Visegrad Insight Podcast

Galan Dall , Staś Kaleta and Luca Soltesz break down what the EP election results mean for Central Europe, explaining how Poland bucked the trend of surging far-right parties and why Hungary seems to finally have a viable alternative to the ruling Fidesz party. Then, Future of Ukraine Fellow Valeriia Novak explains which sectors of Ukraine's economy can strategically address existing gaps in E...

Magda Jakubowska , Wojciech Przybylski and Galan Dall discuss the shifting European political landscape in the run-up to the EP elections as well as what challenges will face the next parliament and EU council. Then, Marcin Król Fellow Bart Wieliński breaks down the successes and failures of the current Polish government before outlining what steps still need to be taken to ensure a prosperous Pol...

Wojciech Przybylski talks with Marcin Król Fellow Matej Šimalčik on Xi Jinping’s tour of Europe, comparing it to his visit from five years ago as well as the differences between his reception in Paris, Belgrade and Budapest. Read Šimalčik's text on the visit here: https://visegradinsight.eu/xi-jinping-in-europe-what-makes-his-trip-so-special/ Read the related weekly outlook: https://visegradin...

How Ursula von der Leyen's and Donald Tusk's "Plan for Europe" speeches addressed the security threats from Russia and other autocratic powers, but failed to address the issue of democratic security and enlargement. By Wojciech Przybylski and Galan Dall Recommended reads: Wojciech Przybylski on Ursula von der Leyen speech in Poland: https://visegradinsight.eu/ursula-mobilised-eur...

Wojciech Przybylski and Albin Sybera discuss the differences between Czech and Polish countries in their 20-year history of EU membership. We also provide commentary on Sikorski's foreign policy priorities address and Macron's Sorbonne 2.0 speech. Links: Vladimír Špidla interview: https://visegradinsight.eu/if_not-for-the-european-union-central-europe-would-be-torn-between-germany-and-russ...

Wojciech Przybylski sits down with Maria Simeonova , programme coordinator the Wider Europe programme and ECFR's Sofia office, to discuss the potential impact of the new EU Strategic Agenda 2024-2029 as well as the new trajectories mentioned in the leaked version of the agenda which has additional focus on democratic security and enlargement. Links mentioned in the podcast: Cost of Non-enlarge...

Wojciech Przybylski moderates a discussion between Michaela Terenzani,  SME's lead on the foreign news desk, and  Eva Mihočková,  Editor-in-chief of Foreign Policy SFPA and Marcin Król Fellow at Visegrad Insight, break down the results of Slovakia's presidential election where Peter Pellegrini won by tapping into the fears of the electorate and amplifying Moscow's disinformation narrat...

For a number of weeks, Viktor Orbán has been on the defensive, an unprecedented development in in the past 14 years. Who is Péter Magyar and why does he generate massive interest today? And is it bad or good news for the opposition? Wojciech Przybylski interviews Bálint Ruff , a political strategist and a host of Vétó show on Partizán YouTube channel Recommended reading: https://visegradinsight.eu...

Deputy Editor Adam Jasser talks to political scientist and Visegrad Insight Fellow Spasimir Domaradzki about the impact of the breakdown of Bulgaria's grand coalition in this special episode of our podcast.

Adam Jasser speaks with Paul Taylor , a freelance columnist for The Guardian and veteran Brussels think-tanker and journalist, about last week's EU summit. Key topics included the ongoing farmers' protests, as well as discussions on the prioritisation of defence matters on the agenda as leaders deliberated on how the EU could bolster its own industry while promptly extending aid to Ukraine...

Adam Jasser and Staś Kaleta discuss the context behind last week’s meeting between Emmanuel Macron, Olaf Scholz and Donald Tusk, how their visions for Europe compare to Viktor Orbán’s plans to “occupy” Brussels, as well as Russia’s sham elections.

Wojciech Przybylski and Adam Jasser discuss President Duda and PM Tusk's US tour to celebrate 25 years of NATO enlargement. It is the first co-habitation trip, showing a sense of unity is possible even in the polarised Polish political environment, which can be inspirational for the domestic disagreements between Democrats and Republicans in Washington. This is all occurring as Poland starts t...

Wojciech Przybylski  and  Albin Sybera  discuss the Slovak Constitutional Court's partial rejection of PM Fico's judicial overhaul as well as the meeting between the Slovak and Russian foreign ministers. Weekly Outlook - https://visegradinsight.eu/hungarys-forint-sinks-on-economic-gloom-and-orban-pressure-on-central-bank/

Wojciech Przybylski and Galan Dall delve into the V4 summit in Prague, the 2nd anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and critical topics: securing Kyiv's success and the impact of US policy divergences on their strategic interests. Weekly Outlook: https://visegradinsight.eu/long-delayed-v4-summit-in-prague-unlikely-to-end-disunity/ Editorial: https://visegradinsight.eu/ukrainians-yo...

Wojciech Przybylski discusses with the former State Secretary on EU Affairs of Sweden, Lars Danielsson , how there can be a democratic and market-oriented, free liberal Europe without enlargement and how Poland's experiment with reversing illiberal state capture can be a paradigm for other countries in Central and Eastern Europe. Weekly outlook link: https://visegradinsight.eu/navalnys-killing...

Managing Editor Galan Dall interviews Budapest-based political journalist and Visegrad Insight Fellow Iván László Nagy about the unfolding scandal which has pierced the Fidesz-regime's propaganda bubble and led to President Novak's resignation. For more information, follow this link: https://visegradinsight.eu/hungarian-president-katalin-novak-resigns-the-full-story-behind-the-pardon-scand...

In a special episode of Visegrad Insight, Adam Jasser talks to Zsolt Darvas , a renowned economist from Breugel, about the prospects of eurozone membership for the leading economies in CEE.

In today's episode, Galan Dall and Adam Jasser discuss reasons behind Hungary's surprising defeat at the EU summit over Ukraine funding, as Prime Minister Viktor Orbán seems to have finally lost all allies over his pro-Russian stance. Visegrad Insight editors also look at the broader implications of revelations that a Latvian member of the European Parliament is accused of being a  long-st...

Wojciech Przybylski and Galan Dall discuss the mounting pressure on Hungary from the West, the fiction of Orbán and Fico's illiberal "alliance", as well as the roadblocks in the US Congress preventing funding for Kyiv's defence. https://visegradinsight.eu/chaotic-hypocrisy/ https://visegradinsight.eu/hungarys-isolation-deepens-before-eu-council-on-ukraine-funding/

In today's podcast, Deputy Editor Adam Jasser talks to Professor Barbara Brodzińska-Mirowska , a leading Polish political scientist, about the rocky transition of power in Poland as the new government seeks to consolidate its power ahead of local and European elections in the spring.

Adam Jasser and Galan Dall discuss the backdrop behind last week's protests in Warsaw, how they compare against the growing grassroots demonstrations in Slovakia as well as what support Ukraine can expect from Europe in the coming weeks and months.

Adam Jasser and Galan Dall discuss what to expect from the EU Council President's resignation and how autocratic leaders share the same playbook in European and American democracies.

We discuss the outcomes of the historical EU summit, which decided to open accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova. Hungarian leader Viktor Orban dropped his threat to block the decision, mainly because a change of government in Poland left him isolated in the EU. Check more info on future EU values agenda at our foresight project page: https://visegradinsight.eu/eu-values-foresight/

Editors  Galan Dall  and  Adam Jasser  discuss the complexity behind Poland's delayed transition of power after the 15 October elections as well as the potential pathways forward for the new Polish government in obtaining the deeply sought-after transition funds. Then,  Wojciech Przybylski  discusses the role civic education can play in Europe with Caroline Hornstein Tomic , co-founder of THE...

European Parliament elections and the haggling between EU political groups and governments over the leadership and priorities for the next four-year term will likely overshadow Hungary's EU presidency in the second half of 2024. This will reduce Budapest's impact on actual policy decisions. This podcast is part of our #EUvalues foresight which outlines four possible foresight-driven scenar...