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Avatar photoMaria Skóra

Dr Maria Skóra is a researcher and political analyst in Berlin. At the Institut für Europäische Politik, she analysing rule-of-law developments in the European Union. She is also a policy fellow at the think-tank Das Progressive Zentrum, hosting the annual Progressive Governance Summit.

Elections of division: Can unity still win?

Maria Skóra

With 2024’s elections stoking deep divides, societies worldwide are asking if we can still bridge our differences.

Poland’s historic election: democracy won

Maria Skóra

With the progressive bloc likely to replace the populists in power, the relics of the latter and a polarised society will remain challenging.

Where is Poland heading, with elections looming?

Maria Skóra

Amid huge demonstrations against the populist government, buffeted by legal challenges, the stakes could not be higher.

The paradox of Polish migration policy

Maria Skóra

Poland has opened its border with Ukraine to war refugees. Not so at another border, with Belarus.

A tale of loss and hope: what can we learn from Poland?

Maria Skóra

Poland’s ruling nationalists aren’t having it all their own way. The opposition needs more external recognition.

Poland’s abortion protests—democratic standards at stake

Maria Skóra

The passion behind the demonstrations signifies a battle for basic democratic standards in a world of creeping authoritarian temptations.

Poles apart—the presidential election in Poland

Maria Skóra

The presidential election in Poland was an intolerant affair—and the argument isn’t over yet.

The parliamentary election in Poland—the future at stake

Maria Skóra

Whether the coming election in Poland will consolidate the monopoly of the national-conservative PiS or favour a more pluralist balance of power, it will have a significant impact on Polish political culture.

Politics in Poland: eternal duopoly or refreshing breeze?

Maria Skóra

While the European Parliament elections near, politics in Poland is at such a crux that the later parliamentary polls there will have wide reverberations.

Europe’s Outcast: Cautioning Poland On The Rule Of Law

Maria Skóra

For years Poland was depicted as a success story in the great transformation of Central and Eastern Europe. A democratic system was built swiftly, with

Abortion Turmoil In Poland: Trading Women’s Rights For Political Goals

Maria Skóra

In summarizing the results of last year’s parliamentary elections in Poland I briefly mentioned that “the rule of Catholic conservatives might stand in opposition to

How The Refugee Crisis Splits The European Social Democrats Between West And East

Maria Skóra

The refugee crisis has exposed cracks in the EU’s political foundations. Failure to agree over how to implement refugee quotas and inability to coordinate humanitarian

Turning The Tables: Poland’s New Government And Europe

Maria Skóra

Last Sunday’s election results left some Poles devastated, but others seem to be if not hopeful, then relieved. The massive victory of the conservative Law

Willy Brandt’s Forgotten Ostpolitik

Maria Skóra

Recently I have had the great pleasure of participating in an event commemorating what would have been Willy Brandt’s 100th birthday in Berlin. During the

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New Edition - Social policy in the European Union: state of play 2025

Can Europe preserve its distinctive social model while simultaneously rearming, reindustrialising, and reorganising its economy in a more conflictual and competitive world? This is the central question raised in this new edition of the Bilan social, a reference publication released every spring for more than 25 years by the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) and the European Social Observatory (OSE).

READ HERE
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Is financial resilience and trust in Europe faltering?

In this episode of Eurofound Talks, host Mary McCaughey and senior researcher Eszter Sandor unpack the results of the 2025 Living and Working in the EU e-survey. While headline inflation has stabilised at 2.1%, the data reveals a continent gripped by chronic precariousness, with 57% of respondents now at risk of depression. Mary and Eszter explore how this economic insecurity is impacting institutional trust and democratic engagement.

LISTEN HERE
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Read the book "The open future and its enemies" 

A robust democracy must not leave the future in the hands of the alliance between Big Tech and the far right. AI must be politically reined in and democratically shaped so that humanity retains its sovereignty.

Artificial intelligence is regarded as the driving force of progress. Yet it has long since become a challenge to democracy. The book argues that uncontrolled AI will erode our freedom, self-determination and democracy.

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WSI Minimum Wage Report 2026

Minimum wage policy across Europe has shifted significantly, with many EU countries raising wages above average and anchoring them to adequate living standards. This trend is consolidating as countries increasingly adopt the reference values recommended in the European Minimum Wage Directive — recently upheld by the European Court of Justice.

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S&D Africa Days 2026

We are pleased to invite you to save the date for the S&D Africa Days 2026, taking place on 30 June and 1 July 2026, in Brussels. 

At a time when Africa is too often viewed through narrow and one-sided narratives, this initiative reflects a key political priority for the S&D Group: to advance a renewed, forward-looking partnership of equals between Europe and Africa based on equality, solidarity, social justice and shared progress. 

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“What is the actual purpose of the state?” – this central question is the focus of the analysis. At a time when bureaucratic processes are making life difficult for citizens, the paper proposes a three-part model. It aims at a conception of the state as a platform that helps society build the capabilities it needs to address its problems effectively.

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