European Liberal Forum

Episodes

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  Polish Constitutional Tribunal Crisis with Krzysztof Izdebski 05.11.2026 27m

  Why is Poland facing another Constitutional Tribunal crisis? What is the story behind the current events? How is legal argumentation instrumentalized by political actors to legitimize partisan objectives? How does systemic political polarization create or sustain a "default state of unlawfulness" within a government? And can the rule of law be fully restored in Poland? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Krzysztof Izdebski, a lawyer and the Director of Advocacy at the Stefan Batory Foundation. He was previously affiliated with organizations including Watchdog Poland Civic Network, ePaństwo Foundation, and the Open Spending EU Coalition. Tune in for their talk! Watch the conversation on YouTube: https://youtu.be/PGu-QBy_6qM This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movimento Liberal Social and the Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  Elections in the digital era with Hasan Kamenjaković 29.10.2026 27m

  How do you rebuild trust in elections after years of systemic electoral fraud? For Bosnia and Herzegovina, the answer this year was historic: biometric voter identification and ballot scanners, rolled out for the first time in general elections — a change that civil society campaigned for, that 86% of citizens said they wanted, and that political parties fought at every step. In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Ricardo Silvestre sits down with Hasan Kamenjaković, PR Manager at the Coalition for Free and Fair Elections, Pod lupom — the civic coalition of 37 NGOs that has monitored elections across Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2014. They discuss how Pod lupom’s recommendations have shaped nearly 60 improvements to Bosnia’s electoral law (many pushed through by the Office of the High Representative when politicians refused), why Bosnia chose a hybrid combination of real-time biometric authentication and ballot-scanning rather than any single existing model, how Smartmatic came to be the chosen vendor, the disinformation campaigns politicians waged against the new technologies, and why — despite the technical success — Bosnia’s road to the European Union still feels like baby steps. A substantive, frontline conversation on what it actually takes to protect the electoral will of citizens — and why civil society remains the engine of democratic reform in the Western Balkans.
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  The Fight for Women's Rights in Iran with Masih Alinejad 22.10.2026 30m

  Are women’s rights compatible with religion? How have women's rights evolved in the Islamic Republic? Has the recent conflict involving Israel, the United States, and Iran brought Iran any closer to freedom? And what is the endgame? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Masih Alinejad, an Iranian-American journalist and human rights activist, widely recognized as one of the most prominent voices for women's rights and democratic freedom in Iran. Having survived three foiled assassination plots orchestrated by the Iranian government, which led to federal convictions in New York in 2025, Alinejad continues her fearless advocacy for women's rights, freedom of expression, and an end to gender apartheid. Tune in for their talk! Watch the video of the conversation: https://youtu.be/pNcnik0W2Zk Masih Alinejad will be a guest during this year's edition of the Freedom Games, a festival of ideas co-organized by the European Liberal Forum on October 23-25, 2026, in Lodz, Poland, where she will be awarded the prestigious Medal of Freedom. Find out more: igrzyskawolnosci.pl/event/igrzyska-wolnosci-2026 This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movimento Liberal Social and the Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  The best festival of ideas (Freedom Games) 2026 15.10.2026 23m

  In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Ricardo Silvestre and Leszek Jażdżewski look ahead to Freedom Games 2026 in Łódź, where liberals, thinkers, and changemakers will gather under the theme “Tech for Humanity”. This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with Movimento Liberal Social and Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  Europe in the Middle East and the Mediterranean with Francesco Rocchetti 08.10.2026 33m

  What should be a proper European response to the hybrid attacks by Russia on European territory? How should we view the post-American Middle East and its relationship with Europe? What role is Italy playing today within the EU and what are (and what should be) the country’s ambitions? And what is the current EU policy on migration? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Francesco Rocchetti, the Director of the Europe’s Futures Initiative (EFI). He previously served as Secretary General of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI) in Milan and Director of the Rome MED Dialogues. Tune in for their talk! Watch the video of the conversation: https://youtu.be/sjuBc4Qlde8 This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movimento Liberal Social and the Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  Strategic foresight panel at Freedom Games 2025 01.10.2026 19m

  In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, we go to Łódź for a live recording of the panel with the title "Strategic Foresight: Identifying Risks, Threats and Opportunities for the European Union", where Leszek and Ricardo are joined on stage by Jolanta Szymańska, the Head of the European Union programme at the Polish Institute of International Affairs, and Cátia Moreira de Carvalho, a Marie Curie Fellow at Dublin City University’s School of Law and Government. This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with Movimento Liberal Social and Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of. Show notes This podcast, as well as previous episodes, is available on SoundCloud, Apple Podcast, Stitcher and Spotify. You can follow the work done by Liberté in Polish and in English. To know more about the Freedom Games go here, follow it on Facebook and X/Twitter, and you can see previous sessions on YouTube here.
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  The Scramble for Europe with Dimitar Bechev 24.09.2026 30m

  How is a waning liberal order shifting the ground beneath Europe's feet?What does Russia’s aggressive revisionism mean for the future of European security?How is Turkey leveraging cooptation to play global powers against each other?Can Europe successfully navigate an increasingly intense strategic and economic rivalry with China? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Dimitar Bechev, the Director of the Dahrendorf Programme at St Antony's College, University of Oxford, as well as Senior Fellow at Carnegie Europe. His latest book is "The Scramble for Europe: Russia, China, and Turkey Challenging Regional Order" (Oxford University Press, 2026). Tune in for their talk! Watch the video of the conversation: https://youtu.be/Cm6X9RyBiso The conversation revolves around Dimitar Bechev's book: https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-scramble-for-europe-9780197781449 This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movimento Liberal Social and the Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  Panel discussion in Milan on strategic vision for the EU 17.09.2026 29m

  What can be a strategic vision for EU finance and industry moving forward? In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Ricardo Silvestre (Movimento Liberal Social), welcomes (back) Marco Cecchi de'Rossi, and also Marianna Vintiadis and Filippo De Nicola, for a panel discussion on what the stress points are, but also the opportunities, for better decision processes in the European Union. Marianna is Partner for Forensic Investigations & Intelligence at RSM Italy and CEO of RSM Corporate Finance, Filippo is an M&A Strategy for Aerospace & Defense at Silicon Mountain; and Marco Cecchi de’Rossi is an investment committee member at Arpinge SpA and a board member at SIDAM. This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with Movimento Liberal Social and Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  Türkiye, Emerging Post-American World Order, and Middle East & Europe Implications with Soli Özel 10.09.2026 30m

  What is modern Türkiye's relationship with its republican, secularist origins of Kemal Atatürk's republic from 1923? How is the relationship between Türkiye, the United States, and the West evolving? How is Türkiye positioning itself in the region in the aftermath of the Arab Spring? And is Europe's stance toward Türkiye hypocritical? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Soli Özel, a Senior Fellow at Institut Montaigne and a member of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), who currently teaches at Koç University in Istanbul. He co-authored a book with Michael T. Rock titled "Elite Origins of Development and Democracy." Currently, he is working on another book with Michael T. Rock, tentatively entitled "Elite Origins of Democracy and Development in the USA." Tune in for their talk! Watch the video of the conversation: https://youtu.be/DDawzZISEbw This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movimento Liberal Social and the Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  Housing agenda as a competitiveness tool with George Mavros 03.09.2026 24m

  The Affordable Housing Act is about to be introduced. For a short-term rental platform like Airbnb, the housing agenda should be a competitiveness tool. In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Ricardo Silvestre (Movimento Liberal Social) continues a conversation about the upcoming Affordable Housing Act, this time with George Mavros, the Head Government Affairs & Public Policy Campaigns EU institutions at Airbnb. This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with Movimento Liberal Social and Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  A Social Investment Framework with Marcel Roy 27.08.2026 31m

  The Affordable Housing Act is about to be introduced. How can a social investment framework help address housing supply needs? In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Ricardo Silvestre (Movimento Liberal Social) starts a two-part conversation about the upcoming Affordable Housing Act, this time with Marcel Roy, the Secretary General European Association of Public Banks (EAPB), a Brussels-based non-profit organization representing public banks and financial institutions across Europe. This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with Movimento Liberal Social and Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  The Lost History of Liberalism with Helena Rosenblatt 20.08.2026 31m

  What are the most common misconceptions about liberalism? Why has the history of liberalism as an inspirational ideal been lost? How did liberalism come to mean so many different and conflicting things? And what is the historical relationship between 'liberalism' and 'democracy'? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Helena Rosenblatt, a Distinguished Professor of history, political science and French at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. Her most recent book is "A Lost History of Liberalism from Ancient Rome to the Twenty-First Century" (Princeton University Press, 2018). She is also the author of "Rousseau and Geneva from the First Discourse to the Social Contract" (Cambridge University Press, 1997), and "Liberal Values: Benjamin Constant and the Politics of Religion" (Cambridge University Press, 2008). Tune in for their talk! Watch the video of the conversation: https://youtu.be/Ibu0HrJCCBw Helena Rosenblatt will be a guest during this year's edition of the Freedom Games, a festival of ideas co-organized by the European Liberal Forum on October 23-25, 2026, in Lodz, Poland. Find out more: igrzyskawolnosci.pl/event/igrzyska-wolnosci-2026 This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movimento Liberal Social and the Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  Goliath's Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse with Luke Kemp 13.08.2026 30m

  What makes a civilization thrive and why do civilizations collapse? Is human nature inherently good and it is actually institutions that are simply oppressive? What did Thomas Hobbes get wrong in his reasoning? And what are 'Goliaths'? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Luke Kemp, who researches the end of the world. He is the author of the bestselling book ‘Goliath’s Curse: The History and Future of Societal Collapse’ and a Research Affiliate at the Centre for the Study of Existential Risk (CSER) at the University of Cambridge. He has advised and led foresight studies for multiple international organizations, including the WHO and Convention on Biological Diversity. His work has been covered by the BBC, the New York Times, and the New Yorker. Tune in the for their talk! Watch the video of the conversation: https://youtu.be/_gs1OdDOLFg Luke Kemp will be a guest during this year's edition of the Freedom Games, a festival of ideas co-organized by the European Liberal Forum on October 23-25, 2026, in Lodz, Poland. Find out more: igrzyskawolnosci.pl/event/igrzyska-wolnosci-2026 This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movimento Liberal Social and the Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  Completing the EU project with Strahinja Subotić 06.08.2026 27m

  How can the European Union project continue to be built in a secure and democratic way? In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Ricardo Silvestre (Movimento Liberal Social), welcomes Strahinja Subotić, Programme Manager and Senior Researcher at the European Policy Centre and think tank in Belgrade (EPC-Belgrade), to talk about some of the work done by EPC-Belgrade and himself on the topic of staged accession to the EU, conditionality mechanisms and veto limits proposals. This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with Movimento Liberal Social and Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  The Power of Narrative with Leonie Haiden 30.07.2026 24m

  What structural strategies must the political center implement to effectively reclaim the future for liberal democracy? How can governance bodies connect abstract concepts to the everyday lived experiences of citizens? What distinct emotional promises allow the populist right wing to capture public dissatisfaction so effectively across Europe? And how does the algorithmic, endless design of modern news feeds erode public trust and dismantle our capacity for reasoned political debate? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Leonie Haiden, who after three years of serving on the Policy Planning Staff of the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is currently exploring the challenges of political communication in the 21st century as part of the Europe’s Futures fellowship programme run by the Institute for Human Sciences (IWM) in Vienna. She is also working as an expert in strategic communication for the ERSTE Foundation. Tune in for their talk! This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movimento Liberal Social and the Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  The art of execution with Radu Mihail 23.07.2026 31m

  What is one of the key elements relatively underexplored in European competitiveness? The quality of management. In this episode of the Liberal Europe Podcast, Ricardo Silvestre (Movimento Liberal Social), welcomes Radu Mihail, independent consultant and former Senator in Romania, who co-authored, with former MEP Vlad Botos and Vice-President of the NGO The Liberal Community Maria Ionescu, the ELF policy paper 41 "The Art of Execution – Management as a Hidden Driver of Europe’s Competitiveness". This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with Movimento Liberal Social and Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  Presidential Election in France with Blanche Leridon 16.07.2026 29m

  What should we know ahead of the 2027 presidential election in France? What topics will likely dominate the political debate ahead of the election?  What has recently changed in terms of Marine Le Pen's candidacy for the president? Where does the enormous support base for the Rassemblement National come from?  And what is the legacy of President Emmanuel Macron?   Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Blanche Leridon, Director of French Studies at Institut Montaigne, specializing in democratic and institutional issues. Tune in for their talk! Watch the video of the conversation: https://youtu.be/jos6wU_WJzg?si=cBKtjCko3CTLrGZd This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movimento Liberal Social and the Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  Brussels, Moscow, and the Villages: 2026 Armenian elections with Tatev Matinyan 09.07.2026 29m

  What message did Armenian voters actually send in the 2026 elections? And can Armenia's European path survive the disinformation, external pressure, and polarisation reshaping its politics? Tatevik Matinyan, human rights advocate and chairperson of Armenia's Institute of Liberal Politics, joins Ricardo Silvestre to unpack the results, the propaganda playbook that echoes what we've seen in Hungary and Georgia, and what Armenian civil society really needs from Brussels — beyond diplomatic visits and government support. A candid conversation about the fragile situation in the region, the stakes of getting EU–Armenia relations right, and why cynicism spreads faster than reforms. This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with Movimento Liberal Social and Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  Tech for Humanity with Gerd Leonhard 02.07.2026 26m

  How can we make technology work for us and not the other way around? What is the difference between "algorithms" and "androrithms"? Does outsourcing thinking to AI erode people's capacity to think and leads to the rise of "super-stupidity"? And what will human agency look like in the future? Leszek Jazdzewski (Fundacja Liberte!) talks with Gerd Leonhard, a top-rated futurist and a leading global keynote speaker, the author of 5 books including the bestseller "Technology vs. Humanity" and a filmmaker. He is a fellow of the Royal Society for the Arts in London, and the CEO of The Futures Agency in Zurich, Switzerland. Tune in the for their talk! Watch the video of the conversation: https://youtu.be/wjDpqHZpXFM Gerd Leonhard will be a guest during this year's edition of the Freedom Games, a festival of ideas co-organized by the European Liberal Forum on October 23-25, 2026, in Lodz, Poland. Find out more: igrzyskawolnosci.pl/event/igrzyska-wolnosci-2026 This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with the Movimento Liberal Social and the Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.
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  The Human Algorithm - Why proximity still matters in European finance with Annarita Morelli 25.06.2026 23m

  What does the future of European banking actually look like, in a world of perpetual crisis, heavy regulation, and consolidating institutions? Annarita Morelli, a strategy and governance executive who has worked on the front lines of Italy's financial system, joins Ricardo Silvestre on the Liberal Europe Podcast, to make the case for proximity banking, smarter resilience, and a financial sector that supports the real economy. From the reactive trap that keeps banks running on a treadmill, to the funding gap holding back small businesses, to what she calls the human algorithm of territorial banking, this is a conversation about how Europe can grow without losing the local trust that makes finance work. This podcast is produced by the European Liberal Forum in collaboration with Movimento Liberal Social and Fundacja Liberté!, with the financial support of the European Parliament. Neither the European Parliament nor the European Liberal Forum are responsible for the content or for any use that be made of.