In this episode we break down Israel’s make-or-break October elections, the first since the October 7th attacks in 2023. Why does this vote matter so much? Because it’s a desperate fight for Israel’s future, with democracy defenders squaring off against far-right extremists and a Netanyahu-led government that does whatever it takes to cling to power.

Can moderates and activists flip the script in 2026? And what does this mean for the rest of us watching democracy’s highs and lows? There’s no holding back in this one, just the raw politics and the people pushing for change. With Omri Preiss, Benjamin Zeeb and Daniela Vancic.

Hungary’s upcoming election isn’t just another vote. In the words of the Dutch far-right expert, Cas Mudde, it is one of two elections in 2026 that will define the future of European liberal democracy. (And yes, the other one is the US midterms.)

After 16 years of Viktor Orbán’s rule, Fidesz (his party) faces its toughest challenge yet from Péter Magyar’s opposition movement, Tisza, which now leads in the polls by double digits. But Orbán’s grip on power, built through media dominance, gerrymandered districts, and a network of loyal institutions, means this race is far from fair.

The election hinges on more than just numbers. Orbán’s survival strategy relies on shifting the public’s focus from economic decline and corruption scandals to his signature foreign policy rhetoric: anti-Brussels, anti-Ukraine, and pro-Putin. Magyar, a former Fidesz insider turned reformer, offers voters a chance to break the cycle, but his success depends on overcoming a system rigged against change.

If Magyar wins, the road to recovery won’t be quick. Orbán’s legacy—corrupted courts, a captured media, and a centralised economy—won’t vanish overnight. And yet, even a narrow victory could trigger a slow unravelling of Orbán’s empire, especially if EU funds and legal pressure force accountability.

The world is watching. Hungary’s election is a test of whether democracy can still push back against autocracy’s rise. But with Orbán’s campaign machine in overdrive and 50 days left to sway voters, the outcome remains dangerously uncertain.

Will Hungary’s voters finally turn the page, or will Orbán’s playbook outlast the backlash? Tune in to find out as Omri, Benni and Daniela sit down with the Hungarian social psychologist and political scientist, Péter Krekó.

In our 12th Monologue for Democracy, Omri Preiss shifts the focus from scandal to action, exploring how ordinary citizens and aspiring politicians can resist the cynicism fueled by the Epstein affair. Omri argues that the real lesson lies not in the corruption of elites, but in recognising that political integrity is a conscious choice, available to anyone entering public life. Drawing from his experience in the European Parliament and civil society, Omri explains why politicians engage with powerful networks: for information, political backing, and financial support, all of which can be pursued ethically or exploited.

Fundamentally, this monologue challenges the notion that politics is inherently corrupt, emphasising that systemic change requires good people to enter the arena, build clean networks, and stand firm against moral compromise. Omri warns against abandoning the political sphere to those driven by ego or darker motives, and urges listeners to reclaim civic engagement as a force for accountability and democratic resilience.

The takeaway? Hope depends on action, and integrity is a choice firmly within our reach.

In this urgent monologue, Omri Preiss examines recent speeches by world leaders that reveal a fractured geopolitical landscape…

…and a direct challenge to democratic values.

1. At the Munich Security Conference, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed transatlantic relations in terms of historical and cultural bonds. Omri, however, argues that Rubio’s rhetoric signals support for Europe’s far-right movements, aiming to undermine established democratic institutions.

2. NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte’s assertion at the European Parliament that Europe cannot defend itself without US backing has Omri reflecting on… Well, how shall we put it? Rutte’s stupidity? Particularly stupid, perhaps, at a moment when trust in American commitments wavers.

3. Canadian PM Mark Carney’s address in Davos declared the post-WWII world order “over,” but his comparison of Western policies to Soviet-era repression draws sharp criticism from Omri for undermining the moral clarity needed in today’s struggles.

4. Concluding on a positive, forward-looking note, Omri argues that a speech by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez offers a contrasting vision, advocating for an open, sustainable, and accountable global model. At a time when many world leaders are only looking out for themselves, Sánchez is one of very few able to utter the words “generosity” and “global” in the same sentence.

As autocratic forces gain ground, this monologue asks: Can democracy rally? Or will the free world cede to a new era of strongmen? A must-listen for anyone tracking the fight for the future.

Pedro Sánchez at the World Govenments Summit

Mark Carney at the World Economic Forum

Marco Rubio at the Munich Security Conference

Mark Rutte at the European Parliament

What if the next elections aren’t just about choosing leaders, but about saving democracy itself? In this episode of This Time Tomorrow, Omri, Benni, and Daniela break down why 2026 could be a turning point for countries like Hungary, France, and the US. They explain how some leaders are bending the rules, spreading misinformation, and even intimidating voters to stay in power… and, crucially, what democrats can do to push back.

From organising communities to fixing legal loopholes, this conversation covers real ways to protect free and fair elections. Omri, Benni and Daniela also stress the need for clear, hopeful messages—not just criticism—to win over voters and keep democracy strong.

Tune in to understand the risks, the strategies, and how you can play a part in defending democracy this year. Expect a series! Subscribe for more on how elections shape our future.

What happens when the world’s most powerful leaders can’t even describe their vision for the future? Our guest, futurist Märtha Rehnberg, reveals something that’s surprised her in her career: too many leaders today are stuck in reactive mode, managing the present rather than daring to imagine, and build, a better tomorrow.

Märtha makes a case for the power of audacious or even “unreasonable,” visions, the kind that spark revolutions in science, technology, and society. Yet Europe, she warns, too often settles for bureaucracy and incremental change, leaving it vulnerable in an era of global transformation and technological rivalry.

This episode dives into Europe’s vision crisis: Why are we struggling to craft stories that inspire and unite? How can we move beyond just surviving crises to actively shaping our future? The answer, Märtha argues, lies in unlocking imagination, nurturing creativity, and weaving narratives that bring people together around a shared, ambitious purpose.

The message is clear: Europe’s path forward demands more than pragmatism. It’s time to embrace discomfort, face hard truths, and invest in the ideas and stories that will propel us toward a future we actually want to live in.

Märtha Rehnberg is Co-Founder of DareDisrupt, a think tank specialized in responsible disruption and exponential technologies. She advises some of the largest companies in the world on disruption, with a special focus on heavy asset industries. As policy advisor, she has worked directly on EU’s Industrial Strategy, the Green Deal, the Taxonomy on Sustainable Finance and most recently her work focuses on Science4Policy, with the EU Commission’s Joint Research Council.

In his 7th monologue, Ted reflects on being a 19-year-old in Paris in 2007, pretending to be a music journalist as a way to access culture, freedom and adulthood in a city that tolerated experimentation and half-formed selves. That personal con becomes a metaphor for a wider pre-2008 world built on confidence, surface credibility and the belief that history, markets and liberal democracy would quietly sort themselves out. But after the financial crash, that illusion collapsed, leaving insecurity, stalled adulthood and resentment that far-right movements exploited by reframing openness and liberalism as theft and betrayal.

Ted argues that today’s authoritarian turn is not a corrective, but rather a slide toward 21st-century fascism, marked by scapegoating, violence and demands for allegiance rather than freedom. The freedoms we once took for granted are now suspect, and we must challenge these forces while we still can. Not so that we can go back to what was, but so that we can create a future in which equality is more evenly distributed.

In the second part of his monologue on time—recorded on New Year’s Eve—Omri Preiss argues that democracies face a stark choice between defending the free world and allowing autocracy to prevail. This, right now, is a decisive moment for free and open societies.

Reflecting on how modern freedoms are historically very recent, Omri traces liberty’s development from ancient empires through religious authority, limited aristocratic rights, and finally to broad democratic rights in the last century. These freedoms have not been around for very long, and yet they are now widely taken for granted. We must recognise, first of all, that they are dangerously easy to lose. And second, that rising authoritarian leaders and movements, often cloaked in populist rhetoric, are actively trying to dismantle the democratic institutions that support them.

The main takeaway? Democracy is not an abstract issue. It’s something that directly shapes people’s lives, and defending it requires urgent, active engagement to prevent freedom from becoming just a brief “blip” in history (or, indeed, a momentary time out from tyranny).

In the 37th episode of This Time Tomorrow, we discuss the absurd, surreal escalation of Donald Trump’s long-standing fixation on Greenland, including threats of tariffs against Europe and rhetoric that continues to undermine international norms. The move simply does not make much sense, given existing US–Denmark agreements that already allow unlimited American military presence on Greenland. So what’s actually in it for Trump?

European leaders have responded rhetorically by backing Denmark and Greenland’s right to self-determination, while debating trade retaliation tools and limited military signalling. And yet, coordination and resolve remain… Well, a bit weak?

Trump’s behavior appears to be driven less by policy than by a desire to dominate headlines, extract concessions, and destabilise institutions (if not a downright desire to “burn down” the global order).

Europe must plan for worst-case scenarios by building greater military, economic, and technological autonomy. (Basically, it’s time for Europe to dump her crazy boyfriend and delete his number.) In the meantime, the bare minimum we can do is try to manage various Trumpian psychodrama to avoid outright conflict.

Authoritarianism advances gradually. In the 36th episode of This Time Tomorrow, we compare Iran’s brutal crackdown on mass protests with developments in the United States. They’re not the same, but they do represent different points along the same downward trajectory.

In Iran, widespread participation in ongoing protests signals a potentially transformative moment that the regime is trying to suppress through extreme violence. In the US, the expansion and normalisation of aggressive federal forces like ICE is indicative of an early-stage pattern seen historically in fascist and autocratic takeovers.

And Europe…?

Europe must clearly choose to defend democratic norms—now, pronto, immediately and forcefully— because waiting until violence is fully normalised is only going to make meaningful resistance a lot harder.

Join Omri, Benni and Daniela as they explain why it’s time to leave the gym (that NY resolution never sticks, anyway) and start saving democracy instead.