In this episode of The European Republic, our host Nikodem Skrobisz is joined by Marina Rrika — newly elected Non-Executive Board Member of Volt Europa and outgoing Co-President of Volt Albania, and the first person from a non-EU country to sit on Volt Europa's board.

We talk about her path from political science student to pan-European activist, and why she chose European politics over Albania's entrenched two-party system. Marina then takes us inside the month-long protests gripping Albania over the Narta Lagoon and Vjosa River, where Law 21/2024 on protected areas — changed without a parliamentary vote — has opened the door to construction in protected zones, the new Vlora airport, and a $1.4 billion coastal development deal linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner. We talk about Prime Minister Edi Rama's response, the role of Volt's MEPs, and what EU pressure and the accession process can (deliver.

From there we widen the lens: how Volt can build trust and real structures in countries far from Brussels, why she believes in investing in people and small local chapters over chasing electoral wins everywhere at once, and where she lands on the federalism question — a deeper, united Europe versus first rebuilding trust in the European project itself. We close on her message to young people thinking about getting involved.

A conversation about democracy beyond borders — and about building your future where you are.

Follow Marina on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/marinarrika/

On Volt Europas recent election:

https://volteuropa.org/news/new-volt-europa-board-elected

For Episode 11 of The European Republic, our host Nikodem Skrobisz talks with Giacomo Leombruni — 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 doesn’t mean less Italy. Giacomo makes the case that a stronger, more sovereign Union — especially on defence and foreign policy — isn’t 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 aren’t the future of European politics but its present.

In this episode we get into:

* The argument for a sovereign Europe — and why being “27 countries alone” is no longer an option

* The real roots of Italian euroskepticism: Brexit’s long shadow, Brussels-blaming, anxieties over the euro, and the populist habit of inventing a single enemy

* Youth unemployment, brain drain, and Europe’s drift toward a “gerontocracy”

* How Last Call Europe was built from scratch — 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 — 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: ⁠

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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 — 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 — not just the elites — 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 — and Nathan's pitch for a broad pan-European assembly to bring the scattered movements into one common front.

Paneuropa Union Belgium:

⁠https://www.instagram.com/paneuropa.belgium⁠

Nathans Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/nathan_doude

Do we want Europe to be a player — 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 — 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" — highly recommended:

https://shekhovtsov.substack.com

Centre for Democratic Integrity: ⁠https://democratic-integrity.eu⁠

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 — interviews with pro-European and eurofederalist thinkers, activists, and politicians from across the continent.

Follow and support the podcast on Substack: ⁠https://nikodemskrobisz.substack.com/⁠

Host: Nikodem Skrobisz —⁠ https://nikodem-skrobisz.com⁠

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/

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/

Carlos Zapata-Carratalá | 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-Carratalá, 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/

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.