Europe’s Demographic Reckoning with Tim Judah

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. 

A British journalist and author  Tim Judah is a Special Correspondent for The Economist and a longtime commentator on Eastern Europe. Educated at the LSE, and Fletcher School at Tufts University, he has reported from global hotspots across the Balkans, Ukraine, Africa, and Asia. His major works include The Serbs: History, Myth and the Destruction of Yugoslavia, Kosovo: War & Revenge, and In Wartime: Stories from Ukraine. Judah co-founded the concept of the “Yugosphere” during a fellowship at LSE in 2009, serves on the boards of BIRN and the Kosovar Stability Initiative, and was a Europe’s Futures Fellow of the IWM and ERSTE Foundation in 2018/19.