Europe Speaks: A TEPSA Podcast The Trans European Policy Studies Association

This episode of EuropeChats is the second in our two-part discussion with former Belgian Prime Minister and first permanent President of the European Council, Herman Van Rompuy. In the first part, TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos sat down with President Van Rompuy to discuss his experience and working practices in the EUCO; in this part, they discuss the main policy priorities he had to face during his tenure as President between 2009-2014.
President Van Rompuy has experienced different iterations of the European Council from different perspectives: he first joined the club as Belgian Prime Minister before the Lisbon Treaty entered into force and where Foreign Ministers where thus still taking part in the meetings. Then, when he became the Institution's first permanent President, he held the position in the iteration of the EUCO currently extant in the Treaties. All of this at a time where the EU's early 21st century so-called  'perma-crisis' was gathering momentum, with the fallout of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis continuing into the 2010s, and the early days of the Refugee Crisis coming to the fore towards the end of his tenure.
This episode is a discussion with Herman Van Rompuy. President Van Rompuy was Prime Minister of Belgium from 2008-2009, President of the European Council 2009-2014, and is Honorary President of the European Policy Centre.
EuropeChats is the flagship podcast of TEPSA and it is part of the TEPSA Podcast Channel “Europe Speaks”
Music: Worakls, 22 September 2014, Salzburg, Hungry music
This video is co-funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the European Union
Co-Funded by the European Union.

This episode of EuropeChats is the first in a number of discussions both within and outside of the EuropeChats series that TEPSA and its Member Institutes are conducting to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the European Council. In this discussion, TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos sits down with former Belgian Prime Minister and the first ever permanent President of the European Council: Herman Van Rompuy.
President Van Rompuy has experiences different iterations of the European Council from different perspectives: he first joined the club as Belgian Prime Minister before the Lisbon Treaty entered into force and where Foreign Ministers where thus still taking part in the meetings. Then, when he became the Institution's first permanent President, he held the position in the iteration of the EUCO currently extant in the Treaties. All of this at a time where the EU's early 21st century so-called  'perma-crisis' was gathering momentum, with the fallout of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis continuing into the 2010s, and the early days of the Refugee Crisis coming to the fore towards the end of his tenure.
This episode is a discussion with Herman Van Rompuy. President Van Rompuy was Prime Minister of Belgium from 2008-2009, President of the European Council 2009-2014, and is Honorary President of the European Policy Centre. EuropeChats is the flagship podcast of TEPSA and it is part of the TEPSA Podcast Channel “Europe Speaks”
Music: Worakls, 22 September 2014, Salzburg, Hungry music
This video is co-funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the European Union
Co-Funded by the European Union.

This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), and TEPSA Executive Director Mariam Khotenashvili. The discussion focuses on the current prospect of the EU enlargement file. With the accession agenda firmly in the foreground of European politics once again, thanks to recent decisions to start accession negotiations with Ukraine and Moldova (agreed in December 2023 European Council) as well as with Bosnia and Herzegovina (agreed in the March 2024 European Council), it is more crucial than ever to explore the ins and outs of enlargement policy, and discuss the ways forward for EU candidate countries.
In particular, the discussion focuses on topics such as the 50 billion euro Ukraine Facility as well as the 6 billion euro Reform and Growth Facility for the Western Balkans. In addition, Mariam and Gert Jan cover difficult issues such as citizens' (particularly farmers') concerns about the effects of Ukrainian grain exports on the EU's internal market and competitiveness, and a climate of disinformation surrounding the future accession of candidate countries.
This episode is a discussion with Gert Jan Koopman. Gert Jan is the Director-General of DG NEAR, with an ambitious agenda for strengthening integration between the EU and its neighbours. He has also previous worked on economy and competition policies and was in charge of the EU budget.
EuropeChats is the flagship podcast of TEPSA and it is part of the TEPSA Podcast Channel “Europe Speaks”
Music: Worakls, 22 September 2014, Salzburg, Hungry music
This video is co-funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the European Union
Co-Funded by the European Union.

In this series from the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA), Hugh Evans explores the ways democracy weaves its way in and out of the EU system.
This episode tackles the institution that you might already be most familiar with: the European Parliament. We will learn about its history dating all the way back to the 1950s and about what developments over the course of that period have served to increase the quality of representation, accountability, and ultimately democracy within it. We will also tackle a crucial concept in democracy theory: representation. While you might think you already know about this concept, there is more to the theory of representation than you might think, and its nuanced and vital role in democracy is implemented in a unique way in the EU system,
EU Democracy Explained is a series where we delve into detail about what democracy actually is and how it works in Europe, and ask ourselves: “what makes the EU democratic?”
Script, Recording & Editing: Hugh Evans
Music: Wondershare Filmora X
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

O’Sullivan
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion on the implementation and effectiveness of EU sanctions against third countries, with a particular focus on Russia. TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos is joined by EU Sanctions Envoy David O'Sullivan and a leading expert on sanctions, Dr Clara Portela from the University of Valencia. Sanctions are a key tool in the EU's external policy, and can be employed in a variety of ways and with a variety of possible aims and outcomes.
The most recent high-profile occasions in which the EU has chosen to impose sanctions on a third country is in a series of sanctions packages preceding and in the aftermath of Russia's aggression of Ukraine, which started in February 2022. Throughout the ensuing war, the EU has continued to ramp up its sanctions measures, and this episode discusses their implementation and effectiveness.
EuropeChats is the flagship podcast of TEPSA and it is part of the TEPSA Podcast Channel “Europe Speaks”
Music: Worakls, 22 September 2014, Salzburg, Hungry music
This video is co-funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the European Union
Co-Funded by the European Union.

In this series from the Trans European Policy Studies Association (TEPSA), Hugh Evans explores the ways democracy weaves its way in and out of the EU system.
This episode revolves around one of the institutions in the EU triangle that represents one of the two poles of the EU’s dual legitimacy: the Council of the European Union – legitimacy via the 27 governments. We will explore its makeup, its role and internal functioning, and we’ll discover what its crucial role in the legislative process might mean in terms of defining what the EU actually is.
In addition, we will learn about the complex academic debate surrounding the question of defining the EU as an entity. In exploring different theories of European integration and functioning, we will discover what aspects of the system conform to the various theories.
EU Democracy Explained is a series where we delve into detail about what democracy actually is and how it works in Europe, and ask ourselves: “what makes the EU democratic?”
Script, Recording & Editing: Hugh Evans
Music: Wondershare Filmora X
Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.