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OTT PodcastAuthor: On Think Tanks
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Petra Reszkető from the Budapest Institute on leading an economic think tank in Hungary
Episode 1
Wednesday, 25 March, 2026
OTT Talks: Think tanks in a changing Europe is back for season 4.In the opening episode, co-hosts Enrique Mendizabal and Goran Buldioski speak with Petra Reszkető, Co-Director and Senior Researcher at the Budapest Institute, about leading an independent, project-based economic think tank in Hungary’s “illiberal democracy.”Petra outlines the challenges faced by the Budapest Institute, including limited and opaque government engagement, the emergence of quasi-governmental bodies and conflicting narratives, deteriorating access to and quality of public data, and the political risks associated with public participation.The conversation details the Institute's strategic pivot toward selective domestic engagement, collaboration with local actors, and an explicit regional focus. This regional work is supported by partnerships and projects with organisations such as the European Commission, the OECD, and the ILO.Key discussion points also cover the Institute's tender-driven business model, the difficulty of implementing post-evaluation changes, staff retention issues, and the critical importance of integrity, consistency, and robust contingency planning.This episode is part of a series, Think tanks in a changing Europe, supported by the Open Society Foundations. You can listen to the whole series here.Learn more about the Budapest Institute and the information discussed during this podcast.---About OTT Talks:OTT Talks is a platform for sharing learning among think tanks, funders, and other policy actors on a range of topics, from think tank governance to communicating research. Learn more.About On Think Tanks: On Think Tanks focuses on a range of issues relevant to think tanks, their staff, and supporters. We hope that our initiatives and the articles and resources we publish will support think tanks in making short- and long-term decisions more strategically, resulting in better policy advice and policy outcomes for all. Learn more & support us.
