When the Covid-19 pandemic took hold early in 2020, we at the Ratiu Forum responded in several ways. First, it was clear that we would have to suspend all our in-person events until it was safe to resume them – and they remain suspended for the time being. Second, we embraced the possibilities that online working offers and expanded our work to online events to great success. Finally, we wanted to understand and analyse the profound impact the pandemic would have in our region – and so we launched our blog as a platform to explore this topic. The contributions, drawn from our global network of experts in academia, think tanks, government and NGOs, explored many important ways in which the pandemic affected our region: from political intervention in the timing of elections, to data privacy, to post-pandemic resilience.
While the pandemic is far from over, we recognise that there is far more to say about our region than just how it has experienced Covid-19. For this reason, we are delighted to relaunch our blog in 2021 as another key aspect of the Forum: exploring vital issues for liberal democracy in the region, written by experts from around the world. By doing so we will share with our readers knowledge and ideas about crucial elements of national, regional and international topics pertaining to the strengthening of liberal democracy – all central to the Ratiu Forum’s purpose.
New blog posts will be announced in our newsletters and on social media. If you do not already receive the newsletter, you can sign up here link. You can also find us on Twitter and Facebook.
We hope that you will find its contents stimulating and relevant and we look forward to sharing its content with you.
Nicolae Ratiu
Ratiu Family Charitable Foundation Chairman