Peace Matters - A Podcast on Contemporary Geopolitics and International Relations

The clear victory of Donald Trump, which had been predicted to be a tight race, caught many in the EU by surprise. The first to congratulate him was Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, while on the same day, the German government collapsed. Why, despite his harsh and aggressive rhetoric, was Donald Trump still successful? In times of increasing polarization not only in the US but also in European countries, is the EU prepared for another Trump presidency? What does this mean for the state of US democracy, and how will the change of power in the US affect transatlantic relations? What are the implications for European security, and how will this reflect on the international stage, where two major wars are ongoing in Ukraine and the Middle East? These and other questions are explored in the 25th episode of the Peace Matters podcast by Prof. Vivien Schmidt and Dr. Hannes Swoboda. Guests: Vivien A. Schmidt is Jean Monnet Professor of European Integration, Professor Emerita of International Relations in the Frederick S. Pardee School of Global Studies, and Professor Emerita of Political Science at Boston University, as well as Founding Director of the Center for the Study of Europe, all at Boston University where she taught from 1998 to 2023. Vivien A. Schmidt received her B.A. from Bryn Mawr and her Masters and PhD from the University of Chicago, and attended Sciences Po in Paris. Schmidt’s research focuses on European political economy and institutions, on democracy and the challenges of populism in the US and Europe, and on the importance of ideas and discourse in political analysis (discursive institutionalism). She has published thirteen books, over 300 scholarly journal articles or chapters in books, and numerous policy briefs and comments. She is also a board member of the International Institute for Peace Hannes Swoboda is the President of the International Institute for Peace. He started his career in urban politics in Vienna and was elected to the European Parliament in 1996. There, he served as an MEP for eighteen years, including as the Leader of the Social Democratic Group in the Parliament from 2012 until 2014. He was particularly engaged in foreign, enlargement, and neighborhood policies. He is now president of the International Institute for Peace, the Sir Peter Ustinov Institute and the Vienna Institute for Economic Studies. Moderation: Stephanie Fenkart, Director of the International Institute for Peace. The episode was recorded on 11 November 2024.

In this episode, we explore the intricate geopolitical dynamics of the South Caucasus, focusing on Georgia and Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan plays a crucial role as a key energy supplier and transit route, connecting Europe and Asia, and its relationship with Georgia is vital for both economic cooperation and security. The discussion highlights how Georgia’s pursuit of Western integration is perceived as a choice between Western alignment and Russian influence – an issue central to the upcoming parliamentary elections in the country. We also delve into the EU's role in the region, emphasizing the need for a cohesive strategy that prioritizes peace and stability amid diverse national ambitions. The conversation extends to other regional powers, including Iran, Turkey, and China, examining their influence and interests in the South Caucasus. Both regional actors and the EU must "unlearn" outdated perceptions and adapt to new realities, fostering constructive dialogue and economic cooperation. Guests: Maia Panjikidze is a Georgian diplomat and politician who served as the country's Foreign Minister from 2012 to 2014. She was Georgia's Ambassador to Germany from 2004 to 2007 and to the Netherlands from 2007 to 2010. A PhD in German Studies and a graduate of the Friedrich Schiller University in Jena and Tbilisi State University, she is also a freelance translator and author of works on German language and literature. Panjikidze translates between Georgian and German and has made significant contributions in both fields. Zaur Shiriyev is a nonresident scholar at the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center. His research focuses on security, conflict-resolution and foreign-policy issues relating to the South Caucasus; energy security and supply routes across that region, southeastern Europe and Central Asia; and on Azerbaijani and Turkish foreign policy. For two decades he has worked in academia and think tanks. He has also actively taken part in expert-level meetings on the Azerbaijan-Armenia peace process. Moderation: Marylia Hushcha, Researcher and Project Manager at the IIP. Recorded on 15 October 2024.

How do the concepts we use to discuss the climate crisis shape our thinking? In this episode, we explore different approaches to framing climate change in policy debates, such as viewing it as a national security issue or a tool for achieving peace. We also examine the EU's record in reducing its CO2 emissions and the upcoming UN climate conference, COP 29. Additionally, we discuss the inequalities in the environmental footprint of different nations: often, those who have contributed most to global warming are suffering the least from its consequences. Without overlooking the environmental impact of war and conflict, we turn our attention to Ukraine and Russia, particularly the latter's approach to environmental protection. Finally, we analyze climate policies from a geopolitical perspective, discovering that abandoning old dependencies often leads to the creation of new ones. Guests: Sophia Stanger is the Focal Point for Environmental Peacebuilding at the Austrian Centre for Peace. Her expertise lies in the intersection of environment/climate and conflict resolution approaches and she is managing capacity building projects. Sophia Stanger has many years of experience in NGO work, project management and team leadership, for example in the fields of education, humanitarian advocacy and volunteer missions. Sophia Stanger is also a qualified trainer and facilitator. She is a yoga practitioner, loves outdoor sports and hosts her own feminist book podcast. Sabrina Kaschowitz is a senior researcher at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung’s Regional Office for Cooperation and Peace in Europe in Vienna. Her research focuses on the nexus between climate change and international security through a feminist and decolonial lens. She first joined the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES) as a project officer in the Lebanon office in Beirut, where she focused on socio-economic justice. She also works with Women Without Borders on youth deradicalisation prevention projects with vulnerable communities. Before joining FES, she worked in civil-military cooperation, cultural diplomacy and trauma-focused psychotherapy for refugees. She is passionate about languages, as a key to cultural sensitivity and awareness, allowing her to explore different ways of thinking and perspectives that enrich her work. Moderation: Marylia Hushcha, researcher and project manager at the IIP. This episode was recorded on 25 September 2024.

What is PeaceTech? How can we use AI, virtual reality, open data, and other digital technologies in peacebuilding and mediation work? What can PeaceTech learn from CivicTech? Where is the EU’s place in the geopolitical competition in technological innovation and how can it capitalize on its strengths? We discuss these and other questions with Bernardo Venturi and Nathan Coyle. This episode is produced in partnership with the Agency for Peacebuilding (Bologna) and the Austrian Center for Peace with the kind support of the Compagnia di San Paolo Foundation. Guests: Nathan Coyle is the Senior Project Manager for PeaceTech at the Austrian Center for Peace. He is responsible for all our Peace Tech related activities and digital development. Nathan has partnered with governments across the globe to enhance their digital outreach efforts. He is a Fellow at The Royal Society of Arts in his native Britain and a writer, contributing to publications such as The Guardian. On his publication 'Open Data for Everybody: Using Open Data for Social Good' Nathan did a TEDx talk. Bernardo Venturi a co-founder and Head of Research and Policy at the Agency for Peacebuilding in Bologna, Italy. He has 20 years of experience in research, training, policy work and programme management mainly on peacebuilding, conflict resolution, EU external relations, good governance and international cooperation. Bernardo is also Adjunct Professor at the University of Bologna, an Associate Researcher for the Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) and lectures in several MA courses and training programmes in different countries. Bernardo obtained his PhD in 2009 from the University of Bologna, where he also held a post-doctoral research fellowship. Bernardo consulted for several regional and international organizations including the European Commission, EEAS, European Parliament, IGAD, OSCE, the Italian MFA and several international NGOs and platforms. Bernardo is a frequent media commentator for different Italian media (e.g., Radio Tre, Il Sole 24 Ore, Repubblica, Avvenire, Quotidiano Nazionale, etc.) and international ones (e.g., BBC Radio, Le Soleil, El Confidencial, etc.). Moderation Marylia Hushcha, Researcher and Project Manager at the IIP The episode was recorded on 12 June 2024.

The horrific terror attack of Hamas on October 7th and the subsequent war of Israel against Gaza put the decades old conflict between Israel and Palestine back on the international stage. There is no doubt that the horrendous attack of Hamas against civilians (including the abduction of more than 250 Israelis) is a war crime and a crime against humanity. However, many – including the International Court of Justice (ICJ) - now claim that the way how Israel is waging the war against Gaza might amount to genocide – a term which has been highly politicized. Additionally to the ICJ the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants against the Hamas leadership and against the Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Israel. While the huge trauma of the holocaust will always be part of Jewish identity including the state of Israels identity, Palestinians are also traumatized with what they call the Nakba in 1948 and subsequent occupation and discrimination. While the Holocaust and the Nakba are not comparable, it shouldn`t deprive us to understand the sense of victimhood of others. The role of empathy when it comes to the suffering of the other cannot be underestimated but is hardly spoken about. Why is it important to talk about the holocaust, antisemitism, genocide, occupation? What role does international law play today and how are European countries reacting on the events in the Middle East? How can a peace process between Israel and Palestine become a political paradigm again and who could push the Israeli government to end the war in Gaza? What could peace mean for Israel and Palestine? These and other questions have been discussed in our latest episode: Israel and Palestine: Imagining Peace Guests: Omer Bartov is an Israeli-American historian. He is the Samuel Pisar Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies at Brown University, where he has taught since 2000. Bartov is a historian of the Holocaust and is considered one of the world's leading authorities on genocide. Born in Israel and educated at Tel Aviv University and St. Antony's College, Oxford, Omer Bartov's early research concerned the Nazi indoctrination of the Wehrmacht and the crimes it committed in World War II, analyzed in his books, The Eastern Front, 1941-1945, and Hitler's Army. He then turned to the links between total war and genocide, discussed in his books Murder in Our Midst, Mirrors of Destruction, and Germany's War and the Holocaust. Bartov's interest in representation also led to his study, The "Jew" in Cinema, which examines the recycling of antisemitic stereotypes in film. His more recent work has focused on interethnic relations in the borderlands of Eastern Europe. Recent publications include Erased: Vanishing Traces of Jewish Galicia in Present-Day Ukraine (2007), Anatomy of a Genocide: The Life and Death of a Town Called Buczacz (2018), winner of the National Jewish Book Award, and Tales from the Borderlands: Making and Unmaking the Galician Past (2022). His many edited volumes include Shatterzone of Empires: Coexistence and Violence in the German, Habsburg, Russian, and Ottoman Borderlands (2013), Voices on War and Genocide: Three Accounts of the World Wars in a Galician Town (2020), and Israel-Palestine: Lands and Peoples (2021). Hannes Swoboda is the President of the International Institute for Peace. He started his career in urban politics in Vienna and was elected to the European Parliament in 1996. There, he served as an MEP for eighteen years, including as the Leader of the Social Democratic Group in the Parliament from 2012 until 2014. He was particularly engaged in foreign, enlargement, and neighborhood policies. He is now president of the International Institute for Peace, the Sir Peter Ustinov Institute and the Vienna Institute for Economic Studies. Moderation: Stephanie Fenkart, Director of the IIP The episode was recorded on 24 June 2024.

In this episode, we discuss the EU’s global foreign policy. How has the EU been faring in its attempt to remain (or become?) a global power amid the declining liberal world order? Can the EU diminish its dependency on China’s market and rare materials? How should it position itself towards the United States after the presidential elections in November? Is it capable of avoiding being dragged into the US-China rivalry? How can it become a credible partner in the eyes of the so-called Global South? Does the Franco-German leadership of the European Union still hold? Misha Glenny and Christos Katsioulis elaborate on these and many other pressing issues. Guests: Misha Glenny is an award-winning journalist, author and public intellectual. He is the Rector of the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) - the role he assumed in May 2022. He covered the 1989 revolutions and wars in the former Yugoslavia for The Guardian and was the BBC’s Central Europe Correspondent. In 1993, he received the Sony Gold Award for Outstanding Contribution to Broadcasting, and in 2012 he was named BT Information Security Journalist of The Year. His publications have been met with considerable international acclaim, including his account of Yugoslavia's descent into civil war. In more recent years, Misha Glenny has dedicated his journalistic activities to the uncovering of geopolitical and cybersecurity issues. His books McMafia: A Journey Through the Global Criminal Underworld and DarkMarket: Cyberthieves, Cybercops and You were shortlisted for several awards. McMafia has been adapted into a major television drama, and the adaptation of his latest book, Nemesis: One Man and the Battle for Rio, will follow soon. Glenny is also a regular contributor to major publications in Europe, North America and Japan. Christos Katsioulis is the Director of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation's Regional Office for International Cooperation. Born in Böblingen, Germany, he studied History and Political Science at the University of Trier and the Aristotle-University in Thessaloniki. He obtained his MA in International Relations from the Institute for Political Science in Trier, where he taught international relations and foreign policy from 2003 to 2005. After that he joined the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, starting as policy officer in the EU-Office in Brussels and from 2007 to 2012 as expert on foreign policy in the International Policy Analysis Unit in Berlin. In 2012 he founded and headed the FES Office in Athens, later he headed the EU Office in Brussels as well as the London Office of FES. Christos has been a regular commentator on European affairs in the German as well as international media and a regular contributor for the journal Internationale Politik und Gesellschaft. Moderation: Marylia Hushcha, Researcher and Project Manager at the IIP. The episode was recorded on 29 May 2024.

The unprovoked and illegal war of aggression of Russia against Ukraine ended the assumption that a conventional war within Europe is a relict of the past. With the European Security Architecture in crisis, if even still existing, the EU member states understood the importance of their neighboring countries in South Eastern Europe and in Eastern Europe for their own security. With the granting of EU candidate status to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia, the nearly two decades long period of enlargement-fatigue came to an end. However, six states in the so-called Western Balkans have been in the process for many years and yet Croatia was the last country to become a member of the EU in 2013. Challenges are still manifold when it comes to the rule of law, corruption, nationalism, emigration on the side of the candidate countries. On the other hand, especially in the countries of the Western Balkans the EU has lost its credibility due to not following its own promises after reforms. The way into the EU is still long and technical, but there are many attempts to make the process more feasible and merit-based. However, the EU also needs to address the most crucial questions on how it wants to deal with an enlarged EU. How is this possible when decision-making processes on foreign policy decisions are still based on unanimity? While the decision to grant the countries in the east a European perspective has widely been acknowledged as a geopolitical decision, what does that imply for the values of the EU, codified in Art 2 of the EUV? How credible is this European perspective for the candidate countries who are all on different tracks and made different reforms? What is the cost of non-enlarging the EU? With an expected shift towards right-wing parties in the upcoming EU elections in June, what does that mean for a “New EU”? These and other questions have been addressed in this Podcast with the excellent experts Kristof BENDER and Milena MIHAJLOVIĆ. Guests: Kristof Bender (Austria) is the Deputy Chirman at the European Stability Initiative (ESI). He leads various ESI research projects on EU enlargement and on South Eastern Europe. Educated in sociology in Vienna and Paris, he has worked in South East Europe in various capacities since 1997, including managing higher education projects in Bosnia for the World University Service, as Attaché for Humanitarian Affairs in the Austrian Embassy in Belgrade, as a researcher for the International Centre for Migration Policy Development and as a consultant for various institutions, including the Austrian Federal Chancellery, DFID and SIDA. Part of the ESI team since early 2000, Kristof has been living in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Montenegro and Serbia, and is currently based in Vienna. He is also a Europe’s Futures fellow at the IWM Vienna (Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen), a board member of the Kosovo Civil Society Foundation (KCSF) and an advisory board member of Institute Alternativa (Montenegro). Milena Mihajlovic is one of the founders and Programme Director at the European Policy Centre (CEP), independent, non-profit think-tank based in Belgrade, Serbia. Milena is a proven expert in the field of public administration reform, in Serbia and in the Western Balkan region. Before co-founding CEP, Lazarevic worked for almost six years as a civil servant in the Serbian administration, first in the EU Integration Office of the Serbian Government (SEIO) and later in the Ministry of Public Administration. She is a Soros scholar and has an MA degree in European studies from the College of Europe and an MA in European Administrative Law from Belgrade University. Moderation: Stephanie Fenkart, Director of the IIP The episode was recorded on 13 May 2024.

In the upcoming European Union parliamentary elections, a shift towards the conservative and right-wing forces is expected. Why are right-wing populist parties so successful these days and what implications does this have for the foreign policy and enlargement-agenda of the European Union? What is Hungary`s role within the European Union and what relevance does Victor Orbán`s anti-western, anti-woke and anti-liberal democracy narratives have for the work of the EU? In times of increasing multipolarity and the understanding that geopolitics are back on the agenda, how can the EU step up its efforts in dealing with multiple crises? How are right-wing parties cooperating on various issues within the EU parliament and what implications does this have for the EU as a peace maker? Are we heading towards an Orbanization of the European Union and what specific role plays Victor Orban in its immediate neighborhood, especially in the Western Balkan countries? These and other questions are addressed in the 18th episode of the podcast PEACE MATTERS with PÉTER KREKÓ and PAUL SCHMIDT. Guests: Péter Krekó is a social psychologist and a disinformation expert with a focus on the psychological drivers of belief in disinformation and the impact of political-institutional contexts. He holds a PhD from the Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences, where his dissertation topic was the social psychology of conspiracy theories. He is a Research Affiliate at the CEU Democracy Institute, a senior fellow at the Washington-based CEPA think tank, and a PopBack Fellow at the University of Cambridge. Additionally, he is a fellow of Rijeka University for Advanced Studies. He has also worked as a guest researcher at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna and as a non-resident Associate Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University SAIS Bologna Institute of Policy Research. In addition, he has served as a Fulbright Visiting Professor at Indiana University and is the owner and director of the Political Capital Institute. Krekó is also the head of the EC-funded hub against disinformation (HDMO-Lakmusz) Paul Schmidt has been Secretary General of the Austrian Society for European Politics since 2009. Previously, he has worked at the Oesterreichische National Bank, both in Vienna and at their Representative Office in Brussels. His current work mainly focuses on the analysis and discussion of topical issues regarding European integration. Moderation: Stephanie Fenkart, Director of the IIP The episode was recorded on 8 May 2024.

Die EU-Wahlen klopfen an der Tür. Und stehen in dieser Episode von Peace Matters im Mittelpunkt. In einer Zeit, in der Europa mit einem direkten Krieg in seiner Nachbarschaft und zahlreichen anderen Krisen konfrontiert ist, wird die Bedeutung einer feministischen Außenpolitik diskutiert. Lena Schilling, bekannt als Klimaaktivistin und die jüngste Spitzenkandidatin für die Grünen, reflektiert über die Vereinbarkeit von Aktivismus und politischem Engagement und teilt ihre Vision für die Zukunft Europas. Evelyn Regner, Abgeordnete im Europäischen Parlament für die SPÖ, diskutiert konkrete Maßnahmen, um das Wissen über die EU bei jungen Menschen zu verbessern. Die Rolle des Europäischen Parlaments bei der Annäherung der EU an die Bürger wird kritisch hinterfragt, ebenso wie die Bedrohung durch den Aufstieg des Rechtsextremismus. Die Rolle Österreichs in der EU und die Fortschritte sowie Herausforderungen in Bezug auf Geschlechtergleichstellung werden ebenfalls beleuchtet. Inmitten all dieser Themen steht die zentrale Frage: Kann Europa weiterhin als Friedensprojekt bestehen? Diese und andere Fragen diskutiert Dennis Miskic, Project Assistant am IIP gemeinsam mit Evelyn Regner und Lena Schiling. Gäste: Evelyn Regner - Seit 2009 Abgeordnete zum Europäischen Parlament und seit Jänner 2022 auch Vizepräsidentin des Hauses. Darüber hinaus stellvertretende Delegationsleiterin der SPÖ im EU-Parlament. Lena Schilling - österreichische Klimaaktivistin, die mit der Fridays for Future-Bewegung in die Öffentlichkeit getreten ist. Bei den EU-Wahlen 2024 tritt sie als Spitzenkandidatin für Grünen an. Moderation: Dennis Miskić - Project Assistant, IIP Diese Folge wurde aufgezeichnet am 30.04.2024.

The Russian war of aggression against Ukraine entered its 3rd year and an end still seems to be far away. While the destruction of infrastructure is ongoing, millions of people were forced to flee, the population is traumatized and, on the battlefield, there seems to be a stalemate. Yet, the EU - countries are still voicing their support for Ukraine. However, in the US the narrative is slowly shifting towards the necessity of entering negotiations in light of US elections later this year. On the other hand, the sanctions regime is still upheld and, at least in the short-term, the expected results have not materialized. How could an end to the war look like? Who could be negotiating considering Russia still didn`t abandon its maximalist demands. What role has the so-called global South and how is the economic relationship between Russia and China developing? What does the destruction and the loss of population mean in the long-term for Ukrainian economy and what role does the EU-perspective man in this context? With the global shift of attention towards the war of Israel against Hamas in Gaza, is peace still possible in Ukraine? Guests: Gerhard Mangott is Professor of Political Science at the Department of Political Science at the University of Innsbruck since October 2015. Specialization on International Relations and Security in the Post-Soviet region. He is scientific Adviser on Post-Soviet Affairs at the Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP) in Vienna February 2009-2015 October and from1991–June 2008 served as Permanent and Senior Research Fellow on Eastern Europe and the former USSR at the Austrian Institute for International Affairs (OIIP) in Vienna. He is also a Lecturer at the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna since 1995 and a Lecturer at the University of Applied Sciences in Vienna since 2004. Richard Grieveson is Deputy Director at the Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (wiiw) and a member of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG). He coordinates wiiw’s analysis and forecasting of Central, East and Southeast Europe. In addition, he works on European policy analysis, European integration, EU enlargement, economic history, and political economy. He holds degrees from the universities of Cambridge, Vienna and Birkbeck. Previously he worked as a Director in the Emerging Europe Sovereigns team at Fitch Ratings and Regional Manager in the Europe team at the Economist Intelligence Unit. Moderation: Stephanie Fenkart, IIP Director. The episode was recorded on 27 March 2024.

Der zweite Jahrestag der sogenannten „Zeitenwende“, die Rückkehr eines konventionellen Krieges auf europäischen Boden und die damit verbundenen humanitären Folgen, Millionen Flüchtlinge, eine traumatisierte Bevölkerung stellen die Außenpolitik europäischer Staaten und die humanitäre Hilfe im Allgemeinen vor große Herausforderungen. Dazu kommen Kriege im Jemen, im Sudan, in Äthiopien, in Syrien, der Krieg gegen die Hamas in Gaza aber auch die Folgen der Klimakrise, Migration sowie Cyberkriminalität und Gesundheit. Während sich die humanitäre Hilfe schon seit längerem mit der Wechselwirkung von Entwicklung, humanitärer Hilfe und Frieden beschäftigt, hat sich der Diskurs in der europäischen, aber auch österreichischen Außenpolitik zunehmend auf das Militärische verschoben. Insbesondere das neutrale Österreich, das als EU-Mitgliedsland der Gemeinsamen Außen- und Sicherheitspolitik verpflichtet ist, versucht seine außenpolitische Rolle zu revitalisieren und sich auch mit nicht-militärischen Mitteln an der Stärkung Europas Sicherheit zu beteiligen. Die Humanitäre Hilfe ist ein Teilbereich in welchem Österreich aktiv sein kann, die Vermittlerrolle in Konflikten wäre ein weiterer. Wie hat sich die österreichische Außenpolitik in den letzten zwei Jahren verändert? Was bedeuten die zunehmenden Krisen für die Bedeutung der humanitären Hilfe und welche Rollen kommen Frauen in der Außenpolitik, aber auch in der Projektgestaltung im humanitären oder entwicklungspolitischen Bereich zu? Diese und andere Fragen diskutiert die Direktorin des IIP, Stephanie Fenkart mit Lukas Wank, Geschäftsführer der AG Globale Verantwortung und Penny Bayr, Bereichssprecherin für globale Entwicklung und Außenpolitik der SPÖ. Gäste: Penny Bayr, Abgeordnete zum Österreichischen Nationalrat und Bereichssprecherin für globale Entwicklung und Außenpolitik der SPÖ. Sie ist unter anderem. auch Mitglied des Bundesvorstandes der SPÖ Frauen, stv. Vorsitzende der Wiener SPÖ Frauen und Vorsitzende der AWEPA Sektion Österreich (European Parliamentarians with Africa). Lukas Wank ist Geschäftsführer der AG Globale Verantwortung, des Dachverbands von österreichischen Nichtregierungsorganisationen, die in der Entwicklungszusammenarbeit, entwicklungspolitischen Inlandsarbeit und Bildung, Humanitären Hilfe sowie international in der sozialen, wirtschaftlichen und ökologischen Entwicklung tätig sind. Moderation: Stephanie Fenkart, Direktorin vom IIP Diese Folge wurde am 24.2.2024 aufgezeichnet.

The episode was recorded on 29 January 2024. In this episode, we discuss the changing international order and areas where these changes appear the most consequential. We talk about the potential role of the UN in a multipolar international system and why it remains an important global actor despite the ongoing stalemate in the Security Council. We also look at international human rights and humanitarian law from a legal perspective, delving into the political interpretations that human rights are subject to in different national contexts. The discussion highlights China in particular, as both its global ambitions and its reluctance to act in certain conflicts have a significant bearing on the wider world. We also turn to the war in Gaza, discussing the recent ruling by the International Court of Justice on the genocide case against Israel, and we also consider the implications of the changing global order for the EU. Providing a wide survey of ongoing geopolitical developments, this episode seeks to underscore the consequences of an evolving international system. Guests: Angela Kane assumed the position of Vice President of the IIP in 2016. She holds a number of other functions: Visiting Professor and Member of the Strategic Committee at the Paris School of International Affairs (SciencesPo), Visiting Professor at the Tsinghua University Schwarzman Scholars in Beijing, and Chair of the United Nations University Council. She is also a Senior Fellow at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. Kane has served in many positions during her career at the United Nations. Until mid-2015, she served as the United Nations High Representative for Disarmament Affairs. Between May 2008 and 2012, she was Under-Secretary-General for Management. She served twice in the Department for Political Affairs, as Assistant Secretary-General and previously as Director. She supported several special political missions in Iraq, Nepal and the Middle East, and established the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala. Her field experience includes Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the United Nations Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE), a special assignment to the Democratic Republic of the Congo and multi-year postings in Indonesia and Thailand. Ralph Janik teaches international law at Sigmund Freud Private University Vienna, the University of Vienna, Andrassy University Budapest, and Universität der Bundeswehr München. His research focuses on armed conflicts, human rights, and the interplay of international law and international relations. He studied law and political science at the University of Vienna and the Universidad Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), followed by an LL.M. in European and International Law at the University of Amsterdam. Moderation: Marylia Hushcha, Researcher and Project Manager at the IIP

The episode was recorded on 28 November 2023 in cooperation with Ponto. Georgia has long been one of the most eager EU-aspirant countries in the European Neighborhood. It has, however, faced a significant setback as a result of an authoritarian turn under its current government – led by the Georgian Dream party. Putting forward twelve conditions related to democracy and the rule of law for the country, the EU only granted Georgia a membership “perspective” in 2022, even while Moldova and Ukraine received official candidate status. The European Commission (and subsequently the European Council) did eventually grant Georgia candidate status in 2023. However, progress on deoligarchization, political depolarization, media freedom, and rule of law matters remains to be seen – and may depend on whether the Georgian government is as committed to EU integration as the country’s population. We start our discussion with an assessment of Georgia’s EU’s integration process and then move on to other topics relevant to Georgia’s geopolitical orientation, including Russia’s role in its economy and security, the protracted conflicts with Abkhazia and South Ossetia, Tbilisi’s relations with Beijing, as along with the country’s economic and transit potential (as well as bottlenecks), given its location at a geographical (and political) crossroads between Asia and Europe. Guests: Stefan Meister is Head of the Center for Order and Governance in Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP). From 2019 until 2021, he worked as director of the Heinrich Böll Foundation’s South Caucasus Office. From 2017 to 2019, Meister was head of the Robert Bosch Center for Central and Eastern Europe, Russia, and Central Asia at DGAP. Before that, he was a senior policy fellow in the Wider Europe Team at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) in Berlin and London. In the 2015/16 term, Meister was a visiting fellow at the Transatlantic Academy in Washington, DC, where he wrote on Russian disinformation and propaganda. He has served as an election observer for the OSCE in post-Soviet countries several times and worked on conflict transformation and institution building in post-Soviet countries. Stefan Meister is co-author of Geopolitics and Security: A New Strategy for the South Caucasus (KAS/DGAP/GIP, 2018), The Russia File (Brookings, 2018), Eastern Voices (Center for Transatlantic Relations/DGAP, 2017), and The Eastern Question (Brookings, 2016).  Tinatin Akhvlediani is a Research Fellow in the EU Foreign Policy Unit at the Center for European Policy Studies (CEPS), specializing in the EU’s enlargement, neighborhood, and trade policies. Her regional expertise is focused on the EU’s Eastern neighborhood and Ukraine. She has published extensively in these areas, actively engages in high-level policy debates, and frequently offers insights through major media outlets, including BBC, Euronews, and Bloomberg. In 2023, she was recognized among the most prominent and promising women in the EU and in 2020, she earned a place on Forbes Georgia’s “30 Under 30” list. Tinatin Akhvlediani teaches European Economic Integration at the International School of Economics at Tbilisi State University (ISET). Additionally, she maintains affiliations with several major think tanks in Georgia and frequently provides expert commentary on major Georgian TV channels. She holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Warsaw. Moderation: Marylia Hushcha, Researcher and Project Manager at the IIP.

The episode was recorded on 28 November 2023 in cooperation with Ponto. A new power balance is emerging in the South Caucasus – especially visible after the Second Karabakh War – whereby Turkey and Russia are simultaneously competing and cooperating in the region. Turkey is Azerbaijan’s staunchest ally and has assisted it militarily in its war effort. Russia, on the other hand, spearheads the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), in which Armenia is a member. However, Moscow has been ambiguous about its support for Yerevan in the conflict with Baku, refusing to back Yerevan militarily in the Second Karabakh War in 2020 and the subsequent Azerbaijani offensives in 2021-2023. With the exodus of Karabakh Armenians in September after Baku’s complete takeover of the territory, Russia’s peacekeeping force stationed in the region has been rendered meaningless. But will Russian forces leave the region? Will Turkey normalize its relations with Armenia now that Azerbaijan has all of Nagorno-Karabakh under its control? What kind of involvement might Russia have in the establishment of a route through Armenia to Nakhichevan? What interest does Turkey have in transport connections in the region? In this episode, we discuss these and other motivations for the continued involvement of Turkey and Russia in the South Caucasus. Guests: Mustafa Aydın is a Professor of International Relations at Kadir Has University (Istanbul), and the President of International Relations Council of Turkey. Previously, he worked at Ankara University and Economy and Technology University, and was the Rector of Kadir Has University between 2010 and 2018. Professor Aydın was guest researcher and/or lecturer at Michigan, Harvard, and Athens universities, as well as at Richardson Institute for Peace Studies, the EU Institute for Security Studies and the Institut für die Wissenschaften vom Menschen. He was member of Economy and Foreign Policy Study Group of the President of Turkey (2003-2009), Co-Coordinator of the International Commission on Black Sea (2010); and Director of International Policy Research Institute (2005-2011). Mustafa Aydin’s publications include The Levant; Search for a Regional Order (ed., 2019), Eurasia Trilogy (ed. in Turkish, 2008, 2010, 2012), International Security Today; Understanding Change and Debating Security (ed. with K. Ifantis, 2006); Turkish Foreign and Security Policy (2006); Turkish Foreign Policy; Old Problems, New Parameters (2010); and Non-Traditional Security Threats and Regional Cooperation in the Southern Caucasus (2011). Kirill Krivosheev is an independent foreign policy expert from Russia, focusing on the post-Soviet states. In addition, he observes political developments in Türkiye and Afghanistan, as key neighbors of the former USSR. From 2016 to 2023, he worked as a foreign desk correspondent for Kommersant newspaper, covering elections, protests, and wars, especially the Karabakh conflict. After finishing his tenure at Kommersant, Kirill began writing analytical pieces for the Carnegie Russia Eurasia Center in Berlin as well as other platforms. Moderation: Marylia Hushcha, Researcher and Project Manager at the IIP

The episode was recorded on 28 November 2023 in cooperation with Ponto Azerbaijan took full control over the Nagorno-Karabakh region this September, choosing to restore its territorial integrity by force and thus ignoring the previous years of negotiations with Armenia. As a result, hardly any ethnic Armenians remain in the region, with the vast majority having fled to Armenia for fear of ethnic cleansing after months of total blockade by Azerbaijan. Armenia fears military incursion by Azerbaijan within its territory – particularly in its Syunik Province – despite Baku’s claims that it has no interest in doing so. What are the chances that a peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan will be signed? What would its value (and contents) be, considering the persistent lack of trust between the parties? Who could provide security guarantees to Armenia? What will happen to the border demarcation process and the dispute over the transport connection between Azerbaijan and its exclave Nakhichevan? Is the conflict likely to escalate again? In this episode we are talking about the current fast-changing developments around this conflict as well as discuss its roots and decades-long history. Guests: Anna Hess Sargsyan is an international affairs professional with extensive experience in peace and conflict studies and peace mediation. Over the course of her career, Anna has designed and supported a number of formal and informal peace processes, as well as developed and led educational programs in the field of peace and conflict studies. Parallel to her practical work, Anna has authored a number of publications. Her research focuses on the impact of geopolitical tensions on the settlement of protracted conflicts, particularly in the OSCE area. Anna was the ACP Head of Conflict Resolution from September 2022 until December 2023, leading the team`s work in dialogue and mediation across the Middle East, Africa and Eurasia. Thomas de Waal is a senior fellow with Carnegie Europe, specializing in Eastern Europe and the Caucasus region. He is the author of numerous publications about the region. The second edition of his book The Caucasus: An Introduction (Oxford University Press) was published in 2018. He is also the author of Great Catastrophe: Armenians and Turks in the Shadow of Genocide (Oxford University Press, 2015) and of the authoritative book on the Nagorny Karabakh conflict, Black Garden: Armenia and Azerbaijan Through Peace and War (NYU Press, second edition 2013). From 2010 to 2015, de Waal worked for the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, DC. Before that he worked extensively as a journalist in both print and for BBC radio. From 1993 to 1997, he worked in Moscow for the Moscow Times, the Times of London, and the Economist, specializing in Russian politics and the situation in Chechnya. He co-authored (with Carlotta Gall) the book Chechnya: Calamity in the Caucasus (NYU Press, 1997), for which the authors were awarded the James Cameron Prize for distinguished Reporting. Moderation: Stephanie Fenkart, Director at the IIP

Aufgezeichnet am 9. November 2023 Der 12. Dezember ist der internationale Tag der Neutralität. Die Direktorin des IIP, Stephanie Fenkart, hat am 9. November 2023 mit Prof. Heinz Gärnter und mit Ass. Prof. Pascal Lottaz über die Österreichische und Schweizer Neutralität gesprochen. Was bedeutete Neutralität damals und heute. Ist sie angesichts der neuen geopolitischen Entwicklungen noch von Bedeutung? Wie hat sie sich entwickelt und welche Relevanz kommt ihr in einer zunehmend multipolaren Welt zu? Welche Unterschiede weisen das schweizerische und österreichische Modell auf und wie wird Neutralität innerhalb der EU gelebt? Welche Rolle können neutrale Staaten in Konflikten einnehmen und in welchen Politikbereichen sind neutrale Staaten besonders relevant? Gäste: Heinz Gärtner unterrichtet am Institut für Politikwissenschaft an der Universität Wien. Desweitern erhielt er mehrere Fulbright-Professuren und hatte den österreichischen Lehrstuhl an der Stanford Universität. An der Johns Hopkins Universität in Washington DC war er Fellow der Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation. Derzeit leitet er auch den Beirat des International Institute for Peace (IIP) und sitzt dem Strategie- und Sicherheitspolitischen Beirat des Österreichischen Bundesheeres vor. Davor war er wissenschaftlicher Direktor des Österreichisches Instituts für Internationale Politik. Prof. Dr. Gärtner publiziert zu zahlreichen Themen wie internationale Sicherheit, transatlantische Beziehungen, Rüstungskontrolle und mittlerer Osten. Er erhielt den Bruno-Kreisky-Preis für das politische Buch. Träger des Militär-Verdienstzeichens des österreichischen Bundesheeres. Pascal Lottaz ist Ass. Prof an der rechtswissenschaftlichen Fakultät und des Hakubi Centers an der Kyoto Universität in Japan. Seine Spezialgebiete sind Neutralitätsstudien und internationale Beziehungen, Geopolitik in Ostasien, EU-Politik, nukleare Abrüstung und Nichtverbreitung sowie der Zweite Weltkrieg. Zudem ist er Mitglied des wissenschaftlichen Beirats des IIP. Moderation: Stephanie Fenkart, Direktorin des IIP

The episode was recorded on 20 October 2023 in cooperation with Ponto. The state-sanctioned falsification of the 2020 presidential elections in Belarus triggered mass protests across the country, resulting in an unprecedented crackdown by the police and the security apparatus on members of the opposition, protestors, civil society, and independent media. Since then, Belarus has remained largely isolated from the outside world, which was further exacerbated by the current regime’s support for Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. In this episode, we discuss the nature of authoritarianism – or indeed, totalitarianism – in Belarus, the fate of Belarusians who joined the protests in 2020 and faced state repression as a result, and the role of media (both state-run and independent) in daily life in Belarus. We also speak about what an end to the Ukraine war would mean for Belarus and how Belarusian identity can be preserved despite the ongoing cultural assimilation efforts directed by Russia. Guests: Aliaksei Kazharski is a researcher and lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University (Czech Republic). He received his Ph.D. from Comenius University in Bratislava (Slovakia) in 2015. Kazharski’s research interests have included Central and Eastern Europe, regionalism, identity in international relations, critical approaches to security and terrorism studies. He is the author of two monographs: Eurasian Integration and the Russian World. Regionalism as an Identitary Enterprise (2019) and Central Europe Thirty Years after the Fall of Communism. A Return to the Margin? (International Studies Association Global International Section’s 2022 Book Award). Scopus Author ID: 57188974382 ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9782-7746 Artyom Shraibman is a Belarusian political analyst and founder of Sense Analytics consultancy. He is also a non-resident scholar of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and a contributor to Belarusian independent online media Zerkalo.io, where he hosts bi-weekly Youtube show. His research interests include Belarusian domestic politics, media freedom and the broader human rights situation in the country, as well as Belarus-EU and Belarus-Russia relations. He worked as a political correspondent for the BelaPAN news agency from 2013 to 2014, political editor for TUT.BY from 2014 to 2019 and political advisor to the U.N. in Belarus in 2016 Moderation: Marylia Hushcha, Project manager and researcher at the IIP

Aufgezeichnet am 27. September 2023 in Kooperation mit Ponto In dieser Episode sprechen wir über „Space Race“, also die Domäne des Weltraums für die irdische Kriegsführung und militärische Machtprojektion sowie die sicherheitspolitischen Implikationen und Antworten auf die neuen Risiken in Österreich und der EU. Gäste: Margit Mischkulnig ist seit 2017 Abteilungsleiterin für Weltraumangelegenheiten im Bundessministerium für Klimaschutz, Energie, Umwelt, Mobilität, Innovation und Technologie (BMKEUMIT). Sie koordiniert sämtliche Aktivitäten Österreichs in Verbindung mit dem Weltraum. So ist sie im Austausch mit österreichischen High-Tech-Unternehmen im Weltraumbereich und Sicherheitsbehörden. Christoph Schwarz ist seit Jänner 2020 am Austria Institut für Europa- und Sicherheitspolitik tätig und beschäftigt sich in seiner Forschung schwerpunktmäßig mit Fragen der europäischen Integration im Bereich der Sicherheits- und Verteidigungspolitik sowie der Ausrichtung Europas im Spannungsfeld zwischen den USA und China. Darüber hinaus beschäftigt er sich intensiv mit dem Phänomen der wachsenden Militarisierung des Weltraumes und dessen erneute Rolle als Arena der Großmachtpolitik. Moderation: Michael Stellwag, Vorstandsmitglied bei Ponto

Recorded on 3 October 2023 in cooperation with Ponto. In recent years, we are more and more witnessing the mainstreaming of radical ideas and nationalism in western liberal democracies. The Covid-Pandemic, climate change and the fight for equal rights – be it for LGBTIQ, Women or other marginalized groups – are only some examples which lead to high polarization, often (mis)used by different political groups. However, extreme ideas have increasingly moved from marginalization to the mainstream of modern societies. What structures and mechanisms lie behind this phenomenon? At the same time, the Western Balkans are still suffering from their difficult past of ethnic wars and nationalism which ultimately led to mass atrocities and genocide in the 1990s during the Yugoslav wars. Why are nationalism and radicalization so successful in Europe? What role do history and memory play in shaping narratives which lead to radicalization? How can genocide become possible and why are radicalization and nationalism a threat to democracy? Ultimately, what should be done to reverse these trends? Guests: Julia Ebner is a Senior Resident Research Fellow at the London-based Institute for Strategic Dialogue, specializing in far-right extremism, reciprocal radicalization, conspiracy myths and terrorism prevention. She is also an investigative journalist and an award-winning author of several books related to these topics. Her latest book Going Mainstream: How Extremists Are Taking Over has just been released. Hikmet Karčić is a Research Associate at the Institute for the Research of Crimes against Humanity and International Law - University of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He has also authored Torture, Humiliate, Kill: Inside the Bosnian Serb Camp System (University of Michigan Press, 2022). He was the 2017 Auschwitz Institute-Keene State College Global Fellow who has written extensively on genocide denial and atrocity prevention. A sought-after commentator on international media outlets, his articles covering far-right extremism and mass atrocities have appeared in Haaretz, Newsweek, and Foreign Policy. Moderation: Stephanie Fenkart, Director of the IIP

Recorded on June 26, 2023 in cooperation with Ponto. Although the attempted mutiny in Russia on June 24th was short-lived, it may have lasting consequences for Russia’s political regime, its war in Ukraine, and Europe’s overall security situation. The rebellion also put Belarus back in the spotlight, as Aliaksandar Lukashenka helped negotiate the deal heading off the crisis between Vladimir Putin and his challenger – Yevgeny Prigozhin, head of Russia’s private military company Wagner Group. At the same time, Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons are soon to be deployed to Belarus, which inevitably raises questions about their potential use in the war while also providing insights into the motives of the leaders who are responsible for this decision. In this episode, our guests contextualize these recent developments in light of the ongoing war in Ukraine – a conflict that is facing a new round of escalation – and discuss possible ways out of this growing dynamic of insecurity in Europe. Guests: Alexandra Dienes is a Senior Researcher at the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Regional Office for Cooperation and Peace in Europe, based in Vienna. She holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Amsterdam and focuses of political economy and foreign policy of Russia and post-communist countries. At FES ROCPE she deals primarily with foreign and security policy in the OSCE space. She also leads the flagship public opinion survey of the FES called “Security Radar”. Yauheni Preiherman, Founder and Director, Minsk Dialogue Council on International Relations. Yauheni is also a co-chair at the Younger Generation Leaders Network on Euro-Atlantic Security (YGLN) and Advisory Board member at the International Institute for Peace (Austria). His main research interests include the foreign policies of small states, international affairs in Eastern Europe, and Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian security. Yauheni holds a BA in International Relations from the Belarusian State University, an MA in European Politics from Sussex University (UK), and a PhD in Politics and International Studies from Warwick University (UK). His PhD thesis dealt with foreign policy strategies of small states that sit in-between centres of geopolitical gravity and have asymmetric relations with them. Yauheni developed an innovative theoretical model of foreign policy hedging and an explanation of its sources and limitations for small in-between states. Moderation: Marylia Hushcha, Researcher at the IIP