Afleveringen
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In this 18th episode of The European Republic, our host Nikodem Skrobisz speaks with Bruno TopiĆski, chairman of Astra Poland / Astra Europa Polska, about why the case for European federalism looks different when it is made from Warsaw rather than Berlin or Paris.
TopiĆski argues that he belongs to a generation that did not need an Erasmus year to feel European, and that Polandâs transformation over the past three decades is inseparable from its European integration. But he also pushes back on the idea that Poland is drifting away from Europe: support for EU membership, he says, has remained remarkably stable since the accession referendum. What Poland is contesting, in his view, is not integration itself but the terms on which it happens. National sovereignty for a mid-sized European state is an illusion in a world of competing hegemonies. Squeezed between Russian imperialism, an increasingly transactional United States, Chinese economic pressure and hostile theocratic regimes and rising Islamism, Poland cannot secure itself alone.
TopiĆski also explains why he co-founded with Astra Europa a new federalist organisation rather than joining Volt, why he believes federalism must stop being a partisan project of the political left, and how Astra Poland plans to force every Polish candidate to declare a position on European integration ahead of 2029. The episode closes on Polish party fragmentation, the weakness of pro-European civil society, and his argument that federalism will be won locally before it is won in any parliament.
Learn more about Astra Poland: https://astraeuropa.pl/
Learn more about Astra Europa: https://astraeuropa.eu/
Follow Bruno on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bruno_topinski/
Follow Bruno on Threads: https://www.threads.com/@bruno_topinski
Follow Bruno on X: https://x.com/Bruno_Topinski
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In episode 17 of The European Republic, our host Nikodem Skrobisz speaks with Maciej Tadeusiak, Co-President of Volt Polska and member of Volt Europaâs European expansion team, who has helped set up seven new chapters across the continent. Maciej shares how he got into European politics, why he believes a pan-European party can become a machine for winning elections, and what it takes to build a political organization in a post-communist society where 99 percent of voters have never heard of you. The conversation explores the chicken-and-egg problem of political visibility, why Poles are far less conservative than their own politicians assume, and how Volt positions itself as pragmatic and evidence-based rather than left-wing. Maciej also lays out the road ahead: entering the 2027 Polish parliamentary elections, preparing for the 2029 European elections, and his fifty-year vision of a European Federation with pooled defense procurement, a unified research budget, and a Union that puts citizens before corporations.
Learn more about Volt in Poland: https://voltpolska.org/
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Zijn er afleveringen die ontbreken?
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In episode 16 of The European Republic, our host Nikodem Skrobisz talks with Geza, the Roman reenactor, austrian officer, living history artist, and musician known across Instagram and TikTok as The Age of Constantine. Wearing an authentically reconstructed tunic of late antiquity, Geza explains the difference between reenactment and living history, and why he consciously chooses to live as a Roman in the 21st century. The conversation dives deep into what he calls the Roman cultural matrix: a model of universalism, syncretism, and layered identities that once united the entire Mediterranean, and that Europe, he argues, is unconsciously rebuilding today. Geza shares his personal journey to convinced European, and tells moving stories of how the shared Roman heritage helps people from Tunisia to Taiwan find their place in Europe, offering a fresh perspective on integration and identity. From there, the discussion turns geopolitical: Europe as an emerging empire in the original Roman sense of imperium, America cast in the role of Carthage, and the question of how Europe can emancipate itself militarily and financially. Drawing on more than two decades as an officer in the Austrian armed forces, Geza outlines a concrete vision for a European army inspired by the French Foreign Legion, and reflects on virtue, competence, and purpose as the cultural foundations Europe must reclaim. Finally, he presents his most ambitious project yet: circumnavigating the entire 16,000-kilometer frontier of the Roman Empire on foot, on horseback, and by reconstructed ancient ship, as a living manifestation of the idea that the Euro-Mediterranean space belongs together.Follow GĂ©za on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theageofconstantine/ Support GĂ©za circumnavigating the Roman empire by historic means: https://www.gofundme.com/f/circumnavigating-the-roman-empire-historically
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In this episode of The European Republic, our host Nikodem Skrobisz speaks with Ulyana Bakhtsizina, the newly elected Co-President of Volt Polska and organizer of We Are Europe in Poland. Ulyana shares her unusual path from physics into politics, and how her Polish-Belarusian background and proximity to Russian imperialism shaped her commitment to European federalism and democracy.
Together they explore the paradox at the heart of Polish politics: a country that has benefited enormously from EU membership, where around 80 percent of citizens say they support the Union, yet whose entire political landscape is drifting towards Euroscepticism and sovereignist rhetoric. Ulyana explains why Polish support for the EU is often described as wide but shallow, how Law and Justice spent a decade framing Brussels as a threat to national sovereignty, and why pro-European forces made a strategic mistake by neglecting smaller towns and eastern regions.
The conversation also covers the rural-urban divide visible in the last presidential election, the role of Russian propaganda and collective memory in fueling anti-EU sentiment, and how the concept of shared European sovereignty can answer Polandâs historically rooted fear of losing independence. Ulyana presents Volt Polskaâs vision of a United States of Europe with a common army, common migration policy, and deeper integration, discusses whether Volt Polska will run in elections, and introduces the European Citizensâ Initiative to stop funding Russiaâs war machine by phasing out EU imports from Russia.
Learn more about Volt Polska: https://voltpolska.orgSign the European Citizensâ Initiative: stopfundingrussianwar.com/sign.htmlUlyana on Instagram: moving.europe
Ulyana on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/ulyana-juliana-bakhtsizina-718088263/
Support the show and subscribe for more conversations with pro-European activists and politicians from across the continent.
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In this episode of The European Republic, our host Nikodem Skrobisz talks with Pietro, Operations and Finance Lead of Astra Europa, the new pan-European federalist movement they both co-founded.
Pietro grew up between Italy, France and Ukraine, studied in the Netherlands and Switzerland, and works as a machine learning engineer. Together they discuss what actually makes Europe Europe, why the era of American protection is ending, and why Pietro sees Russia as Europeâs number one enemy. Pietro makes the case for a multi-speed path to federation: an inner circle of states forming a real federal core with a single constitution, a directly elected government and shared taxation, which other countries can join over time.
The conversation also covers why Pietro considers Switzerland the most instructive model for European unification, what went wrong with Ave Europa, how Astra Europa positions itself as the optimistic liberal force in the federalist camp, and why Europe needs federalist parties across the entire political spectrum, from left to right.
Check out Pietros European Onion Identity Generator: https://gorilskij.com/tools/european-onion
Astra Europa is currently recruiting. If you want to help build a united Europe, applications are open.
Learn more about Astra Europa here:
https://astraeuropa.eu/
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What does it actually mean to be European â beyond the common market and the institutions? In the 13th Episode of the European Republic, our host Nikodem Skrobisz talks with Timi Celcer, a Slovenian entrepreneur and pan-European activist exploring that question through two very different ventures.
With Via Nova, Timi wants to spark a new European renaissance by reviving Latin â not as a dead classroom language, but as a living, shared medium that could give Europe a cultural identity to match its economic and political integration. With Grow Europe, he takes the pragmatic route, building a âgrowth infrastructureâ to help startups and SMEs scale across the continentâs fragmented markets.
Itâs a sweeping conversation that moves from a backpacking trip through Africa and Asia to philosophy, from the revival of Hebrew in Israel to the standardisation of Mandarin, and from idealism as a way of life to the very concrete bottlenecks facing European founders. Along the way: why Latin and not English, what a new European renaissance built on Athens, Jerusalem and Rome might look like, and a closing defence of idealism in a continent that has been pragmatic for too long.
Connect with Timi: linkedin.com/in/timi-celcer
Follow Via Nova on Instagram: instagram.com/vianova_europae
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For Episode 11 of The European Republic, our host Nikodem Skrobisz talks with Giacomo Leombruni â winner of the 2025 Charlemagne Youth Prize with Forum Europaeum and founder and president of Last Call Europe, a platform built by and for young Europeans who want to shape the continent through debate.
Giacomo argues that more Europe doesnât mean less Italy. Giacomo makes the case that a stronger, more sovereign Union â especially on defence and foreign policy â isnât a threat to national identity but the only way European nations can hold their own at a table now dominated by the US, China, and Russia. Along the way he gives a candid, ground-level read on Italian euroskepticism, the youth crisis quietly driving so much of it, and why he insists young people arenât the future of European politics but its present.
In this episode we get into:
* The argument for a sovereign Europe â and why being â27 countries aloneâ is no longer an option
* The real roots of Italian euroskepticism: Brexitâs long shadow, Brussels-blaming, anxieties over the euro, and the populist habit of inventing a single enemy
* Youth unemployment, brain drain, and Europeâs drift toward a âgerontocracyâ
* How Last Call Europe was built from scratch â and the vision to grow it into a pan-European media platform
* Activist or journalist? The line between shaping opinion and reporting it
* Why the cure for polarization is more debate, not less â including with people who hate the EU
* The future of NATO, the transatlantic relationship, and the case for European strategic autonomy
Check out Last Call Europe: â
â
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Nathan Doude van Troostwijk | Paneuropa and the Real Threat to Europe | The European Republic #10
What does it take to actually unite Europe â and who's standing in the way? In this episode our host Nikodem Skrobisz is joined by Nathan Doude van Troostwijk, a paneuropean activist who has fundraised for Volt France, organised with JEF, and now coordinates Paneuropa Union in Belgium. Coming from a Dutch-French-Swiss family and raised in Alsace, Nathan brings a realist case for European unity: every pro-European, pro-democratic movement is a good one, and the real fight is getting the citizens â not just the elites â on board.
We range widely: why Spinelli's federalism and Coudenhove-Kalergi's vision aren't really opposed, whether pro-Europeans should borrow populist communication tactics (and where that gets dangerous), the state of French politics heading into the presidential election, De Gaulle as both realist and myth, Christianity and the Enlightenment as Europe's shared cultural bedrock, immigration and integration beyond the headlines, Europe's brain drain, NATO reform, the "autocracy" networks targeting the continent â and Nathan's pitch for a broad pan-European assembly to bring the scattered movements into one common front.
Paneuropa Union Belgium:
â https://www.instagram.com/paneuropa.belgiumâ
Nathans Instagram: â https://www.instagram.com/nathan_doude
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Do we want Europe to be a player â or a playground for other powers? In the 9th episode of The European Republic, our host Nikodem Skrobisz speaks with political scientist Anton Shekhovtsov, Director of the Centre for Democratic Integrity in Vienna and visiting professor at the Central European University, one of the world's leading experts on political warfare and the weaponization of the European far right by autocratic regimes.
We discuss what political warfare actually is and why Russia's invasion of Ukraine was the result of its failure; why the West still lacks a realistic vision for dealing with Russia; how the Kremlin, China, and increasingly the United States exploit Europe's internal crises and populist movements to keep the continent weak; why a "Europe of multiple speeds" may be the path to a sovereign, geopolitically capable united Europe; and why rearmament needs democratic legitimacy â and a vision worth defending.
Anton writes about the European far right, Russia's war on Europe, and the vision of pan-Europa on his Substack "Towers of Europa" â highly recommended:
https://shekhovtsov.substack.com
Centre for Democratic Integrity: â https://democratic-integrity.euâ
Anton's books include "Russia and the Western Far Right: Tango Noir" and "Russian Political Warfare."
The European Republic is the podcast for a united, democratic, federal Europe â interviews with pro-European and eurofederalist thinkers, activists, and politicians from across the continent.
Follow and support the podcast on Substack: â https://nikodemskrobisz.substack.com/â
Host: Nikodem Skrobisz ââ https://nikodem-skrobisz.comâ
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For episode 8 of The European Republic Podcast, our host Nikodem Skrobisz talks with Ivo IJssennagger , the Policy and Program Lead of Astra Europa. They discuss Ivos background as an economist and his past as a professional poker player, as much as his involvement in drafting the manifesto of Astra Europa.
Learn more about Astra Europa EU: https://astraeuropa.eu/
Join Astra Europa Netherlands: https://astraeuropa.nl/
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For episode 7 of The European Republic Podcast, our host Nikodem Skrobisz talks with Rolf Strijdhorst, the Vice Chairman of Astra Europa. They discuss Rolfs background as a software developer, liberalism and the vision and roadmap of Astra Europa especially in the Netherlands.
As always, you can also watch this episode on Spotify:
Learn more about Astra Europa EU: https://astraeuropa.eu/
Join Astra Europa Netherlands: https://astraeuropa.nl/
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Carlos Zapata-CarratalĂĄ | A Spanish Mathematical Researcher heading to Ukraine | Mathematical Research, Democratic Discourse and the War in Ukraine | The European Republic #6
For episode 6 of The European Republic Podcast, our host Nikodem Skrobisz talks with the Physicist and Mathematical Research Carlos Zapata-CarratalĂĄ, who is currently preparing to move to Kyiv very soon. The discussion covers his work and background as a mathemtatical researcher in theoretical physics and organiser of the SEMF, how democratic discourse benefits from diversity and how his visit to Kyiv in December 2025 led to his decision to become a european activist and move to Ukraine permanently.
Here you can support Carlos' Fundraiser: https://4fund.com/rr7a3j
SEMF - The Society for Multidisciplinary and Fundamental Research: https://www.semf.org.es/
Carlos on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-zapata-carratal%C3%A1-b068b51b4/
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In this second episode of the Ramblings Vlog, I, Nikodem Skrobisz, talk about the European Federalist Metagame.
The Ramblings are bonus episodes of The European Republic Podcast, where I will vlog about my thoughts behind the scenes, ramble about personal topics and reflect on ideas for paneuropean politics.
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In this first episode of the Ramblings Vlog, I, Nikodem Skrobisz, talk about my other public persona on the more german speaking corner of the internet, namley as a writer ans reflect on the relationship between politics and literature.
The Ramblings are bonus episodes of The European Republic Podcast, where I will vlog about my thoughts behind the scenes, ramble about personal topics and reflect on ideas for paneuropean politics.
Listen to this podcast episode also on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/0rud4tAKv6r4Se6XR4sArP?si=RFzXCHHGRradSqX5e67ocw
List of my publications: https://nikodem-skrobisz.com/Website/My+Books
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DĂĄniel KovĂĄcs | Forum Europaeum, Hungary after Orban and European Media
For episode 5 of The European Republic Podcast, our host Nikodem Skrobisz talks with hungarian mediamaker and journalist DĂĄniel KovĂĄcs. DĂĄniel KovĂĄcs has founded and leads the Forum Europaeum, a paneuropean media project, that tries to built a european media space and was awarded with the Youth Charlemagne Price. They talk about FEU, about PĂ©ter Magyar and his victory over Orban changing Hungary, the future of Hungary and its media in Europe, european cultural hegemomy and production. Including a few great stories about producing content for europe and how to connect its people.
FEU Website:https://forum-europaeum.com
Forum Europaeum YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@forum.europaeum/videos
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For episode 4 of The European Republic, our host Nikodem Skrobisz met with Arthur Krön in Vienna. Arthur is an Oxford Clarendon Scholar, NZZ Contributing Writer, Austrian Army Reservist and the founder of The Future is Yourope, an Initiative that wants to give Europeans a voice. We talked about building an European discourse, paths to European unification and the future of his project.
Thank you to Jadetee & Keramik for hosting our conversation: https://jadetee.at/
Check out The Future is Yourope now: https://yourope.io/
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In this episode of The Europeans our host Nikodem Skrobisz talks with Tatiana Shpyleva from the non-partisan, Brussels-based organisation The Europeans. We talked about how The Europeans aims to foster a new political consciousness across Europe and move discourse to the paneuropean level, the war in Ukraine and need for Europe to take defence and sovereignty more serious again.
Learn more about The Europeans here: https://the-europeans.eu/vision-for-the-europeans/
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In this episode of The European Republic our Host Nikodem Skrobisz interviews Andrea Moraeu, better known on X and Instagram as Omne.eu. Andi is a eurofederalist activist, known for his aesthetics and his commentary on culture and news from the Mediterranean and all of Europe in English and Interlingua / Neolatin. We spoke about Latin, Culture, Civilisation, Liberal Democracy and his vision for a united, free Europe.
Check out Andis X / Twitter: https://x.com/neolatyno
Check out Andis Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/omne.eu/
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n this episode of The European Republic our host Nikodem Skrobisz interviews the Eurofederalist YouTuber the Polish Dane, who is also one of the co-founders of the eurofederalist meta-movement The First Domino. We spook about his YouTube Account, producing videos for fun, his personal views on morality and nihilism, space colonisation and of course eurofederalism and the new movement The First Domino.
Visit the Polish Dane here: https://www.youtube.com/@PolishDane
First Domino:
https://firstdomino.github.io/
Nikodem Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/nikodem_skrobisz/
Nikodem Substack:
https://nikodemskrobisz.substack.com/
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