Talk Eastern Europe

In this episode, Adam and Nina are together in Brussels recording the latest updates on the news from the region. The biggest discussion is around the diplomatic flurry over the last week and the remodelled 28-point peace plan between the US, Russia and Ukraine. Adam reflects on the current situation and discusses what might be next. They also discuss Viktor Orban’s visit to Moscow

Later, Nina sits down in Brussels with Peter Vermeersch, a professor of Politics and Eastern European Studies at the University of Leuven (KU Leuven, Belgium), and a writer of essays, reportage, and narrative non-fiction. They discuss his latest book Pollslag (Pulse) and, more broadly, the role of music as a form of resistance against authoritarianism beyond Belarus.

Alexandra and Nina open the episode with a rundown of the latest news, including ongoing American diplomacy vis a vis Russia and Ukraine, the closure of the Hungarian service of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, a new ruling by the European Court of Justice related to same-sex marriage, the election results in the Republika Srpska entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Albania’s positive progress toward EU membership.

Alexandra is then joined by Catherine Baker of the University of Hull for the main interview. Catherine is a specialist in post-Cold War history, international relations, and cultural studies researching national identity and popular music during and after the Yugoslav Wars. Together they discuss some of late Yugoslavia’s most famous artists, how their work evolved alongside the borders of the successor states, and how they have been remembered over time and today. Some of the artists and songs mentioned in the episode include:

This episode opens up with all three co-hosts, Adam, Nina and Alexandra, taking a look at a few headlines coming out of the region. They discuss the sabotage operation in Poland, the ongoing war in Ukraine in midst of an emerging corruption scandal, and the fall out of the EU’s new ban on multi-entry visas for Russian citizens.

For the main interview, Alexandra speaks with regional expert Nurbek Bekmurzaev about Kyrgyzstan’s unprecedented snap parliamentary elections taking place on November 30th. Nurbeck explains how the legacy of the 2020 unrest, whichbrought President Sadyr Japarov to power, continues to shape Kyrgyzstan’s political transformation. The conversation explores the new electoral rules, the changing nature of political competition, candidate filtering, and the likelihood of any protests or instability around the vote.

In our bonus section for Patrons only, Alexandra and Nurbek take a look at the recent C5+1 summit in Washington, exploring how the US under Donald Trump is reshaping its approach to Central Asia.

This episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Adam and Alexandra begin with a roundup of key regional developments including Russia’s renewed strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure and a major corruption scandal involving the state nuclear operator Energoatom. They also discuss Viktor Orbán’s trip to Washington and touch on shifting dynamics in the South Caucasus.

In the main interview, Alexandra speaks with Slovenian journalist Uroš Škerl Kramberger from Ostro about a recent tragic incident that has shaken Slovenia and reignited public debate over policing, minority rights, and Roma inclusion. Together, they explore the political response, the rise ofpopulist rhetoric ahead of next year’s elections, and what this says about Slovenia’s broader democratic trajectory.

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In this week’s episode of Talk Eastern Europe, Adam, Alexandra, and Nina come together to discuss the ongoing Serbian protests and explore the latest European Union reports on the progress of candidate countries, including those from our region. They also unpack the latest developments surrounding the Czech government formation and discuss recent updates from Poland.

Later in the episode, Alexandra and Nina speak with Christopher Herwig, a photographer known for his remarkable project documenting hundreds of unique bus stops across the post-Soviet region. Christopher shares how his journey began and reflects on how these striking examples of urban architecture may represent glimpses of freedom of expression within the Soviet Union.

For our Patreon supporters, Christopher stays on to delve deeper into his fascination with Soviet metro stations and the stories behind their grand, distinctive designs.