The political communication of the refugee crisis in Central and Eastern Europe

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The FEPS – Policy Solutions study investigates the political and communication roots of the current crisis; the characteristic national responses in the Central European region; and in particular in Austria, Croatia, Hungary, Slovakia and Poland; and the impact the crisis is likely to have on the already substantial populist movement across Europe.

Undoubtedly, practically overnight the refugee crisis has emerged as the most important political and public policy challenge facing Europe today. Despite the warnings, what we observe now is an EU that was ill-prepared for the currently experienced magnitude of the problem, and member states that lack the capacity to take decisive action. Moreover, the EU is far from acting in a concerted manner, with striking divisions along cultural and regional lines, and a membership that is deeply at odds especially concerning the refugee numbers that the countries should have to grapple with. The countries that have taken the brunt of the humanitarian pressure have urged for a rapid and coordinated response to distribute the burden more equally, while many of the rest – the Central and Eastern European countries among them – are wary of the proposed joint solutions.

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