Couverture de The Middle Ground

The Middle Ground

The Middle Ground

De : Viktorya Muradyan & Valeriya Izhyk
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 We’re Valeriya and Viktorya, two immigrant best friends from Ukraine and Armenia who came to Brussels 5 years ago. In Brussels, institutions may dominate the stage, but behind the curtains, there’s a whole community that matters. We founded The Middle Ground - a unique mix of a talk show and podcast - to open the doors to that community. Let's discover how you can build the life of your dreams in one of the most competitive cities in the world.Viktorya Muradyan & Valeriya Izhyk Développement personnel Réussite personnelle
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    Épisodes
    • 13 - Petra Petan: Ex-member of the Commissioner’s cabinet, writer, mother

      13 - Petra Petan: Ex-member of the Commissioner’s cabinet, writer, mother
      Dec 16 2025
      Welcome to the thirteenth episode of The Middle Ground, a talk show and podcast not about politics, but about the people of Brussels.When Slovenian-born Petra Petan shared on LinkedIn that she was leaving her role in the Cabinet of European Commissioner Paolo Gentiloni to become a full-time mother, the reaction was overwhelming. Friends and colleagues were stunned. Who, at the height of a successful career, chooses to step away for motherhood?With that single post, Petra sparked a wider conversation in Brussels about ambition, success, and what motherhood means in a modern career. Throughout it all, she continued to express her deep affection for Brussels — a city that, as she puts it, “gives her wings.”🎧 In this episode, Petra opens up about her journey from Slovenia to Brussels and the many lives she has lived along the way. She reflects on why motherhood is often framed as a penalty for women, what it feels like to find a new rhythm and discover new passions, and her refreshingly unconventional way of finding balance. She also shares why she keeps falling in love with Brussels, her favourite things about the city, and why, for her, the “middle ground” isn’t about slowing down, it’s about accelerating.The episode is hosted by Viktorya Muradyan.Follow Petra on:LinkedIn SubstackInstagramCaution: After this episode, you might want to take a break from your Commission job.🔵 About The Middle GroundWe’re Valeriya and Viktorya, two immigrant best friends who came to Brussels from Ukraine and Armenia. We bonded over war, visas, jobs, and endless receptions, and eventually built a home together – with a blue couch overlooking the Belgian capital and the heart of the EU. That couch has become the place where we laugh, vent, and try to make sense of this city we’ve learned to love. One night, we realised Brussels was missing exactly that: a cosy, human space for honest conversations.That’s how The Middle Ground was born: a mix between a talk show and a podcast for all the people of Brussels – not just those with titles and badges, but also those who keep the city alive with their work, love, stories, frustrations, victories, and humour. We want to show a Brussels where everyone belongs, and where you can build a beautiful, happy life even before you’ve “made it.”Every week, we invite someone onto the couch to talk about their journey, their lessons, and the truths we usually only share over coffee or beers. It’s funny, warm, sometimes cheeky, and always real.👉 Join our community: We need you to make this project work. You are the soul of Brussels, your life and your stories keep this city alive. Subscribe, comment, share your thoughts, and let’s find our middle ground together.If you are interested in being a guest, please fill out this form, and we will get back to you: ⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/bNy9K7iFajXjx9qEA⁠⁠⁠🌍 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📧 Get in touch with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠themiddleground.bxl@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔗 Connect with the producers and hosts:Valeriya Izhyk → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Viktorya Muradyan → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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      28 min
    • 12 - Teun Janssen: European Parliament assistant, defense and security enthusiast, pianist and a cook

      12 - Teun Janssen: European Parliament assistant, defense and security enthusiast, pianist and a cook
      Dec 2 2025
      Welcome to the twelfth episode of The Middle Ground, a talk show and podcast not about politics, but about the people of Brussels.Brussels' cultural mix made Teun Janssen, the Parliamentary assistant, feel less Dutch and embrace the work-related chaos as a canvas for building up his peace. Focusing on defence and Ukraine files, Teun shares that one needs to be the first in the room, the smartest and the nicest, if the goal is to have your thoughts to be taken up in the higher discussions, despite our very small role. This frequently comes at the price of the ownership for your own ideas, and eventually “ego death”. In this episode, Teun explores common misconceptions about working in the European Parliament and offers his own “no-go” arguments to help avoid the disappointment that can come from choosing it as a career. He compares the popular TV show The Parliament with real-life politics and reveals what the series fails to capture. Drawing inspiration from Pieter Bruegel’s paintings, Teun also reflects on what doesn’t sit well in Europeans’ perception of security threats.Teun also speaks of self-deprecation as a way to not become arrogant in Brussels, choice of hobbies that helps to compensate for the lack of progress in work, and avoiding a risk of being doomed to date people from 'work' or from your bubble cause it's easierThe episode is hosted by Valeriya Izhyk.You can find Teun on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janssenteun/🔵 About The Middle GroundWe’re Valeriya and Viktorya, two immigrant best friends who came to Brussels from Ukraine and Armenia. We bonded over war, visas, jobs, and endless receptions, and eventually built a home together – with a blue couch overlooking the Belgian capital and the heart of the EU. That couch has become the place where we laugh, vent, and try to make sense of this city we’ve learned to love. One night, we realised Brussels was missing exactly that: a cosy, human space for honest conversations.That’s how The Middle Ground was born: a mix between a talk show and a podcast for all the people of Brussels – not just those with titles and badges, but also those who keep the city alive with their work, love, stories, frustrations, victories, and humour. We want to show a Brussels where everyone belongs, and where you can build a beautiful, happy life even before you’ve “made it.”Every week, we invite someone onto the couch to talk about their journey, their lessons, and the truths we usually only share over coffee or beers. It’s funny, warm, sometimes cheeky, and always real.👉 Join our community: We need you to make this project work. You are the soul of Brussels, your life and your stories keep this city alive. Subscribe, comment, share your thoughts, and let’s find our middle ground together.If you are interested in being a guest, please fill out this form, and we will get back to you: ⁠⁠https://forms.gle/bNy9K7iFajXjx9qEA⁠⁠🌍 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📧 Get in touch with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠themiddleground.bxl@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔗 Connect with the producers and hosts:Valeriya Izhyk → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Viktorya Muradyan → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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      30 min
    • 11- Saim Saeed: Pakistani (not a prince), tax journalist, founder of Walking History Brussels

      11- Saim Saeed: Pakistani (not a prince), tax journalist, founder of Walking History Brussels
      Nov 25 2025
      Welcome to the eleventh episode of The Middle Ground, a talk show and podcast not about politics, but about the people of Brussels.Against all odds, Saim Saeed found himself in the Belgian capital. A newly naturalised Belgian–Pakistani, Saim is a tax journalist walking for Bloomberg and the founder of Walking History Brussels, a guided tour that explores Belgium’s colonial past through the monuments and public spaces we pass by every day (often without noticing their stories).🎧 In this episode, Saim shares the unexpected journey that led him from Pakistan to Brussels, how searching for belonging pushed him to understand Belgium’s own history, and why a “brown man giving colonial tours” is far less strange than it sounds. We talk about the process of naturalisation, the cultural negotiations migrants quietly make, and the surprising gaps in how Brussels remembers its past. He also speaks about shame, guilt, success, and the invisible rules of integration; dating in Brussels; being a self-made migrant in a place that often has trouble imagining such stories; and what it means to “integrate so well that you might need to disintegrate a little.” The episode is hosted by Viktorya Muradyan.Caution: After this episode, you might want to take one of Saim’s walking tours. You can find Saim on LinkedIn.🔵 About The Middle GroundWe’re Valeriya and Viktorya, two immigrant best friends who came to Brussels from Ukraine and Armenia. We bonded over war, visas, jobs, and endless receptions, and eventually built a home together – with a blue couch overlooking the Belgian capital and the heart of the EU. That couch has become the place where we laugh, vent, and try to make sense of this city we’ve learned to love. One night, we realised Brussels was missing exactly that: a cosy, human space for honest conversations.That’s how The Middle Ground was born: a mix between a talk show and a podcast for all the people of Brussels – not just those with titles and badges, but also those who keep the city alive with their work, love, stories, frustrations, victories, and humour. We want to show a Brussels where everyone belongs, and where you can build a beautiful, happy life even before you’ve “made it.”Every week, we invite someone onto the couch to talk about their journey, their lessons, and the truths we usually only share over coffee or beers. It’s funny, warm, sometimes cheeky, and always real.👉 Join our community: We need you to make this project work. You are the soul of Brussels, your life and your stories keep this city alive. Subscribe, comment, share your thoughts, and let’s find our middle ground together.If you are interested in being a guest, please fill out this form, and we will get back to you: ⁠https://forms.gle/bNy9K7iFajXjx9qEA⁠🌍 Follow us on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TikTok⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📧 Get in touch with us: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠themiddleground.bxl@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🔗 Connect with the producers and hosts:Valeriya Izhyk → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Viktorya Muradyan → ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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      31 min
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