The draw of authoritarianism and souverainism for certain central European states has its foundations in the idea of a return to a mythical past, which in practice, paradoxically, has a lot in common with Communist-era practices. These States’ relationships with the media and with the opposition are further indications of a slip away from a state of democratic rights. These regimes are heading for stalemate. Only civil societies and the European Union can tackle this dangerous dynamic which goes beyond these countries’ borders.