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Who are the people who left Russia after the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022? Is this an exodus of politically active liberals in opposition to the regime? What role does the military mobilization of young men play? Where do people go, and what do they do in their places of exile? In this episode, Félix Krawatzek (ZOiS Berlin) discusses some key insights of his research on the topic with RECET scientific director Jannis Panagiotidis. Félix Krawatzek is Head of the Research Unit Youth and Generational Change at the Center for East European and International Studies (ZOiS) and Associate Member at Nuffield College (University of Oxford). His research focuses on the comparative analysis of politics in Eastern and Western Europe, with a particular interest in the role of youth, the significance of historical representation in political processes, and issues of migration and transnationalism. Since September 2022, he has been leading the ERC-funded project Moving Russia(ns): Intergenerational Transmission of Memories Abroad and at Home (MoveMeRU).
Ahead of the Polish parliamentary elections on 15 October 2023, political campaigns are running at full steam. From coupling the election with a referendum, to employing an increasingly sharp rhetoric against Poland's neighbours Germany, and, as of recently, Ukraine, the ruling Law and Justice party is eager to mobilize voters and maintain power. One group could play a decisive role in changing the future power dynamics: ZOiS researchers Félix Krawatzek and Hakob Matevosyan have surveyed Polish 18 to 34 year olds on current social issues. From how political identifications and attitudes towards current issues like migration and the war in Ukraine translate into voting intentions, to how family relations and intergenerational dynamics influence perceptions of political representation: The discussions of the finding reveals Poland's youth is highly motivated to vote and noticeably turning away from bigger parties and towards the right-wing Confederation party, especially among men.
“We will not make this mistake a second time.” With these words, Vladimir Putin justified Russia's full scale invasion of Ukraine, referencing Stalin's failed attempts in appeasing Hitler and thereby eqating the United States and NATO allies with Nazi Germany. But the fight over historical interpretations did not begin in February 2022, nor is it unique to contemporary Russia. We also see it closer to home: in the nostalgic language of the far right and populist parties in Germany, France or Poland. In the political discourse of the AfD, the Rassemblement National or PiS, we find prominent appeals to a country's glorious or noble history, which sidelines tragic events of national guilt. In this episode, Félix Krawatzek discusses the use of history and particulary of nostalgia in Russia and beyond with Jörg Morré and Oleg Lutohin, who are both engaged in portraying and exhibiting contemporary history – in theory and in practice. They talk about Soviet nostalgia and the situation of museums in Russia and they discuss how to avoid the political cooptation of memorial sites and museums. (Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.)
The way Russia has employed historical references to justify the war against Ukraine has brought conceptions of history once more into the focus of the general public. With these narratives, the Russian state is also addressing Russian speakers beyond its own borders. Still, we know very little about the receiving side of memory politics. In this podcast episode, Félix Krawatzek and Hakob Matevosyan introduce their new research project, which takes a look at how memory is transmitted from one generation to the next in Russian speaking communities abroad. Moving Russia(ns): Intergenerational Transmission of Memories Abroad and at Home, or MoveMeRU for short, is a five year research project funded by the European Research Council under the Horizon Europe framework programme. (Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.)
The United Nations has estimated that 100,000 people have fled their homes in Ukraine — and millions more could be driven to flee to neighbouring countries. For more on how humanitarian groups are preparing for the influx of refugees, we speak with Loveday Morris, the Berlin bureau chief with the Washington Post; Irina Saghoyan, the Eastern Europe director for the NGO Save the Children; and Félix Krawatzek, a senior researcher at the Centre for East European and International Studies in Berlin.
Thirty years ago, on 1 December 1991, more than 90% of Ukrainian voters voted for the country's independence, with turnout exceeding 80%. The referendum served as a democratic legitimation after Ukraine had declared its independence on 24 August 1991. The declaration of independence and its public approval were a watershed moment for Ukraine and Soviet history in the decisive year of 1991. Afterward it had become clear that the further existence of the USSR, without its second largest republic, had become unrealistic. To this day, the Ukrainian independence leaves a contested legacy. The memories of 1991 are intertwined with contested questions of national identity, sovereignty and territorial integrity. For this episode, Serhii Plokhii and Gwendolyn Sasse join our host Félix Krawatzek to discuss Ukrainian independence, its aftermath and what it means for Ukraine to this day. (Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.)
For weeks, thousands of refugees have tried and in part managed to cross into Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. Aliaksandr Lukashenka's regime has encouraged the arrival of refugees in Belarus and has facilitated their transport though the country to the EU border. Refugees are used as a political instrument to put pressure on the neighbouring countries and the EU as a whole. Karolina Łukasiewicz from the University of Warsaw and ZOiS researcher Félix Krawatzek share their analysis of the situation. (Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.)
Mit dieser Folge eröffnen wir unseren Themenschwerpunkt #30PostSovietYears, denn im Dezember 2021 jährt sich der Zerfall der Sowjetunion zum dreißigsten Mal. Wie wird dieser historische Wendepunkt von den Menschen in Russland und anderen Nachfolgestaaten der Sowjetunion heute wahrgenommen, und welche Rolle spielt die fehlende Aufarbeitung der Sowjetzeit und ihres Zusammenbruchs in der Folge? Die Mitbegründerin der russischen Menschenrechtsorganisation Memorial, Irina Scherbakowa, setzt sich seit den 1980er Jahren mit der Erinnerungskultur in Russland auseinander. Im Gespräch mit der Historikerin diskutieren Félix Krawatzek und Gwendolyn Sasse vom ZOiS, wie sich die Wahrnehmung der Geschichte in dieser Zeit gewandelt hat, welche Funktion sie im politischen Diskurs bekommt und welche Bedeutung sie für junge Menschen besitzt. (Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.)
Welcome to the first episode of a new podcast from The Conversation, the world explained by experts. This week we're talking to researchers about Mars – and Belarus.For the past six months, three different space missions have been on their way to Mars. Now, all three – from the United Arab Emirates, China and the US – are due to arrive at the red planet in February within a few weeks of each other. We talk to three experts, Jim Bell, Professor in the School of Earth and Space Exploration at Arizona State University, Stefania Paladini, Reader in Economics and Global Security at Birmingham City University and Nidhal Guessoum, Professor of Astrophysics at the American University of Sharjah. They explain what these probes and rovers are looking for on Mars – including signs of ancient life – and the politics and symbolism behind the three missions.In our second story we turn to Belarus, where protests continue more than six months after a disputed election. Félix Krawatzek, Senior Researcher at the Centre for East European and International Studies and Associate Member of Nuffield College, University of Oxford, talks through the initial findings from a recent public opinion survey in Belarus – and why he sees similarities between what's happening in Belarus and the protests currently rocking Russia following the detention of opposition leader Alexei Navalny. And Ina Skosana, health and medicine editor at The Conversation in Johannesburg, South Africa, gives us her story recommendations.The Conversation Weekly is hosted by Gemma Ware and Dan Merino. The show is co-produced by Mend Mariwany and Gemma Ware, with sound design by Eloise Stevens. Our theme music is by Neeta Sarl. Visit The Conversation for full credits. Further reading:Bringing Mars rocks back to Earth – Perseverance Rover lands on Feb. 18, a lead scientist explains the tech and goals, by Jim Bell, Professor of Earth and Space Exploration, Arizona State University How Mars became the prize for the new space race – and why China is hellbent on winning it, by Stefania Paladini, Reader in Economics and Global Security at Birmingham City UniversityBelarus protests: why people have been taking to the streets – new data, by Félix Krawatzek, Senior Researcher at the Centre for East European and International Studies and Associate Member of Nuffield College, University of Oxford and Gwendolyn Sasse, Professor in Comparative Politics, Professorial Fellow, Nuffield College, University of OxfordResults from Novavax vaccine trials in the UK and South Africa differ: why, and does it matter? by Shabir Mahdi, Professor of Vaccinology and Director of the SAMRC Vaccines and Infectious Diseases Analytical Research Unit, University of the WitwatersrandHow former president Rawlings pioneered heritage tourism in Ghana – in his own words, by Rachel Ama Asaa Engmann, Associate Professor & Director, Christiansborg Archaeological Heritage Project & Adjunct Lecturer, University of Massachusetts Amherst See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.
For more than two weeks now, Belarus has been in turmoil. After president Aliaksandr Lukashenka was announced the winner of the presidential election with more than 80% of the votes, Belarusians took to the streets to contest the results as electoral fraud. The regime cracked down hard on the protests, large-scale police violence and even torture were reported. Nevertheless, an increasing number of Belarusians across the country with different personal backgrounds and ages have joined the protests. And also workers in several state enterprises went on strike. Where does this solidarity, the determination and the widespread will for change come from? Political scientists Nadja Douglas and Félix Krawatzek, who both cover Belarus in their research, talk about the widening gap between Belarusian state institutions and the people, the role of a new politicised generation and how Lukashenka’s handling of the Covid-19 crisis served as a catalyst. We discuss the international perspective and take a look at difficulties the activists may face as the protests continue. (Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.)
This year’s celebrations of the end World War II have been long in the planning in Russia. But the spread of Covid-19 has made it inevitable to postpone the most important events, notably the military parade in Moscow. Already last year, President Vladimir Putin declared 2020 a year of victory and glory, demonstrating once more that the Soviet victory is a very important resource for identification with the Russian state. In the year of the 75th anniversary of its end, the memory of World War II has become an immensely controversial topic in international politics. At the same time, it is one of the last anniversaries that a significant number of veterans can join. In the podcast, slavicist Nina Frieß and political scientists George Soroka and Félix Krawatzek discuss the importance of victory day for Russia, its relevance abroad and what young people make of the victory today. (Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.)
Anlässlich der Parlamentswahl am 17. November werfen wir einen Blick nach Belarus. Bisherige Wahlen waren nach Einschätzung der OSZE weder frei noch fair. Die Situation scheint sich in den letzten Jahren verbessert zu haben, denn die letzten Präsidentschafts- und Parlamentswahlen verliefen zwar nicht ohne Mängel, aber zumindest ohne gewaltsame Repressionen. Die diesjährigen Parlamentswahlen finden zu einem Zeitpunkt statt, zu dem es Spekulationen darüber gibt, ob sich das Land eventuell öffnet. Die Beziehungen zu Russland sind kompliziert. Bezeichnenderweise sprach Präsident Lukaschenka Ende Oktober wieder einmal davon, dass das Land „ein Fenster nach Europa“ brauche. Im politischen System von Belarus hat das Parlament wenig Handlungsspielraum, oppositionelle Kräfte sind marginalisiert, außerdem häufen sich auch im Vorfeld dieser Wahlen die kritischen Stimmen von Menschenrechtsaktivist*innen. Was ist also von den Wahlen zu erwarten? Darüber diskutiert der Politikwissenschaftler Félix Krawatzek mit Adam Busuleanu von der European Platform for Democratic Elections (EPDE) und Nadja Douglas vom ZOiS. (Music: “Complete” by Modul is licensed under a CC BY-NC-ND 3.0-License.)
In this episode, Felix Krawatzek draws on his research on how ideas about the future come into the play in the present in order to describe current trends in Europe, notably, the recent deviation in wake of the Brexit vote, from a linear path of "ever closer union." He shares his belief that European citizens remain committed to - and ready to defend - liberal values. It is therefore important for the EU, as the institutional embodiment of "Europe", to reassert its commitment to values and principles versus what Krawatzek calls "deals", referring to the sorts of metrics that characterized the Brexit debate. [Date of interview: February 13, 2017]
Félix Krawatzek and Andy Eggers discuss methods to analyse large bodies of text in more systematic and reliable ways.
Félix Krawatzek and Andy Eggers discuss methods to analyse large bodies of text in more systematic and reliable ways.
Félix Krawatzek and Andy Eggers discuss methods to analyse large bodies of text in more systematic and reliable ways.
Félix Krawatzek and Andy Eggers discuss methods to analyse large bodies of text in more systematic and reliable ways.