You are cordially invited to the joint Conference of the Wacław Felczak Institute and the CEU Democracy Institute.

If you wish to attend, please register here.

The conference will analyze the current state of democracy and re-democratization efforts in Poland and Hungary. It will be a platform for knowledge-sharing and peer learning among researchers and practitioners engaged in public life.

Contributors will explore the social and political processes in Poland and Hungary in a global context and re-democratization efforts in a contested environment in the two coultries. Academics and practitioners will present research findings and practical experiences and engage in discussions on the dilemmas influencing democratic trajectories and decision-making processes.

PROGRAM

9.30 Opening remarks:

• László Bruszt, Professor of Sociology, CEU, Founding Director of the CEU Democracy Insitute
• Jakub Wiśniewski, Wacław Felczak Institute for Polish-Hungarian Cooperation

10.00 Panel dicussion

Challenges Facing Democracy in the Post-Hegemonic World Order in Central Europe

As we approach the end of the first third of the 21st century, the global order is undergoing profound transformation. The U.S.-dominated hegemonic system that emerged after the Cold War has dissolved, giving way to the rise of new centers of power – China, Russia, India, Saudi Arabia and others – each articulating its own hegemonic aspirations. Their ability to shape societies is unprecedented, amplified by the internet, social media platforms, and increasingly sophisticated disinformation strategies.

Central Europe is not insulated from these shifts. The reconfiguration of global power relations resonates domestically, deepening the polarization of political parties and compelling societies to confront value-based choices. At stake is the future of European liberal democracy, now challenged by illiberal and authoritarian alternatives.

This panel will explore, from a theoretical perspective, how these dynamics manifest in the Central European context, what challenges democratic forces face, what responses may be formulated, and how the European Union can act as a critical actor in this evolving struggle.

• Zsolt Enyedi, Professor, CEU, Senior Research Fellow, CEU Democracy Institute
• Barbara Grabowska-Moroz, Senior Research Fellow and Director of Rule of Law Clinic at CEU Democracy Institute
• Grzegorz Gil, Maria Curie-Sklodowska University / Member of the Council of the Wacław Felczak Institute for Polish-Hungarian Cooperation
• Marcin Zaborowski, Policy Director at Future of Security Programme at GLOBSEC
• Chair: Viktória Serdült, Journalist, HVG (TBD)

11.15    Break

11.30 Panel discussion

Authoritarian Attempts and Democratic Responses in Practice in Poland and Hungary

In this panel, we continue the discussion from the first session, but with a more practical focus, concentrating specifically on Poland and Hungary. The central question is how Polish and Hungarian societies respond to political change. Can they exert pressure on those in power to prevent the full success of authoritarian forces seeking orientation toward Eastern dictatorships? What practices exist within society that aim to defend the Euro-Atlantic democratic order? Two years after the Polish parliamentary elections and six months before the Hungarian ones, what does the relationship between society and power look like in the two countries?

• Ewa Kulik, Member of the Management Board, Stefan Batory Foundation
• Zsuzsanna Szelényi, Program Director, CEU Democracy Institute
• Edit Zgut-Przybylska, Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, Polish Academy of Sciences, CEU DI on participatory democratic innovations and resilience among civil society
• Marcin Czyżniewski, professor, Faculty of Political Science and Security Studies, Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń / Member of the Council of the Wacław Felczak Institute for Polish-Hungarian Cooperation
• Chair: Péter Magyari, Journalist at Válasz Online (TBD)

12.45 Closing remarks

• Miklós Mitrovits, Wacław Felczak Institute for Polish-Hungarian Cooperation