Episode Details

Weekly outlook by Miles R. Maftean and Adam Jasser: Yevgeny Prigozhin's rebellion and subsequent exile in Belarus spotlight Putin's weakening grip on power, amplified by Russia's war with Ukraine. The shift towards Belarus' President Lukashenka's role, who resolved the rebellion and now hosts Prigozhin, exhibits his growing significance in Putin’s scheme. Amid this turmoil, Ukraine’s struggle to quickly access international reconstruction funds, along with Slovak President Čaputová’s decision not to seek re-election and Jarosław Kaczyński’s reappointment as Poland’s deputy prime minister, highlight the escalating political complexity in the region.

Special guests – Marcin Krol Fellow Iván László Nagy sits down with political scientist Cat Mudde to discuss how Europe has incorporated populism rather than creating effective tools to mitigate its rise. Mudde highlights how the West’s promotion of liberal democracy is rooted in strategy, not ideology.