OTT Talks Podcast

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A platform for sharing ideas and experiences on topics that matter to people and organisations that generate, communicate, use and fund evidence.

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Listen to our latest season —

Think Tanks in a Changing Europe

How do think tank leaders navigate shifting political landscapes, financial constraints, and evolving policy demands? Discover their insights in our latest podcast series.

Across Europe, many think tanks are facing an uncertain future. As countries transition to upper-middle-income status, international donors and EU institutions have scaled back funding for civil society. Meanwhile, domestic demand for evidence-based policy research remains inconsistent and, in some cases, non-existent. This shift has left think tanks struggling to sustain their work at a time when democratic systems across the region are under increasing pressure.

In this podcast series, Goran Buldioski and Enrique Mendizabal speak with former and current European think tank directors who have led their organisations for over a decade. They share insights on the strategic decisions they made to grow, adapt, or shift focus, how they navigated political challenges, and whether they still believe in the role of think tanks in their countries and regions.

Season 1

• Sonja Stojanovic-Gajic, former director of the Belgrade Centre for Security Policy
• Péter Krekó, Director of the Political Capital Institute in Hungary
• Vessela Tcherneva, Deputy Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
• Karolina Wigura, co-founder and board member of Kultura Liberalna

Season 2

• Fabian Zuleeg, Chief Executive and Chief Economist at the European Policy Centre (EPC)
•  Simonida Kacarska, Director of the European Policy Institute (EPI) in North Macedonia
• Pol Morillas, Director of CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs)
• Special Episode | What we’ve learned so far: Reflecting on think tanks in a changing Europe