Talking Europe

4.5 (2)
NEWS
UPDATED WEEKLY

Politicians, activists and researchers debate the issues facing the EU and a 'guest of the week' offers their insight in a long-format interview that gets to the heart of the matter. Saturday at 7:15pm.

2 DAYS AGO

'You need peace' to send EU troops to Ukraine: Belgian FM Quintin

Preparing to support Ukraine "in all scenarios' – that's how the head of the EU Council described the gist of the last European summit of the year, before Donald Trump returns to the White House. We explore the EU's preparedness with Belgian Foreign Minister Bernard Quintin. He raises the thorny issue of possible troop deployments by European countries in Ukraine, something that was touched on at the EU summit. He also talks about his hopes for a more democratic Syria following the ouster of Bashar al-Assad, and how the EU should support the transition there.

12 min
2 DAYS AGO

Erasmus programme, consumer protection, online safety: What the EU gets right

Things may look bleak for the European Union in the depths of winter, with challenges across the board: the threat of a trade war with the US, weakened political figures in Germany and France, European farmers menacing protests about the Mercosur deal, an uncertain outcome for the conflict in Ukraine, plus budgets being tightened for households and governments across the bloc. But despite or perhaps because of those threats, Europeans' sentiment is on the up: 51 percent of Europeans tend to trust the EU, the highest level since 2007; while 44 percent have a positive image of the bloc, a figure that's stayed more or less constant since 2010. Those figures are according to a recent Eurobarometer poll.

13 min
DEC 13

‘The future of Syria must include everyone’, Spanish FM Albares says

Talking Europe meets one of Spain’s most seasoned diplomats, and a close confidant of the Spanish prime minister. José Manuel Albares is Spain’s foreign minister, and a former ambassador to France. We discuss the fall of the Assad regime in Syria, war in the Middle East, Ukraine, the Mercosur free trade agreement – which Spain strongly champions – and migration.

12 min
DEC 13

Rightward shift in Europe puts pressure on Green Deal: Will key EU policy survive?

Today, the EU’s Green Deal faces pressure from an atmosphere of economic crisis: car factories in Germany are set to close, farmers protesting about excessive environmental protection measures, soaring energy bills for households. But as the recent floods in Spain have shown, the issue of the climate crisis remains unavoidable for Europe’s leaders. Ursula von der Leyen herself promised in 2019 that the EU would be carbon neutral by 2050. In 2024, the Commission president says the next step of the Green Deal is the Clean Industrial Deal or how the EU can better support its industry and European competitiveness, all while striving for those environmental goals. The Political landscape of 2024 is very different to that of 2019 with populist parties seizing seats in the European parliament, often at the expense of Green MEPs.

13 min
DEC 6

We need a peaceful change of government: Georgia's former vice-PM Baramidze

Georgia is sinking deeper into crisis, as a pro-European protest movement is met with a severe police crackdown that has been condemned by EU officials. Our guest has been out in the streets every night, demonstrating against the ruling party’s decision to pause Georgia’s EU membership process, and in protest at the recent parliamentary election which the pro-European camp is convinced was rigged – a view backed up by the EU parliament and by the joint observation mission of several western organisations. Giorgi Baramidze is a former state minister for Georgia’s Euro-Atlantic Integration, and a former deputy prime minister of Georgia.

12 min
DEC 6

Ukraine war escalates as third anniversary approaches: What diplomatic and military role for EU?

The war in Ukraine has entered what some officials say could be its most dangerous phase, with Kyiv now using Western-supplied missiles to strike deeper inside Russia, and Russia reported to be using North Korean troops in Ukraine. There is even talk in some Western capitals of sending troops to Ukraine – something that has been floated in the past by French president Emmanuel Macron. Meanwhile there is nervousness in Europe about what the incoming US president’s peace plan for Ukraine might entail – Donald Trump keeping his cards close to his chest. So what diplomatic and military role should the EU be playing?

12 min
NOV 29

Fighting disinformation is a daily struggle, former EU commissioner Mariya Gabriel says

Social media platforms play an increasingly important role in election campaigns, as the first round of the Romanian presidential election – in which a NATO-sceptic populist came out on top – amply demonstrates. Our guest is Mariya Gabriel, a former EU Commissioner for the Digital Economy and Innovation, who is well placed to discuss social media and disinformation, particularly in the context of southeastern Europe. We also talk to her about the new EU Commission's announcement of a "Competitiveness Compass" initiative, and the rolling political crisis in Gabriel's home country, Bulgaria.

13 min
NOV 29

The rise of drug-related violence in Europe: EU searches for joint solutions

A recent shootout over drug trafficking in France that degenerated into a massive fight between rival gangs, involving hundreds of people, prompted authorities to compare the French state to Mexico – the land of drug cartels. For Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau, France's drug problem is "at a tipping point". But this is not just happening in France. The EU's law enforcement agency Europol says that several member states are experiencing unprecedented levels of drug-related violence.

12 min

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Politicians, activists and researchers debate the issues facing the EU and a 'guest of the week' offers their insight in a long-format interview that gets to the heart of the matter. Saturday at 7:15pm.