War & Peace

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Episode 3: Getting tough on gender violence Jan 27, 2020

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In Episode 3 "Getting tough on gender violence", we provide a vivid example of the power of civil society to bring about changes and push lawmakers to act. Our guest is Croatian actress and screenwriter Jelena Veljača who, enraged by a gruesome act of domestic violence that shook the country, started a social network campaign last year that snowballed into a national cry for justice for women and girls. Croatian EESC member Marina Škrabalo tells us about the importance of the Istanbul Convention and the EESC's take on the matter, while VoxEurop editor-in-chief Catherine André talks about the absence of unanimous support for the Convention despite the figures on gender violence remaining grim all over the EU.

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A 2020 Peace Agenda for the EU Jan 27, 2020

Show notes

As decades-old wars continue to escalate and new crises threaten peace and security around the world, European leadership is urgently needed to prevent and mitigate deadly conflict.

Crisis Group’s EU experts Giuseppe Famà and Lisa Musiol join Olga and Hugh in the studio this week to discuss the crises where Josep Borrell, the EU’s recently appointed Vice President and High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, can help the EU and its member states rise to the challenge.

For more see Crisis Group’s recent briefing and upcoming EU Watch List 2020.

With special thanks to our producer, BulleMedia. Also available on the Europod production network.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ground Reality in Nagorno-Karabakh Jan 13, 2020

Show notes

The dispute over Nagorno-Karabakh is the longest-running conflict that accompanied the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991. War over the territory broke out in 1992 between Armenians and Azerbaijanis. While a ceasefire in 1994 ended the fighting, decades of negotiations have failed to resolve the conflict.

Our guest this week is Olesya Vartanyan, Crisis Group’s Analyst for Europe’s Eastern Neighbourhood. She explains that grievances and tensions had existed long before the conflict erupted, and that recent calm only papers over years of stalemate that have entrenched positions and isolated Armenians and Azerbaijanis from one another.

But could there be a way out of the current deadlock? Have a listen to find out.

For more information on this conflict, see our recent report: Digging out of Deadlock in Nagorno-Karabakh and our Visual Explainer, which maps developments since 2015.

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Russia in 2020 Dec 30, 2019

Show notes

2019 was a good year for Russia. The country rejoined the Council of Europe, the first case of sanctions being lightened since its 2014 annexation of Crimea. It confirmed the country’s commitment to the Paris climate agreement. It welcomed close to fifty African leaders to the inaugural Russia-Africa summit in Sochi. Moscow even made progress with Kyiv, although less as a result of Russian diplomacy than the efforts of Ukraine’s President Zelenskyy.

Andrey Kortunov, Director General of the Russian International Affairs Council, joined Olga and Hugh to reflect on 2019 and discuss what 2020 might bring. They weigh in on everything from Syrian reconstruction to arms control to who President Putin might want to win the U.S. presidential election.

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Bridging the EU-Russia Divide Dec 16, 2019

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Russia’s relationship with the European Union has been mired in tension and mistrust since Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014. But while relations at a political level are strained, in Russian society there is an appetite for more engagement.

Sabine Fischer is Team Leader for the Public Diplomacy EU and Russia Project, which seeks to build engagement between the EU and Russian civil society on bilateral and global issues and to strengthen mutual understanding where possible. She talks to Olga and Hugh about the project, Western perceptions of Russian foreign policy, how the new European Commission should engage Russia, and how the West can balance its rejection of the Crimea annexation with its broader policies toward Russia.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 2: Is the European Citizens' Initiative an instrument of democracy? Dec 04, 2019

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As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Lisbon Treaty, we debate the question: Has the ECI been an instrument of democracy? With us Pablo Sanchez, one of the champions of the first successful ECI Right2Water; EESC member Antonio Longo, who explains what the EESC has done over the years to help make the ECI simpler and more transparent, and prof. Alberto Alemanno, outlining the ECI's sticking points and proposing a radical overhaul of citizen participation in the EU. A Bulle Media production for the EESC.

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Holding the EU Flag High Dec 02, 2019

Show notes

The European Union has mobilized huge financial, political and security resources to stabilize the Balkans, often serving the flagship policy of offering EU membership to qualifying countries. The wars of the 1990s and the economic hardships that followed have been largely overcome, but enlargement has stalled and the region’s uncertainties continue. The logic of EU enlargement is in even greater trouble further east in Turkey. Here media freedoms have shrunk, relations have strained over Turkey’s incursion into north-east Syria and the two sides are struggling to find a common policy on helping almost four million Syrian refugees in the country.

Angelina Eichhorst, Deputy Managing Director for Europe and Central Asia / Director of Western Europe, Western Balkans, and Turkey at the European External Action Service, joins Hugh and Olga this week to discuss how the EU and its eastern neighbors can navigate periods of more strained relations and why continued engagement and dialogue is crucial for long-term stability and prosperity.

“We must shape our interests together, not by sitting at different tables”.

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Defeating Populism Nov 18, 2019

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“Populism attaches itself to whatever issue provokes fear and outrage [and] hate speech leads to hate crime”.

Heather Grabbe joins Olga and Hugh on this week’s episode to discuss how populism works, why its appeal has grown in recent years and the threat it poses to European democracy. From its ideological adaptability and the role of digital media in amplifying its message to its role in fuelling deadly conflict, they examine what can be done to address the grievances that these parties feed off.

With special thanks to our producer, Bulle Media.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Episode 1: Whatever happened to the rule of law? Nov 06, 2019

Show notes

Episode 1 "Whatever happened to the rule of law?" features Spanish EESC member José Antonio Moreno Díaz, who explains what the EESC Group on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law is doing to help fend off growing attacks on core EU values, such as those described by the other two speakers in the podcast – Yolanta Kurska of the Polish Geremek foundation and Wojciech Przybylski, editor-in-chief of Visegrad Insight in Warsaw. A Bulle Media production for the EESC.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Russia's Winning Streak Nov 04, 2019

Show notes

Russia’s role on the international stage is rapidly expanding. It is taking over Washington’s place as the Middle East’s power broker, growing its economic influence in Africa and deepening military ties with China. This week, Hugh and Olga discuss what Russia’s winning streak means for arms control, Ukraine, Turkey, the Middle East and a rising China.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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