2024 Issue №3

The research agenda of the most influential Polish think tanks involved in providing informational and expert support for foreign policy activities has been examined. Key political and economic aspects of the implementation of the “Three Seas Initiative,” which are the focus of attention of the Polish expert community, have been identified. Based on the body of publicly available expert opinions and analytical reports, the article presents an assessment of the activities of these think tanks, which substantively contribute to shaping the zone of Poland’s primary foreign policy and foreign economic interests within the framework of the “Three Seas Initiative.”

The article examines monarchism as a form of memorial culture and historical policy in contemporary German society. The research aims to analyze monarchism as a form of historical memory. The author explores the role and significance of monarchist intellectuals in shaping historical policy and the memorial culture that evolves within the framework of monarchist historical imagination. The novelty of the study lies in examining the current stage of monarchist ideology in Germany, not as a form of political participation, but as a version of historical memory and memorial culture, grounded in the principles of both historical revisionism and German nationalism. The article demonstrates that (1) monarchism in contemporary Germany cultivates its own perceptions of the past and history; (2) the historical imagination of German monarchism is a form of historical revisionism, as the monarchist past and legacy are systematically mythologized and ideologized in the political imagination of monarchist supporters; (3) in its historical imagination, monarchism constructs alternative versions of historical memory and memorial culture, distinct from those proposed by civic identity. The article highlights that monarchist forms of historical memory contribute to ongoing transformations in memorial culture, promoting the parallel development of alternative counter-memories that operate within the political and ideological framework of monarchism. It is suggested that the visualization of collective historical memory regarding the unique historical experience of monarchy, including the narrative and discursive tactics and strategies of contemporary monarchists, enhances the heterogeneous nature of Germany’s memorial tradition, fostering the consolidation of unique perspectives on the past, which form the foundation of monarchist historical imagination and memorial culture as a form of alternative memory.

The issue of the instrumental use of state media to secure public support for government policies remains relevant for Russia. The article analyzes the activities of the online version of the state publication Rossiyskaya Gazeta in covering the topic of voting on amendments to the Constitution of the Russian Federation, with the aim of identifying the main techniques used to influence citizens’ electoral behavior. The empirical basis of the study, conducted using content analysis, consists of 471 materials related to the topic of voting on constitutional amendments, published on the RG.RU website from June 1, 2020, to July 1, 2020. The research hypothesis assumed that state publications influence audiences toward conformity in electoral behavior by utilizing informational and normative influence techniques. Among the methods of informational influence, the study identified adherence to the official agenda, the predominant use of informational genres to cover events, and fragmented presentation of information. Normative influence, according to the results, was realized by Rossiyskaya Gazeta through the selection of speakers, the spiral of silence, and stereotyping.