Baltic countries and Central Europe face many shared concerns and challenges, making cross-regional debate on these issues essential. Our colleague, Malwina Talik, attended the Riga Conference as a fellow of IRI’s Transatlantic Initiative, where these important topics were actively discussed.
During the event, she had a chance to participate in a closed-door meeting with Latvian Minister of Foreign Affairs Baiba Braže and in the “Women in Security and Tech” networking luncheon, which presented an opportunity to connect with other female experts in the field.
https://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/462558910-546493814737492-5153170770778387222-n.jpg15362048Ninon Boutelouphttps://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/logo3-en.pngNinon Bouteloup2024-10-21 09:53:152024-10-29 09:57:18Malwina Talik at the Riga Conference
Malwina Talik was interviewed for the Polish podcast Podróż bez Paszportu (“A Journey Without a Passport”), where she discussed Austria’s post-election landscape, the challenges in forming a new government, and the issues currently most pressing for Austrian society.
Podróż bez Paszportu is a popular Polish podcast, hosted by Mateusz Grzeszczuk, focused on international affairs, politics, and current global events.
You can listen to the whole interview (in Polish) here.
https://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/mt-podroz.png7681024Ninon Boutelouphttps://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/logo3-en.pngNinon Bouteloup2024-10-20 10:02:432025-02-12 14:47:20Malwina Talik about Austria after elections for “Podróż bez Paszportu”
On 20 October, Moldova will hold presidential elections and a referendum that will decide on amending the Constitution with a view to the accession of the country to the European Union. In the latest IDM Short Insight, IDM Director Sebastian Schäffer reports directly from Chișinău and explains what impact the votes could have and how Russia is trying to intervene in the process of the elections and the referendum.
Transcript
This coming Sunday there will be a decisive election here in the Republic of Moldova. Not only is the reelection of the current president Maia Sandu on the ballot, but also the question if the goal of European integration should be inserted into the constitution of the Republic of Moldova.
It’s currently unclear if there will be a majority for this constitutional change. Roughly 40% would be in favour of it, 40% against it and 20% are still undecided. There’s also the question if Maia Sandu will be reelected as President. She’s currently leading in the polls, with roughly one third of the votes. However, the 9 other candidates are almost evenly split, with a frontrunner coming from the party of Socialists, Alexander Stoianoglo. The question will be if the votes for the other mostly independent candidates – amongst them the former Baskan of Gagauzia Irina Vlah – will be then going to Maia Sandu or towards the second placed candidate.
In any case, there is more at stake here: the question of a European future for the country, and this decision is heavily influenced by disinformation coming from the Kremlin. There has been a big disinformation campaign uncovered by an investigative journalist just yesterday. And we will see if the propaganda that is coming from Moscow, will tear this country back into the realm of the Kremlin.
We hope that there will be a European future for the country. However, what we need to do is also discuss and maybe decouple this question between an election for the President and the vote in the constitutional amendment.
This is not something that is happening here. There is quite a nervousness in the country, especially the fear of people, that if the negative referendum will close the European path and also block maybe the future accession negotiations. I don’t think that this would be necessarily the case. It’s not a referendum on joining the European Union or not. But of course, the stakes are very high, the situation is very tense and we also do not see a lot of advertisements on the streets, but it’s rather on TV, and on social media channels. So the battle is fought on the virtual space, which is, of course, also heavily influenceable.
We will, of course, continue to talk about the developments in the country regardless of the outcome. In any case, we hope for a European future for the Republic of Moldova.
https://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/idm-short-insights-2.png7681024Ninon Boutelouphttps://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/logo3-en.pngNinon Bouteloup2024-10-17 10:28:412024-10-21 10:34:45IDM Short Insights 39: Presidential Elections and a Referendum in Moldova
Photo credits: Irina Iacoban, Iris Rehklau, Sebastian Schäffer
From 14 – 17 October, shortly before the first round of presidential elections as well as a referendum on integrating the goal of European integration into the constitution, the International Forum Moldova (IFM) took place in Chișinău. The Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM) was a cooperation partner for the organisers, Konrad Adenauer Foundation Moldova Office (KAS), State University of Moldova, Chișinău (USM), Federal Institute for Culture and History of Eastern Europe, Oldenburg (BKGE), as well as Institute for German Culture and History of Southeast Europe at the LMU Munich (IKGS).
IDM Director Sebastian Schäffer held a workshop on “Moldova and the EU – Prospects, challenges, and opportunities” together with Iris Rehklau from SeminarsSimulationsConsulting (SSC) Europe. The workshop was split into two parts. First, the “story circles” method, developed by UNESCO, was employed to promote intercultural competences, recognizing the importance of understanding cultural differences and similarities at the political and social levels for building future relationships. The second part focused on Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) as key players in Moldova’s integration process. The workshop covered the integration mechanism, challenges, and lessons from past experiences, with discussions on potential reforms in the enlargement process—such as staged accession—and interim measures like the European Political Community or Greater European Council to bridge the period before full membership.
By the end of the workshop, the 35 participants:
– learned the “story circles” method,
– gained the ability to explain the EU enlargement process to the public,
– developed an understanding of the challenges, opportunities, and historical contexts of EU enlargement,
– and received insights from the latest research on policy recommendations for the European integration process.
The IFM brought together more than 100 students, academics, practitioners, journalists as well as decision makers and aimed to serve as a foundation for long-term academic and civil society collaboration at the transnational and European levels, building on the experience, connections, and goals formed during the event.
Given the radically altered security situation in the region since 2014/2022, Moldova’s candidate status for EU membership granted in June 2022, and the approach of upcoming elections in fall 2024 (presidential election and EU membership referendum) and spring 2025 (parliamentary election), interest from the European community in Moldova had increased significantly.
In response to these developments, the International Forum Moldova provided a platform for dialogue between Moldova and Central European partners through public discussion formats, an academic conference, four workshops, and an excursion to the autonomous region of Gagauzia. The event fostered an exchange that was both historically grounded and future-oriented, engaging actors across academia, civil society, culture, politics, and journalism.
The IDM would like to thank all partners but especially KAS Director Brigitta Triebel and IGKS Director Florian Kührer-Wielach for the excellent organization as well as the outstanding cooperation at such a crucial time. We look forward to continue and deepen the exchange between our institutions.
The scientific conference took place in a hybrid format. More information can be found here.
https://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/img-2976.jpg10801920Ninon Boutelouphttps://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/logo3-en.pngNinon Bouteloup2024-10-17 10:21:092024-11-04 12:19:29International Forum Moldova (IFM) discussed the history, present and future of the Republic of Moldova in its European dimensions
On 16–17 October, Rebecca Thorne took part in the Future Leaders Forum in Riga, organised by the Latvian Transatlantic Organisation (LATO). Aimed at young professionals from around the world with a keen interest in international relations, security and defence, the Forum provided the opportunity to develop an international network and engage in wide-ranging discussions relevant for leadership in the 21st century.
At the Riga Conference on 17–19 October, participants of the Forum joined international members of a growing community, where leading diplomats, academics and journalists discussed topics such as NATO, the UN, disinformation and energy security.
https://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/future-leaders-forum-2024.jpg12001600Ninon Boutelouphttps://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/logo3-en.pngNinon Bouteloup2024-10-17 09:37:542024-10-23 09:42:47Rebecca Thorne at the Future Leaders Forum in Riga
In the program „Im Fokus“ of the Austrian Radio Ö1, Péter Techet spoke about whether and how Christian moral values are politically utilized and, at the same time, questioned by society in Eastern Europe.
The program can be listened here (Techet’s speech starts at 42:00).
https://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/peter-o1-eng.png7681024Ninon Boutelouphttps://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/logo3-en.pngNinon Bouteloup2024-10-16 09:16:312025-02-17 15:07:26Péter Techet on Ö1 about the Transformation of Churches in Eastern Europe
On 11 October Malwina Talik delivered a keynote lecture at the webinar “War, Migrants, and Refugees – New Challenges for Europe,” organized by the Eastern European Network for Citizenship Education (EENCE). In her talk, she emphasized that while wars and their consequences undeniably present challenges for Europe, they are not a completely new issue, given the various conflicts in and around Europe in recent decades.
Talik cautioned against framing migrants as a challenge, particularly in light of the growing need for a workforce across EU countries. The focus, it was argued, should be on developing constructive and sustainable responses that respect international law and uphold humanitarian standards.
https://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/462136719-958676289637265-4482878607491506230-n.jpg7681024Ninon Boutelouphttps://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/logo3-en.pngNinon Bouteloup2024-10-14 07:45:332024-10-21 07:46:15New Challenges for Europe – A keynote lecture by Malwina Talik
Malwina Talik commented on the political situation in Austria following the elections for Interia, one of Poland’s largest online information providers.
https://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/malwina-intera.png7681024Ninon Boutelouphttps://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/logo3-en.pngNinon Bouteloup2024-10-10 17:06:452025-02-12 14:58:47Malwina Talik for Interia (Poland) about the prospects for future government in Austria
In the Hungarian-language edition of the Slovak daily Denník N, Péter Techet analyzed the speech of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, he had in the European Parliament. Techet argued that Orbán did not respond to the questions or criticisms raised against him but instead reinterpreted them to his advantage.
https://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/peter-dennik-n-eng.png7681024Ninon Boutelouphttps://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/logo3-en.pngNinon Bouteloup2024-10-09 11:33:462024-10-10 10:36:16Péter Techet for Denník N / Napunk on Orbán’s Speech in the European Parliament
The program “Im Fokus” on Ö1 had a conversation with Péter Techet about Hungary’s church policy, discussing the tensions within Hungary’s Christian churches and how they impact their close relationship with Orbán’s government.
https://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/peter-for-o1-eng-1.png7681024Ninon Boutelouphttps://www.idm.at/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/logo3-en.pngNinon Bouteloup2024-10-09 10:20:282024-10-10 10:38:05Péter Techet on Ö1 about Orbán’s Church Policy
