Radio Vinternational

Russia’s Propaganda has reached The White House

Russia’s Propaganda has reached The White House  How Putin weaponizes history and narratives to justify war This week, I sat down with two experts who understand exactly how narratives shape war, attention, and global instability. Olena Snigyr from Ukraine and Salvador Lima from Argentina joined me to discuss how Russia manipulates narratives to justify its expansionist and totalitarian policies. After this conversation, I am more convinced than ever: the battle for Ukraine is the battle for liberal values and the international rule of law.  Meet the guests  My first guest is Olena Snigyr [https://www.eui.eu/people?id=olena-snigyr]. She is a Jean Monnet Fellow at the EUI’s Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies. She is from Ukraine, and she is an expert on Russian foreign policy, European Security, and the role of narratives in international relations. You can find her on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/olena-snigyr-672b8343/]. My second guest is from Argentina, his name is Salvador Lima [https://www.eui.eu/people?id=salvador-lima]. He is a PhD-researcher at the EUI, and specializes in the study of empires, war history and colonialism. His PhD is on French and Spanish Foreign Legions in the Interwar Period, 1919-1939.  Find him on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/salvador-lima-0327092a2/] here. Recommendation of the WeekWith two guests, what else could I expect than an extensive list of recommendations! Olena and Salvador gave their favourite authors and sources to learn more about Ukraine, narrative wars and Russia’s foreign policy.  * To stay updated on the events in the Russo-Ukrainian war, read and follow the Kiev Independent [https://kyivindependent.com/news-archive/?utm_source=paid&utm_medium=ppc&utm_campaign=news&utm_term=news&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAoJC-BhCSARIsAPhdfShwv-yRBZewx0yQnfOkDrI6062NDLOdIQT7nJ4RHj93oj8lkQF0Z68aAgD2EALw_wcB], the English-language media outlet from Ukraine.  * Serhii Plokhii, [https://history.fas.harvard.edu/people/serhii-plokhii] Professor of Ukrainian History at Harvard University and the Director of the Ukrainian Research Institute.  * Timothy Snyder [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_Snyder], one of the most famous historians of the world who has published numerous works on Freedom, Totalitarianism and on Ukraine specifically. He now is running a lot of projects on Ukrainian, and regularly writes about the country’s fight for freedom in his Substack [https://snyder.substack.com/] newsletter.   * Mikhail Suslov has just published a new book: “Putinism – Post-Soviet Russian Regime Ideology” - in which he answers the question “What is Putin’s ideology?”  * The work of sociologist Lev Gudkov, who defined the system of Putin’s Russia as “recurring totalitarianism”: Recurrent totalitarianism and Russia’s conservative shift [https://russiapost.info/society/recurrent_totalitarianism]. The author lives in exile in Vienna, now.  I hope you enjoy this episode. As always, I’d love to hear your thoughts! Saluti,  Vincent

The history of Veneto-Ottoman borderlands

The history of Veneto-Ottoman borderlands    What borders say about political power and nation states This episode is one for the lovers of history: I had the pleasure of speaking with historian Vuk Uskokovic about the hidden dynamics of early modern borderlands. His research focuses on the rural communes along the frontier between the Venetian Republic and the Ottoman Empire—places often seen as peripheral but, in reality, central to the workings of the two empires.  Meet the guest  Vuk Uskoković is a historian from Montenegro and his work focuses on rural communes on both sides of the early modern Veneto-Ottoman border. Vuk obtained his PhD from the History department European University Institute only a few weeks ago! Before his time at the EUI, he studied in Montenegro and at Cambridge.  Currently, he is a Research Associate at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies. You can find more information about his current and former research projects on his EUI-page [https://www.eui.eu/people?id=vuk-uskokovic].  Recommendation of the WeekVuk has various recommendations:  * For the London Review of Books, Alexander Clapp [https://pulitzercenter.org/people/alexander-clapp] wrote the article ‘Rip their skin off’ [https://www.lrb.co.uk/the-paper/v46/n08/alexander-clapp/rip-their-skin-off], in which he talks about the contemporary involvement of Montenegran drug syndicates and their relation to history and borderlands. If you check the website, you see that the Office of the Former President of Montenegro actually reacted to his piece, and it’s clear that they are not happy with his article….  * Also, we discuss in our conversation the work ‘The Art of Not Being Governed [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Art_of_Not_Being_Governed]’ by James C. Scott [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_C._Scott], a fascinating exploration of how communities across Southeast Asia have historically evaded state control. The work of this historian fits very well into the subjects that Vuk studies!  * For the real history-lovers, Vuk recommends the Work of the Yugoslav historian Ivan Božić [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivan_Bo%C5%BEi%C4%87_(historian)]. He produced mostly short articles, about the late medieval history of the South-East Adriatic. Mostly working on the beginnings of the frontiers, the establishment of the Venetian presence and the arrival of the Ottomans. The origin story of Vuk’s frontier, so to say!  * Last, but not least: Vuk also points out i two different hiking regions, in Montenegro! One for the experienced/fanatic hiker, the other a bit more relaxed…. I hope you enjoy this episode, and as always feedback is very welcome!  Saluti,  Vincent

Small states, Big influence

How small island states can punch above their weight in climate diplomacy   In this episode, I speak with Sarah Tegas, a PhD candidate at Sciences Po Paris, about the outsized role of small states in global climate diplomacy. These nations, often seen as vulnerable to external shocks and climate crises, have leveraged innovative strategies to transform their perceived weakness into diplomatic strength. Sarah shares insights into the ongoing climate negotiations at COP29 in Baku, explains why climate change is a "super wicked problem," and reveals the tactics small island states like Tuvalu and Fiji use to drive ambitious action. From coalition-building to impactful media moments like Tuvalu’s unforgettable underwater speech, small states are showing the world how to punch above their weight. Meet the guest Sarah Tegas is a Doctoral candidate from Sciences Po, within the project “beyond Coalitions: Small States in UN Climate Negotiations” (BeCoSS Climate). This projec is part of the Centre for International Studies [https://www.sciencespo.fr/ceri/en/]. Prior to her position in Paris, she completed her Master in Transnational Governance at the European University Institute, after which she stayed at the EUI to work as a trainee for the EIB Climate Chair. Before this, she studied in Manchester.  You can find Sarah on LinkedIn [https://fr.linkedin.com/in/sarah-tegas] or at her personal Science Po [http://sciencespo.fr/ceri/en/users/sarahtegas] profile-page.  Recommendation of the Week * “On Behalf of My Delegation - A survival guide for new and lonely climate change negotiators” [https://www.iisd.org/books/on-behalf-my-delegation-second-edition] is a book written by Joyeeta Gupta [https://www.uva.nl/en/profile/g/u/j.gupta/j.gupta.html] -  She is full professor of environment and development in the global south at the Amsterdam Institute for Social Science Research, and the lead author in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change that won the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore.  * This might be a good moment for my irrelevant ‘humble brag’: in 2019 I had a one-time class from her and it was truly inspiring. It definitely was one of the reasons I pursued a career in international development!  * Sarah’s second recommendation is for people that want to become active participants at one of the next COP’s! She recommends you to request an observer badge, through one of the involved NGO’s.  I hope you enjoy this episode, and as always feedback is very welcome. Wishing you happy holidays once again, and see you in the new year.  Saluti,  Vincent

Contested Statues and Monuments with Jadé Botha

Contested Statues and Monuments How to settle disputes over representation in public places Can a statue be offensive, objectionable or even violent? And who decides what to do with such a monument? In this episode, I speak with Jadé Botha, a Ph.D. researcher at the European University Institute who previously worked for the Contested Histories Initiative. We discuss case studies from around the world, including the Edward Colston statue in Bristol and Mussolini’s bas-relief in Bolzano, and explore how community involvement and contextualization can offer alternatives to removal.  Meet the guest  Jadé Botha grew up in Cape Town and finished high school in Armenia through United World Colleges. Previously, she studied in Leiden and Amsterdam and currently, she is a PhD Researcher in International Law at the European University Institute (EUI) in Florence. Her research interests are transitional justice and international criminal law - and at the EUI she is part of the Cultural Heritage Working Group. You can follow her on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jad%C3%A9-botha-a197a0115?originalSubdomain=it] or through her profile [https://www.eui.eu/people?id=jade-botha] on the EUI page!  Recommendation of the Week Jadé recommends three things:  1. The website of the Contested Histories Project, to explore the full collection of case studies.  [https://contestedhistories.org/resources/case-studies/] 2. Read‘ Contested Histories in Public Spaces: Principles, Processes, Best Practices [https://www.ibanet.org/contested-histories]’   3. Last, but definitely not least: look around you if you walk through cities! Look at the names of streets, statues and everything that is (not) represented around you… Enjoy the episode!   Saluti,  Vincent

Rethinking African Governance

Rethinking African Governance Governance indicators, Ubuntu and Effective Governance  Let’s be honest: nobody in the world is against good governance. Strong and robust governance leads to civil liberties, economic growth, and other critical aspects of simply having a good life. But how can we measure it, improve it and reimagine it? In this episode of Radio Vinternational, I sit down with Gilbert A. Ang’Ana, Policy Leader Fellow at the School of Transnational Governance and CEO of Accent Leadership Group, to explore these crucial questions. We discuss Africa’s governance gaps and their impact on public trust, economic stagnation, and political stability. Gilbert shares insights from his policy paper, co-authored with Professor Alain Lempereur, highlighting the role of intra-governmental collaboration as a solution to fragmented governance. He also dives into the importance of Afrocentric principles like Ubuntu and Harambee in shaping effective governance tailored to Africa’s unique needs. Meet the guest Gilbert A. Ang’Ana is a Policy Leader Fellow at the School of Transnational Governance in Florence and the CEO and founder of Accent Leadership Group [https://accentleadershipgroup.com/]. He holds a Ph.D. in Organisational Leadership from Pan Africa Christian University in Kenya. Gilbert’s mission is to build governance structures that help Africa move to the next level, with a focus on collaboration, accountability, and Afrocentric principles.  You can find GIlbert on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-gilbert-a-ang%E2%80%99ana-phd-2422216a/], or reach out to him through his EUI-contact details [https://www.eui.eu/people?id=gilbert-angana].  Recommendation of the Week Gilbert recommends readers to explore the Mo Ibrahim Index of African Governance [https://mo.ibrahim.foundation/our-research/iiag] and dive into the reports by Good Governance Africa [https://gga.org/]. These will help you better understand the metrics and trends shaping governance on the continent - and you can reflect on how governance is categorised and defined.  Of course, he also encourages a close reading of the policy paper that he co-authored with Professor Alain Lempereur [https://www.eui.eu/people?id=alain-raymond-georges-joseph-lempereur] which delves into intra-governmental collaboration as a key solution for Africa’s governance challenges. There, you can read more in-depth about what they observe as the key policy recommendations!  I hope you enjoy this episode, and as always feedback is very welcome!  Saluti,  Vincent