This is the second episode of IFAIR's podcast Hot Seat, a show where young people interview & debate with policymakers, academics and journalists about current hot topics in world politics and what it means to work in the field of international affairs.

This time, IFAIR Podcast Host Louis Mourier and IFAIR's Regional Co-Director EU & Europe Julien Strandt talked with Mihkel Märtens, freelance journalist covering international affairs at Eesti Päevaleht, one of Estonia's major newspapers, as well as student in International Relations at the University of Tartu. 

After a commentary on the current state of the freedom of the press, we unpacked the numerous scandals of Estonia's political scene that led up to a government collapse in January 2021, with our guest, Mihkel. After discussing Estonia's political future and place in the EU, Mihkel told us about his work as a reporter and gave a few tips on how to think like a journalist.

We first recap the first months of the German Council Presidency to then talk about the situation in Lebanon and the EU's Foreign Policy in the Middle East. To top it off, as a celebration of our 10th anniversary, we discuss how IFAIR was created and what it means to get involved in International Relations as a young person.

This episode was recorded on the 27th of February, 2021.