Co-hosted by: Adam Reichardt, Nina Panikova
In this final episode of 2024, Adam and Nina discuss the key developments from
the region in 2024, what to expect in 2025, and point out their favorite episodes from the year (see below).

Later, Adam is joined by Tomasz Zając, an analyst at the European Union Programme at the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM). Tomasz discusses the upcoming Polish presidency of the Council of the European Union. He highlights the Polish priorities and what to expect to see on the EU agenda in the next six months.

Check out the PISM Podcast – “Tu Mówi PISM”

Further reading:
“Europe in the Shadow of War: Poland Takes Over EU Council Presidency” by Tomasz Zając: https://www.pism.pl/publications/europe-in-the-shadow-of-war-poland-takes-over-eu-council-presidency

“It's all about security” published in the Brief Eastern Europe newsletter: https://briefeasterneurope.beehiiv.com/p/december-23-2024

Favorite episodes of 2024:
Episode 180: In the own words. Former Belarusian political prisoners share their experiences
Episode 190: Book Talk. Goodbye Eastern Europe
Episode 193: Spies, sabotage and Russia-West relations
Ep. 194: Life in Orban’s "Masterplan"

Thank you to all of our patrons for helping us reach our goal of 60 patrons this year! Join our community here: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

Co-hosted by: Adam Reichardt, Nina Panikova and Alexandra Karppi

In this episode, our co-hosts start with the latest news developments from Serbia, Ukraine and Georgia. Later in the episode, Nina chats with Julia Ivanochko, Editor-in-Chief of Ukraїner po polsku, the Polish-language edition of Ukraїner. They dive into Ukraine’s experience with Russian colonialism, how it compares to Western ideas of colonialism, and the main narratives about Ukraine that still linger today. Julia also shares her thoughts on how Ukraine is pushing back against these imperial narratives and working towards true national sovereignty. For those keen to delve deeper, Julia recommends the book Imperial Knowledge: Russian Literature and Colonialism by Ewa Thompson: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1620644.Imperial_Knowledge

In exclusive bonus content for our Patrons, Julia shares how contemporary Ukrainian artists are reclaiming their cultural heritage in the face of historical cultural erasure and the challenges posed by the ongoing war.  

Make sure to check out Ukraїner, a media platform offering unique stories, videos, and photography about Ukraine’s historical regions and its cultural context abroad: https://www.ukrainer.net/en/

You can also listen to their podcast Decolonisation, a series that explores why countering Russian imperial influence is essential for the future of global democracy. Listen in English via YouTube and Spotify, in Polish via YouTube and Spotify and in Czech via YouTube and Spotify.

In this episode, all three hosts discuss a turbulent week in the region, starting with the Romanian Constitutional Court’s decision to annul the presidential election, followed by developments in Ukraine and Georgia. They also celebrate Bulgaria and Romania’s entry into the EU Schengen Area.

Later, Alexandra and Nina talk with Aleksandra Wojtaszek, a Polish translator and journalist, about her book Fjaka: A Season for Croatia. They delve into topics like tourism, the recent war, and the Dalmatian concept of fjaka—a state of relaxation and acceptance. The interview offers a deeper look at Croatia beyond its beaches, weaving a vivid narrative of its history and culture.

In exclusive content for Patrons, Aleksandra speaks about Croatian language and she examines whether the breakup of Serbo-Croatian into distinct Croatian and Serbian languages mirrors the broader cultural and political desire for differentiation.

Aleksandra’s book: Fjaka: A Season for Croatia can be found here in Polish language: https://czarne.com.pl/katalog/ksiazki/fjaka and here in Slovak: https://www.absynt.sk/fjaka 

Become a patron, join us at: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

In this episode, Alexandra and Nina start off with updates about the massive pro-EU protests across Georgia, speak about the recent explosion in the northern part of Kosovo, and touch upon election-related developments in Romania and Bulgaria. They close with news from Croatia, where the Health Minister was arrested on corruption charges brought by the European Public Prosecutor's Office.

Later, Adam is joined by Fatos Lubonja, a writer and critic based in Albania. Fatos is a significant voice in Albanian literature and intellectual circles, known for his piercing critiques of totalitarianism and staunch advocacy for democracy and human rights. They discuss his works which were not only published in Albanian but also in English and most recently in Polish. Fatos also discusses how the 17 years he spent in Albania’s communist prisons has impacted his literature. Finally they talk about the current perspectives in Albania, including its EU integration.

His book “Second Sentence. Inside the Albanian Gulag” can be found here: https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/second-sentence-9781845119249/

You can watch the recent discussion at Columbia University on EU Enlargement in the context of Russia’s war in Ukraine, featuring TEE’s Alexandra and Adam, here: https://www.youtube.com/live/nhb6hlt5Rdk?si=PpAEgzxQIB4TfWJk

Become a patron, join us at: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

In this episode, Alexandra and Nina delve into the surprising results of the first round of Romania's presidential elections and examine the latest developments in Serbia following the collapse of the Novi Sad train station. They also discuss news from Ukraine and Russia and conclude with some uplifting developments from Northern Macedonia.

Later in the episode, Adam is joined by Hleb Liapeika, a former journalist who now coordinates communication efforts for the Belarusian diaspora in Krakow, Poland. Together, they explore how the diaspora is organised in Krakow and other locations, as well as their hopes for eventually returning to Belarus.

For listeners in New York, don’t miss the chance to join Adam, Alexandra, and other excellent guests at an event on Monday, 2 December 2024, from 12:00 pm to 1:30 pm. Find more details here: https://events.columbia.edu/cal/event/eventView.do?b=de&calPath=%2Fpublic%2Fcals%2FMainCal&guid=CAL-00bbdb70-930b0472-0193-0caeba8d-0000346aevents%40columbia.edu&recurrenceId&fbclid=IwY2xjawG1O95leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHRp-0BkSJ_8WZP5qRv8hf_FJfqPpOaBp65OpIUqPVx2hopM50cURy-ZM_g_aem_kqV5w554ibE41SNeZVQN8w

In this episode, Alexandra, Adam, and Nina discuss Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, protests in Abkhazia, and the recent parliamentary elections in Georgia. They also reflect on the 35th anniversary of the Czechoslovak Velvet Revolution and other key events of 1989.

Adam and Nina are later joined by Leyla Mustafayeva, acting editor-in-chief of Abzas Media, who shares insights into Azerbaijan’s crackdown on civil society and media, including the use of the 29th UN Climate Summit to silence critics. Leyla also discusses Abzas Media’s work in exile.

In exclusive content for Patrons, Leyla talks about Azerbaijan’s relationship with Russia and her experience as an independent journalist in exile.  Listen to it and become a Patron here: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope.

Leyla also highlights Anar Mammadli, a political prisoner and human rights advocate, who has been in pre-trial detention since April. His detention was extended on 19 November for another three months. You can support his campaign to end repression in Azerbaijan here: https://free-anar.site/anar-mammadli/.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUqj40e3GDQ

In this special episode which was live streamed on November 14th 2024, Adam, Alexandra and Nina start off with a roundup of the news, discussing Ukraine, Russia, Azerbaijan Georgia, Serbia and Albania.

Later, they are joined by our guests Zsuzsanna Végh and Pavel Havlíček. They discuss the consequences of the election of Donald Trump in the United States for Central and Eastern Europe. They also share their insights on the political situation in Hungary and Czechia.

About the guests:
- Zsuzsanna Végh is a program officer at the German Marshall Fund of the United States. Her analytical focus is on Central and Eastern Europe, especially the foreign and EU policies of the Visegrád countries, the state of democracy, and the role and impact of the populist radical right in the region. 
- Pavel Havlíček is Research Fellow at the Association for International Affairs (AMO). His research focus is on Eastern Europe, especially Ukraine and Russia, and the Eastern Partnership. He also deals with questions of security, disinformation and strategic communication as well as democratisation and civil society support in the CEE and post-Soviet space.

Support the podcast – become a Talk Eastern Europe Patron: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope and listen to our podcasts ad free!

*Disclaimer – this podcast was recorded before the results of the US election were announced*

In this episode, Alexandra is back and joins Adam with a brief discussion on the latest news in the region.  First they discuss the US elections – recorded on election day – and what might the vote mean for Central and Eastern Europe, especially Russia’s war in Ukraine.  They briefly examine European Commission’s latest report on enlargement and its assessment of the progress in the Western Balkans.

Later, Alexandra and Adam are joined by Tinatin Japaridze, an analyst with Eurasia Group. She is a specialist in geopolitics and security in Eurasia, with a particular focus on the Russia-Ukraine war. She also leads the firm's coverage of Georgia and Azerbaijan, including the countries' domestic and foreign policies, reforms, and leaderships.  They discuss the most recent parliamentary elections in Georgia, whether they were free and fair, what the opposition can do next and the reaction of the international community.

For further reading: “Georgia, Moldova and Bulgaria are counting on Europe’s support to resist Russia and safeguard democracy” – New Eastern Europe 30 October 2024: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2024/10/30/georgia-moldova-and-bulgaria-are-counting-on-europes-support-to-resist-russia-and-safeguard-democracy/

“Defending democracy in Georgia” – New Eastern Europe 24 September 2024: https://neweasterneurope.eu/2024/09/24/defending-democracy-in-georgia/

Check out Adam’s commentary in the latest Brief Eastern Europe: https://briefeasterneurope.beehiiv.com/p/november-4-2024

Support the podcast – help us get to 60 Patrons before 2025: https://www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope

>>> Join us on November 14th for a Live Stream of Episode 200! You can watch on YouTube here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FUqj40e3GDQ

In this episode, Adam and Nina start with the results of the Georgia elections. They also talk about Robert Fico’s appearance on Russia TV, Bulgaria elections and the political developments in Lithuania.

Following the news, Adam and Nina interview Oktawian Milewski, is a political scientist specialising in Moldova, Romania and Central and East European studies. They discuss the results of the first round of Moldova’s presidential election and the referendum on its pro-EU path. President Maia Sandu won with the 42% of the vote and will face the 2nd place contender, pro-Russian Aleksandr Stoianoglo, in the second round of elections.

In the bonus section – Oktawian takes us deeper into the regional dynamics of Moldova, discussing the situation in Transnistria, Gagauzia and other regions in the country. The bonus content can be found here: https://www.patreon.com/posts/ep-198-bonus-115208927

for further reading: “Georgia, Moldova and Bulgaria are counting on Europe’s support to resist Russia and safeguard democracy” https://neweasterneurope.eu/2024/10/30/georgia-moldova-and-bulgaria-are-counting-on-europes-support-to-resist-russia-and-safeguard-democracy/ “

The low-hanging fruit of European integration: Moldova’s election and the power play of energy dependency” https://neweasterneurope.eu/2024/10/18/the-low-hanging-fruit-of-european-integration-moldovas-election-and-the-power-play-of-energy-dependency/

In this episode, Adam and Nina begin by discussing the results of Moldova’s simultaneous presidential election and the referendum on the country’s EU integration. They also talk about North Korea's involvement in Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Quad format summit, and the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia.

For the main interview, Nina speaks with Lukáš Diko, the editor-in-chief at the Investigative Center of Ján Kuciak in Slovakia. Lukáš provides an overview of the major political changes the Slovak government under Robert Fico has introduced over the past year, while also shedding light on the challenging working conditions for the journalists in today’s Slovakia.

Help us reach our goal of 60 patrons by the end of 2024! Join us here: www.patreon.com/talkeasterneurope