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 …

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 amplif…

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 channe…

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 industr…

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 Washin…

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…

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…

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-resi…

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…

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-…

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: htt…

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 Carol…

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 outl…

Adam Jasser interviews Wojciech Przybylski about the release of a new report, How European Democracies Are to Survive a New Trump Age, which outlines four possible foresight-driven scenarios for EU strategic policy. These scenarios stem from developments in the democratic security, economic and security arenas, as well as the state of transatlantic…

Albin Sybera discusses with Faris Kočan - assistant professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Ljubljana and author of the forthcoming book "Identity, Ontological Security and Europeanisation in Republika Srpska" - the recent EU enlargement report. The report attempts to balance the strategic need to integrate the Western Balk…

In today's podcast, Deputy Editor Adam Jasser interviews Dr Jakub Šrol of the Slovak Academy of Science about the results of a major survey on attitudes to democracy in Visegrad Four countries and Germany, which seem to have chimed well with the latest election results in Poland and Slovakia.

In today's podcast, Visegrad Insight Editors Wojciech Przybylski and Adam Jasser zoom in on the likelihood that the EU report due this week will allow for the start of Ukraine's accession negotiations, which would be a huge political coup for Kyiv as it struggles to keep its war effort on track. https://europeandemocracyhub.epd.eu/the-end-of-poland…

In his pursuit of being the eternal EU rebel and Donald Trump's chief European acolyte, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán demonstrates glaring inconsistency by refusing to acknowledge Ukraine's right to defend itself against Russia and advocating a ceasefire while univocally supporting Israel's offensive in Gaza.…

Editor-in-Chief Wojciech Przybylski analyses with the journalist and Pulitzer Prize winner how the outgoing government in Poland used unfair election tactics in the recent campaign and how these elections will be studied by pro-democratic forces wishing to turn back illiberal forces in Central and Eastern Europe.…

Editors Galan Dall and Albin Sybera discuss the controversial developments unfolding in Bratislava's next government in light of Viktor Orban's meeting with Vladimir Putin and the recent Polish elections.

Poland's victorious opposition may wait several weeks before it can form the government due to stalling by the outgoing government and its ally, President Andrzej Duda. Duda and the constitutional tribunal packed with political appointees will make it hard to pass legislation, Jakub Jaraczewski, a leading constitutional scholar, tells Visegrad Insi…

The large turnout shows the high level of engagement by Polish women, who, despite the rise in child benefit by the ruling Law and Justice, are afraid of getting pregnant because of cases where medical care is denied, Amanda Coakley, award-winning journalist and Europe's Futures fellow at the IWM in Vienna, tells Visegrad Insight.…

In today's episode, Deputy Editor Adam Jasser interviews Krzysztof Izdebski, a Visegrad Insight Fellow and policy officer at Batory Foundation, about the results of Poland's historic general election marked by the high turnout and mobilisation of young voters.

In this week's podcast, Visegrad Insight editors Wojciech Przybylski and Adam Jasser discuss the potential impact of the Polish parliamentary election next Sunday on the EU's ability to move forward with its ambitious strategic agenda, including enlargement.

In today's podcast, Visegrad Insight editors Wojciech Przybylski and Adam Jasser discuss the outcome of the Slovak election, which may bring firebrand pro-Russia ex-Prime Minister Fico to power, as well as the potential impact of the huge weekend rally of Polish opposition supporters on the country's parliamentary vote on 15 October. Our guest this…

In this week's episode, Wojciech Przybylski and Adam Jasser discuss the impact the Slovak and Polish elections could have on Ukraine's EU path as tensions between Warsaw and Kyiv escalate. This week's guest is Beata Balogová, an award-winning Slovak journalist, who gave her take on what the possible return of ex-PM Rober Fico may mean for Slovakia.…

In this week's episode, Wojciech Przybylski and Adam Jasser discuss why migration will remain a policy issue for the EU and more acutely Central Europe, specifically in Hungary and Poland where both governments that are nominally anti-migration have been running visa-for-cash programmes. This week's guest is Marjorie Castle, a professor at the Univ…

In this week's podcast, Deputy Managing Editor Adam Jasser and Agnieszka Homańska discuss the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor at the G20 meeting in New Dehli, which seems to be a challenge to China's Belt and Road and its claim to lead the Global South. The podcast also gives an update on the election campaigns in Poland an…

In this week’s podcast, Editor-in-Chief Wojciech Przybylski sits down with Volodymyr Omelyan, the Former Minister of Infrastructure of Ukraine, to discuss the future of Ukraine: the costs of rebuilding the country, meeting the challenge of instability and tackling corruption through transparency.

Weekly Outlook by Adam Jasser and Miles R. Maftean: European Council President Charles Michel’s recent statement at the Bled Strategic Forum has opened up a Pandora’s Box of questions. He stresses that the EU should be ready to accept new members by 2030, feeling the already complex discussion. From a mysterious outbreak of Legionnaires’ disease th…

Weekly outlook by Adam Jasser and Miles R. Maftean: Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unexpectedly visited Denmark and the Netherlands on Sunday, expressing gratitude for their decision to supply Ukraine with approximately 40 U.S.-manufactured F-16 fighter jets. Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan travelled to Hungary to convers…

Weekly outlook by Adam Jasser and Wojciech Przybylski: The official Polish election campaign for the October 15 parliamentary vote is now in full swing. Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of the ruling Law and Justice party, has levelled accusations against the opposition, branding them as traitors. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan will visit Hun…

Weekly outlook by Agnieszka Homanska and Wojciech Przybylski: President Duda is constitutionally obliged to announce the start of Poland’s election campaign by Sunday, with voting expected between 15 October and 5 November. Unofficial campaigning has already begun in Poland, with the ruling government party using a number of tricks to boost their c…

Weekly outlook by Galan Dall and Miles R. Maftean: The situation in Ukraine is escalating, with recent gains on the battlefield in the Western Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions and a significant strike on the Chonhar bridge. An upcoming peace summit set for early August in Jeddah. Developments involving the Wagner Group near the Polish and Lithuania…

Weekly outlook by Miles R. Maftean and Adam Jasser: The extreme-right Spanish party, Vox, suffered a notable loss in the elections, leading to a hung parliament. Vox had the endorsement of right-wing leaders Viktor Orban from Hungary and Jarosław Kaczyński from Poland. Odesa’s Orthodox Cathedral was razed by Russian missiles, escalating the city’s …

In this week's podcast, Editor-in-Chief Wojciech Przybylski and Deputy Managing Editor Adam Jasser discuss the outcome of the NATO Summit in Vilnius and Ukraine's counteroffensive, as well as take a deep look into Polish politics ahead of the parliamentary elections scheduled for October. The most recent polling suggests a possibly hung parliament,…

Weekly outlook by Galan Dall and Albin Sybera: Israeli-style security guarantees likely to be offered to Ukraine at the NATO Summit in Vilnius, as well as a "pathway" for Ukraine to join the alliance. President Zelenskyy's trip through Central Europe (CE) not only showcased Ukraine's adeptness in combating Russian disinformation narratives, but his…

Weekly outlook by Galan Dall and Wojciech Przybylski: As Sweden hands over the EU presidency to Spain, the first stop for Prime Minister Sanchez is a visit to Ukraine. The deception and theatre of the Wagner group moving to Belarus continue, with an already tense situation on the border of Belarus with their forced migration actions into Latvia, Po…

Weekly outlook by Miles R. Maftean and Adam Jasser: Yevgeny Prigozhin's rebellion and subsequent exile in Belarus spotlight Putin's weakening grip on power, amplified by Russia's war with Ukraine. The shift towards Belarus' President Lukashenka's role, who resolved the rebellion and now hosts Prigozhin, exhibits his growing significance in Putin’s …

Weekly outlook by Miles R. Maftean and Wojciech Przybylski: Poland and Hungary amplified their objection to an EU asylum deal, wrongly labelling it as imposed migration from south to central Europe. Polish leader Jarosław Kaczyński proposed a referendum on the value in an attempt to boost his struggling election campaign. However, a poll revealed t…

Weekly outlook by Adam Jasser and Miles R. Maftean: Ukrainian forces have breached Russian lines in a counter-offensive amid severe ecological warfare showcased by the Kakhovka dam explosion. Polish President Duda discussed NATO’s Ukraine offer with French President Macron and German Prime Minister Scholz in Paris. A pending EU court ruling on June…

Weekly outlook by Miles R. Maftean, Wojciech Przybylski, and Agnieszka Homanska: We unpack how an estimated 500,000 demonstrators have stormed Warsaw and other Polish cities in a unified outcry against the PiS party's escalating authoritarian tendencies. These gatherings, unprecedented since communism's downfall over three decades ago, signal a piv…

Weekly outlook by Adam Jasser, Miles R. Maftean and Wojciech Przybylski: Poland’s controversial new law, dubbed “Lex Tusk,” allows a government commission to ban individuals from holding public office. This measure has raised alarm bells in EU capitals and Washington, as it potentially hinders opposition candidates from running in upcoming election…