November 20, 2019 | Written by - Eleanor Pompa '23
In Ukraine, troops from both Ukraine and Russian backed separatists are retreating from an important area in eastern Ukraine. The retreat was originally supposed to happen on October 9th, 2019, but because of skirmishes between Ukrainian police and some war veterans, it was pushed back to October 26th, when the war veterans were ordered to disarm. This withdrawal from both sides could signify the end of the 5-year conflict of the Donbas region.
In Hungary, people are angry at the prime minister, who is using a large portion of government money to fund sports stadiums instead of funding the deteriorating healthcare system. The hospitals are understaffed and people have to wait for very long periods of time before being treated. In desperation, people go to the emergency room instead. One report stated that on a recent night in the emergency ward, the restrooms did not have hand soap or clean urinals. This is a serious problem because the government is misusing funds that could be used to prioritize the health care system. In fact, even when the healthcare system is a major issue in Hungary, the prime minister does not pay special attention to it. People are angry at the corruption of the government.
In Slovakia, four people were charged in the murder of a journalist and his fiance. The murder was apparently ordered by an entrepreneur with connections to the Slovakian government to cover up allegations that the government of Slovakia had connections to the Italian mafia. Although the premier denied them, these allegations, in addition to the death of the journalist, forced the premier and his deputy to resign.
In Poland and across Eastern Europe, politicians are using homophobia to instill fear in voters. In a survey, the majority of men under the age of 40 answered that the issue threatening Poland that they were most worried about was the “LGBT movement and gender ideology.” In recent years, some young people have been confident in raising awareness and pride in the LGBTQ community. Conservative politicians and church leaders, however, are using this fact as a way to rally the more conservative voters. This could become a major issue. One person interviewed said that the “iron curtain” that divided Eastern and Western Europe still stands in regards to the rights of members of the LGBTQ community.
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