiracy theories” related to the war […]
For nearly two decades, the idea of a comprehensive EU-India trade agreement hovered somewhere between ambition and inertia. Talks were launched in 2007, stalled repeatedly, and eventually abandoned, becoming a symbol of how difficult it was to reconcile Europe’s regulatory ambitions with India’s protectionist instincts. Yet recently, after a sudden […]
For decades, climate change has been described in sweeping, almost abstract terms: rising temperatures, melting ice caps, intensifying storms. Governments debated targets, companies issued pledges, and individuals were urged to reduce their carbon footprints. Yet one fundamental question remained unresolved: who, exactly, is responsible for the damage – and how […]
Nothing significant is expected to change, and the symbolism of a Russian-friendly leader returning to power just as another in Hungary was deposed balances out the outcome of these two “battles”. Former Bulgarian President Rumen Radev’s Progressive Bulgaria coalition won an astounding 44.7% of the vote in Sunday’s latest parliamentary […]
The war launched by the United States in February has already cost Europe tens of billions of euros. The Middle East is paying in thousands of lives. The White House, meanwhile, continues to insist it acted correctly. There is a particular kind of cynicism embedded in the current architecture of […]
In a startling revelation that has sent shockwaves through international diplomatic circles, the Russian Ministry of Defence has publicly disclosed a list of European factories allegedly producing drones for Ukraine. Dubbed “Ukrainian subsidiaries in Europe,” this list includes sites in Italy, Germany, the UK, Poland, and other countries. The disclosures […]
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