Europe’s Demographic Reckoning with Tim Judah

By Ivan Vejvoda, featuring Tim Judah, Fletcher Alum and Special Correspondent for The Economist

In this Vienna Coffee House Conversation, Ivan Vejvoda speaks with journalist and former Europe’s Futures Fellow Tim Judah about his new book Life and Fate, which examines demographic changes across Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. They discuss shrinking and aging populations, declining fertility, migration patterns, labor shortages, and the fiscal challenges these trends pose. Judah assesses policy efforts such as family incentives and immigration, and emphasizes the necessity of focusing on healthy life expectancy and technological adaptation. The conversation culminates in Judah’s reflections on Ukraine, based on his frontline reporting. He outlines the technological evolution of modern warfare—drones, automation, fiber-optic systems—and Ukrainian resilience and pragmatism. They conclude by considering what these trends mean for Europe’s future, including the role of the UK, EU accession, and the evolving concept of Europe itself. 

Listen to the episode here.

(This post is republished from the Vienna Coffee House Conversation Podcast on Europe’s Futures.)