In this Visegrad Insight podcast episode, Wojciech Przybylski speaks with Anna Gielewska of @vsquare_project about a cross-border investigation with Front Story and Context Romania.
They discuss alleged undeclared online support linked to Romanian far-right politician George Simion during Karol Nawrocki’s presidential campaign, what can and cannot be proven, and why Poland’s rules on in-kind support look outdated in the platform era.
The conversation also touches on the United States National Security Strategy and the European Union debate on a Democracy Shield.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/ZTkBEeP9os4
Does the European Union have an ‘intelligent’ green strategy that is failing in practice while Hungary pursues a ‘dumb’ one that seems to work?
In this episode of the Visegrad Insight Podcast, Wojciech Przybylski speaks with Hungarian journalist Vilmos Weiler about the surge of Chinese and Korean battery investments in Hungary and what this means for European competitiveness, economic security and environmental safety.
This podcast is a part of our Europe Future Forum Polish-Hungarian Perspectives project. Through a programme of meetings with experts, political advisers and opinion leaders from both countries, we aim to explore Poland’s and Hungary’s perspectives on the transformations underway in the European Union at the threshold of an age of economic warfare. Supported by the Wacław Felczak Institute for Polish-Hungarian Cooperation.
Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f0ZVjpVC-rA
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5rS975XzpvScfteSbUFuaM?si=fA_K_aAVSkytXZmjQ15A4g
Wojciech Przybylski unpacks the new United States national security strategy and its ‘chaotic hypocrisy’ towards Europe, then turns to Hungary to ask what an honest energy transition would really look like.
In conversation with Ada Ámon, executive director of the Budapest Climate Agency, this episode explores:
– How deeply Hungary is locked into Russian oil, gas and nuclear fuel– Why successive governments chose cheap energy over efficiency and resilience
– How Hungarian households have already shown they can cut consumption by twenty to thirty per cent
– How EU funds were diverted away from citizens and into government buildings, weakening real climate action
– What smarter pricing, better incentives and local innovation could do for Hungary’s energy future
This podcast is a part of our Europe Future Forum Polish-Hungarian Perspectives project. Through a programme of meetings with experts, political advisers and opinion leaders from both countries, we aim to explore Poland’s and Hungary’s perspectives on the transformations underway in the European Union at the threshold of an age of economic warfare. Supported by the Wacław Felczak Institute for Polish-Hungarian Cooperation.
Why is Ukraine plastered across Hungary’s billboards and campaign ads as if it were on the ballot itself? And what does Viktor Orbán really gain from keeping Volodymyr Zelensky in the minds, hearts and social media algorithms of Hungarians?
In this episode of the Visegrad Insight Podcast, Wojciech Przybylski speaks with Viktória Serdült, journalist at HVG in Budapest, about how Ukraine became the central prop of Hungary’s permanent election campaign.
Together they discuss:
Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jdmBOuqQgLw
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6DjmhfAz6U2y4zOqa9zQ5u?si=z-nh1ZYNQj6dtGUp1V3Kbg
In April 2026, Hungarians go to the polls again. The choice is framed as ‘war and peace’ by Viktor Orbán, and ‘corruption and oligarchy’ by Péter Magyar. But is Hungary’s real problem that its oligarchs are not independent tycoons at all, but extensions of the state itself?
In this Visegrad Insight videocast, Wojciech Przybylski speaks with two insiders of Hungary’s economic and political transformation: former central banker and regional investment banker András Simor and former economy minister and governor of the National Bank of Hungary Péter Ákos Bod.
This podcast joins the series of conversations within the pilot Polish-Hungarian bilateral framework at the Europe Future Format by the Res Publica Foundation.
Learn more about this format: https://europefuture.forum/europe-future-forum-polish-hungarian-perspectives/.
Explore Europe Future Forum: https://europefuture.forum
Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/r-l242SBIbM
Listen on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/visegrad-insight-podcast/id1515725435
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7aA9iqd8rUxFMYMemjikuw?si=68781dd9de824b6b
In this episode of the Visegrad Insight Podcast, Tomasz Kasprowicz speaks with Andreas Treichl, chair of Erste Foundation and former chief executive of Erste Group Bank, about the future of banking, capital markets and pensions in Central and Eastern Europe.
Learn more about Europe Future Forum: https://europefuture.forum/
📌 What is inside this episode:
Why Central and Eastern Europe was unfairly branded the 'wild East' after the financial crisis
How unfinished banking union, weak capital markets and poor pension design hold the EU back
Why funded second-pillar pensions are key to Europe’s green transition and ageing societies
What better financial literacy, housing policy and cross-border cooperation could do for the region
Finland’s Under-Secretary of State for International Trade, Jarno Syrjälä, joins Tomasz Kasprowicz, Vice-President of the Res Publica Foundation, to unpack how smaller European states navigate a harsher economic security environment. We discuss European Union trade unity under stress, the US–China rivalry, China’s rare earth leverage and why dialogue and flexible processes still matter. We also cover Finland’s shift after joining NATO in 2023, economic security, resilient supply chains and the balance between openness and strategic foresight. Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/4ts8BzOjNuY
Economic security alert. Wolfgang Münchau, co-founder and director of Eurointelligence, and author of ‘Kaput: The End of the German Miracle’ book, pulls no punches in an exclusive interview with Wojciech Przybylski – Germany’s mercantilist miracle is over, China now out-competes on quality, and Europe’s economic security hangs by fragile threads. From rare-earth chokeholds to failing diversification, Münchau and Przybylski expose why grand EU programmes mask a deeper inability to secure critical supply chains and strategic autonomy – Brussels and Berlin still opt for slogans over strategy. So what Central Europe must do to escape the fallout?
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Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL52PCgrDNDoQqela9O-ZadsD35-GjRvXQ&si=qhYQFSHAHuJKZ10mListen on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/visegrad-insight-podcast/id1515725435Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7aA9iqd8rUxFMYMemjikuw?si=68781dd9de824b6b
On 16 October 2025, Budapest was announced as a centrepiece of global diplomacy when the US President declared that his Russian counterpart had called to discuss peace in Ukraine, apparently triggered by Tomahawk diplomacy. But what are the real motivations behind Vladimir Putin's and Donald Trump's visits to Hungary, a key EU and NATO member state, just months before Hungary's elections? And what are Viktor Orbán's hopes and fears regarding this plan? Can the war end their way – without participation of Zelenskyy or other European leaders?
Wojciech Przybylski hosts Botond Feledy from Red Snow Consultancy who unpacks a multi-level strategic interests of the three actors and offer hypotheses on why Budapest is a focal point for their activities at this time.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL52PCgrDNDoQqela9O-ZadsD35-GjRvXQ&si=qhYQFSHAHuJKZ10m
Listen on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/visegrad-insight-podcast/id1515725435
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7aA9iqd8rUxFMYMemjikuw?si=68781dd9de824b6b
A quick overview of weekly developments and a special guest speaker of the Europe Future Forum.
Tune in for an insightful conversation with Piotr Matczuk, CEO of the Polish Development Fund (PFR), as he discusses PFR’s pivotal role as Poland’s 'investment traffic manager.' Learn how PFR facilitates capital flows, supports Polish businesses in their international expansion, and attracts global investors to strategic projects in Poland and beyond, including initiatives like Team Poland for Ukraine. Matczuk shares how PFR drives economic resilience, fosters green transitions, and bolsters Poland’s position among the world’s top economies, all while coordinating investment opportunities with a focus on commercial viability and developmental impact.
Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL52PCgrDNDoQqela9O-ZadsD35-GjRvXQ&si=qhYQFSHAHuJKZ10m
Listen on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/visegrad-insight-podcast/id1515725435
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7aA9iqd8rUxFMYMemjikuw?si=68781dd9de824b6b
Readings:
A New Gaza Rage Machine – with Polish Origins by Iván László Nagy https://visegradinsight.eu/a-new-gaza-rage-machine-with-polish-origins/
This Polish-German Border Community Still Believes In The European Miracle – LONG READ by Staś Kaleta: https://visegradinsight.eu/this-polish-german-border-community-still-believes-in-the-european-miracle-long-read/
Explore the global impact of Polish far-right media in this episode of the Visegrad Insight podcast. Host Wojciech Przybylski, with investigative journalists Ivan L. Nagy and Staś Kaleta, uncovers the origins and influence of Visegrad 24, a controversial “news aggregator” turned digital powerhouse, now expanding with Middle East 24. Learn how these platforms fuel nationalist narratives, from Central Europe to the U.S., and shape perceptions in Polish-German border communities. Recorded on 5 October 2025, post-Czech elections, this episode delves into Andrej Babiš’ political comeback, far-right propaganda, and the transatlantic spread of divisive media. Perfect for those interested in populism, disinformation, and global politics. Subscribe for more insights on Central and Eastern European trends!
Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL52PCgrDNDoQqela9O-ZadsD35-GjRvXQ&si=qhYQFSHAHuJKZ10m
Listen on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/visegrad-insight-podcast/id1515725435
Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7aA9iqd8rUxFMYMemjikuw?si=68781dd9de824b6b
In this episode, Raluca Csernatoni shares her vision for the future of defence – what power and security mean in a world of new technologies and big tech. We also give our overview of regional events, including an informal defence summit in Copenhagen, and elections in Moldova and Czechia.
Raluca is a Research Fellow working on the nexus between European defence and emerging disruptive technologies like AI at Carnegie Europe. Staś Kaleta conducted the interview on the sidelines of our Europe Future Forum: https://europefuture.forum/.
In this episode, listen to what Constanze Stelzenmüller has to say about the biggest threats to European security. Constanze is the Director of the Center on the US and Europe and Fritz Stern Chair at The Brookings Institution. She was also a speaker at our Europe Future Forum 2025: https://europefuture.forum/
We also have our regular overview of regional dynamics, including upcoming elections, further Russian airspace incursions – and the Polish President and Deputy PM travelling to New York together, but on separate planes.
This week, Staś Kaleta is joined by Noah Barkin to discuss the EU's strategy for China – after Donald Trump’s NATO ultimatum demanding China tariffs, as well as Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s visit to Poland. Barkin is a Senior Advisor in Rhodium Group’s China practice and a Visiting Senior Fellow in the Indo-Pacific Programme at the German Marshall Fund.
This podcast was recorded in Warsaw on the sidelines of our Europe Future Forum, a platform to explore the Polish perspective on key European issues. It invites the participation of 200+ policymakers, directors of public policies and other influential stakeholders: https://europefuture.forum/
This week, as media reports suggest that the US is considering withdrawing its troops from the Baltics, we break down what presence the US really has on NATO’s eastern flank. We look at the large-scale military exercises being led by other NATO allies in the Baltics – in symbolic opposition to the joint Zapad drills of Russia and Belarus – as well as the fiscal difficulties European countries now face trying to fund greater defence spending. We discuss this in the context of Russian sanctions, as Europe prepares a 19th package of measures, but many countries maintain business ties with Moscow via third-party countries.
This week, we look ahead to Karol Nawrocki’s visit to the White House, the first foreign trip of his presidency, which comes amid growing tensions between the presidential office and the government at home. We also comment on Robert Fico’s and Aleksandar Vučić’s expected attendance in Beijing for China’s military parade – siding with a revisionist alliance that forces countries like Poland to push record defence budgets.
In this episode, we break down a rollercoaster week for Ukraine – from the meeting between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin in Alaska, to Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s visit to Washington yesterday. We also try to explain why no leaders from central or eastern Europe were included in the group of heads of state to accompany Zelenskyy.
In this week’s episode, we look at how Central European leaders are positioning themselves ahead of a pivotal meeting in Alaska – between Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, but no Volodymyr Zelenskyy. We also break down Karol Nawrocki’s first week as President of Poland, and what to expect from his visit to Washington on 3 September.
This week, as Karol Nawrocki completes his official inauguration, we look at what to expect from the next Polish President. We break down clues about what his foreign and domestic policy might look like, and how he changes the game for Donald Tusk – and Jarosław Kaczyński. We’re joined by Bartosz Wielinski, Deputy Editor in Chief of Gazeta Wyborcza, and Krzysztof Izdebski, member of the Board and Director for Advocacy and Development at the Stefan Batory Foundation.