US President Donald Trump will turn 80 on June 14. If he completes his second term, he will leave the White House in January 2029 at the age of 82, making him the oldest American president in history. Is Trump too old for the office? What does he want for his birthday? And to what extent is he trying to link his birthday and public persona with national symbols, and even with the approaching 250th anniversary of the United States? I discussed these questions and more with Matthew Eshbaugh-Soha, Professor of Political Science at the University of North Texas. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Professor of Political Science at the University of Canterbury Anne-Marie Brady is a specialist on the Chinese Communist Party. We met in Prague at the GLOBSEC Forum 2026 and in this episode of The Global Agora we discuss the life and political endeavors of Chinese Communist leader Xi Jinping. Does he prefer Vladimir Putin or Donald Trump? Could he stop the Russian war against Ukraine if he wanted to? And is Xi Jinping's domestic political power unlimited? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

After many years of correspondence and phone calls, I finally met Cas Mudde in person last year at the GLOBSEC Forum in Prague. Our meeting resulted in the 235th episode of The Global Agora podcast. This year, we crossed paths again. The result? Another round of conversation. This time about the sanewashing of US President Donald Trump, the threat of the far right, the normalization of Italian PM Giorgia Meloni, but also about the cancelation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Cas Mudde is, of course, a professor at the University of Georgia and one of the world's foremost experts on populism and far-right politics. Listen to our conversation.  And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

When Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree allowing Russia’s Victory Day military parade to proceed, it was clear that there would be a strong reaction from the Kremlin. “We knew there would be a response in terms of metal, as we always call it. A lot of metal flying through our skies and, of course, falling down on our heads. But it was really to the point and something very innovative. No one was expecting that,” Ukrainian analyst Victoria Vdovychenko told me. She is the joint program leader of the Future for Ukraine Project at the Center for Geopolitics at the University of Cambridge, and holds a PhD in Foreign Policy and World History. Does she think that Zelenskyy and Putin will meet at the negotiation table? And should Europe talk to the Russian dictator? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Bart Schuurman is a Professor of Terrorism and Political Violence at Leiden University. In this episode of The Global Agora, we discuss his latest research article, Russia’s low-level agents: characteristics, roles and organisational structure of covert operatives in Europe, 2022–2025. So, who are these low-level agents, how is Russia using them against Europe, and how can this security threat be addressed? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

A new Hungarian government led by Prime Minister Péter Magyar will take office on May 9. What will be its primary focus during the first 100 days? Unfreezing EU funds and “de-Orbanization”? And what lies ahead for Viktor Orbán and his Fidesz after the crushing defeat delivered by Magyar’s Tisza party in the elections held on April 12? In this episode of The Global Agora, I speak with Zsuzsanna Végh, an analyst and program officer with the German Marshall Fund’s European Resilience Program in Berlin. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Many Europeans worry that U.S. President Donald Trump may be unwilling to help them in the event of Russian aggression. Does Taiwan have similar concerns regarding Trump’s commitment in the face of China? And why does it seem that Beijing has ultimately turned to coercion instead of trying to win Taiwanese hearts and minds? In this episode of The Global Agora, I speak with Jyun-yi Lee, Associate Research Fellow at the Institute for National Defense in Taipei. We met at the annual CEEasia Forum in Bratislava, organized by the Central European Institute of Asian Studies and the Slovak Foreign Policy Association, where I moderated a panel titled: Friends in need, friends indeed: Where is Europe–Taiwan cooperation headed? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Seva Gunitsky is an associate professor of political science at the University of Toronto. In this episode of The Global Agora, I speak with him about his two articles – The Personalist Global Order and The Incel Global Order. We discuss how closely the personalist world order is connected to the rise of the manosphere and the incel phenomenon, what links Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, and Xi Jinping, and whether their approach to leadership could lead to more conflicts. We also touch on a provocative question: do they aspire to live to 150? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

As the Middle East's tensions escalated, Cyprus found itself unexpectedly in the line of fire. In this episode of The Global Agora, I speak with Professor James Ker-Lindsay, an expert on Cyprus and European security, about the drone attack on British bases, the island's shifting foreign policy, its relationship with Russia, its role in the European Union, and what small nations like Cyprus and Slovakia should learn from today's turbulent world order. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Orsolya Ráczová is an analyst on Eurasia Group’s Europe team, covering Central and Eastern Europe. She is definitely the right person to speak with about the upcoming elections in Hungary, which will be held on April 12. Will Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his party, Fidesz, lose power after 16 years? Would he accept defeat if he loses? And would Orbán’s challenger, Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza Party, concede if his attempt to oust the current Hungarian government is unsuccessful? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak