If you can install an air conditioner without anyone's approval - then you live in 'real' Eastern Europe. You can't in Poland and Czechia. Hungary is somewhere in between. In Central Europe you give up more soft freedom vs Eastern Europe but (arguably) get more order and civility in return. Sticking with the housing example of someone who owns a flat in a communist era block in Romania vs Poland: In Romania, you would pay €20 / month for building management. You don't expect them to do much. You can renovate your flat without pre-approvals, install an AC that's permanently dripping water to the streets or glaze your balcony. Most commie blocks in your city looks like the image on the left. In Poland, you would pay €60> / month for building management. You need their permission for installing an AC or glazing your balcony (which in many cases gets denied). If you carry out a renovation they disapprove of, they'll alert government authorities and someone shows up with the power to give you a huge fine and force you to un-do the renovation. In return, most commie blocks in your city looks like the one on the right - tidy (due to strict balcony glazing and AC rules), renovated insulated facades and some fancy ones even with solar panels on the roof.

i don’t even know this guy

А меж тем в Саратовской области весна. Легендарная дорога на Ершов

Недавно ехал в маршрутке и увидел много людей сидящих в мессенджере MAX. Им было наплевать как появился этот мессенджер. Им было наплевать кто его бенефициары. Им была наплевать куда идет прибыль. В этот момент я понял, что наше общество обречено.