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The Kabul Documenta 13 has opened its gates on June 20th, to the Afghan public, preceded by an official opening ceremony that was attended by the Goethe Institute Afghanistan, donors, diplomats, a delegation of the Documenta 13 and, last not least, the artists themselves.

Today, we have to remember that hundreds of thousands of Greek workers helped power the post-war German industrial renaissance. Today, millions of Germans are powering Greece’s only “heavy industry” – tourism. In view of the present crisis we will have to understand that the road ahead is a long one – but to jump off a cliff is not a viable shortcut.

From the euro crisis to a long-term vision: In Southern Europe, there should be immediate investment in solar energy. This would show EU citizens in the north that solidarity can provide them with cheaper renewable energy and citizens in the south would experience that reforms do serve a more integrated, greener, and more just Europe. 

Prime Minister Viktor Orbán has projected fifteen to twenty years of governance in a “central political space”, rather than the customary shifts of power between left and right. In the elections 2010, Fidesz had the support of roughly half of all voters, and during its first half-year the new government enjoyed strong public approval. But since then the political landscape has changed dramatically.

After brutal attacks against African refugees in conjuncion with a demonstration at Tel Aviv's HaTikva, high-ranking politicans of the Israeli governement are demanding a tougher action against illegal immigrants. But there are also more and more voices that support more agreeable solutions.

Hungary's former president Pal Schmitt's loyalty to Fidesz and Mr Orbán was so exaggerated that he wasn't taken seriously as an autonomous political figure. With János Áder Fidesz and Mr Orbán have chosen long-time party member, who is perceived as a more independent figure. But how autnonmous is the new president really? 

The EU is dependent on intact democracies in the member states - if the EU wants to be democratic it cannot be indifferent to its democratically constituted members. But what options are available for influencing Hungary? And who are the relevant actors for a democratic change in the country?

On May 19th, two unknown assailants attacked an exhibition by photographer Yevgenia Belorusets at the Centre for Visual Cultural Research (VCRC) in Kiev. The artist's photoworks are dedicated to the lives of Ukrainian LGBT and Queer families, who have to deal with harassment and threats of violence on a daily basis. It's not the first time that the center, which is under constant danger of being closed down by the authorities, is a target of censorship.

In the 1990s, Hungary was considered a role model for the socialist transformation of centrally planned economies in Eastern Europe. Today, economic growth in Hungary is lower, and public and private debt are considerably higher, than in other East Central European countries. The country was led into this plight by politicians who concealed the real situation with irresponsible populism, delayed reforms, and promised the moon.   

For twenty years, the Hungarian political system was a liberal democracy characterised by a multiparty system, free elections, free media and independent courts. But in the past years the country has returned to an authoritarian system. Andras Bozoki, former Minister of Culture between 2005 and 2006 takes a closer look at Hungary's transition away from democracy.