Why Hungary Is Investing In the Western Balkans

Disagreement persists between China and Lithuania, as  EU leaders scramble to come to Lithuania’s defence with a meaningful response. NGOs in Hungary fear impartial and unfair elections will take place on April 3 and call on the OSCE to send a full mission to the country. Visegrad Insight’s new Editorial Director—Miles R. Maftean—discusses the strengthening of #RoExit sentiments and highlights the alarming, increasingly dangerous rhetoric growing in Romania through Alina Bârgăoanu’s text. In the second part we have a special edition episode that focuses on Hungary’s role in the region’s accession to the EU delivered by Visegrad Insight’s Programme Manager Tetiana Poliak-Grujić. She talks to Ferenc Németh from the Budapest-based Institute for Foreign Relations and Trade (IFAT) who offers his insights on Viktor Orban's EU enlargement to Western Balkans advocacy efforts. Given the very little progress the countries have made on their way to joining the EU, what’s behind Orban's policy? This podcast is part of the Visegrad Insight's Western Balkans Futures project that is supported by the International Visegrad Fund. Also participating in the project: Albanian Institute for International Studies (Albania), Foundation BFPE for a Responsible Society (Serbia), EUROTHINK – Center for European Strategies (North Macedonia), Institute for Foreign Affairs and Trade (Hungary), Prague Security Studies Institute (Czechia), Slovak Foreign Policy Association (Slovakia).