Visegrad Insight Podcast

The  sheer size and weight of the Czech financial and investment group PPF  (based in the Netherlands) have raised a few eyebrows in Central Europe  in previous years because of investments in important sectors such as  media and telecommunications. While PPF's founder Petr Kellner has kept a  low profile and consistently emphasised the group's focus on efficient  business, his encounters with politicians and promoting conservative  values suggest a different agenda. In this week's episode, we speak with  Visegrad Insight Fellow and Czech journalist Albin Sybera about PPF's  investments in Serbia, a Chinese connection and why CEE should know more  about this group. Serbian telecommunications market is PPF's latest target: https://visegradinsight.eu/serbian-telecommunications-market-is-ppf-latest-target/ Czech business empire with a political tinge: https://visegradinsight.eu/czech-business-empire-with-an-unsavoury-political-tinge/ #Czechia #business #politics #PPF #investment #China #Serbia

Being  adaptable and flexible is the cornerstone of human development. Though  each of us is born with a certain skill set and associated prospects,  the nurture of these skills is a never-ending process, if we want to  develop and utilise them in practical settings. In order to be  successful, companies need to modernise and adapt, too, as well as seek  to create an environment where employees' talents can flourish. Res  Publica's Magda Jakubowska talks with Joanna Gierak-Onoszko, PR and  Communications Manager at Dentons, and Branka Rajičić, People and Talent  Partner at PwC Central & Eastern Europe, about what is more  important for professional growth, adaptability or talent, at the New  Europe 100 Forum 2.0 that took place in December 2020. Summary of the conversation, “Adaptability versus Talent”: https://visegradinsight.eu/adaptability-versus-talent-skills/ The New Europe 100 network is a project by Res Publica Foundation that brings together people who have a global impact through their groundbreaking expertise, unique skills and social outreach. In partnership with Visegrad Insight, StartUp Hub (Poland), SAPIE (Slovakia), Skool (Hungary) and Dataweps (Czechia). Supported by the International Visegrad Fund.

Fluctuating levels of the pandemic-related governmental restrictions resulting in the unpredictability of the markets and economies have been one of the largest issues facing businesses in CEE. At the New Europe 100 Forum in October 2020 Martin Ehl, Chief Analyst, Hospodářské noviny (Czechia), Martyna Trykozko, Deputy Editor-in-Chief, 300Gospodarka (Poland) and Ignacy Morawski, Founder & Head, SpotData (Poland) analyzed the challenges that markets had been encountering since the pandemic started. Summary of the conversation, “The Economic Casualties of COVID-19”: https://visegradinsight.eu/economic-casualties-of-covid-19/ The New Europe 100 network is a project by Res Publica Foundation that brings together people who have a global impact through their groundbreaking expertise, unique skills and social outreach. In partnership with Visegrad Insight, StartUp Hub (Poland), SAPIE (Slovakia), Skool (Hungary) and Dataweps (Czechia). Supported by the International Visegrad Fund.

School  closures since the start of the pandemic have brought tremendous  social ramifications for children, however, they have also led to  dramatic consequences in terms of loss of revenue and diverging economic  wellness for present and future generations. Edit Inotai, Senior  Fellow, CEID (Hungary) and Larissa Zierow, Deputy Director, ifo Center  for the Economics of Education (Germany) discuss COVID-related learning  losses and economic effects at the New Europe 100 Forum 2.0 that took  place in December 2020. Summary of the conversation, “COVID-19’s Long-Term Impact on Education”: https://visegradinsight.eu/covid-19-long-term-impact-on-education/ The New Europe 100 network is a project by Res Publica Foundation that brings together people who have a global impact through their groundbreaking expertise, unique skills and social outreach. In partnership with Visegrad Insight, StartUp Hub (Poland), SAPIE (Slovakia), Skool (Hungary) and Dataweps (Czechia). Supported by the International Visegrad Fund.

How  does the future of professions and enterprises look like? Will working  from home for many of them become a new normal, and is it sustainable?  Does the real estate branch in general, and co-working spaces in  particular, have chances to survive the pandemic? Res  Publica's Tomasz Kasprowicz talks with Ketevan Ebanoidze, Co-CEO of  Impact Hub Tbilisi and Jerzy Brodzikowski, General Manager of CIC Warsaw  about the challenges of working during the pandemic and  potential outcomes. Summary of the conversation, “Work-Life During a Pandemic”: https://visegradinsight.eu/work-life-during-a-pandemic-covid-19/ The New Europe 100 network is a project by Res Publica Foundation that brings together people who have a global impact through their groundbreaking expertise, unique skills and social outreach. In partnership with Visegrad Insight, StartUp Hub (Poland), SAPIE (Slovakia), Skool (Hungary) and Dataweps (Czechia). Supported by the International Visegrad Fund.

Talk about social media platforms taking a more active stance against hate speech and persons inciting to violence has ruffled feathers in Warsaw and Budapest. While some governments in Central Europe are now planning to legislate on protecting freedom of speech online, other more concerning digital power issues may continue unchecked. In this week’s podcast, we speak with the Kalecki Foundation’s co-founder and Visegrad Insight Fellow Filip Konopczyński about regulatory efforts against disinformation. We also ask Visegrad Insight Junior Fellow Maria Ciupka about the social media situation in Central Europe and her work on social bubbles online. #freedomofspeech #socialmedia #V4 #TrumpBan Law and Justice party’s conquest of digital media: https://visegradinsight.eu/digital-empire-in-the-making-media-poland/ Visegrad Insight weekly outlook: https://visegradinsight.eu/tag/weekly-outlook/

The  world has shifted dramatically over the past several decades.  Nevertheless, one of the evergreen issues persists, and that is  employment. A lot has been said about finding and keeping jobs. However,  the question facing us nowadays is whether education is still key to  securing them. Res  Publica's Wojciech Przybylski looks for an answer with Pavlo Sheremeta,  Founder of the Kyiv Mohyla Business School and former Minister of  Economy of Ukraine, Louisa Slavkova, Executive Director of Sofia  Platform (Bulgaria), and Botond Feledy, Manager of the European  Leadership Programme (Hungary). Here is the summary of the conversation, “Pragmatic Learning”. The New Europe 100 network is a project by Res Publica Foundation that brings together people who have a global impact through their groundbreaking expertise, unique skills and social outreach. In partnership with Visegrad Insight, StartUp Hub (Poland), SAPIE (Slovakia), Skool (Hungary) and Dataweps (Czechia). Supported by the International Visegrad Fund.

Year  2020 has forced us to embrace technological solutions to challenges  that we were hardly prepared to handle. However, now we have the chance  to leapfrog and adapt to the world where effective digital  learning becomes a new normal. At the same time, does technology  actually make education better? Res Publica's  Tomasz Kasprowicz talks with Anna Grąbczewska, President of  the Children's University Foundation, and Prof. Krzysztof Kozłowski,  Vice Rector of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics about what should be  the essence of the future education. Summary of the conversation, “Education, the Future is Here”: https://visegradinsight.eu/education-the-future-is-here/ The New Europe 100 network is a project by Res Publica Foundation that brings together people who have global impact through their groundbreaking expertise, unique skills and social outreach. In partnership with Visegrad Insight, StartUp Hub (Poland), SAPIE (Slovakia), Skool (Hungary) and Dataweps (Czechia). Supported by the International Visegrad Fund.

The use of technology in non-IT  sectors is comparatively dire in Central Europe.  In order to stay in  pace with the rest of Europe, and the world, the region needs to adapt  quickly. Solutions lie in familiar places – in the situation Central  Europe finds itself, education will have to be one of the foremost  solutions to tackle the issues facing industry and the general business  sector. Wojciech  Przybylski talks with Eva Maydell, Member of the European Parliament,  about what education should look like in order to make future for  Central European businesses brighter. Summary of the conversation, “Central Europe’s Digital Divide”: https://visegradinsight.eu/central-europes-digital-divide/ The New Europe 100 network is a project by Res Publica Foundation that brings together people who have global impact through their groundbreaking expertise, unique skills and social outreach. In partnership with Visegrad Insight, StartUp Hub (Poland), SAPIE (Slovakia), Skool (Hungary) and Dataweps (Czechia). Supported by the International Visegrad Fund.

The  President of the United States' first visit abroad since taking office  will consist of a number of high-profile meetings with the G7, NATO and  European allies to strengthen the Transatlantic alliance. Meanwhile, a  direct encounter with Russian President Vladimir Putin on 16 June next  week is likely to deliver a stern warning to Russia about its activities  that seek to undermine the West. On the eve of the visit, Central  Europe has been off the radar:  what does the region expect from the  Biden visit and how will it approach the Biden administration? Michał  Baranowski, Director of the Warsaw Office of the German Marshall Fund of  the United States, sheds his light on Central Europe's relation with  President Biden. In this episode, we also discuss US sanctions on  Bulgaria, a papal visit to Hungary and the recovery plans submitted by  the EU Member States. Central Europe pushes to revive democracy: https://visegradinsight.eu/ces-push-to-revive-democracy/ Borisov and his cronies have lost US patronage: https://visegradinsight.eu/borisov-and-his-cronies-have-lost-us-patronage/ Russia's image projection in Central Europe: https://visegradinsight.eu/russia-central-europe-rejects-disregard-justice/ Slovenia brings manipulation and extremism to mainstream EU politics: https://visegradinsight.eu/embroiled-in-scandals-janez-jansa-slovenia/ #UnitedStates #Biden #Russia #NATO #EU #G7 #Putin #Hungary #Bulgaria #RRF

Europe  is keen to leave years of turbulence in the Transatlantic relationship  behind, as US President Joe Biden is set to visit the continent later  this month. With a number of important elections in France and Germany  and the Conference on the Future of Europe  in the next few years, what are the prospects for rebuilding the  democratic alliance and how crucial are regional formats such as NATO  and the Three Seas Initiative in strengthening Transatlantic bonds?  Europe Programme Director at the International Republican Institute  Thibault Muzuergues addresses several of these strategic questions, part  of his upcoming book Europe champ de bataille. In this episode,  we also discuss the separate threat of prosecutorial scrutiny for the  Czech and Polish prime ministers, the chances of a possible new,  conservative and identitarian European political family and the role of  religion in Central Europe. Monthly foresight: Biden’s European Tour Exudes Optimism: https://visegradinsight.eu/bidens-european-tour-exudes-optimism/ Viktor Orbán Beefs Up Support in Neighbouring Slovakia: https://visegradinsight.eu/viktor-orban-beefs-up-support-in-neighbouring-slovakia/ The Conference on the Future May Divide Europe: https://visegradinsight.eu/conference-on-the-future-may-divide-europe/ Thibault Muzuergues' Europe champ de bataille: https://www.editionsbdl.com/produit/europe-champ-de-bataille/ #Biden #EU #NATO #Putin #Salvini #V4 #Christianity #Orban #United States #Germany #France #Bulgaria #Czechia

With  Belavia airplanes forced to return and European airlines avoiding the  Belarusian airspace, the first implications of Alyaksandr Lukashenka's  air piracy are immediately clear. While the fate of Roman Protasevich  remains unclear, there has been a clear voice from the EU and  Transatlantic unity on this grievous matter. Yet, it remains to be seen  whether this serious breach of international law will also have  repercussions for relations with Russia? Maria Ciupka and Wojciech  Przybylski discuss the implications of the piracy case as well as other  news stories related to Czech-Polish dispute over the Turów coal mine  and Czech surplus deaths because of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the second  half of the episode you can hear excerpts of a discussion with Joerg  Forbrig (German Marshall Fund of the United States) and Serge Kharytonau  (iSANS) concerning the hijacking of the Ryanair flight and the  kidnapping of Roman Protasevich by the Belarusian regime. How to co-opt the Conference on the Future of Europe: https://www.politico.eu/article/conference-on-the-future-of-europe-suggestions/ Air piracy by KGB must be a game-changer: https://visegradinsight.eu/air-piracy-by-kgb-must-be-a-game-changer/ Online discussion: Joerg Forbrig and Serge Kharytonau on air piracy by Belarus: https://visegradinsight.eu/subscribers-event-international-response-to-belarusian-air-piracy/ #Belarus #piracy #Protasevich #Lukashenka #KGB #Russia #EU #Biden #Poland #Czechia #COVID19 #Turnów #climatechange

Earlier  this month, the leaders of nine countries from Central and Eastern  Europe met during the Bucharest Nine virtual summit. They were also  joined by NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg as well as United  States President Joe Biden. With an increasingly palpable number of  regional groupings to discuss shared interests, what makes the Bucharest  meeting on security and particularly NATO's Eastern Flank stand apart?  H.E. Ovidiu Dranga, the outgoing Romanian ambassador to Poland, sheds  his light on the discussions in Bucharest, the Polish-Romanian bilateral  relationship and the prospects of the Three Seas Initiative. In the  first half of the episode, we discuss a vote of no-confidence in  Czechia, the 'Polish Deal' dividing the opposition, disagreements in the  Slovak governing coalition and Gergely Karácsony's run as PM candidate  for the united Hungarian opposition. NATO’s Eastern Flank Summit in Bucharest: https://visegradinsight.eu/natos-eastern-flank-summit-in-bucharest/ The Unseen Experience of Physical and Sexual Violence in Central Europe: https://visegradinsight.eu/unseen-experience-of-physical-and-sexual-violence-in-central-europe/ Searching for a Common European Response: https://visegradinsight.eu/searching-for-a-common-european-response/ #V4 #Hungary #Poland #Czechia #Slovakia #Romania

The  Polish Constitutional Court recently ruled in a controversial judgement that Human Rights Ombudsperson Adam Bodnar should be removed from his position after the expiry of his five-year term. In the absence of a  chosen successor, Bodnar has continued his work supporting and intervening on behalf of Polish citizens as stipulated by the Polish Constitution. With the departure of one of the last independent senior officials appearing imminent, what are the prospects for human rights in Poland? Is the Polish rule of law assault indicative of a wider challenge in Central Europe? Adam Bodnar joins the Visegrad Insight podcast as this week's special guest. We also discuss electoral news in Rzeszów with wider implications and look ahead at future parliamentary votes in Czechia and Hungary. Contested court forces removal of the Polish ombudsman: https://visegradinsight.eu/contested-court-forces-removal-of-the-polish-ombudsperson/ Less convincing illiberal narratives: https://visegradinsight.eu/illiberal-narratives-less-convincing/ The first 100 days of Joe Biden's presidency - debate with MEPs: https://visegradinsight.eu/discussion-with-meps-on-eu-us-relations-at-100-days-of-bidens-presidency/ #ombudsperson #adambodnar #Poland #Hungary #Czechia #Slovakia #V4 #ruleoflaw

V4  governments quickly put out a joint statement in support of Czechia's  expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats following an intelligence services  investigation into Russian spy involvement in an ammunition warehouse  blast in 2014. While the statement was communicated quickly after the  news broke, coordinating a common V4 position on other aspects  concerning Russia has been difficult - especially in relation to the  armed conflict in Ukraine. In this week's episode, we discuss each V4  country stance following the latest incident and unpack the significance  of a joint statement condemning all activities aimed at threatening the  security of Central Europe. CEE adds diplomatic pressure on the Kremlin: https://visegradinsight.eu/cee-to-add-diplomatic-pressure-on-kremlin/ Russia encircles the CEE gas market and bullies Ukraine: https://visegradinsight.eu/russia-encircles-cee-gas-market-bullies-ukraine-energy/ #V4 #Russia #Czechia #Poland #Hungary #Slovakia #NATO #Ukraine

The  political situation in Ukraine is slowly reaching a boiling point due  to stalled reforms, the continued Russian threat in Donbas and sensitive  issues such as Nord Stream 2 and Black Sea connectivity. How  comfortable is President Volodymyr Zelenskyi in his seat after his  resounding victory in 2019? We discuss the latest domestic developments  as well as Ukraine's strategic gambit with Angelina Kariakina, a  Kyiv-based journalist and editor. Before our special guest's appearance,  we look at the bigger news stories in Central Europe concerning the  rule of law in Poland, the dismissal of the Minister of Foreign Affairs  in Czechia and a controversial Hungarian vaccine contract. Global unrest over the Ukrainian conflict: https://visegradinsight.eu/global-unrest-over-ukrainian-conflict/ Zelenskyi is bad for the show: https://visegradinsight.eu/ukraine-zelenskyi-is-bad-for-the-show/ Clashes in Czechia over Dukovany expansion: https://visegradinsight.eu/dukovany-power-plant-clashes-czechia/ #Ukraine #Russia #V4 #Poland #Czechia #Slovakia #Hungary #Donbas #Sputnik

With  the latest news that Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov will not  take a seat in the next parliament and is prepared to put another name  forward as designate to form the next cabinet, the recent elections have  thrown Bulgarian politics into disarray. While the ruling party GERB  came first in the vote it fell short of a resounding victory and obvious  coalition partners. Bulgarians have also shown a rejection of  establishment parties, favouring new faces and movements. With our  Editor-at-Large Galan Dall, we discuss the electoral outcome and  possible scenarios. Visegrad Insight Fellow Asya Metodieva provides her  analysis about the role of protest votes and the changing political  scene in Bulgaria. Bulgarians reject the political establishment: https://visegradinsight.eu/bulgaria-elections-reject-the-political-establishment/ Bulgarian winner's defeat: https://visegradinsight.eu/bulgarian-winners-defeat-elections/ #Bulgaria #elections #Borisov #GERB #EU

In the week before Easter, there was little sign of Central European politics slowing down before the holiday period. In Slovakia, the resignation of Prime Minister Igor Matovič caused a brief moment of relief, even though the former head of government will remain an important and divisive voice as Minister of Finance in the reshuffled cabinet. The news about the tragic death of PPF leader Petr Kellner was received with surprise and disbelief in Czechia, provoking questions about the future of the media conglomerate. Meanwhile, there are plenty of signs of election fever in Bulgaria, with implications for the wider region. In this week episode, we also discuss the brighter side of politics, namely how a direct chat app may transform political communication in Central Europe. Edward Heger, Slovakia's new prime minister: https://visegradinsight.eu/eduard-heger-slovakias-new-prime-minister/ Clubhouse leads politicians on to straight talking: https://visegradinsight.eu/clubhouse-leads-politicians-on-to-straight-talking/ A partnership in the shadow of Russia:  https://visegradinsight.eu/eastern-partnership-russia-shadow/ #Slovakia #Czechia #PPF #Bulgaria #elections #clubhouse #CentralEurope #V4

Although it is hard to predict what the future holds, it is certain  that new sectors will be created, existing industries will be disrupted  and professions transformed. Magda Jakubowska from Res Publica  Foundation, Weronika Kuna, Government Affairs Lead at Microsoft  (Poland), and Daniel Szemerey, Director and Co-Founder of Health Venture  Lab (Hungary), explore what kind of future jobs we should expect, at  the New Europe 100 Forum 2.0 that took place in December 2020. Summary of the conversation, “Cool Jobs in the Future”: https://visegradinsight.eu/cool-jobs-in-the-future/ The New Europe 100 network is a project by Res Publica Foundation that brings together people who have a global impact through their groundbreaking expertise, unique skills and social outreach. In partnership with Visegrad Insight, StartUp Hub (Poland), SAPIE (Slovakia), Skool (Hungary) and Dataweps (Czechia). Supported by the International Visegrad Fund.

Political instability is not limited to Europe’s immediate neighbourhood and also keeps the political scene preoccupied within the European Union. Whether it is a crisis over vaccine purchases in Slovakia and Czechia. the prospect of new lockdown measures in Poland or tense weeks before elections in Bulgaria, these events often have repercussions elsewhere and a discernible impact on the EU’s foreign policy plans. How active has the EU been helping the Eastern Partnership (EaP) countries during the COVID-19 pandemic? Has it been vocal enough in support of democratic protests? Is Russia ‘back’ in the Eastern neighbourhood after its intervention in the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and the heavy promotion of its Sputnik V vaccines? Is Hungary’s bond with Azerbaijan emblematic of EU pragmatism instead of principles? In this week’s episode, we discuss recent news and also look back at what has changed for the EaP since the tenth anniversary in 2019 as part of the EaP2030 week organised in March. Blooming relations between Hungary and Azerbaijan: https://visegradinsight.eu/hungary-azerbaijan-blooming-relations-pragmatism/ Bulgaria’s upcoming parliamentary elections: https://visegradinsight.eu/bulgaria-challenge-cost-removing-gerb-elections/ Visegrad Insight weekly outlook: https://visegradinsight.eu/orban-wants-to-remould-the-eus-far-right/ Does the Eastern Partnership have a future? https://visegradinsight.eu/does-the-eastern-partnership-have-a-future/ #EU #EaP2030 #Russia #Bulgaria #Slovakia #Poland #Czechia #Hungary #Azerbaijan This episode is part of the Eastern European Futures (EaP2030)  project supported by the German Marshall Fund of the U.S. – Black Sea  Trust. Read our scenarios for the Eastern Partnership region: www.visegradinsight.eu/EaP2030/