Talk Eastern Europe

Reports suggesting Russia may be planning a limited attack against Poland have sparked intense debate ahead of the NATO Summit. This week, Adam and Alexandra are in Sofia, Bulgaria, where they unpack the intelligence reports, discuss what they could mean for NATO deterrence, and examine thewider implications for European security. They also look at the sudden collapse of Moldova's government,...

In this second part of our special two-part series on Serbia's protest movement, we speak with Mila Pajić, activist with STAV (Students Against Authoritarian Rule) and the Youth Initiative for Human Rights, about the movement that emerged after the deadly Novi Sad railway station canopy collapse. Mila explains how a tragedy became a nationwide movement, why students became the driving force be...

Serbia is heading towards snap elections after President Aleksandar Vučić announced he will resign within weeks, but will this lead to real political change or simply reinforce the ruling party's grip on power? In this week's Talk Eastern Europe News Roundup, AlexandraKarppi and Nina Pániková unpack the latest developments in Serbia, including growing pressure on civil society, the renewed...

The Serbian protest movement has captured internationalattention—but how did it really begin? In this first episode of a special two-part Talk Eastern Europe series, we speak with Serbian civil rights and environmental activist Nikola Ristić, who was among the first activists to organize after the deadly collapse of the Novi Sad railway station canopy in November 2024. Nikola shares his extraordin...

Romania could be heading back to the polls after itsproposed government failed to win parliamentary approval, raising fears of another political crisis. Meanwhile, the European Union has officially opened the first cluster of accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova – but are new obstacles already emerging? In this week's Talk Eastern Europe Weekly News Roundup, Adam Reichardt and Alexa...

In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe , Adam Reichardt speaks with David Marples and Veronica Laputska, authors of the new Oxford University Press book Belarus: What Everyone Needs to Know , about the country that sits at the heart ofEurope's security. They discuss why Belarus is far more than "Russia's puppet state," how the 2020 protests permanently transformed the Belarusian...

Russia has intensified its attacks on Ukraine, damaging Kyiv's UNESCO-listed Pechersk Lavra monastery while Ukraine continues striking military infrastructure inside Russia. In this week's Talk Eastern Europe News Roundup, Adam Reichardt and Nina Panikova discuss: - Russia's latest missile attacks on Ukraine and the damage to one of the country's most important cultural landmarks....

Former Swedish Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Carl Bildt joins Talk Eastern Europe for a wide-ranging conversation on Ukraine, Russia, Europe's future, and the unfinished project of European enlargement. Drawing on decades of diplomatic experience – from helping launch the EU's Eastern Partnership to serving as the first High epresentative in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Bildt reflects on...

This week on Talk Eastern Europe, we unpack major developments shaping the future of the South Caucasus and the Western Balkans. Alexandra returns from Armenia after observing the country's consequential parliamentary elections and shares what international headlines got wrong about the vote. Was this really an "East versus West" contest? How much influence did Russia have? And why d...

Montenegro has long been described as the frontrunner in the European Union's enlargement process. The government insists the country can join the EU by 2028. But how realistic is that timeline? In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Alexandra Karppisits down with political analyst Danilo Kalezić from the University of Montenegro to unpack the country's complex political reality. They dis...

Russia has launched another massive wave of attacks againstUkraine, raising concerns about Kyiv's air defence capabilities and the future trajectory of the war. Meanwhile, reports of a Russian drone striking a residential building in Romania have intensified fears that the conflict is increasingly spilling into NATO territory. In this week's Talk Eastern Europe News Roundup, Adam and Nina...

What has changed in Czechia since Andrej Babiš returned topower? More than 100 days into the new government, concerns are growing over democratic backsliding, attacks on public media, proposed foreign agent legislation and a sharp shift in support for Ukraine. In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Alexandra Karppi and Nina Pániková speak with Pavel Havlíček, Research Fellow at the Association fo...

Russia launched one of its largest attacks on Ukraine in recent months, including the reported use of the nuclear-capable Oreshnik missile. Meanwhile, questions are growing about the future of EU enlargement after reports of a possible "associate membership" model for Ukraine. Alexandra Karppi and Adam Reichardt break down the latestdevelopments from across Eastern Europe, including poli...

Is Kazakhstan entering a new political era or consolidating authoritarian rule under President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev? In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe’s Deep Dive, Alexandra Karppi speaks with journalist and researcher Paolo Sorbello about Kazakhstan’s controversial constitutional referendum and what it could mean for the country’s future. The discussion explores the restructuring of parliam...

This week on Talk Eastern Europe , Adam and Nina discuss growing fears of escalation as drones cross into NATO territory, Lithuania issues emergency shelter alerts, and Russia deepens ties with China during Vladimir Putin’s visit to Beijing. They also unpack the political implications of Hungary’s new Prime Minister Péter Magyar, the possible revival of the Visegrad Group, and Russia’s latest move...

Why does Warsaw look so different from every other European capital? In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Nina Panikova speaks with British writer and journalist Owen Hatherley about the dramatic history that shaped Poland’s capital – from wartime destruction and communist-era rebuilding to modern skyscrapers and experimental urban planning. They discuss Warsaw’s modernist housing estates, soci...

This week on Talk Eastern Europe , Adam, Nina and Alexandra discuss major developments across the region: Christian Schmidt’s decision to step down as High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia’s scaled-down Victory Day parade, renewed talk of negotiations with Moscow, referendum politics in Slovakia and Poland, and possible snap elections in Serbia. For the extended version of the news...

How has Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine reshaped theidentity and political outlook of Russian-speaking communities in the Baltic states? In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Alexandra Karppi speaks with Ieva Birka from the University of Latvia in Riga about new research on Russian speakers in Latvia and Estonia, the growing security concerns facing the region, and the challenges of soci...

This week, Alexandra and Nina unpack the latest political upheaval across Central and Eastern Europe from Romania’s government collapse and Kosovo’s latest election drama to Armenia’s growing European ambitions and what it all means for the region’s future. Talk Eastern Europe is the podcast from New Eastern Europe magazine - your trusted source for in-depth analysis and expert perspectives on Cen...

In this Talk Eastern Europe Deep Dive, Adam Reichardt and Nina Panikova speak with renowned Russia analyst Mark Galeotti about what is happening inside Russia today and what it means for Ukraine, Europe, and the wider global order. The conversation explores the Kremlin’s tightening control over the internet, disruptions to platforms like Telegram and WhatsApp, and the political struggle behind Rus...

This week’s Talk Eastern Europe new roundup covers a major Belarus prisoner exchange, growing political instability in Romania, and a landmark corruption verdict in Moldova – plus developments in Bulgaria and rising tensions in Kosovo. Adam Reichardt and Alexandra Karppi break down the biggest stories shaping the region and explain why they matter. In this episode: – Belarus releases journalist An...

How did a choir become one of the symbols of the 2020 Belarus protests? In this Talk Eastern Europe Deep Dive interview, Nina Panikova speaks with Sasha from Volny Chor, the Belarusian choir that emerged after the stolen election and mass demonstrations against Alyaksandr Lukashenka. Volny Chor became famous for surprise public performances of Belarusian freedom songs in Minsk, singing in shopping...

Help us reach our goal of 75 patrons – sign up here: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope This week on Talk Eastern Europe, we look at major politicaldevelopments across the region. Bulgaria’s latest snap election may mark the end of years of instability, but what does Rumen Radev’s victory mean for domestic reform, relations with the EU, and support for Ukraine? We also discuss French Presid...

Hungary has entered a new political era. After 16 years ofViktor Orbán’s rule, Péter Magyar and the TISZA party have secured a sweeping election victory, reportedly with a two-thirds majority. What happens next? In this Deep Dive episode of Talk Eastern Europe , host Alexandra Karppi speaks with Zsuzsanna Vegh, an expert on Central Europe and democratic resilience from the German Marshall Fund. Th...

Help us reach our goal of 75 Patrons. Join us here: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope This week on Talk Eastern Europe , Alexandra and Nina unpack the regional ripple effects following Hungary’s elections and what they could mean for politics across Central and Eastern Europe. They also discuss a high-profile visit by Donald Trump Jr. in the Balkans as well as the latest from Moldova, incl...