Talk Eastern Europe
Talk Eastern Europe is your weekly deep dive into the heart of Central and Eastern Europe. Hosted by Adam Reichardt, Alexandra Karppi, and Nina Panikova, this podcast brings you expert analysis, thought-provoking commentary, and engaging interviews on the region's most pressing issues. From the ongoing war in Ukraine to the rise of populism and the challenges of European integration, we explore the complexities of the region and the forces shaping its future. Join us as we delve into the latest news and trends, uncovering the stories that matter most to Central and Eastern Europe. Support the podcast. Join our patreon page: https://bit.ly/3nMGeYj
Episodes
In this special final episode of Talk Eastern Europe in 2025, Alexandra and Adam sit down with Jasmin Mujanović on the margins of the Sarajevo Security Conference to discuss current security challenges faced in the region of the Western Balkans. The conversation looks at developments in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the ongoing protests in Serbia, and the broader geopolitical context shaping stability in the Western Balkans, including th...
In this near-final episode of 2025, the three co-hosts of Talk Eastern Europe reflect on the key political, social and geopolitical developments that shaped the region over the past year. They discuss waves of protest across several countries, the resilience of civil society, and the evolving security environment and geopolitical shifts since the start of 2025, including the impact of the new US presidency. The conversation also lo...
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Adam and Alexandra open this episode with the latest news from the region. They look at the importance of the mass protests in Bulgaria and later discuss Czechia’s new/old prime minister and balloons over Lithuania. They also briefly discuss the latest developments surrounding the peace process aimed at ending Russia’s invasion of Ukraine...
In this episode, Adam and Nina are together in Brussels recording the latest updates on the news from the region. The biggest discussion is around the diplomatic flurry over the last week and the remodelled 28-point peace plan between the US, Russia and Ukraine. Adam reflects on the current situation and discusses what might be next. They also discuss Viktor Orban’s visit to Moscow
Later, Nina sits down in Brussels with Peter Vermee...
Alexandra and Nina open the episode with a rundown of the latest news, including ongoing American diplomacy vis a vis Russia and Ukraine, the closure of the Hungarian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a new ruling by the European Court of Justice related to same-sex marriage, the election results in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania’s positive progress toward EU membership.
Alexandra is the...
This episode opens up with all three co-hosts, Adam, Nina and Alexandra, taking a look at a few headlines coming out of the region. They discuss the sabotage operation in Poland, the ongoing war in Ukraine in midst of an emerging corruption scandal, and the fall out of the EU’s new ban on multi-entry visas for Russian citizens.
For the main interview, Alexandra speaks with regional expert Nurbek Bekmurzaev about Kyrgyzstan’s unprece...
This episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Adam and Alexandra begin with a roundup of key regional developments including Russia’s renewed strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and a major corruption scandal involving the state nuclear operator Energoatom. They also discuss Viktor Orbán’s trip to Washington and touch on shifting dynamics in the South Caucasus.
In the main interview, Alexandra speaks with Slovenian journalist Uroš Ške...
In this week’s episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Adam, Alexandra, and Nina come together to discuss the ongoing Serbian protests and explore the latest European Union reports on the progress of candidate countries, including those from our region. They also unpack the latest developments surrounding the Czech government formation and discuss recent updates from Poland.
Later in the episode, Alexandra and Nina speak with Christopher He...
In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe co-hosts Adam Reichardt and Aleksandra Karpi discuss the latest developments across the region, from Lithuania’s border closure with Belarus to new US sanctions on Russian oil giants and Hungary’s political shifts ahead of next year’s elections. They also explore a recent sabotage plot uncovered in Romania and Poland.
The main interview, which was recorded recently live at the Sarajevo Security...
In this week’s episode of Talk Eastern Europe, hosts Alexandra and Adam unpack another intense week of regional developments, from Donald Trump’s surprising outreach to Vladimir Putin and the potential Budapest summit, to leaks of Polish military documents and rising Russian sabotage activity. They also touch on coalition talks in Czechia and the Georgian government’s deepening crackdown on opposition voices.
Later, Adam sits down w...
In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Nina, Adam andAlexandra start by discussing the latest news in the region, including the Hungarian spy scandal, train accident in Slovakia, Latvian minority policy, and some updates from the Western Balkans.
Later, Adam is joined by Mihail Nesteriuc, a Moldovan analyst and journalist, and discuss the country’s recent parliamentaryelections, which took place on September 28th 2025. The result o...
This episode of Talk Eastern Europe is the final one in our mini-series on digital election interference our region. Alexandra reports in-person from Croatia to cover the country's "super election year" with an emphasis on the youth vote and young peoples' participation in politics and online. She speaks with Gong Executive Director Oriana Ivković Novokmet and youth workers Ivona Šimunović and Anja Kolimbatović on...
Adam and Alexandra are back from Sarajevo and give a littleinsight into their recent visit there for the Sarajevo Security Conference.
They later run down the latest news stories, including updates on Bosnia and Herzegovina, Moldova’s parliamentary elections, Trump’s change in Ukraine policy and Slovakia’s constitutional changes.
For the main interview, Nina sat down with Eva Svatoňová todiscuss the parliamentary elections in the Cz...
Nina and Alexandra kick off this episode with a summary ofthe week's news, from the violations of NATO airspace in Estonia and Denmark to US President Donald Trump's possible 180 on Ukraine. They also discuss Russia's revival of the Intervision Song Contest as its latest cultural diplomacyeffort, as well as the extradition of Moldovan oligarch Vladimir Plahotniuc from Greece after several years of evading the law.
Nina ...
In this episode, Adam and Nina review the week’s key developments, including the Zapad 2025 military exercises between Russia and Belarus, protests in Slovakia, a Russian drone incursion into Poland and Romania, and the latest updates from Romania and Georgia.
Following the news, Nina speaks with Ray Koçi, an advisor to the Mayor of Tirana on inclusive planning and coordinator of the Tirana School Streets Programme. They discuss the...
In this episode, Alexandra and Adam start off with some discussion on the news, including concerns over the upcoming Russia/Belarus Zapad 2025 military exercises, Slovakia’s Robert Fico and his meeting with Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Ukraine, and upcoming elections in Moldova.
Later, Adam and Nina are joined by Thomas de Waal, a senior fellow with Carnegie Europe and expert on the South Caucasus. They discuss the peace deal which was in...
Talk Eastern Europe is back from its August break! In this episode, Adam, Alexandra and Nina run through some of the bigger stories from the region, including developments in the Balkans, Poland, the EU, and look at the global implications of China’s victory celebrations this week.
After the news, Adam and Nina are joined by Pavel Havlíček, research fellow at the Prague-based Association for International Affairs (AMO) to discuss th...
In this episode, Adam and Alexandra start by discussing the latest news including fears of interference in Moldova’s upcoming elections, the upcoming inauguration Poland’s new president as well as some worrisome security breaches in the Baltics.
For the main interview, Adam sits down with Kyiv-based journalist Aleksander Palikot to discuss the recent political crisis surrounding Ukraine’s anti-corruption institutions, NABU and SAPO...
Episode 232: Book talk: The history of queer life in Bosnia and Herzegovina
In this episode, Adam and Nina cover several key developments from the region, including the latest from Ukraine, breaking news from Moldova, far-right marches across Poland, and the EU’s adoption of its 18th package of sanctions against Russia.
Later in the episode, Alexandra and Nina are joined by Matej Vrebac, Programme Coordinator at the Sarajevo Open Ce...
In this special edition of Talk Eastern Europe, Alexandra reports in-person from Sofia for a deep dive into disinformation and digital interference in Bulgaria during the last several years of perpetual election campaigning. She speaks with experts Angel Petrov, Gloria Trifonova, and Petko Petkov on Bulgaria’s political landscape, local and Russian backed disinformation, the rise of far-right political actors, and why Russian narra...
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