In this episode of the Vienna Coffee House Conversations, host Ivan Vejvoda welcomes Nicole Koenig, Head of Policy at the Munich Security Conference, to discuss the evolving landscape of European security. Against the backdrop of the Russo-Ukrainian War and other global crises, they explore how the European Union has responded to these challenges with initiatives that include joint defense spending, the inclusion of Finland and Sweden in NATO, and the establishment of a European Defense...

Guest: Luke Cooper, Europe's Futures Fellow 2018/19 of the IWM and ERSTE Foundation, historical sociologist, and director of the PeaceRep Ukraine Program. Key Topics: Ukrainian Resilience: Luke Cooper shares insights from his recent trip to Ukraine, describing the resilience and relative normalcy displayed by Ukrainians amid the devastation. He highlights the complex emotions and strong morale that persist even in heavily affected areas. Economic Strategy During Wartime: Ukraine’s...

In this episode of the Vienna Coffee House Conversations, Ivan Vejvoda sits down with Grigorij Mesežnikov, a political scientist and president of the Institute for Public Affairs in Slovakia. They discuss the complex political history of Slovakia, which has transitioned from an authoritarian regime in the 1990s to a successful democracy, only to face significant regression in recent years. Mesežnikov outlines the rise and fall of democratic governance in Slovakia, emphasizing the return of...

In this episode of the Vienna Coffee House Conversations podcast, host Ivan Vejvoda engages in an insightful discussion with Sławomir Sierakowski, a Polish sociologist, literary critic, journalist, and public intellectual. Sierakowski, who heads Kritika Polityczna and serves as a senior fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations, shares his perspectives on the state of democracy in Europe, Poland's political landscape, and the broader global context, including the impact of the...

In this episode, Ivan Vejvoda is joined by Philippe C. Schmitter to discuss the current state and future of democracy, particularly in the context of rising populism and authoritarianism. Known for his influential works on transitions from authoritarian rule and the democratization of the European Union, Schmitter explores the impact of the EU's parliamentary elections, the return of the Labour Party to power in the UK, as well as the rise of nationalism and identity politics. Schmitter...

In this episode of the Vienna Coffee House Conversations, Ivan Vejvoda hosts Kim Lane Scheppele, the Lawrence S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton University. With a particular focus on the example of Hungary under Orbán, they explore the rise of populism, identity politics, and nationalism, and point out the threats these pose to democracy - especially when leaders exploit the legal frameworks of democratic institutions to entrench and extend their...

In this episode of the Vienna Coffee House Conversations podcast, host Ivan Vejvoda speaks with Erik Jones, director of the Schuman Center for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence. Covering the rise of populism, nationalism, and identitarian politics in Europe and beyond, Jones argues that the current political disorder is neither new nor exceptional, drawing parallels to historical periods of economic success followed by political unrest. He emphasizes the...

In this episode of the "Vienna Coffee House Conversations" podcast, Ivan Vejvoda interviews Ivan Marović, executive director of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, about his experiences and insights on nonviolent civil resistance. Marović reflects on his journey from being a student activist in Serbia's Otpor! movement, which played a crucial role in the fall of Slobodan Milosevic, to his current work in promoting civil resistance globally. He emphasizes the importance of...

Kicking off the second half of season three where we will look beyond the ranks of Europe's Futures' fellows to bring you conversations from thought leaders and key thinkers across the academic and policy spectrum, this new episode of the Vienna Coffee House Conversations with Ivan Vejvoda features a conversation with distinguished professor Ruth Wodak. Ruth shares her expertise on the recurring evils of history, particularly emphasizing contemporary antisemitism and its roots. Her personal...

In this episode of Vienna Coffee House Conversations with Ivan Vejvoda, Europe's Futures Fellow Ieva Česnulaitytė weighs in on the current state and future of democracy, particularly focusing on citizen participation and deliberation. Česnulaitytė, with her extensive experience in democratic innovations, sheds light on the declining trust in institutions and the growing polarization and misrepresentation in current democracies. They delve into innovative practices like citizens' assemblies...

Host Ivan Vejvoda interviews Alberto Alemanno, an expert in European Union law and democracy. They discuss the rise of far-right parties across Europe and the implications for the EU's democratic framework, especially in light of the upcoming 2024 European Parliamentary elections. The conversation also covers the critical European Council meeting scheduled for December 2023, focusing on key decisions regarding Ukraine, Moldova, and the EU's institutional reforms. Alemanno shares insights...

In this episode of "Vienna Coffeehouse Conversations" Ivan Vejvoda sits down with Serbian writer and cultural activist Vladimir Arsenijević. The discussion navigates through the complex aftermath of Yugoslavia's dissolution and the evolving political and social fabric of Serbia. The conversation offers insights into Arsenijević's initiatives, like the publishing house Rende and the Krokodil literary festival, which aim to rebuild cultural bridges in the Balkans. These efforts highlight the...

In this episode of the "Vienna Coffeehouse Conversations," host Ivan Vejvoda, a permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences in Vienna, welcomes Kadri Liik, a senior foreign policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Liik, with her extensive background in Russian and Eastern European studies, delves into the complexities of Russia's current geopolitical situation, particularly in the wake of its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Liik reflects on Russia's historical...

Twenty-five years after the Good Friday Agreement brought an uneasy peace to Northern Ireland, this episode sees Ivan Vejvoda engage in an enlightening conversation with Queen's University Belfast's Katy Hayward as they examine the fragile stability and uncertain future status of the region in the wake of Brexit's destabilizing impact. Hayward provides insight into Northern Ireland's changing demographics, the sporadic functioning of the power-sharing government, declining trust between...

In the aftermath of troubling recent violence, this episode sees Ivan Vejvoda host Ilir Deda for a discussion of the uncertain future facing the Western Balkans as the complex Serbian/Kosovan relationship hangs in the balance. Making a strong case for a robust and immediate diplomatic effort to ensure that the agreement reached in March is implemented quickly, Deda runs through the obstacles to progress and discusses the roles of the EU, the US and NATO in stabilizing the region and...

In this fortnight's episode, Ivan Vejvoda welcomes Karolina Wigura to the podcast for an in-depth look at Poland’s political trajectory. With parliamentary elections looming on October 15th, Karolina analyzes the state of Poland’s democracy amidst the rise of populism. She explains how the ruling Law and Justice party manipulates the media and campaign finance to maintain power and explains how - while Poland has backed Ukraine - democratic backsliding has created tensions with the country's...

The new season of Vienna Coffee House Conversations opens with Ivan Vejvoda speaking with Hanna Shelest, foreign affairs and security policy expert from Ukraine, for an inside perspective on the Russo-Ukrainian war. As Europe debates how to support Ukraine and potentially extend EU membership, Hanna provides insights from the ground on the current state of the conflict. She discusses the resilience and sacrifices of the Ukrainian people, the shifting international perceptions of the conflict,...

In this week's episode Ivan Vejvoda sits down with European Stability Initiative deputy chairman and Europe's Futures fellow Kristof Bender to discuss a policy that many point to as among the most successful peace projects in the history of the world: EU enlargement. As the Union decides whether and how quickly to extend EU membership to Ukraine and Molodova and formalize their move towards Europe in response to the full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kristof and Ivan lead us through the...

In this week's episode Ivan Vejvoda is joined by Balázs Jarábik to consider the future of Ukraine and its neighbours in a Europe forever changed by the full-scale Russian invasion of February 24th, 2022. How will extending the embrace of the EU and NATO as signaled by Western European leaders impact the global situation? What will be the on-the-ground effects of the war for Moldova, the territory of Transnistria, for the neighbourhood and for Ukraine itself? What kind of Ukraine will emerge...

Writer, editor and prominent intellectual Oksana Forostyna joins Ivan Vejvoda from Lviv to discuss the ongoing situation in Ukraine, her recent essay on Ukrainian jokes and humour and their importance as a shield against trauma and aggression, the political life of the country during wartime; and daily family life during these difficult years. A co-founder of Yakaboo Publishing Oksana was chosen for the New Europe 100 list of outstanding challengers from Central and Eastern Europe in 2014...

As Europeans reckon once again with the challenges of war on their continent, has the pressing issue of climate change fallen by the wayside as governments have scrambled to contend with even more immediate concerns? How can the EU work toward greater independence and security while still reacting appropriately to the environmental threat of global warming? In this conversation senior advisor at Open Society Foundations and Europe's Futures fellow Heather Grabbe and Ivan Vejvoda explore the...

This week Ivan Vejvoda is joined by Johns Hopkins University - School of Advanced International Studies adjunct professor and former foreign policy advisor to the Romanian presidential administration Veronica Anghel to discuss the state of EU enlargement policy in 2023. As the continent redefines itself, its security and its long-term objectives in the shadow of the full scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, what is the state of play for candidate countries seeking to join the European Union?...

This week Europe's Futures fellow and editor at N1 Television, CNN affiliate for the Adria-Balkans region, Ivana Dragičević talks to Ivan Vejvoda about Europe's youth and the shifting cultural and geopolitical forces that are shaping how young people see the world they are set to inherit. What to make of a trend that sees voter turnout waning while other forms of political engagement surge? Are the young susceptible to algorithms and bad actors found on social media apps that older...

In this episode, Director of Rome's Institute for International Affairs and 22/23 Europe's Futures Fellow of IWM and ERSTE Foundation Nathalie Tocci joins Ivan Vejvoda to offer her assessment of the European response to the full-scale Russian Invasion of Ukraine. From the often surprising unity and speed with which the EU has adapted to economic, energy and geopolitical challenges to the more fraught issues of security and defence where a clear European purpose has been less in evidence,...