China

The gap between real life and the world of film is narrowing. The James Bond franchise guided viewers through the Cold War with its over-the-top villains, and through the relatively peaceful time thereafter with more lukewarm enemies. Now, when a new soft reboot is in order, it is time to bring back tried and tested baddies: the Russians.

Political Capital Institute from Budapest has been conducting a five-year research project on the foreign policy-related votes of members of the European Parliament (MEPs). The recent edition of the Parliament\'s 9th term (2019-2024) and the first plenary session of the 10th term (2024-2029) included also Polish MEPs.

What impact has populism on our democracies? What are the common misconceptions of China in the West? Are the views of Russia and geopolitics in general evolving? And what is the role of modern France in Europe?

Following the publication of the Sino-Georgian strategic cooperation statement, discussions on the ups and downs of this document have become a focal point in the Georgian media. This is not surprising since the issue concerns one of the largest and most ambitious states in the world, and its foreign policy moves are constantly at the center of attention.

Transnational repression, as defined by a Freedom House report, describes how authoritarian states reach across national borders to silence dissent and critical voices among diaspora and exile communities. It is essentially an assortment of methods that a state can use to subdue its own citizens living outside of its territory. Freedom House first drew attention to this phenomenon in their 2021 report, \"Out of Sight, Not Out of Reach.\"

In this episode, we talk about how much the history of fascism weighs on current Italian politics, what is the future of democracy in Israel, and how the Middle East is changing due to the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia under Chinese auspices.

In this episode, we talk about controversies sparked by President Emmanuel Macron with his comments on China, Taiwan, and the United States, about French position on China and transatlantic relations, and about the future of strategic autonomy and different perspectives within the EU.

We pay too little global attention to what is happening in China. The Communist Party persistently continues the policy of a restrictive lockdown in response to COVID for over 2.5 years. Funnily enough, this policy is probably an ideal dream for many opinion leaders in Poland, given their position just a few months ago. But seriously, in the Chinese authoritarian system, this sanitary regime is more violent than anywhere else in the democratic world.

Since the launch of the Belt and Road Initiative in 2013 by the Chinese leader Xi Jinping and the Eastern Opening by the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, economic and diplomatic cooperation between China and Hungary has increased significantly. However, the lack of transparency and the politically infused nature of this cooperation makes Hungary’s relationship with the EU difficult.

In this episode, Leszek Jażdżewski welcomes Alicja Bachulska, a MapInfluenCE China analyst in Poland and a member of China Observers in Central and Eastern Europe (CHOICE). They talk about the impact of the Russian aggression in Ukraine in a more global context - with the focus on China.