Talk Eastern Europe

In this episode Adam, Nina and Alexandra start out by offering some of the latest news developments in Hungary, Czech Republic, Kosovo, Ukraine and Russia. Later Nina and Adam are joined by Maciej Makulski – a contributing editor with New Eastern Europe – to discuss Maciej’s recent research report titled: “Social media monitoring during the 2023 Polish Election. Immigration as a threat to national...

In this episode, Adam and Nina start by discussing the latest news, including developments in Ukraine, Russia, Belarus and Russian spies in the West. Later, Adam is joined by Jovan Gjorgovski, a journalist based in North Macedonia and an editor with the Channel 5 television station. They discuss the current political situation in the country ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections later...

In this episode, our three co-hosts open this episode with a brief rundown of the latest news in the region, including developments related to Azerbaijan, Moldova, Slovakia, Hungary, Russia and North Macedonia. Adam and Nina are later joined by Asel Doolotkeldieva a non-resident fellow of the George Washington University and expert on Kyrgyzstan. Asel describes the current political situation in t...

In this episode, Alexandra and Nina start with a brief rundown of the latest news in the region, including the meeting between Slovakia’s Robert Fico and Hungary’s Victor Orban. They also cover developments in Poland, Serbia and Russia. Later, Alexandra and Nina interview Leila Bičakčić, one of the founders and current director of the Center for Investigative Reporting (CIN) in Bosnia and Herzegov...

Talk Eastern Europe is back with a new episode! All three co-hosts welcome you with a short discussion on the latest news since the new year, including in Serbia, Russia, Kyrgyzstan, Belarus and Ukraine. Later, Adam and Alexandra are joined by Mark Temnycky a freelance journalist covering Eurasian affairs and a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Mark discusses some conte...

In this episode listeners are introduced to the newest co-host – Nina Panikova, welcome Nina! Adam, Alexandra and Nina do a rundown of the most important developments of 2023 and what to expect in 2024. Later, Adam and Nina are joined by Arzu Geybulla, an Azerbaijani columnist and writer, with special focus on digital authoritarianism and its implications on human rights and press freedom in Azerb...

In this episode Adam and Alexandra start with the latest news in the region, including the new government in Poland, the trucker blockade on the Polish-Ukrainian border, Putin's 'election' bid and Slovakia moves in the legal sphere. Later, Alexandra chats with Nikola Burazer, a Serbian political scientist, journalist, program director at the Center for Contemporary Politics and executive editor of...

In this episode, Adam and Alexandra discuss the latest news from Georgia, the Balkans, and Russia. They also discuss the controversial legacy of American diplomat Henry Kissinger, who died last week at the age of 100. Later, Alexandra speaks with Kenneth Morrison, who is a Professor of History and Research Theme Director at De Montfort University and a Research Associate at the London School of Ec...

In this episode, Adam and Alexandra catch up on the latest news from Poland, Hungary and Serbia. Later, they are joined by Paulina Milewska, a media expert, who currently works on the issue of SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation) as a PhD researcher at the European University Institute and a Senior Advisor for European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. They discuss the challe...

In this episode Adam and Alexandra review some of the latest news in Hungary, Bulgaria and Latvia. They are later joined by the guest Pavel Slunkin – a visiting fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, based in ECFR’s Warsaw office. Pavel works on Belarus-related issues: its domestic and foreign policy, relations with Russia, the European Union, and the United States. In the interview...

In this episode Adam and Alexandra are together in a Warsaw studio to discuss the latest news in the region, including the European Commission’s latest enlargement report and recommendations. After the news rundown, they are joined in the studio with Oktawian Milewski, a political scientist specialising in Central and East European studies. He is a Poland resident correspondent for Radio France In...

In this episode Alexandra and Adam run down the latest news from Moldova, Ukraine and the South Caucasus. Alexandra then interviews Roman Hlatky an Assistant Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of North Texas public opinion, electoral behaviuor, and race and ethnic politics, focusing on Central Europe. Roman walks our listeners through the election campaign and resul...

In this episode Adam and Alexandra open up with a discussion on the latest news in the region including Georgia’s president surviving an impeachment proceeding; Viktor Orban’s meeting in China; latest on Nagorno-Karabakh and developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The main interview features Anna Wójcik, co-founder and editor of “Rule of Law in Poland” and The Wiktor Osiatyński Archive, a rule of...

This episode opens up with a brief rundown of the results of Poland’s parliamentary elections held on Sunday October 15th, Adam and Alexandra provide their brief analysis and what the results mean – especially considering the fact that the ruling Law and Justice party will not likely be able to form another government – a significant victory to the opposition. After that Alexandra is joined by Jul...

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode we welcome the newest co-host of Talk Eastern Europe Alexandra Karppi! Alexandra is a research analyst at Freedom House covering the Western Balkans and Central and Eastern Europe for Nations in Transit. She has also held research and editorial positions at the Institute for Social Research in Zag...

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj Tensions between Serbia and Kosovo appear to be once again on the rise with the most recent outbreak of violence in Northern Kosovo on September 24th. Meanwhile there seems to be no end in sight for resolving the dispute between the two countries despite attempts to moderate the conflict by the EU and the US. In...

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj This episode of Talk Eastern Europe opens with Adam’s rundown of some of the latest headlines in the region, including the Polish visa scandal, Slovak elections, the growing tensions surrounding Ukrainian grain and the escalation in the Nagorno-Karabakh region. Later, Adam is joined by Alina Frolova, an expert an...

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj On August 23rd 2023, the founder and leader of the Russian mercenary group Yevgeny Prigozhin died in a plane crash in Russia. Prigozhin’s death comes exactly two months after Prigozhin led a mutiny of Wagner soldiers in Russia, almost making it to Moscow before turning back. The death of Prigozhin clearly has the...

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj Talk Eastern Europe is back after the short August break. Adam opens the episode with a rundown of the most important stories that took place over the last several weeks, including the death of Yevgeny Prigozhin, F-16s for Ukraine, the Azerbaijani blockade of the Lachin Corridor and Georgia’s attempts to impeach...

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj As this is Aga's last episode as a co-host, her and Adam start with a reflection on their cooperation over the past year and a half, with a surprise entrance by another former co-host, Maciek Makulski! They then discuss current developments in the region, including the arrest of prominent Russian pro-war blogger...

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode, Adam and Agnieszka open with a discussion of the most recent news in the region, in particular Ukraine’s attack against the Kerch Strait bridge as well as Russia’s withdrawal from the Black Sea grain deal, and its consequences. Later, Adam is joined Yulia Kazdobina, head of the Ukrainian Foundati...

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode Adam and Aga discuss the NATO summit which took place this week in Vilnius, with a particular focus on what its conclusions mean for Ukraine. They also talk about political tensions in Bosnia and Herzegovina as Republika Srpska's Milorad Dodik stands up to High Representative Christian Schmidt. Th...

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj Aga and Adam start this episode by discussing the upcoming NATO summit, fears linked to a potential nuclear sabotage at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, and tensions between Ukraine and Georgia over the state of health of Mikheil Saakashvili. Aga then sits down with Marek Menkiszak, the Head of the Russian D...

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe Adam and Agnieszka open with a discussion of the perplexing events that took place over the weekend in Russia with the half-attempted insurrection lead by the Wagner Group’s Yevgeny Prigozhin. Later, Adam is joined by Mark Fisher, documentary filmmaker and CEO and founder of...

Support the podcast, become a patron, get additional benefits: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj Adam and Aga start this episode by discussing the start of the long-awaited Ukrainian counter-offensive, the apparent move by the Russian Defence Ministry to take over Wagner Group troops, and the results of recent elections in Montenegro. We then turn towards Bulgaria, which has seen five parliamentary elections...