Central Europe Explained

“We have to remember that the accession to the EU did not mean only the integration of the Central and Eastern European countries into the Western Europe but also an unprecedented integration of the Central Europe itself."

In our next episode, Daniel Martínek, research associate at IDM, is welcoming Vít Dostál, Research Director of the Prague-based Research Center AMO - Association for International Affairs. In their discussion, they are focusing on political, economic and social developments that have been encouraged by the EU integration of Central Europe, on the current situation shaped by more than 15 years of the EU membership and on the future prospects of Central Europe within the EU.

CEE - Central Europe Explained, an IDM podcast series powered by Erste Group.

With Vít Dostál and Daniel Martínek.

Production: Emma Hontebeyrie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Emissions don’t know any borders: the ones emitted from a coal power plant in Czech Republic are just as responsible for the bushfires in Australia as emissions emitted in Australia or in the US or anywhere else. We all have the responsibility to reduce our emissions.”

In our previous episode, Katalin-Tünde Huber mentioned that we need intensive European support and long-time projects regarding challenges such as Climate Change. Following the 2016 Paris Agreement, the European Green Deal policy aims to be climate-neutral by 2050.

Therefore, Daniela Neubacher (research associate at IDM) is welcoming the energy expert Kateřina Davidová, a researcher at the Czech Think Tank EUROPEUM in Prague, and project coordinator for the Centre for Transport and Energy. Together, they will discuss climate-neutrality, its importance on a region and international scale, and the ways the EU and its member states are dealing with this new policy. 

CEE - Central Europe Explained, an IDM podcast series powered by Erste Group.

With Kateřina Davidová and Daniela Neubacher.

Production: Emma Hontebeyrie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“It should be a peaceful competition, but competition it will be.”

In the third part of “Becoming an EU Member,” we are now focusing on the future perspectives, opportunities, and challenges in the region. 

Last week, Sebastian Schäffer discussed with the two European enlargement specialists, Katalin-Tünde Huber, and Ambassador Klaus Wölfer, about the potential accession of the Southeast European countries to the EU. Leaving off with the challenges for the society that enlargement brings with itself, we start this episode with the importance of cultural reform within the EU and its next steps. 

Which are the future challenges regarding European accession in the region? What could be the future scenarios? Which benefits does the European enlargement bring for the EU? 

Find your answers in CEE - Central Europe Explain - with:

• Katalin-Tünde Huber, Head of Unit "EU Enlargement" at the Ministry for Europe and International Affairs
• Ambassador Klaus Wölfer, Head of Department Southeast Europe and EU Enlargement Special Representative for the Western Balkans Federal Ministry for Europe and International Affairs; member of the board here at IDM
• Sebastian Schäffer, Managing Director at IDM

Production: Emma Hontebeyrie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Now we have to refocus on where we stand and what we really want to achieve.” 

Following our previous episode “Becoming an EU Member - The case of Romania, Bulgaria, and Croatia”, this podcast focuses on Southeast European countries. Therefore, Sebastian Schäffer (Managing Director at IDM) is welcoming two European Enlargement specialists: Mag. Katalin-Tünde Huber - Head of Unit "EU Enlargement" at the Ministry for Europe and International affairs; and Ambassador Klaus Wölfer - Head of Department Southeast Europe and EU Enlargement Special Representative for the Western Balkans Federal Ministry for Europe and International Affairs, as well as a member of the board here at IDM. 

Together, they will discuss the opportunities and challenges of European enlargement regarding Southeast European Countries. 

Which challenges lie underneath the region? What did we learn from the 6th enlargement back in 2013? How important is the Copenhagen Criteria for the enlargement process? Finally, how does the enlargement process impact the “old member states” and their societies? Does it foster EU skepticism?

CEE - Central Europe Explained, an IDM podcast series powered by Erste Group.

With Mag. Katalin-Tünde Huber, Ambassador Klaus Wölfer and Sebastian Schäffer .

Production: Emma Hontebeyrie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“Becoming an EU and NATO member was a historic vengeance”

In this episode, Sebastian Schäffer (Managing Director at IDM) is interviewing Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu, former Prime Minister, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, and former Director of the Foreign Intelligence Service of Romania. 

Together, they will discuss the latest European enlargement in 2007 and the lessons learned.

How did the accession of Romania to the EU change the situation of the country? Moreover, how did it impact the accession of other countries in the EU? What should change in the future of enlargement?

CEE - Central Europe Explained, an IDM podcast series powered by Erste Group.

With Mihai Răzvan Ungureanu and Sebastian Schäffer.

Production: Emma Hontebeyrie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Art and culture touches not only our intellect but also our souls and our hearts"

This episode, which is the second part of "EU to your home", will focus on European integration politics. Daniel Martínek (Research Associate IDM) will talk to Katka Krejcova, responsible for international relations in the Department for Art and Culture in the Office of the Government of Lower Austria.

How can the EU be brought closer to people even in the most remote areas? What role does culture play within regional cooperation and European integration? As an example, we will learn more about the cooperation within the ARGE Donauländer and Novi Sad becoming the Cultural Capital of Europe in 2022, being the first city from outside the EU.

ARGE Donauländer: https://www.noe.gv.at/noe/Internationales-Europa/Arge_Donaulaender_allgemeine_Infos1.html

8. Internationale Donau-Kulturkonferenz zu Gast auf der Schallaburg - Shaping Solidarity by Culture:

https://www.noe.gv.at/noe/Internationales-Europa/Donau-Kulturkonferenz-Schallaburg.html

CEE - Central Europe Explained, an IDM podcast series powered by Erste Group.

With Katka Krejcova and Daniel Martínek.

Production: Emma Hontebeyrie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“The EU Strategy for the Danube Region is the implementation of the European idea.”

This week, Silvia Nadjivan (Deputy Managing Director at IDM) will be talking to Robert Lichtner, coordinator of the Danube Strategy Point in Vienna. 

In the first episode of our series “EU to your Home”, they will be discussing together the regionalization of European politics with a focus on the mutual dependence of macro-regional strategies such as the EUSDR, cross-border cooperation, and the EU enlargement policies concerning South-Eastern Europe. 

How does the region connect with European politics? What are the strategies employed?

Find your answers in CEE - Central Europe Explained, an IDM podcast powered by Erste Group.

CEE - Central Europe Explained, an IDM podcast series powered by Erste Group.

With Robert Lichtne and Silvia Nadjivan.

Production: Emma Hontebeyrie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“We should continue to tell people that what they believe in terms of the nation-state is also a myth.”

The “imagination of the nation” plays a key role in the perception of citizens towards the European Union. 

As explained our the previous episode, European myths strongly impact these beliefs which have diverse consequences in different parts of the EU. 

Focusing on Central and Southeast Europe, we will try to understand the dynamics of popular myths in this region which has experienced a different enlargement process than in the Western part of the continent. 

What are these myths used in conspiracy theories? How do they influence populist movements, in the ‘East’ and in the ‘West’? What are the tasks head and which future for popular myths? 

In this last part of “European Union and Popular Myths”, Sebastian Schäffer (Managing Director at IDM, Vienna), is again welcoming Thomas Diez (Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Tübingen) to discuss this topic within a Central and Southeastern European perceptive. 

CEE - Central Europe Explained, an IDM podcast series powered by Erste Group.

With Thomas Diez and Sebastian Schäffer.

Production: Emma Hontebeyrie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“In the end for many, the EU itself is a kind of myth.”

From fantasy to a more accurate reality, myths about Europe and the EU are a wide-ranging subject. Some, as the myth of Europa, are based on mythology. Other, as the ‘bicycle myth’, come into sight as metaphors. However, popular myths about the EU also find their origin in reality and can even sound quite absurd. 

‘Curved cucumber’, ‘banana ban’, ‘bureaucratic moloch’: where are these myths coming from? Lobbying? Powerful countries? Power of history? How do they influence people’s perception of the European Union? More than that, how do they impact European integration or even separation?

In these two next episodes of CEE, Sebastian Schäffer (managing director of IDM, Vienna), is discussing these topics with Thomas Diez (Professor of Political Science and International Relations at the University of Tübingen). 

This first episode is exposing several popular myths about the EU, their impacts, and power. Can we deconstruct them? Should we expect new myths to arise in the future? 

CEE - Central Europe Explained, an IDM podcast series powered by Erste Group.

With Thomas Diez and Sebastian Schäffer.

Production: Emma Hontebeyrie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Education and culture should be something that the EU do together", Ambassador Emil Brix.

Which role did European Community for Coal and Steel play in the creation of the EU? How was it perceived behind the Iron Curtain? What are the current expectations about the EU? What should be the future European agenda?

In this episode, Daniel Martínek is discussing with Ambassador Emil Brix, Director of the School of International Studies in Vienna, about the creation of the EU and its past, current, and future challenges.

Moreover, we are focusing on European concepts and furthermore analyzing the lessons we have learned from the last decades, in order to deal with the current challenges. Together, they are looking at different narratives, which were existing behind the Iron Curtain and the confrontation of two concepts of Europe.

CEE - Central Europe Explained, an IDM podcast series powered by Erste Group.

With Ambassador Emil Brix and Daniel Martínek.

Production: Emma Hontebeyrie

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.