Visegrad Insight Podcast

In this episode, we predict what Karol Nawrocki’s presidential electoral victory will mean for Poland, and beyond. You’ll hear comments from:

• Spasimir Domaradzki, a Researcher and lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies of the University of Warsaw
• Krzysztof Izdebski, a Member of the Board and Director for Advocacy and Development at the Stefan Batory Foundation
• Edit Zgut-Przybylska, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology in the Polish academy of sciences, and a research fellow at the CEU democracy institute in Budapest
• Pavel Havlicek, fellow at the Association for International Affairs Research Centre in Prague
• Marzenna Guz-Vetter, Former Head and Spokesperson of the European Commission Representation in Poland
• Ruslanas Irzikevicius, Director at the Lithuanian Media Support Fund
• Radu Albu-Comanescu, Lecturer in European Integration at the University of Cluj-Napoca

In this episode, we discuss Donald Trump’s Ukraine strategy, whether he has finally realised Vladimir Putin is ‘crazy’, and what that realisation would mean for EU security. We then breakdown debates and rallies in the final week before Poland’s crucial presidential election run-off.

In this episode, we look at a weekend of key elections in Romania and Poland. To break down Nicușor Dan’s remarkable victory, we hear from special guests Alex Olaru (Editor-in-Chief at PressOne), Alina Bârgǎoanu (Visegrad Insight Fellow, Member of the advisory board of the European Digital Media Observatory), and Radu Albu-Comǎnescu (Visegrad Insight Fellow, Lecturer at the University of Cluj-Napoca).

In this episode, we explore a redefined global security context with Róbert Ondrejcsák, Executive Director of the European Leadership Network, former Slovak Ambassador to the UK and former Deputy Defence Minister of Slovakia. We break down Xi Jinping’s call for Russia and China to become ‘friends of steel’ – in opposition to leaders in Kyiv and Washington – and the place of different V4 countries in this context.

In this episode, we look back on Donald Tusk’s meetings with Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz, Xi Jinping’s call for Russia and China to become ‘friends of steel’, an important meeting of leaders in Kyiv, and the prospects of George Simion becoming Romanian President on 18 May.

In this episode, we look at Victory Day in Russia and who may or may not be attending. We also breakdown events happening at the same time in Europe, like a new treaty between Poland and France, as well as first round election results in Romania and the latest opinion polls in Poland – two weeks before the 18 May vote.

In this episode, we look back on the last 10 years of the Three Seas Initiative, as the forum celebrates its 10th anniversary in Warsaw – and in the same week that Donald Trump Jr. tours around the region… We also break down the state of play ahead of crucial elections in Romania and Poland.

In this episode, we explore relations between Poland and Germany with special guest, Bartosz Wieliński – Visegrad Insight Fellow and Deputy Editor-in-Chief at Gazeta Wyborcza. We break down how the politics of memory around Germany and migration has been weaponised, in the past and now ahead of Polish elections next month. We also look at what to expect from the new Friedrich Merz-led coalition, and whether it will live up to Polish expectations.

In this episode, we break down Polish expectations for the new German government. We also look at presidential election debates in Poland – including an unknown, pro-Russian unknown actor – and growing concerns about corruption in Hungary and Slovakia.

In this episode, we dive into the reactions and the reasoning behind Donald Trump’s tariffs. We also give an exclusive teaser of our Quarterly Brief, which analyses how the new US administration has reshaped European defence: inspiring investment in hard security, but also amplifying illiberal actors and their threats to democratic security.

Keep an eye out. Our brief, written with input from fellows around Central and Eastern Europe (some of whom you’ll hear from in this episode), will be out soon!

In this episode, we react to news that the European Commission is making a fresh push to free European savings – in the context of the ReArm Europe plan – as well as growing talk around military training. We also look at the deeper, economic issues Viktor Orbán is trying to cover up in Hungary.

In this episode, we discuss the changing transatlantic relationship, amid US tariff threats and the EU’s white paper on defence. We then cover the biggest protests in Serbia since the regime of Slobodan Milošević.

In this episode, we look at how democratic countries need to act when tackling illiberalism. We breakdown the Romanian government’s decision to ban far-right frontrunner Cǎlin Georgescu from the May elections.

We then respond to a recent report titled ‘When Democrats Govern Undemocratically: The Case of Poland’ – with input from Matthew Boyse, the report’s author and a former senior foreign service officer under Donald Trump 1.0. Find the report here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O1-Hev3KMPf8FSXSmP9XoyJmMQnJdcmF/view?usp=sharing

In this episode, we break down regional reactions to the now infamous meeting between Donald Trump, JD Vance and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office. We also look at why it was a mistake not to invite the Baltics to the Ukraine Summit in London.

In this episode, we break down election results in Germany, growing Trump administration pressure on Ukraine, as well as the EU’s upcoming Clean Industrial Deal. Wojciech Przybylski joins from the Yalta Conference in Kyiv, and we hear from special guest David Criekemans – a distinguished Professor of International Relations and Specialist in Geopolitics from Antwerp University.

In this episode, we digest the outcomes of a chaotic Munich Security Conference, including reactions from around Central and Eastern Europe - and expectations for EU defence after an emergency summit in Paris.

In this episode, we break down the Central European response to Donald Trump’s inauguration and why economic security will dominate much of this year and beyond.

In this episode, we delve into the murky waters of Democracy Information Manipulation and Interference (DIMI) in Europe. With Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico's controversial trip to Moscow, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's meddling in Polish politics, and the traces of an illegal TikTok campaign in Romania, we ask the pressing question: who is the leading DIMI in Europe? Join us as we uncover the intricate web of political manoeuvres, foreign influence, and digital manipulation shaping the European political landscape.

BONUS INTERVIEW:

A conversation with Christian Lequesne, a renowned French professor from SciencesPo about the importance of Paris embracing future EU enlargement. In this exclusive interview with Wojciech Przybylski, Lequesne proposes how to reframe the debate in France and the west of Europe.

Wojciech Przybylski and Staś Kaleta discuss Central European reactions to Donald Trump's victory, Radosław Sikorski vs Rafał Trzaskowski in the ruling party primaries for the 2025 presidential race and more from our latest Weekly Outlook.

Visegrad Insight Editor Staś Kaleta met with Margus Kolga, Director General at Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, at the Europe Future Forum to discuss the new role of Kaja Kallas, how Estonia and Ukraine can lead digitisation in Europe, increasingly close Baltic-Polish relations and wider security in the region.

How Europe should navigate a renewed conflict in the Middle East? Visegrad Insight sat down with Florence Gaub, Director of the Research Division at the NATO Defense College in Rome and an acclaimed security expert leading foresight-based analysis of international relations, to discuss the shifting geopolitical alignments and consequences of the Middle East on the brink of war.

Editor Staś Kaleta interviews Joséphine Staron, Director of Studies and International Relations at Synopia, to explore how France's new government, reliant on far-right support for a majority, may approach the EU's enlargement agenda.

Wojciech Przybylski and Miles R. Maftean explore how disinformation actors exploit loopholes to fuel their operations and profit financially. They also discuss the European Union's escalating efforts to combat this growing threat, from new regulations under the Digital Services Act to high-stakes battles with tech giants like Meta or Twitter.

Wojciech Przybylski talks with Visegrad Insight Fellow and Central European correspondent for Die Welt Philipp Fritz about Hungary's decision to allow Russians and Belarusians into their 'national card' programme, which European defence experts warn could lead to increased espionage or destabilising actions against EU democracies.