VoiCEE - Podcast from Central and Eastern Europe

In this episode, Agnieszka Wądołowska, deputy editor-in-chief at Notes from Poland, speaks with the outlet's senior editor, Alicja Ptak, about her newly published report on how Poland's position as Europe's leading producer of lithium-ion batteries is being threatened by proposed new EU emissions rules.

In this episode, Anastasiia Herasymchuk, deputy editor-in-chief of UkraineWorld, interviews Jakub Kalensky, deputy director of the hybrid influence team at the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats.

They discuss how the Russian propaganda machine has attempted to influence recent regional and global events, such as elections to the European Parliament and the Ukraine Peace Summit.

They also speak about the strategic narratives employed by Russian propaganda, the tools used to make these narratives effective, and the dangers posed by this powerful Kremlin weapon.

In this podcast series, we look at the region from different angles and perspectives, attempting to capture its diversity and understand emerging trends. Above all, we want to give a voice to a region that is often talked to rather than listened to.

The VoiCEE is brought to you by a network of independent English-language media in Central and Eastern Europe: Reporting Democracy, VSquare, New Eastern Europe, Notes from Poland, Kafkadesk, Insight Hungary, Internews Ukraine, Transitions, Ukraine World.

To not miss any news and insight from our network, sign up for our newsletter here and follow us on Twitter.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers.

In this episode of the VoiCEE podcast, Nicholas Watson, editor of Reporting Democracy, part of the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network, discusses BIRN’s latest “Trends Report” with Claudia Ciobanu, BIRN’s Warsaw correspondent; Edit Inotai, its Budapest correspondent; Jules Eisenchteter, its Prague correspondent; and Gyula Csak, its editor for investigative international projects.

Titled Life in the Time of "Polycrisis", this year’s report looks at the interplay of various crises, such as the climate emergency, migration, global economic turmoil, conflict in Europe and the Middle East and the lingering effects of the pandemic. It identifies and examines five trends in the region that BIRN believes will play out during the rest of this year:

In this podcast series, we look at the region from different angles and perspectives, attempting to capture its diversity and understand emerging trends. Above all, we want to give a voice to a region that is often talked to rather than listened to.

The VoiCEE is brought to you by a network of independent English-language media in Central and Eastern Europe: Reporting Democracy, VSquare, New Eastern Europe, Notes from Poland, Kafkadesk, Insight Hungary, Internews Ukraine, Transitions, Ukraine World.

To not miss any news and insight from our network, sign up for our newsletter here and follow us on Twitter.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers. We cannot do what we do without your support.

In this episode, Transitions' editor-in-chief Jeremy Druker interviews Ondřej Kundra, a leading Czech investigative journalist and deputy editor-in-chief of Respekt, about his latest reporting on Belarus, the Czech Republic's special relationship with the country, and whether Central European countries should be doing more to help those facing repression.

They also speak about Kundra's interview with Belarusian president in exile Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, which highlighted the disappearance of her husband in the country's prison system, as well as other political prisoners.

In this podcast series, we look at the region from different angles and perspectives, attempting to capture its diversity and understand emerging trends. Above all, we want to give a voice to a region that is often talked to rather than listened to.

The VoiCEE is brought to you by a network of independent English-language media in Central and Eastern Europe: Reporting Democracy, VSquare, New Eastern Europe, Notes from Poland, Kafkadesk, Insight Hungary, Internews Ukraine, Transitions, Ukraine World.

To not miss any news and insight from our network, sign up for our newsletter here and follow us on Twitter.

In this episode, Kafkadesk contributor Adrien Beauduin interviews political scientist Jiří Koubek of Charles University in Prague about the roots of nationwide social discontent in the Czech Republic.

They also speak about the successes and failures of the government; the reasons for the high popularity of ANO, the party of the former prime minister and billionaire Andrej Babiš; and the prospects for the next parliamentary elections scheduled for 2025.

Midway into the Czech Republic's five-party government's mandate, things are not looking bright for the prime minister, Petr Fiala, with record-breaking distrust among the population.

After a series of crises in the first two years in office - the war in Ukraine, the influx of refugees, the energy crisis, and soaring inflation - the current ruling parties have plummeted to an all-time low in opinion polls, while the former prime minister and his ANO party are back on top.

Our experts analyse the situation and attempt to determine if there will be a return of the populists in the Czech Republic, or if there is a chance for the government to regain citizens' confidence.

In this episode, Adam Reichardt, Giorgi Beroshvili and Soso Chachanidze of New Eastern Europe magazine discuss the European Commission's recent recommendation to officially grant EU membership candidate status to Georgia as well as the EU's latest recommendations for the country.

They assess the chances of Georgia catching up with countries like Moldova and Ukraine - which are already at the stage of the EU accession negotiations - and look back at a year of rough relations between Tbilisi and Brussels as well as Georgia's ties with the countries of Central and Eastern Europe.

For more on Georgia's EU candidacy, see New Eastern Europe's latest analysis here.

In this podcast series, we are looking at the region from different angles and perspectives, attempting to capture its diversity and understand emerging trends. Above all, we want to give a voice to a region that is often talked to rather than listened to.

The VoiCEE is brought to you by a network of independent English-language media in Central and Eastern Europe: Reporting Democracy, VSquare, New Eastern Europe, Notes from Poland, Kafkadesk, Insight Hungary, Internews Ukraine, Transitions, Ukraine World.

In this episode, Agnieszka Wądołowska, deputy editor of Notes from Poland, speaks with Stanley Bill, the founder and editor-at-large of Notes from Poland and professor in Polish Studies and director of the Polish Studies Programme at the University of Cambridge.

They analyse the results of the parliamentary elections that took place on 15 October in Poland, discuss who were the biggest winners and losers, and look back over what was an intense, often bitter campaign.

They also look ahead to what comes next with the imminent formation of a new government by the opposition and the challenges and obstacles it will face. Finally, they look at how the election will impact Poland's stand on supporting Ukraine and its relations with the European Union.

Notes from Poland is run by a small editorial team and published by an independent, non-profit foundation that is funded through donations from our readers.

We can’t do what we do without your support. Every donation helps us to create new content – from breaking news stories to deeper insight pieces. By supporting our work, you’ll be part of our mission to bring the full picture on Poland to the world. Thank you! (https://notesfrompoland.com/donations/support-us/)

In this episode, Kafkadesk contributor Adrien Beauduin interviews political sociologist Michal Vašečka, president of the Bratislava Policy Institute, about the Slovak parliamentary elections taking place on 30 September.

They analyse the political turmoil of the last years; explain the success of nationalist and conservative parties; and sketch possible future coalitions, including the possible return to power of former prime minister Robert Fico, who might take Slovakia down the Hungarian road towards illiberal democracy. Finally, they reflect on the success of pro-Russian narratives and on the elections’ potential impact on EU and NATO help for Ukraine.

In this episode, we discuss a story that won the 2022 Czech Journalism Award in the solution journalism category.

In this episode, Alicja Ptak, senior editor at Notes from Poland, speaks with Pavel Latushka, a former Belarusian minister and ambassador to Poland but now a leading opposition figure in exile, who was recently sentenced in absentia to 18 years in prison.

They discuss the increasingly close cooperation between Belarus and Russia amid the war in Ukraine and its consequences for the region, including the deal signed last week to deploy Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Latushka also outlines Minsk's role in Russia's forced displacement of Ukrainian children.

In this podcast series, we are looking at the region from different angles and perspectives, attempting to capture its diversity and understand emerging trends. Above all, we want to give a voice to a region that is often talked to rather than listened to.

The VoiCEE is brought to you by a network of independent English-language media in Central and Eastern Europe: Notes from Poland, Kafkadesk, Insight Hungary, Internews Ukraine, New Eastern Europe, Reporting Democracy, Transitions, Ukraine World, and VSquare.