Eastern-Central Europe
Russia Cracks Down Further on LGBTQ+ Community
The regime in Russia further cracked down on its queer community this month, with Russia’s top court ruling to ban the so-called “international LGBTQ movement,” labeling it an extremist organization. It is now illegal in Russia to “promote or praise LGBTQ relationships, publicly express non-heterosexual orientations or suggest that they are normal.”
French Government Accuses the Kremlin of Causing Antisemitic Graffiti Incident
Around 250 blue Stars of David were tagged on buildings in France, in what the Parisian police chief called an “antisemitic” incident. Officials in France claim that a Russian-speaking person living abroad “may have paid for” the graffiti and Russian-controlled social media accounts promoted images of the graffiti.
Antisemitic Mob Storms Russian Airport and Threatens Violence Against Arriving Jews
A mob in the Russian Republic of Dagestan stormed an airfield on Oct. 30, 2023, prompting the closure of an airport and the diversion of flights.
Hungarian Prime Minister Faces Backlash After Meeting with Putin
In a controversial move, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán met Russian President Vladimir Putin in Beijing on Oct. 24, 2023. Orbán, the leader of Hungary’s right-wing party FIDESZ, was even photographed shaking hands with Putin, drawing the ire of other Western leaders.
Amidst Migration Wave, Slew of Central European States Reintroduce Border Controls
In a sharp reversal of trends since the COVID-19 pandemic, Central European Schengen area countries (i.e. European Union member states who have joined the visa-free and, essentially, internal border-free zone) have opted to reintroduce border controls of various intensity temporarily.
German Elections Cast Poor Forecast for Kyiv
In the run-up to the election, the public media network Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF) showed that 41% of respondents thought that Ukraine should accept territorial concessions to Moscow, should it mean an end to the conflict.