Politoblog

Tensions on the Russia-Ukraine border are mounting, and the role of NATO in European peace with it. In this episode, Greta Scott, Amanda Louise Bolann, Mathias Hierl and Melker Hörner (Co-host of Radio UF at Studentradion 98,9) discuss the view of Ukraine from Scandinavia. This episode was recorded on the 17th of February 2022 in the Hollar Building studio of Charles University, Prague.

In this collaboration with the European Student Think Tank , Joseph Slattery and Greta Scott discuss topics ranging from vaccine mandates to climate change, to EU-China relations with German MEP Reinhard Bütikofer. Reinhard Bütikofer is an MEP from Germany, who has been serving in the European Parliament since 2009. He is a representative of Bündnis 90/Die Grünen (The Greens, Germany), which is a member of the European Green Party. He is currently the chairperson of the European Parliament’s Delegation for Relations with the People’s Republic of China, and a member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Delegation for Relations with the United States. He is also a substitute member in the International Trade Committee and the ASEAN-Delegation. He has previously been a parliamentarian in the state parliament of Baden-Württemberg, Germany. In November 2011, Bütikofer was awarded the Fray International Sustainability Award at the Fray International Symposium in Cancun, Mexico, for hi...

We put our trust in governments and institutions to mitigate the worst effects of climate change, but are they living up to our expectations and needs? In this episode, Greta Scott, Manon Heerts, Julian Theseira and Melker Hörner (Co-host of Radio UF at Studentradion 98,9) discuss climate governance, and what happens if it doesn't work. This episode was recorded on the 25th of January 2022 at the Hollar Building studio in Prague.

This inaugural episode sees Aria Guevara, Jonah Zijlma, Daria Khannolainen, Friso van der Vijgh and Greta Scott discussing the appropriately ambitious topic of migration in the Czech Republic, and Europe more broadly. Come for the serious discussion, stay for the tips on how to advertise your venereal disease! The episode was recorded on the 25th of October 2021 at the Radio and Television Laboratory in Prague.

In this second episode of The Common Room, Beatrice Giovannoni, Greta Scott and Aria Guevara discuss sexism in Europe. Does sexism really start in the home? To what extent does institutional sexism still exist in Europe, and what policies can we adopt to tackle it? And what are Daddy Months, and do they work? All this and more in this week's podcast. This episode was recorded on the 15th of November 2021 at the Radio and Television Laboratory in Prague.

In October 2021, the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists (ICIJ) released approximately 12 million documents leaked from 14 law firms and offshore trust companies. Known as the Pandora Papers , these documents revealed the financial dealings of hundreds of high-profile politicians, business leaders, and celebrities worldwide, including prominent politicians such as President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Prime Minister Andrej Babiš of Czechia, and Abdullah II, King of Jordan. The documents exposed secretive purchases of real estate, artwork, and other items acquired with the help of trust companies in offshore tax havens.  The UK: a long line of corruption scandals In a rather embarrassing turn of events, the UK is at “ the heart of the scandal ” revealed by the Pandora Papers, and even has the honour of being in Transparency International’s list of ten countries which urgently need to act in light of recent revelations. The UK’s implication in the Pandora Papers is t...

For 26 years, the UN has convened the countries of the world at COP climate summits. This “Conference of the Parties” unites all the parties of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and is the opportunity for states to update their climate commitments. This year’s COP will take place in Glasgow – but will it be the success it needs to be? I question our reliance on these climate conferences as they are rarely successful. First, the sheer number of member states is a problem in itself. As David Victor explains, it’s impossible for 197 states to agree on climate negotiations, and the UN is not correct forum to achieve consensus. In 1992, the French government was pushing for well-defined targets and deadlines to achieve them by, but the Bush government refused to attend the Rio Summit if this were the case. Again, in 2001, the USA left negotiations on the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol. They even abandoned the Paris Agreement (although this has since been reversed). We can ...