Advertise on podcast: European Talks

Gde se završava sećanje na rat, a počinje njegova politička zloupotreba? I da li nam Tompsonovi koncerti govore nešto o novim generacijama? U okviru projekta RADAR razgovarali smo sa Rinom Džankom, predsednikom Savjeta mladih Grada Splita, o radikalizaciji mladih u Srbiji i Hrvatskoj. Koji mehanizmi podstiču radikalizaciju na društvenim mrežama i ko je na nju najpodložniji? Kako mladi u Hrvatskoj danas gledaju na ustašku ideologiju? Gde je granica između negovanja kulture sećanja i političke instrumentalizacije prošlosti? I kakvu ulogu političari imaju u podsticanju radikalizacije, a kakvu bi mogli da imaju u regionalnom pomirenju? O ovim i drugim osetljivim, ali važnim pitanjima razgovarali smo otvoreno, iz perspektive generacija koje ratove devedesetih nisu doživele, ali i dalje žive sa njihovim nasleđem. Rino Džanko je student je postdiplomskih studija istorije na Filozofskom fakultetu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, usmeren na modernu i savremenu istoriju. Predsednik je Savjeta mladih Grada Splita, kroz čiji rad aktivno sudeluje u oblikovanju i promovisanju lokalnih politika za mlade. Posebno ga zanimaju društveni i politički procesi, položaj mladih u savremenom društvu te uloga mladih u javnom i političkom životu. Projekat RADAR finansiran je od strane Ministarstva spoljnih poslova i međunarodne saradnje Republike Italije.

Conversation between Milena Mihajlović Denić, Programme Director of European Policy Centre - CEP Belgrade and WeBER 3.0 Team Leader and Bruno Monteiro, Senior Policy Advisor at SIGMA. Western Balkan Enablers for Reforming Public Administrations – WeBER 3.0 project is the third consecutive EU-funded grant of the largest civil society-led initiative for monitoring public administration reform (PAR) in the Western Balkans. WeBER 3.0 reinforces participatory democracy by enabling CSOs to actively engage and inclusively monitor PAR outcomes across the WB, advocating for the reforms’ consistency with EU requirements. WeBER 3.0 is implemented by six non-governmental organisations, one per each Western Balkan countries. The Centre for Public Administration Research (KDZ) Vienna is a EU-level based partner of the project. The project is supported by the European Commission and Austrian Development Agency - ADA This conversation was recorded in Belgrade, Serbia, in June 2026, as a fifth episode of the TEN TV Show. WeBER: www.par-monitor.org SIGMA, a joint initiative of the OECD and the EU, principally financed by the EU: www.sigmaweb.org

In this episode of European Talks, host Miloš Pavković (CEP Belgrade) spoke with Dimitar Bechev, Senior Fellow at Carnegie Europe and Director of the Dahrendorf Programme on Europe in a Changing World at the European Studies Centre of the University of Oxford's St Antony's College, about the stalled Belgrade-Pristina normalisation process. Drawing on CEP's Shadow Report on the Ohrid Agreement, the conversation examined why implementation has lagged so far behind political rhetoric, the role of the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities as both obligation and obstacle, and whether the EU has the credibility and tools to break the current deadlock. Bechev offered a sober assessment of the path ahead, concluding that "managing the status quo" is more realistic than a legally binding agreement in the near term.

In this episode Fitim Gashi, Executive Director at Sbunker and Dr Marko Savković, Senior Advisor in ISAC Fund, discuss the stalled Kosovo*–Serbia dialogue, highlighting ongoing crises, low trust, and limited progress in implementing agreements. It examines the EU’s role, key political obstacles, and rising regional tensions, concluding that without stronger political will and clearer direction, meaningful normalization remains unlikely.

In this episode of European Talks, the podcast of the European Policy Centre (CEP Belgrade), host Milos Pavković explores the future of EU enlargement and the fight against corruption in the Western Balkans. Together with Luisa Chiodi of the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa and Miloš Đorđević from Transparency International Serbia, the discussion examines the EU’s Reform and Growth Facility, the risks of “box-ticking” reforms, public procurement transparency, and the state of anti-corruption efforts in Serbia and the wider region. The episode reflects on political will, institutional independence, civil society pressure, and citizen movements as key drivers of sustainable rule-of-law reforms on the path toward EU membership.

In our new European Talks episode, we sat down with Ms. Bojana Bajić, Public Policies Innovations and Digitalization Officer at Regional School of Public Administration (ReSPA) to talk about service delivery and digitalisation and what the key takeaways are for the Western Balkans.

In this episode of #EuropeanTalks we are talking to Jeta Xharra, Country Director for Kosovo and Editor-in-Chief at BIRN., We examine the state of the Serbia–Kosovo dialogue following the 2023 Agreement and its limited implementation. From symbolic breakthroughs to stalled commitments, the discussion explores what has (and hasn’t) changed on the ground — including license plates, energy, and mutual recognition. The conversation also tackles nationalism, regional security concerns, the role of the EU and the U.S., and whether genuine normalization is possible in today’s political climate.

Koja prava potrošača su najugroženija u Srbiji? Ko spada u „ranjive“ potrošače? Koje su najčešće prevare, zloupotrebe i poteškoće sa kojima se susreću socijalno ugroženi i stariji potrošači. Kako državne institucije i civilno društvo u Srbiji sarađuju na zaštiti prava ugroženih potrošača, a šta bi još mogli da učine? O svemu ovome slušajte u novoj epizodi našeg podkasta posvećenoj ugroženim potrošačima u kojem razgovaramo sa Petrom Bogosavljevićem, predsednikom Pokreta za zaštitu potrošača Srbije. Podkast epizoda je objavljena u okviru projekta Unapređenje položaja potrošača kroz jačanje politike konkurencije, koji sprovodi Centar za evropske politike u okviru projekta EU Resurs Centar za civilno društvo u Srbiji koji realizuje Beogradska otvorena škola, a podržava Evropska unija. Stavovi izneti u podkastu ne odražavaju nužno stavove Evropske unije.

Zašto su potrošačka prava zapravo prava malog čoveka? Šta je u Nacrtu novog Zakona o zaštiti potrošača dobro, a šta loše za građane? Šta svako od nas može da preduzme da poboljša svoj položaj na tržištu? Kakvu pravnu zaštitu regulatorni okvir u Srbiji pruža potrošačima? Koje izmene Srbija treba da usvoji na putu ka Evropskoj uniji? Koja potrošačka prava se najčešće krše? O svemu ovome slušajte u novoj epizodi našeg podkasta posvećenoj pravima potrošača u kojem razgovaramo sa Jovanom Ristićem, pravnikom u Udruženju potrošača i bankarskih korisnika Efektiva. Podkast epizoda je objavljena u okviru projekta Unapređenje položaja potrošača kroz jačanje politike konkurencije, koji sprovodi Centar za evropske politike u okviru projekta EU Resurs Centar za civilno društvo u Srbiji koji realizuje Beogradska otvorena škola, a podržava Evropska unija. Stavovi izneti u podkastu ne odražavaju nužno stavove Evropske unije.

In the new episode of the #REACHingCitizens podcast, we talk with Andro Demiri, a law student and young activist from Rijeka, who took part in a local consultation in Rijeka and a national consultation in Zagreb as part of the REACH project. Andro shares what motivated him to participate, how he experienced the discussions on the rule of law, the environment, and the European Union, and how he views the potential of mandatory voting as a way to increase citizens' political participation. He places special emphasis on the role of young people in democratic processes, the importance of civic education and engagement, and the challenges youth face today – from apathy to a lack of opportunities – while also highlighting Rijeka as a community that offers many opportunities for young people. Through his own experience in the European Youth Parliament of Croatia and his collaboration with numerous organizations, Andro shares insights into how participation can become a part of everyday community life.

In this episode of our #REACHingCitizens podcast we are talking to Vladimir Krasenov, a legal advisor in a local law firm in Bulgaria. Through our talk, we explore the effects of AI on the current political situation, as well as discussing what the future of law in the European Union.

In this episode, we dive back into the local consultation of the Reinventing Engagement through Citizens’ Consultations (REACH) project, held in Dijon on January 25th. Our conversation brings together two participants of this consulation, Gaëlle Boucher, a teacher in Dijon, and Roman Sobine, a student at the Dijon campus of SciencesPo, with whom we reflected on the consultation, on the recommendations that emerged from the discussions, and on the vision French people have on the environment, the rule of law, and the enlargement of the EU. This initiative, led by CEP, aims at strengthening the voice of citizens in the European decision-making process, both within the EU and in candidate countries.

In this episode, we dive back into the local consultation of the Reinventing Engagement through Citizens’ Consultations (REACH) project, held in Paris on March 3rd. Our conversation brings together two insightful participants, Anne-Sophie de Quercize, a former teacher specialising in the history of religions and Jules Paindessous, a young project engineer, with whom we reflected on the consultation: how it unfolded, the key themes discussed—environment, the rule of law, and EU enlargement—and the recommendations formulated by citizens. This initiative, led by CEP, aims at strengthening the voice of citizens in the European decision-making process, both within the EU and in candidate countries.

Welcome to our podcast series, REACHing Citizens, part of the “Reshaping Engagement through Affirmative Citizen Consultations (REACH)” project. Launched in 2024 and funded by the European Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), the REACH project brings together organisations from across Europe, including Serbia, Belgium, Kosovo, BiH, Bulgaria, France, Croatia, and Greece. In this episode, we welcome Vladimir Krasenov, a young Bulgarian legal advisor with a strong interest in the European Union (EU) and its legal system. Vladimir became involved with the REACH project after attending a local citizen consultation in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in November 2024. He also contributed an article to the Mladirini youth portal titled “The rule of law and the U.S. elections: The influence of perspectives as a premise of people’s decisions.” In the podcast, Vladimir explores recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and their implications for the rule of law in the EU, with a focus on Bulgaria. He discusses core legal principles such as respect for human rights, regulatory enforcement, transparency, and fairness in the application of law. Vladimir begins by examining how AI is transforming society, particularly in education and business. While these changes offer significant benefits, they also pose major risks. In the legal field, AI enhances efficiency—streamlining legal research, improving contract analysis, detecting infringements, and reducing fraud. Yet serious concerns remain, especially around lack of transparency, difficulty verifying algorithmic impartiality, and risks of bias in automated decision-making. The conversation then shifts to the role of the EU and other global players in shaping and regulating AI. Vladimir highlights the significance of the AI Act, approved by the European Parliament in 2024. This legislation marks a major step in safeguarding citizens from AI-related risks. It categorises AI systems by risk level, with those posing an “unacceptable risk” (i.e. violating fundamental rights) subject to strict limitations. The Act also addresses privacy protection and copyright concerns. However, Vladimir notes the challenges the EU faces in competing with global tech powers like the US and China. While the US dominates with firms like OpenAI and Google, China invests heavily in AI giants such as DeepSeek. These countries are in a race to advance AI capabilities, often pushing the boundaries of regulation. The US lacks comprehensive ethical guidelines, while China’s approach raises serious privacy issues, particularly through biometric surveillance technologies used for state control. These tools collect and analyse facial data on a massive scale, yet the storage, use, and oversight of this data remain opaque. Vladimir warns that adopting such technologies in Europe could severely undermine privacy rights, especially for vulnerable populations such as refugees and asylum seekers. Without robust legal safeguards, AI could threaten the foundational values of the EU. To realise AI’s potential while mitigating its risks, Vladimir stresses the importance of public awareness and engagement. European citizens and policymakers must stay informed and actively participate in discussions on AI. Ethical, transparent, and rights-respecting AI development is crucial. According to Vladimir, the guiding principles must be transparency, fairness, and accountability.

In this episode of the #REACHingCitizens podcast, we talk about the impressions from our final citizen consultations in Greece. What can we expect in the future, what are the final thoughts?