Russia may not feel that it's losing

Slovaks have elected a president. PM Fico seals his system

Peter Pellegrini emerged victorious in the second round of presidential elections in Slovakia. Yet, it's apparent that the true beneficiary is the populist Prime Minister, Robert Fico. A shift towards a more Russia-friendly political stance, coupled with Euroscepticism, has now gained solid ground. Tomáš Strážay of the Slovak Foreign Policy Association expresses concerns, but amidst the apprehension, there remains a glimmer of optimism.

A project Protecting EuropeanValues. The podcast was co-funded by the European Commission.

Between signal and noise: strategic communication in Central Europe

What does "strategic communication" really mean? What is the current state of strategic communication in the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Poland? Kristína Šefčíková from Prague Security Studies Institute and Adam Lelonek, International Republican Institute "The Beacon Project" discuss weaknesses and the best practices of strategic communication in the region.

Ukraine needs fast reforms, not a fast track to the EU

Andreas Metz, Director for Public Affairs at the German Eastern Business Association, highlights Germany's pivotal role in Europe's support for Ukraine. Emphasizing the necessity of collaboration with Poland in the realm of international relations, Metz suggests that Europe must be ready for the increasingly unpredictable nature of American support for Ukraine. Furthermore, he underscores the importance of Kyiv undertaking necessary reforms to align with EU standards. Metz asserts that Ukraine requires swift reforms rather than a hasty shortcut to EU membership.

This podcast has emerged as a result of the project "Czech-Polish Cooperation in Eastern Europe at the Turn of New Opportunities" implemented by the Association for International Affairs (AMO) in Prague and College of Eastern Europe (KEW) and was supported by the Czech-Polish Forum.

Renewed opportunities for Czech-Polish cooperation

In their paper, Pavel Havlíček of the Association for International Affairs in Prague and Adam Balcer from the College of Eastern Europe argument that the Czech Republic and Poland have the potential to serve as a central political nexus for the entire region. In the podcast, Havlíček, the Czech expert, emphasizes the shared political positions between Prague and Warsaw, particularly on issues such as Russian aggression in Ukraine and other pivotal European matters. As the collaboration between the two capitals deepens over time, it holds the promise of not only garnering support from other regional capitals for the collective benefit of stakeholders within the EU and NATO frameworks, but also marginalizing detrimental policies of Hungary's Viktor Orban.

This podcast has emerged as a result of the project "Czech-Polish Cooperation in Eastern Europe at the Turn of New Opportunities" implemented by the Association for International Affairs (AMO) in Prague and College of Eastern Europe (KEW) and was supported by the Czech-Polish Forum.

Russia may not feel that it's losing

Agnieszka Bryc from Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń explain why Russia might be thinking that it is winning the war against the West. Ukraine is only a part of a broader strategy aimed at challenging the current world order. In addition, by supporting i.a., far right and populist tendencies, Kremlin is waging a cognitive warfare against the West.

The podcast was produced as a part of the 5th German-Polish Round Table on the Eastern Europe.
Project partners: Kolegium Europy Wschodniej, Zentrum Liberale Moderne and Austausch e.V., co-funded by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung Warszawaand Fundacja Współpracy Polsko-Niemieckiej/Stiftung Für Deutsch-Polnische Zusammenarbeit.