meta_pixel
Tapesearch Logo
Log in
The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor 09-03 segment 16.mp3 Guest: Ivana Stradner from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Autocracy and Protests in the Western Balkans Ivana Stradner reports on mass protests in Belgrade demanding snap elections following a fatal acc

The John Batchelor Show

John Batchelor

News, Arts, Books, Society & Culture

4.52.8K Ratings

🗓️ 4 September 2025

⏱️ 12 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

 John Batchelor 09-03 segment 16.mp3 Guest: Ivana Stradner from the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies. Autocracy and Protests in the Western Balkans Ivana Stradner reports on mass protests in Belgrade demanding snap elections following a fatal accident and criticizing President Alexander Vučić's autocratic regime, which she likens to "Belarus 2.0". Vučić is accused of corruption and suppressing free media, while fostering close military and economic ties with China and Russia to maintain power and "blackmail" the West. Stradner expresses concern over the repression against Serbian people.

1904 DANUBE


Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0

Building a coffee business?

0:01.9

Serving the best Americano in town is up to you.

0:04.1

But winning back time and growing your business, leave that to sum up.

0:07.1

Take orders and payments anywhere with the new SumUp terminal.

0:09.9

Turn occasional customers into regulars with a free loyalty program.

0:13.4

And with the SumUp point of sale system, you'll always know when you're running low on your best-selling blends.

0:17.9

Visit sumup.co.uk to learn more.

0:23.8

This is CBS. I on the world. I'm John Batchelor. Trouble in the Western Balkans. I welcome

0:31.2

Ivana Stradner of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, who's my guide on the Balkans,

0:36.7

and especially in this in-between

0:39.4

world, Moscow and Beijing on one side, Brussels and the United States on the other, and then

0:46.9

Belgrade, September 1st, within these last hours, tens of thousands of protesters silently

0:53.9

marched in Belgrade to commemorate the deaths

0:57.1

of 16 people killed when a roof on a renovated railway station collapsed, demanding snap

1:04.0

elections. These protesters hope would oust President Alexander Vouchich and his ruling SNS party.

1:13.2

Ivana, a very good evening to you. You prepared all of us for this event, the marching,

1:18.6

because the protest has been going on for months. At the same time, Vuchich was not in attendance

1:24.3

of his own people. He was in Beijing to witness a military parade.

1:30.6

I want to start with the protest, and then we'll go to the parade.

1:34.2

And Vouchard standing there on the reviewing platform with Vladimir Putin himself,

1:39.9

with Kim Jong-un, with Xi Jinping, and other unsavory autocrats.

1:47.5

In Belgrade, 16 people died.

...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from John Batchelor, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of John Batchelor and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.

Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.