This Time Tomorrow

Benny’s off dealing with children and Daniela is on some kind of democratic safari in Botswana, so Omri flies solo with a very special guest: Alberto Alemanno, professor at HEC Paris, founder of The Good Lobby, co-founder of Alliance4Europe and one of the sharpest commentators on EU affairs around. Where does Europe’s politics stand, which dependencies leave the continent exposed, what does the EU keep getting wrong when it regulates, can growth and sustainability be reconciled, and how do you actually mobilise European citizens and leaders before it is too late?

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Omri’s out, so it’s two Germans going at it. Saxony-Anhalt, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, Berlin: three regional elections in a few weeks, record turnout, and the far right still gaining. Daniela and Benny ask how Germany got here, why the centrist parties keep losing the plot, what the tax story since the 1980s has to do with it, whether the firewall still holds, and what the far right actually wants to do with power.

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We’re back to school, it’s business as usual, what’s up, what’s new? One of our hosts became German AND got engaged, another had a BABY, and a third is on the beach in Greece…

What else? Only everything.

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“Now, what you’re about to listen to is the most recent episode from the podcast, This Time Tomorrow, so make sure you’re somewhere calm, cosy and quiet. A nice armchair, for example, or perhaps your bed. Yes, actually, go have a nice lie-down. If there are noisy people around you, then tell them to keep it down. Open your window and yell, ‘excuse me! I’m about to listen to an episode of This Time Tomorrow and I need you to quiet down, please! Don’t you know, by the way, that it’s rather too late in the evening for such a ruckus!’ If they ask you, ‘what is it about?’, the podcast, that is, then tell them, ”l’I’m not quite sure yet! But it reminds me a bit of the opening to Italo Calvino’s novel, If on a winter’s night a traveller.’

Don’t worry, I’ll give you a moment, and then I’ll meet you right back here.

Done?”

In the 56th episode of This Time Tomorrow, Omri and Daniela sit down with Professor Damir Kapidžić to pick his brain on what is currently happening with the Office of the High Representative (OHR) in Bosnia.

First of all, what does Bosnia’s intricate political landscape look like? Clue: it’s complicated.

Secondly, what’s the Trump administration’s interest in the OHR, and why may it threaten multilateralism and stability in the region? The Office of the High Representative was created by the Dayton Peace Agreement in 1995, so why is it now at the center of a geopolitical tug-of-war, with the U.S. backing an Italian diplomat linked to its business interests?

Meanwhile, Bosnia’s complex governance, ethnic tensions, and a looming gas pipeline suggest there may be more to this than meets the eye.

And what’s the role of Europe in all of this? Just polite resistance?

Listen to learn more about a really important issue (that is also sort of riveting in an almost blockbuster kind of way?) that may just have flown under your radar.

In today’s episode of This Time Tomorrow, Omri, Daniela and Benni discuss…

* the tragic Berlin Pride attack and the far-right’s exploitation of German policing failures

* how Poland’s recent far-right fragmentation is revealing cracks in its unity ahead of critical elections next year. How can pro-democracy forces capitalise on the divisions within the PiS party? (Is there anything that Polish democrats can learn from the UK’s new PM, Andy Burnham?)

* and, finally, how the Strait of Hormuz crisis could land Europe in quite a bit of trouble unless something changes… soon.

Worried? Let’s get to work.

Please take a moment to hit subscribe or follow and to share this episode with your democratic as well as non-democratic friends (the latter may need it more).

OK, listen up, folks! There’s an urgent need for pro-democracy forces to update their storytelling in the digital age. If you’re a regular listener of this podcast, then you already know that, but you’re probably also frustrated with the pace of progress. We hear you, we see you, and we’re on your side.

In today’s episode, Daniela, Benni & Omri chat to Roza Ismailai about how bureaucratic delays and fear of making mistakes often hold back bold and timely narratives, with the catastrophic result that pro-democratic messages tend to feel irrelevant in fast-moving online spaces.

So what do we do, then? How do we go from riding the coat-tails of extremist narratives to setting and shaping our own communications agenda?

Tune in a for a conversation that tells you why the future is made of authentic collaborations with influencers, of long-term strategic partnerships, and of empowering comms teams to take creative risks. The call to action has seldom been so clear: trust creators.

Roza Ismailai is currently Communications Manager at European Cultural Foundation. She has a long and varied background in public relations, political communication and journalism.

In the 53rd episode of This Time Tomorrow, Omri, Benni and Daniela talk to Dr Victoria Vdovychenko, a leading Ukrainian expert on defense and geopolitics, against the backdrop of the NATO Ankara Summit and escalating tensions in July 2026.

Dr Vdovychenko highlights Ukraine’s strategic resilience (driven by AI-enabled military innovations, deep strikes into Russian territory, and a society united against relentless civilian attacks), but she also emphasises that Europe needs to accelerate defense collaboration with Ukraine, scale up investment in its defense industry, and rethink its slow procurement processes to match the urgency of modern warfare.

It is time that Europe updated its mindset and moved away from the idea of “helping Ukraine” towards “working with Ukraine” as a partner in innovation, resilience, and economic growth.

Can Europe adapt quickly enough to meet the challenges of a rapidly evolving geopolitical landscape?

Ted watches Japan vs Sweden in the dead of night during one of Britain’s recent heatwaves, and recalls David Foster Wallace’s parable of fish unaware of water. But the potential joy of watching a simple game of World Cup football is drowned out by political noise, punditry, commercial spectacle, fears and worries. As the match progresses in silence, he listens to WhatsApp voice messages from his friend, Adrian, who reflects on David Foster Wallace’s The Pale King, and Ireland’s ’Saipan’ incident from the World Cup of 2002, and attention and nostalgia, and the joy of… well, of just not knowing. How do we turn off the sound on life?

Co-read and co-produced with Adrian McHugh.

Links!

Roy Keane Interview: https://www.rte.ie/archives/2017/0527/877093-exclusive-interview-with-roy-keane/

This Is Water by David Foster Wallace: https://fs.blog/david-foster-wallace-this-is-water/

David Foster Wallace Interview:

Can Europe lead the AI race on its own terms? In the 52nd episode of This Time Tomorrow, Omri sits down with Jan-Willem van Putten to discuss why Europe’s ethics-first approach could be its competitive edge. One thing is certain: Europe can’t opt out of AI or treat it as a passing fad. The decisions we make now will shape our digital future and, yes, that includes our democracies and our human rights. If you’re concerned about AI’s role in society, then this is for you. If you’re not… well, then this is also for you, because you need to get concerned asap.

Jan-Willem van Putten is Co-founder and Director at The School for Moral Ambition.