Visegrad Insight Podcast

In this episode of the Visegrad Insight Podcast, Tomasz Kasprowicz speaks with Andreas Treichl, chair of Erste Foundation and former chief executive of Erste Group Bank, about the future of banking, capital markets and pensions in Central and Eastern Europe.Learn more about Europe Future Forum: https://europefuture.forum/⁠📌 What is inside this episode:Why Central and Eastern Europe was unfairly branded the 'wild East' after the financial crisisHow unfinished banking union, weak capital markets and poor pension design hold the EU backWhy funded second-pillar pensions are key to Europe’s green transition and ageing societiesWhat better financial literacy, housing policy and cross-border cooperation could do for the regionWatch on YouTube: https://youtu.be/xiMxQmwjjJQListen on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/194cGi2JMHdbNhQePx1pNz?si=99sQ1o7IT9WEJrKLnBvEKAListen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/at/podcast/nationalism-in-banking-is-simply-stupid-can-central/id1515725435?i=1000737250724&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? --Watch on YouTube:⁠⁠⁠ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL52PCgrDNDoQqela9O-ZadsD35-GjRvXQ&si=qhYQFSHAHuJKZ10m⁠⁠⁠Listen on Apple Podcast: ⁠⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/visegrad-insight-podcast/id1515725435⁠⁠⁠Listen on Spotify: ⁠⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/7aA9iqd8rUxFMYMemjikuw?si=68781dd9de824b6b

On 16 October 2025, Budapest was announced as a centrepiece of global diplomacy when the US President declared that his Russian counterpart had called to discuss peace in Ukraine, apparently triggered by Tomahawk diplomacy. But what are the real motivations behind Vladimir Putin's and Donald Trump's visits to Hungary, a key EU and NATO member state, just months before Hungary's elections? And what are Viktor Orbán's hopes and fears regarding this plan? Can the war end their way – without participation of Zelenskyy or other European leaders?Wojciech Przybylski hosts Botond Feledy from Red Snow Consultancy who unpacks a multi-level strategic interests of the three actors and offer hypotheses on why Budapest is a focal point for their activities at this time. Watch on YouTube:⁠⁠ https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL52PCgrDNDoQqela9O-ZadsD35-GjRvXQ&si=qhYQFSHAHuJKZ10m⁠⁠Listen on Apple Podcast: ⁠⁠https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/visegrad-insight-podcast/id1515725435⁠⁠Listen on Spotify: ⁠⁠https://open.spotify.com/show/7aA9iqd8rUxFMYMemjikuw?si=68781dd9de824b6b

Readings:A New Gaza Rage Machine – with Polish Origins by Iván László Nagy https://visegradinsight.eu/a-new-gaza-rage-machine-with-polish-origins/This Polish-German Border Community Still Believes In The European Miracle – LONG READ by Staś Kaleta: https://visegradinsight.eu/this-polish-german-border-community-still-believes-in-the-european-miracle-long-read/Explore the global impact of Polish far-right media in this episode of the Visegrad Insight podcast. Host Wojciech Przybylski, with investigative journalists Ivan L. Nagy and Staś Kaleta, uncovers the origins and influence of Visegrad 24, a controversial “news aggregator” turned digital powerhouse, now expanding with Middle East 24. Learn how these platforms fuel nationalist narratives, from Central Europe to the U.S., and shape perceptions in Polish-German border communities. Recorded on 5 October 2025, post-Czech elections, this episode delves into Andrej Babiš’ political comeback, far-right propaganda, and the transatlantic spread of divisive media. Perfect for those interested in populism, disinformation, and global politics. Subscribe for more insights on Central and Eastern European trends!Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL52PCgrDNDoQqela9O-ZadsD35-GjRvXQ&si=qhYQFSHAHuJKZ10mListen on Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/visegrad-insight-podcast/id1515725435Listen 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, 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.