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 unprecedented snap parliamentary elections taking place on November 30th. Nurbeck explains how the legacy of the 2020 unrest, whichbrought President Sadyr Japarov to power, continues to shape Kyrgyzstan’s political transformation. The conversation explores the new electoral rules, the changing nature of political competition, candidate filtering, and the likelihood of any protests or instability around the vote.

In our bonus section for Patrons only, Alexandra and Nurbek take a look at the recent C5+1 summit in Washington, exploring how the US under Donald Trump is reshaping its approach to Central Asia.

Listen to the bonus episode here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/episode-245-144000977

Help us reach 75 Patrons by the end of 2025! Sign up for great benefits here: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

Check out the report by the Balkan Free Media Initiative - Tackling TikTokracy: A blueprint for fighting algorithmic manipulation in Europe. https://www.balkanfreemedia.org/tackling-tiktokcracy-in-the-balkans 

Read this week’s Brief Eastern Europe: https://www.briefeasterneurope.eu