Talk Eastern Europe

In this week’s news roundup, Talk Eastern Europe co-hosts Adam Reichardt and Aleksandra Karppi provide the latest developments in the region.

Firstly, Ukraine has replaced its commander-in-chief in oneof the biggest wartime leadership changes since Russia's full scale invasion, sparking debate about military reform, democracy during wartime, and the future of Ukraine's defence strategy.

Meanwhile, reports of secret meetings bet...

With Andrej Babiš back in power, Czechia’s civil society is warning the country may follow Hungary and Slovakia down an authoritarian path.

In this Talk Eastern Europe Deep Dive, Nina Pániková speaks with Mikuláš Minář, founder and chairman of Million Moments for Democracy, at the UNLOCK Summit in Prague.

Minář recounts how a single moment before the 2017 Czech election transformed him from a philosophy student into one of the ...

Hungary’s new government is rapidly dismantling Viktor Orbán’s political legacy, Ukraine is preparing another major government reshuffle, and the latest NATO summit has delivered potentially significant news for Kyiv.

In this episode of the Talk Eastern Europe Weekly News Roundup, Nina Panikova, Alexandra Karppi and Adam Reichardt discuss the political transformation underway in Hungary under Péter Magyar, including the ...

Is Europe losing its competitive edge? Can the EuropeanUnion remain economically strong while protecting its social model, environmental ambitions and democratic values?

In this special episode of Talk Eastern Europe, recorded at the Connecting EU Seminar in Sofia, Bulgaria and organised by the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC), Adam Reichardt moderates a wide-ranging discussion on Europe's biggest economic and political...

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, what it means for the country's EU ambit...

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 behind the protests, and how government pr...

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 investigation into the alleged use of a son...

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 extraordinary personal story, from being ...

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 Alexandra Karppi discuss:

• Romania's go...

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 society, why hundreds of thousands have fled into exile,...

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.
- Ukraine's growing campaign against Russian oil i...

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 the biggest geopolitical shifts...

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 did many Armenians feel they were choosing between ...

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 discuss the growing gap between Brussels' optim...

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 also discuss warnings that Belarus could be ...

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 for International Affairs (AMO) in Pra...

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 political changes in Slovenia and a dramatic mayo...

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 parliament, the return of ...

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 inTransnistria.

Fo...