Talking Europe FRANCE 24 English

Voters under 30 account for a sixth of Europe's electorate. That's an important group for political parties to win over during this EU election season. Young people are less likely to take part in European elections than older generations, which makes them a prize for parties that know how to clinch their votes. But those aged 18 to 30 aren’t just a demographic. Their choices are a bellwether of what the priorities of Europeans will look like in the future, for instance on climate change and energy independence. We discuss this with our guests.

A Polish prime minister saying he's ashamed of his Polish identity. A flood of migrants assaulting people on the streets of Bulgaria's capital. The grandmother of a top European official shaking hands with Adolf Hitler. All of these are fake stories; part of what European officials say is a surge in disinformation ahead of next month's European elections. Much of it comes from Russia, without love. 

This week we take a closer look at the Green Transition in Europe - from the invaluable invertebrates in the soil beneath us, to the end of obsolete coal mines and the revolution in transport, our show investigates just how fast Europe is becoming greener - and how to ensure no-one is left behind in the race to decarbonise.

Another edition of our EU election series, on individual countries and regions in the EU: The Republic of Ireland is considered to be one of the most pro-EU member states, and the Eurobarometer poll that came out this spring bears that out: 67 percent of respondents said that the EU conjures up a positive image. But being pro-European does not necessarily mean supporting the traditional pro-EU parties in Ireland. Indeed, this election campaign has seen increased support for independent candidates. Is that trend related to the big social challenges that Ireland is facing - housing, and the cost of living?

With just a few weeks to go before EU elections, the far right in France is on track for a comfortable win, if the polls are correct. The National Rally only just beat France's ruling party, Renaissance, in the last EU elections in 2019. This time, a wide gap has opened between the two, potentially striking a serious political blow to President Emmanuel Macron and his idea of a more powerful Europe. The National Rally has struck a chord with its campaign about purchasing power, standards of living and crime in French cities. We take a closer look.

It has been called an invisible epidemic. Every year, around 300,000 people in Europe die prematurely because of air pollution, according to the European Environment Agency. Those of us living in cities are particularly exposed to unsafe levels of fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide. The EU is trying to bring air quality closer to World Health Organization guidelines, but the political deal that has been struck includes a clause that will allow member states to delay action by up to 10 years, if specific conditions are met. So how meaningful is this new legislation? We put the question to two MEPs.