CEA Talk

In our podcast, Zoltán Levente Ember, CEO of Hungarian research Compass Institute delves into the pressing challenges facing Hungary's energy sector. From the rapid expansion of solar power capacity to the political and financial risks foreign investors must navigate, the discussion uncovers the complexities of the country's energy landscape. Listeners will learn about Hungary's efforts to become a leader in electromobility and battery manufacturing, while struggling with outdated grid infrastructure and rising energy demands. The conversation touches on the role of government incentives, such as the “utility reduction” policy, and the unpredictable nature of policy changes driven by Hungary's ongoing state of emergency. With the European Union's funds out of reach, the country's future energy development hangs in the balance. Topics like the impact of the Robin Hood tax and MAVIR's moratorium on solar connections add depth to the narrative. Zoltán highlights the difficulty for foreign investors to thrive under these conditions and points out the significant gap in wind power investment. Additionally, environmental and taxation concerns surrounding solar panels, along with legal challenges, create further uncertainty. As the podcast unfolds, the listener gains insight into both the opportunities and obstacles in Hungary's renewable energy journey. The episode closes with a reflection on the urgent need for clearer energy policies and improved collaboration between stakeholders.

Prohibition has always looked appealing to lawmakers, and this has not changed in recent years. Moreover, we see more and more governments, both on the left and the right, that resort to bans and regulations. And not only governments but activists are also loud about protecting mankind from itself. In this edition of the CEA Talk podcast series, Zoltán Kész talks to Bill Wirtz, the Senior Policy Analyst from the Consumer Choice Center, who emphasizes that prohibition has never worked and it never will. He also introduces his Fun Police podcast which focuses on neo-prohibitionists. 

Do people in western countries understand Viktor Orbán? What are the differences and similarities between him and other politicians in Europe? CEA Talk is trying to find the answers with the help of Italian-Hungarian historian Stefano Bottoni, who has written extensively about Hungarian politics and the prime minister himself. 

Daniel Kaddik talks about the alternatives of fossil fuels for the next couple of decades. He mentions many challenges mainly focusing on Germany, where producing car is more than just sheer production, but also many other sectors are connected to it. Kaddik mentions the future of hydrogen and other alternative fuels, and talks enthusiastically how free market capitalism will solve transform petrol stations to being more service driven rather than only focusing on selling fuel. He also says that present-day cars will still be around until 2040, so there is ample time to see how the alternatives could be used and to what efficiency.

CEA Talk's guest was Emil Panzaru, Research Manager at the Consumer Choice Center. He has promoted consumer welfare as the standard for regulation in topics ranging from PFAS to agriculture. The European Union's Chemical Agency wants a world with zero risks. However, any hazard-based strategy is misguided and economically costly. And it will be Eastern European businesses and consumers that pay the cost of the Chemical Agency's missteps.

One of Finland's most impressive diplomats in the last two decades has been Jari Vilén, an accomplished envoy who served in the Finnish Parliament and represented the National Coalition Party between 1999 to 2007. In August of that same year, Mr. Vilén was tapped as Finland's Ambassador in Budapest, and by mid-February 2012, he was assumed as Ambassador to Warsaw, which he began later that fall. In 2014, Mr. Vilén was also appointed EU ambassador to the Council of Europe.During a wide-ranging discussion as a guest on CEA Talk with István Teplán, Amb. Vilén addressed a litany of geopolitical topics in a most volatile time for the continent. In introducing his friend and colleague, Mr. Teplán reminded listeners that Jari Vilén currently has been serving as Ambassador to the Barents and the Northern Dimension in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Amb. Vilén “is very interested in Central Europe, and a great friend of Hungary,” observed Mr. Teplán, saying that the respected envoy has helped with “the democratization process of [Central European] countries for many years.”

In this episode of CEA Talk, our guest was Johannes de Jong, the director of the Sallux Foundation based in the Netherlands. Mr de Jong talks about the Christian democratic principles of Europe, how they are receding, and how crucial human dignity is for humanity. During the podcast, our guest talks about populist governments, autocratic regimes, and how the world has now been divided into two groups, countries where you have freedom and those where there is unfreedom.

In this edition of CEA Talks, Russia expert Dr András Rácz analyzes the gesture Orban is making to the Russian Federation by asking to have oligarchs removed from the EU sanction list. He also gives ample explanation to the tank situation regarding Germany.  As for the Russian aggression in Ukraine, he describes the present stalemate and talks about why Belarus will actively not join on Russia's side. Dr András Rácz is Senior Research Fellow at German Council on Foreign Relations.

CEA Talks host Zoltán Kész interviews the ambassador of the Netherlands to Hungary, Désirée Bonis. The topics include the two countries' business, cultural and historical connections, and some politics. Désirée talks about the NATO membership of Sweden and Finland and how she imagines the war ending. From the EU point of view, corruption is a big problem in Hungary, and populism is threatening democracy worldwide. But after all, the EU is still a unique society of liberty and freedom, which we should all be proud of. 

Agriculture is an issue which is viewed very differently depending on which European country you look at it from. Whether it is the subsidies or the methods, it seems like there is no real understanding among all the EU member states. In this edition of the CEA Talks podcast, host Zoltán Kész is joined by Bill Wirtz, senior policy analyst at the Consumer Choice Center. 

CEA Talks host Zoltán Kész is talking to Michael Landl who is the director of the World Vapers' Alliance about their upcoming EU campaign tour which will also land in 2 Central European countries. They will be in Warsaw, Krakow, Brno and Prague. Michael talks about the organization's ‘Back Vaping, Beat Smoking' initiative, and also about their goal to reach policy makers, combat misinformation and the wish to make their voices heard all around the world. Michael Landl is the director of the World Vapers' Alliance He is an experienced policy professional and passionate vaper. Michael studied International Affairs at the University of St. Gallen, and worked for several public policy outlets and also in the German Parliament. 

Balázs Sean Brandt president of the Young European Federalists of Hungary talks about the pressing issues of European youth such as Democracy, Rule of Law, etc. The response of the new generation to the rise in authoritarian figures across the EU, as well as the expansion of the European Union's member states, with a focus on Moldova and Ukraine, are also topics in today's episode of the Central European Affairs podcast.Host: Robert Dirk Giese

Former US Ambassador to Georgia Ian Kelly talks about Russia's war in Ukraine, Georgia as a prelude to the current crisis, what Vladimir Putin could count on with economic pain kicking in globally and whether the Russian President can be defeated in the political chess game with the Western world.

A new far-right party has started its work in the Hungarian Parliament as it passed the threshold of 5%. Its name is Mi Hazánk (Our Homeland). CEA Talks host Zoltán kész talks to Political Capital analyst Bulcsú Hunyady, who is an expert on extremism and radicalisation. They talk about what caused Our Homeland to get into the Hungarian Parliament, their Kremlin connections, their political agenda and what Hungarians can expect from them in the coming years.

Tanja Porcnik, the President of the Slovenian Visio Institute talks to Zoltan Kesz about the Slovenian elections. On April 24, a parliamentary election took place in the country. The results reflected a clear message from voters that the government needs to change. The ruling party led by Janez Jansa lost to a completely new party led by Robert Golob. Did Jansa's good relationship with Hungarian PM Orban play a role in the election? How did the pandemic play a role in his defeat? What led to the defeat of Jansa? What can we ecpect from the new government? Ms Porcnik gives an answer to all these questions.

Political analyst Romain Le Quiniou talks about the French presidential election, the impact of the Ukraine war on the vote, why President Emmanuel Macron's support has fallen in recent weeks, how Marine Le Pen's popularity is surging, and whether the European Union faces another shock momentum or the French 'cordon sanitaire' will work again?

Military expect Gustav Gressel talks about present and future of European defense policy, the main security providers in the continent, and why the Russian army is performing below its capabilities and expectations in Ukraine.

Russian civil-military relations expert Kirill Shamiev talks about the expanded Russo-Ukrainian War, the heavy costs of an assault on Kiev, Russia's military reform, the benefits of foreign mercenaries, and how incorrect intelligence from the FSB's Fifth Service could have contributed to a miscalculation of the Kremlin in Ukraine.

Hungary's former ambassador to the NATO talks about the Russia-Ukraine conflict, the Hungarian approach to a war in the backyard, Viktor Orbán's special relationship to Vladimir Putin, and how the Russians demanded the Hungarians to take him out in 1989.

CEA Magazine talks to Hungarian MEP Márton Gyöngyösi, who co-initiated the petition “East or West?” after Russia demanded NATO roll back from Eastern Europe.

Anton Barbashin, editorial director ar Riddle Russia, talks about the rising tensions between Russia and the West over Ukraine, the necessity of a wider dialogue with the Kremlin and why a Russian military intervention in the Ukraine would not be the biggest priority for the Biden administration.Host: Balázs Csekő

Wojciech Przybylski, editor-in-chief of Visegrad Insight, talks about the background to the Belarus-Poland border crisis, the (un)popularity of the governing PiS party and the high inflation causing major headache for many Poles.Host: Zoltán Kész

Political analyst Dániel Hegedűs sat down with CEA Magazine to analyze the upcoming German federal election, and explained why the FDP has the best chance to be the kingmaker after the ballot. He also talked about why he doesn't expect a shift in the German-Hungarian relations and why Angela Merkel has a dark stain on her political legacy.

Hungary's former Minister of Foreign Affairs Géza Jeszenszky talks about Pope Francis' Budapest visit, the alleged Christian and conservative nature of the Viktor Orbán-led government and the prime minister's position in the European Union. He also explains the “strange” character of the opposition coalition, and why he would be “pessimistic” if Klára Dobrev became the joint opposition PM candidate after the upcoming primaries.

On the eve of the Pope's visit to Budapest, the CEA Magazine talks to Joseph Novak, the President of the American-Hungarian Baptist Church. He shares his views about why the historic event will possibly be a clash between the Pope and Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán, the rifts within the Catholic Church in Hungary, and the major change that the Hungarian-American community has witnessed in the last decade.

Digital rights activist and MEP Patrick Breyer explains “chat control” in detail, how the legislation got approved by the European Parliament, why it is missing its primary goal, violates the fundamental right to privacy, and what it means for free speech. The Pirate Party member also talks about why it would be better not to leave monitoring power in the hands of Facebook and Google moderators.

French MEP Bernard Guetta (Renew Europe) talks about the European Union entering the phase of political unity and future fights between its member states. He also shares his views on the joint declaration of far-right EU forces and what he thinks is at stake for the European Union at next year's parliamentary elections in Hungary.

Energy analyst Robert Tomaszevski from Polityka Insight shares exclusive information on alleged plans surrounding the Baltic Nuclear Plant in Russia's Kaliningrad Region. Polish media mogul Zygmunt Solorz-Żak and Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orbán want to invest together in the construction of the Russian Rosatom's nuclear plant and have been persuading the Polish government for months to support their plans. Poland hasn't rejected the idea so far.

Gábor Bojár, founder of Graphisoft, reveals how startup firms can keep young talents, why governments can never be a good customer and how it was to establish a firm in the Eastern Block during the 1980s. The entrepreneur also talks about “good products”, public procurement and crony capitalism in Hungary, him being a liberal, and his political preferences for his native country's upcoming parliamentary elections.

Miklós Ligeti, Legal Director of Transparency International Hungary, explains the legal scheme enabling the Hungarian government to channel billions of Euros to private foundations. He reveals the most important legal details and tells us why the move is tailor-made for Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán's personal leverage and outreach – even if being ousted from the head of government's position.

The latest Civitas Institute poll measured the sympathy index of foreign politicians in Hungary. The results give a great overview of the ideological differences between pro-government and opposition voters. The perception of some of the most important global political figures could not be more contrarian between Hungarians supporting Viktor Orbán's government and those opposing it.

Former US Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs Daniel Fried explains how Belarusian “air piracy” means more than a simple hijacking and why democracies should believe in their values. He also talks about sanctions “not working until they do”, the long arm of authoritarian leaders reaching beyond their own borders, and why Viktor Orbán is “no fool”.

Slovakia's former head of government Mikuláš Dzurinda delivers an answer to his Hungarian colleague Viktor Orbán, who recently suggested him the creation of a “new axis” in the EU. The President of the Wilfried Martens Centre also talks about the future of the V4 cooperation, the necessity of reforms on the EU level, and how Moscow and Beijing favor certain European Union EU member states.

US-European relations expert Scott Cullinane shares his thoughts on the differences between the Trump and the Biden administrations, the new president's first international trip leading to the Old Continent, and why Hungary is one of the major policy questions the current US administration will have to tackle in the coming years.

Political scientist Thorsten Benner speaks about the EU-China investment deal, why EU-Chinese relations will have a discontinuation after the September election in Germany, how Aleksandar Vučić is used as a propaganda tool by Beijing and why hosting Fudan University in Budapest is one of the latest attacks by Viktor Orbán on academic freedom and democracy.

David Stulík, a senior analyst at the European Values Center for Security Policy, spoke about the expulsion of 18 Russian diplomats from the Czech Republic, the major depot explosion in Vrbetice linked to Russia's intelligence services, and why the entire case is a “pleasant surprise” for prime minister Andrej Babiš.Host: Zoltán Kész

The Central European Magazine talked to the founders of the Belgium-based NGO Unhack Democracy. Zsófia Banuta and Garvan Walshe spoke about their report on anomalies surrounding the 2018 parliamentary elections in Hungary, how to improve the voting procedure and why to employ younger polling personnel.

Anti-corruption expert József Péter Martin talks about widespread corruption in Hungary, why the European Union could do more about breaching of rule of law in its member states, and how young people favor transparency and democracy.

Dietmar Pichler talks about the dangers of Internet 2.0, Donald Trump's Twitter ban, how to combat disinformation, why deepfakes pose the next level of cyber danger and how to keep democracy alive in a manipulative digital space.

Journalist Alexander Faludy talks about Europe's post-Merkel era, where Fidesz is going after the exit from EPP, why he is worried by recent statements by Momentum leader Fekete-Győr and why Hungary urgently needs a conservative party.

Political scientist R. Daniel Kelemen explains how Orbán jumped from the EPP before being pushed out, and why he doubts the Hungarian prime minister would let the opposition win at next year's parliamentary election. He also talks about what he would recommend President Biden regarding Hungary, and how EU politics could shift with Angela Merkel leaving the stage.

Bálint Magyar, former Hungarian Minister of Education, was the latest guest of the CEA Talks podcast series where he talked about illusions after the transition, categories of post-communist societies, and his most recent publication The Anatomy of Post-Communist Regimes.

Cryptocurrency expert Anita Posch talked about different aspects of bitcoin, the blockchain technology revolutionizing the global financial system, the diminishing role of banks, how cryptocurrencies can help overcome Big Brother, and why every regulatory plan makes the crypto world stronger.

Slovakian economic analyst Martin Vlachynský talked in the CEA Talk podcast about why Europeans should be concerned about the EU's €750 billion coronavirus Recovery Plan, criticized the European Union for moving in a centralized direction and the V4 countries for seeing Brussels as a source of money.

Wilfried Martens Centre Policy Director Roland Freudenstein talked with CEA about the future of foundations, Viktor Orbán being a gambler, the biggest challenges facing the EU, why Europe would be in a vaccination war without the EU and why Fidesz will never reestablish full membership rights in the EPP.Host: Zoltán KészRead our article here: https://centraleuropeanaffairs.com/2021/02/19/roland-freudenstein-full-epp-membership-of-fidesz-will-not-be-reestablished/

Think-tanker Ádám Bartha was the latest guest of the CEA Talk podcast. He discussed Brexit and its consequences, the relations between Brussels and Washington, and the chances of the Hungarian opposition at the upcoming parliamentary election.Read our article here: https://centraleuropeanaffairs.com/2021/02/15/adam-bartha-the-uk-will-see-some-increased-pain/

Social entrepreneur Vladan Lausevic talks about liquid democracy, the necessity of decentralized social media, the creation of a world parliament, and how robotization and artificial intelligence could empower humans.Read our article here: https://centraleuropeanaffairs.com/2021/02/11/vladan-lausevic-the-era-of-struggle-between-digital-democracy-and-digital-dictatorship/

Social entrepreneur Vladan Lausevic talks about liquid democracy, the necessity of decentralized social media, the creation of a world parliament and how robotization and artificial intelligence could empower humans.Read our article here: https://centraleuropeanaffairs.com/2021/02/11/vladan-lausevic-the-era-of-struggle-between-digital-democracy-and-digital-dictatorship/

 MEP Daniel Freund (Member of European Parliament, Group of the Greens/European Free Alliance) discusses kleptocracies, corruption in Hungary, the question of democracy and rule of law, the new CDU leader Armin Laschet and the challenges ahead of the European Union in the coming years.Host: Balázs Csekő

In today's edition of the CEA Talk podcast, András Simonyi, former Hungarian ambassador to the United States, talks about major challenges for the Biden administration, repairing of the EU-US relations, differences between the Hungarian and the Polish governments, and the achievements of Donald Trump on the international stage.

In the latest edition of the CEA podcast Dalibor Rohac, a Slovakian researcher and economist at the American Enterprise Institute, talked about US relations with Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary's perspectives ahead of the 2022 parliamentary elections and the possible future of the Visegrad Four alliance.The Central European Affairs podcast is brought to you by the Budapest-based Civitas Institute.Learn more about our Institute by clicking here: civitasintezet.hu/en/home-eng/Central European Affairs is the digital magazine of our Institute. It provides analysis of the most distinguished topics related to democracy, rule of law, authoritarianism, human and digital rights in Central Europe. In CEA Talk, the journal's podcast, international experts give insights into details of international politics and business.Follow Civitas Institue on Twitter: twitter.com/CEA_magazine