Recent news from Eastern Europe has given us hope for liberal democracy.

In Hungary, the largest-ever Budapest gay pride parade defied bans imposed by the country¡¯s authoritarian leader, Prime Minister Viktor Orban. In neighboring Serbia, mass student protests continue against Orban¡¯s ally, President Aleksandar Vucic.

But caution is warranted. Even within Eastern Europe, we can point to equally significant signs of democratic decay. Consider Poland, where the far-right Karol Nawrocki¡¯s victory in the June presidential election dashed hopes for a decisive democratic renewal.