{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"Central Europe Matters","title":"E1: The old system collapsed, but is it really gone?","html":"","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":2701,"description":"This episode marks our first trip to Slovakia and the start of season 1, Slovakia – Democracy under attack. Buckle up – it's going to be a wild ride. Follow me, host Jeff Lugowe, as I speak with activists, researchers, artists and concerned citizens about the battle currently underway in Slovakia over the country's democratic future.\n ⠀\nWe begin in  Banská Bystrica in central Slovakia to meet Sandra and Lea, two activists with the organization Not in our Town (Nie v nasom meste).\n⠀\nThen we move a few hours northwest to the city of  Žilina. There, I sat down with three high school students who gained national prominence last winter for their Student Protest initiative (Študentský protest).\n⠀\nFinally, I drove the winding roads back to Central Slovakia and  Revúca, a town of 11,000 people set amid a canopy of forested hills. Diana invited me to her apartment, where we talked about being a community activist in a small, isolated town. \n⠀ \nThis journey around Slovakia is just getting started. Subscribe to Central Europe Matters if you haven't already – episode 2 will be out next Wednesday.\n ⠀\nEpisode soundtrack: Dufekova Cifra by  Folk&Bass Orchestra\n ⠀ \nCheck out the official show website, where you can read more about the podcast and what motivated me to embark on this project in the first place: https://www.centraleuropematters.eu/\n⠀ \nYou can see photos of the places we visited during this episode by clicking on the names of the cities above. \n  ⠀ \nEmail me with any questions or to tell me what you think of the first episode: jeff@centraleuropematters.eu\n ⠀ \nThis episode was produced, mix and mastered by Dávid Pál. It was hosted and executive produced by me, Jeff Lugowe. ","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/1wT1KDI0_HEdpVeYhqaQlyESRg1HeZe5pVUYeqi1hEI/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS9mYWVm/NmJhOTExMzczNzA5/MjgyNGI1ODliMjdm/NmY5YS5qcGc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}