Visegrad Insight Podcast

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🎧 Chapters00:00 Intro – why Hungary’s energy model matters00:49 US national security strategy and ‘chaotic hypocrisy’ toward Europe09:49 Hungary’s dependence on Russian oil, gas and nuclear fuel16:43 Misused EU money, oligarchisation and lost efficiency gains24:49 How Hungarian households game the system and save energy29:47 What a genuine green transition would requireSubscribe to the Visegrad Insight Podcast and visit visegradinsight.eu for more analysis, reports and events.

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:

• How the ‘pro-war / pro-peace’ propaganda line turned into a full-blown anti-Ukraine campaign in Hungary

• Why Zelensky, Ursula von der Leyen and Péter Magyar are glued together on Fidesz billboards as the alleged ‘pro-war’ trio

• What ordinary Hungarians actually think about the war and Ukraine’s EU membership, beyond government messaging

• The role of the Hungarian minority in Ukraine and long-term mistrust in shaping public opinion

• How agriculture, gas transit and EU funds quietly sit behind the slogans about peace and sovereignty

• Why Russia is barely mentioned in Budapest’s rhetoric about a war that Moscow started

• What to watch in 2025–2026 as Hungary heads into yet another high-stakes electoral cycle with Ukraine at the centre

Watch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jdmBOuqQgLw

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6DjmhfAz6U2y4zOqa9zQ5u?si=z-nh1ZYNQj6dtGUp1V3Kbg

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

Listen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/2iO97FXH3JKgebrJTQadx9?si=-aD7NCjjTeKVtXXPmxVQIg

Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/at/podcast/europes-trade-storm-with-jarno-syrj%C3%A4l%C3%A4/id1515725435?i=1000736111238&l=en-GB

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=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

What do 94% of Poles dream about in 2025 – and how are their fears shaping the future?

Next to the weekly democratic and economic security outlook, in this episode of the Visegrad Insight Podcast, recorded live at the Freedom Games in Łódź, Maia Mazurkiewicz – CEO of the PZU Foundation, part of the biggest Polish insurance company – unveils the first-ever comprehensive report on the dreams of Poles: “Czy Polacy potrafią marzyć?” (Do Poles Know How to Dream?), commissioned by her organisation.

Despite war on the border, economic pressure, and global uncertainty, 93.5% of Poles still dream – and this groundbreaking study reveals what they dream about, why, and how dreams build resilience in turbulent times.

English Version Coming November 2025 – Download the Polish report now:👉 https://fundacja.pzu.pl/czy-polacy-po...

Follow us and subscribe on https://visegradinsight.eu for the English launch and regional comparisons.

Watch on YouTube:⁠⁠⁠ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL52PCgrDNDoQqela9O-ZadsD35-GjRvXQ&si=qhYQFSHAHuJKZ10m⁠⁠⁠

Listen on Apple Podcasts: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/visegrad-insight-podcast/id1515725435

⁠⁠⁠Listen on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/7aA9iqd8rUxFMYMemjikuw?si=68781dd9de824b6b

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. 

In this episode, we look at how Central Europe reacted to the new EU budget proposal, breaking down media and government responses – from Warsaw’s celebrations to Budapest’s anger. We hear from Magda Jakubowska, Director of Operations at the Res Publica Foundation, and several Visegrad Insight fellows from across the region, including Iván L. Nagy, Marco Németh, Pavel Havlíček and Radu Albu-Comǎnescu.

In this episode, we’re joined by Marcin Jerzewski 葉皓勤, Head of the Taiwan Office of the European Values Center for Security Policy, as we look ahead to the EU-China summit. We break down relations between different Central European nations and China, and why much can be learned from Taiwan – as Beijing and Moscow continue to consolidate their axis of malign influence, and a delegation from the Special Committee on the European Democracy Shield travels to Taipei.

This week, we react to Donald Trump’s major announcements during a White House meeting with Mark Rutte – including the threat of tariffs on Russia if no deal is struck within 50 days, and a promise of big money equipment for Ukraine. We also break down the hopes of Central and Eastern Europe for the EU’s next Multiannual Financial Framework.

This week, Poland's EU Council Presidency ends, and Hungary's Visegrád Group Presidency begins – under a secret programme that Budapest has not shared with its neighbours. We look at how Viktor Orbán may try to spoil the European direction Donald Tusk has tried to shape over the last six months. We also look back on the NATO summit in the Hague, and the largest ever Pride parade in Budapest.

In this episode, we break down regional responses to escalating tensions in the Middle East, after the US bombed three of Iran’s nuclear sites. We also point out developing stories across the Visegrád Group – from Budapest’s Pride march to vote-counting irregularities in Poland.

In this episode, we look at growing warnings about the threat Russia poses – from Ukraine and Southeast Europe to the Baltics and Finland. We also breakdown regional reactions to ongoing hostilities between Israel and Iran.

In this episode, we focus on tense political atmospheres in Poland and Czechia. In Warsaw, Donald Tusk has called for a vote of confidence after an election loss. In Prague, the opposition is looking to punish Petr Fiala’s government, after it was revealed that a justice minister received a secret €40 million donation from a convicted online drug dealer. We also breakdown Karol Nawrocki’s first interview in foreign media and the latest from Hungary.

In this episode, we predict what Karol Nawrocki’s presidential electoral victory will mean for Poland, and beyond. You’ll hear comments from:

• Spasimir Domaradzki, a Researcher and lecturer at the Faculty of Political Science and International Studies of the University of Warsaw
• Krzysztof Izdebski, a Member of the Board and Director for Advocacy and Development at the Stefan Batory Foundation
• Edit Zgut-Przybylska, Assistant Professor at the Institute of Philosophy and Sociology in the Polish academy of sciences, and a research fellow at the CEU democracy institute in Budapest
• Pavel Havlicek, fellow at the Association for International Affairs Research Centre in Prague
• Marzenna Guz-Vetter, Former Head and Spokesperson of the European Commission Representation in Poland
• Ruslanas Irzikevicius, Director at the Lithuanian Media Support Fund
• Radu Albu-Comanescu, Lecturer in European Integration at the University of Cluj-Napoca

In this episode, we discuss Donald Trump’s Ukraine strategy, whether he has finally realised Vladimir Putin is ‘crazy’, and what that realisation would mean for EU security. We then breakdown debates and rallies in the final week before Poland’s crucial presidential election run-off.

In this episode, we look at a weekend of key elections in Romania and Poland. To break down Nicușor Dan’s remarkable victory, we hear from special guests Alex Olaru (Editor-in-Chief at PressOne), Alina Bârgǎoanu (Visegrad Insight Fellow, Member of the advisory board of the European Digital Media Observatory), and Radu Albu-Comǎnescu (Visegrad Insight Fellow, Lecturer at the University of Cluj-Napoca).

In this episode, we explore a redefined global security context with Róbert Ondrejcsák, Executive Director of the European Leadership Network, former Slovak Ambassador to the UK and former Deputy Defence Minister of Slovakia. We break down Xi Jinping’s call for Russia and China to become ‘friends of steel’ – in opposition to leaders in Kyiv and Washington – and the place of different V4 countries in this context.

In this episode, we look back on Donald Tusk’s meetings with Emmanuel Macron and Friedrich Merz, Xi Jinping’s call for Russia and China to become ‘friends of steel’, an important meeting of leaders in Kyiv, and the prospects of George Simion becoming Romanian President on 18 May.

In this episode, we look at Victory Day in Russia and who may or may not be attending. We also breakdown events happening at the same time in Europe, like a new treaty between Poland and France, as well as first round election results in Romania and the latest opinion polls in Poland – two weeks before the 18 May vote.

In this episode, we look back on the last 10 years of the Three Seas Initiative, as the forum celebrates its 10th anniversary in Warsaw – and in the same week that Donald Trump Jr. tours around the region… We also break down the state of play ahead of crucial elections in Romania and Poland.

In this episode, we explore relations between Poland and Germany with special guest, Bartosz Wieliński – Visegrad Insight Fellow and Deputy Editor-in-Chief at Gazeta Wyborcza. We break down how the politics of memory around Germany and migration has been weaponised, in the past and now ahead of Polish elections next month. We also look at what to expect from the new Friedrich Merz-led coalition, and whether it will live up to Polish expectations.

In this episode, we break down Polish expectations for the new German government. We also look at presidential election debates in Poland – including an unknown, pro-Russian unknown actor – and growing concerns about corruption in Hungary and Slovakia.

In this episode, we dive into the reactions and the reasoning behind Donald Trump’s tariffs. We also give an exclusive teaser of our Quarterly Brief, which analyses how the new US administration has reshaped European defence: inspiring investment in hard security, but also amplifying illiberal actors and their threats to democratic security.

Keep an eye out. Our brief, written with input from fellows around Central and Eastern Europe (some of whom you’ll hear from in this episode), will be out soon!

In this episode, we react to news that the European Commission is making a fresh push to free European savings – in the context of the ReArm Europe plan – as well as growing talk around military training. We also look at the deeper, economic issues Viktor Orbán is trying to cover up in Hungary.

In this episode, we discuss the changing transatlantic relationship, amid US tariff threats and the EU’s white paper on defence. We then cover the biggest protests in Serbia since the regime of Slobodan Milošević.

In this episode, we look at how democratic countries need to act when tackling illiberalism. We breakdown the Romanian government’s decision to ban far-right frontrunner Cǎlin Georgescu from the May elections.

We then respond to a recent report titled ‘When Democrats Govern Undemocratically: The Case of Poland’ – with input from Matthew Boyse, the report’s author and a former senior foreign service officer under Donald Trump 1.0. Find the report here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1O1-Hev3KMPf8FSXSmP9XoyJmMQnJdcmF/view?usp=sharing

In this episode, we break down regional reactions to the now infamous meeting between Donald Trump, JD Vance and Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the Oval Office. We also look at why it was a mistake not to invite the Baltics to the Ukraine Summit in London.

In this episode, we break down election results in Germany, growing Trump administration pressure on Ukraine, as well as the EU’s upcoming Clean Industrial Deal. Wojciech Przybylski joins from the Yalta Conference in Kyiv, and we hear from special guest David Criekemans – a distinguished Professor of International Relations and Specialist in Geopolitics from Antwerp University.

In this episode, we digest the outcomes of a chaotic Munich Security Conference, including reactions from around Central and Eastern Europe - and expectations for EU defence after an emergency summit in Paris.

In this episode, we break down the Central European response to Donald Trump’s inauguration and why economic security will dominate much of this year and beyond.