How much is Haiti a functioning state in the situation where 300 gangs are active across the state and the government cannot enforce its authority in quite a few areas? Not to mention the widespread problem of kidnappings. All of this is happening as Haiti remains the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean region. Can it be at least partly reversed by the expected UN-backed Kenya's security mission? What can be done about the power of the gangs and how do these criminal structures operate? I talked to Diego Da Rin, a consultant for Latin America and the Caribbean in the International Crisis Group. 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 Slovakia, in Central Europe, all eyes are on Poland. Poles vote in parliamentary elections on October 15th. The winner will be either the populist-conservative political alliance United Right led by Jaroslaw Kaczynski's Law and Justice party (PiS) or the center-right Civic Coalition that was formed around the Civic Platform of Donald Tusk. I went through those scenarios with Vít Dostál, the Executive Director of the Association for International Affairs (AMO) in Prague. He focuses on Czech foreign and European policy, Central European cooperation, and Polish foreign and domestic policy. So I also asked him if the victory of Law and Justice could lead to the creation of an illiberal front in Europe. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

How can Europe build a new security architecture? Can it wait until the possible return of Donald Trump to the White House? Should the West abandon all self-imposed red-lines when helping Ukraine? And does German Chancellor Olaf Scholz regret that he started to talk about Zeitenwende? At the GLOBSEC event in Bratislava, I talked to Ulrich Schneckener, Professor of International Relations & Peace and Conflict Studies at Osnabrück University. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Slovak early elections will take place on September 30. It seems the winner will be either the left-wing populist Smer of former Prime Minister Robert Fico or liberal Progressive Slovakia. What does it mean for the country internally and externally? Can Slovakia become the next Hungary and the Trojan horse of Russia in the EU and NATO? I talked to Slovak political scientist Pavol Baboš from the Department of Sociology at Comenius University in Bratislava. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Is Russia dangerously close to NATO? The drone incident in Romania shows it won't be wise to underestimate the situation. "Russia is escalating and testing NATO," Iulia-Sabina Joja thinks. She is a Senior Fellow and Director of Middle East Institute's Black Sea Program and she teaches European security as an Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University and George Washington University. We talked about how NATO should react to what Russia is doing and also about what the Alliance can do in the Black Sea region. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Andrew Lebovich is a Research Fellow with Clingendael's Conflict Research Unit and also a Postdoctoral Researcher with the Danish Institute for International Studies (DIIS). When the coup in Niger happened at the end of July, he was doing research in this West African country. So I was really happy when he said yes to my request for an interview. I asked him also a question that is probably a simplistic one. Is the coup in Niger a pro-Russian coup? But we also discussed the role of France and the US in Niger, what to expect or maybe not to expect from ECOWAS and the risks of an epidemic of the coups in Africa. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak⁠

The Republicans want to send the military to... Mexico? It was quite a prominent topic of the first presidential debate of the GOP candidates. So what is behind this rhetoric? Is Mexico a functioning state taking into account the strong presence of drug cartels that are shipping highly lethal fentanyl to the US? I talked to Vanda Felbab-Brown, a Director of the Initiative on Nonstate Armed Actors and Senior Fellow at the Brookings Institution. She visited Mexico in June and July, so I also asked her how dangerous it is to conduct the field research there. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

If this was a sort of deathmatch between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the Wagner boss Yevgeny Prigozhin, the result is very clear now. Prigozhin was killed in a plane crash on August 23rd. But did Putin specifically order the killing of Prigozhin? I talked to political analyst Anton Barbashin who is an editorial director of Riddle, which is a website about Russia I can only recommend. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Lee Morgenbesser is an Associate Professor in Comparative Politics at the School of Government and International Relations at Griffith University.  His most recent book is titled The Rise of Sophisticated Authoritarianism in Southeast Asia, so he is a perfect match for the next episode of my podcast. We discussed how Prime Minister Hun Sen took over Cambodia and if his reign is somehow unique if we compare Hun Sen to other authoritarian rulers. The July election showed that Hun Sen is running the country seemingly unopposed. But can people in Cambodia still resist his rule? Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak

Cristiano Ronaldo led the way, other big football stars, though many of them are aging stars, follow. Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kante, Roberto Firmino or Jordan Henderson, just to name a few. Why is Saudi Arabia spending crazy money on football players? Is this a clear example of sportwashing? Can the Saudis' effort be sustainable? I talked to James Dorsey, who is a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute of the National University of Singapore and the author of The Turbulent World of Middle East Soccer and other publications. Listen to our conversation. And if you enjoy what I do, please support me on Ko-fi! Thank you. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://ko-fi.com/amatisak