In this episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Nina, Alexandra and Adam catch up on some of the latest news, including the dire situation in Ukraine, the ongoing peace negotiations and President Zelenskyy’s meeting with Belarusian democratic leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya. They also look at Montenegro’s progress towards EU accession and mention the resignation of Bulgaria’s president, setting up the main topic for the episode.

After the news, Adam is joined by Svetoslav Todorov, a Bulgarian journalist and writer, to unpack the situation there. They look at last month’s wave of mass protests, the collapse of yet another government, and try to determine what’s driving public anger beyond the budget dispute. They also touch on the growing role of young people, the country’s turbulent election cycle, the smooth but controversial adoption of the euro, and how pro-Russian narratives continue to shape Bulgaria’s political landscape.

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Help Ukrainians survive this winter.

Here are some fundraisers you can support:

Nova Ukraine’s “warmth for Ukraine” campaign: https://novaukraine.org/warmth-for-ukraine-a-humanitarian-appeal/

United24 – Ukraine’s official fundraising portal: https://u24.gov.ua/

Energize Ukraine – by the Ukrainian World Congress: https://energizeukraine.com/