Danube Institute Podcast

Is reliance on Russian energy a choice or a necessity?Has Hungary made efforts to diversify its energy resources since 2022? What alternative energy supply routes does Hungary have? What will Hungary do if Donald Trump asks it to stop buying Russian oil?We asked the Hungarian State Secretary for Energy about Hungary’s energy policy.The Danube Lectures is a video podcast of the Danube Institute, a Budapest-based conservative think tank that asks its guests – decision-makers, experts, academics, and politicians – about their unique ideas.Host: Tamás Maráczi, a journalist at the Danube Institute.

In October 1962, the Cuban Missile Crisis sent 40000 volts through the global geopolitical system. The discovery of Soviet missile bases, 90 miles off the coast of America could not stand. But could it be reversed? Today, we know how the story ends. The boats turned back. World War Three was postponed. But at the time, it wasn’t so obvious. Sean Nottoli is a visiting fellow at the Danube Institute. Sean joins host Gavin Haynes to tell us about another island, another sea, and another crucible of the potential next World War 3. Of Taiwan. And China. Plenty of Western countries have good relations with America, he argues. But few have equally good relations with China. And for that matter, Taiwan. Could the Swiss model – a new kind of neutrality – allow Hungary to leverage its geopolitical strengths in the 21st century?

What is the importance of Hungary in Europe? What is the significance of the upcoming election in Hungary? Why do European institutions continuously criticize the policies of Fidesz?We asked the head of the MCC School of Media about the changing political landscape in Hungary.The Danube Lectures is a video podcast of the Danube Institute, a Budapest-based conservative think tank that asks its guests – decision-makers, experts, academics, and politicians – about their unique ideas.Host: Tamás Maráczi, a journalist at the Danube Institute.

China and the West have known each other for longer than we commonly admit. For most of that time, a small cognoscenti have taken each other's ideas and run with them, in mutual admiration.In this episode of Danube Culture, Philip Pilkington and David Dusenberry look over their recent lectures and seminars on the topic, up to an essay they co-authored entitled: 'The Western Roots of China and the Chinese Roots of the West.' from Confucianism, travelling to Europe, to the power of Marxism in Chinese ideas in China.

What are the ideological roots of this self-hating Western mentality? What did the ancient people know about the purpose of life that we do not? What are the symptoms of the decline of Western civilization?We asked Swedish-American author and philosopher Benedict Beckeld aboutour significant problem.The Danube Lectures is a video podcast of the Danube Institute, a Budapest-based conservative think tank that asks the institute's guests, decision-makers, experts, academics, and politicians about their unique ideas.Host: Tamás Maráczi, a journalist at the Danube Institute.

Will Romania ever grant autonomy to Szeklerland? Why does Romania consider Russia an imminent threat to Europe’s security? Why do Hungary and Romania view Ukraine’s possible EU membership from different angles? We asked a Romanian foreign policy analyst and former presidential adviser about Hungarian-Romanian relations and the Russian threat.The Danube Lectures is a video podcast of the Danube Institute, a Budapest-based conservative think tank that asks the institute's guests, decision-makers, experts, academics, and politicians about their unique ideas. Host: Tamás Maráczi, a journalist at the Danube Institute.

Inflation is a game we play with ourselves – and we always lose it. In a fiat money environment, for the system to work long term – then money has to keep the value it had when we earned and saved it. If its value declines, then we end up in a world of hard-to-notice theft. Savers are robbed. Asset owners rewarded more than their fair share. Banks lose the trust of their customers – and vice versa.Treasuries finance their deficits by kicking the can down the road, by borrowing more rather than either cutting spending or raising taxes, and eventually by borrowing in order to increase government spending still further. And inflation is not just an economic problem for finance ministers to solve. It’s a moral problem for ordinary citizens too. It impoverishes the poor, the old, and those on fixed incomes with particular severity. It enriches the better-off who have assets that rise in value as their prices rise. It encourages companies to hike prices covertly – by cutting the number of potato crisps in a bag or the amount of beer in a glass. And as for workers who win higher pay through collective bargaining–inflation reduces their take-home pay while they’re still walking home. And if they strike for still more money next year to recoup their losses from inflation, that will only add another twist to the inflationary spiral. The 1980s generation of politicians who took on runaway inflation, often did so clothed in the language of morality. They were right to do so. After all, tackling inflation requires us to make the sacrifice at the heart of morality. It’s short term pain for long term gain. But why do we never learn our lessons–that inflation is a mug’s game. That restoring price stability is hard and means a loss of income, jobs, and growthBrian Griffiths was Dean of the City of London University’s business school, before he became Director of the Number 10 Policy Unit in 1985. He later served as vice-president of Goldman SachsHe chaired the Griffiths Commission on Personal Debt in 2004, and for his services, was created Baron Griffiths of Fforestfach in the House of Lords. He is also a committed Christian. It is with all of these priors in mind that he came to his latest book, titled: Inflation Is About More Than Money: Economics, Politics and the Social Fabric. Brian will be joined in discussion by Philip Pilkington. Philip is a Danube Fellow, and the author of his own new book – The Collapse of Global Liberalism and the Emergence of the Post Liberal World Order. Philip is also a talented and unorthodox economist. Both of them see economics through a moral lens. And both of them believe our institutions should be more than just score-keepers. In this episode of Danube Economics, the duo discuss their perspectives on the proper relationship between inflation and morality with the Danube Institute’s President, John O’Sullivan.

What is the significance of the Tusványos Fest? Howcan it be a catalyst for Hungarian-Romanian dialogue? Is Hungary's policytoward Ukraine effective? Can Hungary remain a friend of the US, Russia, andChina simultaneously?  We asked the President of the Committee for ForeignAffairs in the Hungarian Parliament about Hungary's regional and geopoliticalchallenges. The Danube Lectures is a video podcast of the DanubeInstitute, a Budapest-based conservative think tank that asks the institute'sguests, decision-makers, experts, academics, and politicians about their uniqueideas.  Host: Tamás Maráczi, a journalist atthe Danube Institute.

Will Russia listen to Donald Trump's 50-day ultimatum? What burdens transatlantic relations? Are the Hungarian government's arguments on Ukraine reasonable? What's the current political landscape in Poland?We asked Liliana Śmiech, Director General for International Affairs at the University of Public Service, Hungary, about the geopolitical challenges of Europe.The Danube Lectures is a video podcast of the Danube Institute, a Budapest-based conservative think tank that asks the institute's guests, decision-makers, experts, academics, and politicians about their unique ideas.Host: Tamás Maráczi, a journalist at the Danube Institute.

What comes after the decline of the rule-based world order? What is the geopolitical weight of Europe? Is there any role for Christianity left in modern politics? We asked Timothy W. Burns, a professor of political science at Baylor University, about the crisis of Western civilization and the intellectual legacy of the West. The Danube Lectures is a video podcast of the Danube Institute, a Budapest-based conservative think tank that asks the institute's guests, decision-makers, experts, academics, and politicians about their unique ideas. Host: Tamás Maráczi, a journalist at the Danube Institute.