Fifteen years ago, when we sent the first issue of this magazine to print and later – thanks to our international distributor – to bookshops around the world, our thinking about political developments was still quite linear. Although, like many scholars and political observers, we were cautious about embracing Francis Fukuyama’s claim about the “end of history”, we nonetheless believed that democratization was underway. At the same time, it was already clear that what is generally described as the post-Soviet transformation differed significantly from what had taken place in Central Europe, and that the region still faced its own set of challenges.

Today, in the autumn of 2026, we can see that such linear thinking is no longer applicable. Political developments, as we have observed them in recent years, do not appear to be taking us towards greater freedom or economic prosperity. Across Europe, we are hearing more and more voices rejecting the idea of European unity, opposing support for Ukraine and openly calling for a reset with Russia. We are worried about the consequences of such rhetoric should it gain the support of a significant number of Europeans. Our illustrator, Andrzej Zaręba, who has created our covers throughout these years, has expressed similar concerns. We encourage you to take a close look at his drawings, which we regard not only as satirical interpretations of the world around us, but also as warnings.

When we established this magazine, we promised that we would bring you stories from Eastern Europe and provide insightful analysis of the region. Thus, while this issue naturally reflects on the last 15 years of our existence and the changes that have taken place during this period, we also look at new developments and offer interpretations from our authors. These include two articles on the current situation in Moldova, which, increasingly under pressure from Russia, is searching for ways to preserve and protect its statehood; a reflective piece on the need for reconciliation among Belarusians; stories about the changing Polish diaspora in the United Kingdom; and much more.

We conclude this issue with the republication of an essay by the late Martin Pollack, the Austrian writer and translator. He wrote this text for our very first issue in 2011. We invite you to read it again and consider how much has changed (or not) since then.