Exorbitant costs, carbon emissions, and time management are some of the reasons for scrapping the monthly commute of the entire European Parliament to Strasbourg, according to advocates of the idea. However, the dual residency of the institution is deeply rooted in European history and is actively supported by activists in the French city. In this episode, host Giada Santana and activist Troy Davis discuss the pros and cons of the two-parliamentary seat design.
Jul 16, 2024•12 min•Ep. 90
Although geothermal energy is a small part of the EU’s renewable energy mix, it has significant potential as a stable and local source in the bloc’s quest for energy independence. The issue has now been revived under the Hungarian EU presidency, which began at the start of July, as EU energy ministers meet to discuss this type of energy on Monday (15 July). But how does geothermal energy work, what are the pros and cons, and what could it mean for the EU? We are joined in the studio by our energ...
Jul 15, 2024•13 min•Ep. 89
The European Parliament, the biggest democratic institution in the world, now features three far-right groups. Two of them, Patriots for Europe and Europe of Sovereign Nations, emerged only this week, from the ashes of failed alliance negotiations. Why couldn’t the far right unite, and what does their failure to form a single bloc mean for the European Parliament's next five-year mandate? In this episode, host Giada Santana and Berlin correspondent Kjeld Neubert trace how the political developme...
Jul 12, 2024•14 min•Ep. 88
EU ambassadors met yesterday (July 10th) to prepare a joint response after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s unexpected visit to see Putin as part of a 'peace mission'. The friendly nature of the discussions between the two leaders in Moscow upset EU ambassadors, as Hungary used the European Council presidency’s logo in background communications, despite claims from Orbán that the visit was an individual initiative based on national needs, In this episode, host Giada Santana and global Eur...
Jul 11, 2024•16 min•Ep. 87
This week all eyes are on the NATO summit taking place in Washington DC, marking the military alliance’s 75th anniversary with a collective message about unity. NATO leaders will discuss various topics, but the elephant in the room is the potential membership of Ukraine. But what other issues will be on the agenda, and which factors challenge NATO’s unity? To dive into the NATO summit and the leaders' priorities I’m joined by our politics reporter Aurélie Pugnet.
Jul 10, 2024•14 min•Ep. 86
Today the European Union launches a rocket into space, for the first time since the war in Ukraine began. Named Ariane 6 it symbolises a renewed hope that Europe will gain ground in the new space race. But the challenges ahead are plenty. Can Europe catch up? In this episode, host Giada Santana and science freelance journalist Senne Starckx discuss the significance of this launch, and what it means for the future of European space competitiveness.
Jul 09, 2024•13 min•Ep. 85
Defying expectations the French left-wing coalition, the New Popular Front, overtook Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, coming first during the second and final round of France’s snap elections on Sunday (7 July). The left-wing coalition, however, has not secured an absolute majority, therefore questions arise about who will be the country’s next prime minister, and which parties could collaborate to form a government. To break down what the future holds for French politics, I’m joined by our Paris...
Jul 08, 2024•11 min•Ep. 84
Despite the EU’s attempts to keep up with the breakneck speed of AI's progress, NGOs fear the bloc is taking a step back in the demanding fight to regulate the technology. Reports suggest that the European Commission plans to assign the delicate task of drafting codes of practice for OpenAI and other general providers to industry actors themselves, along with a yet undefined consulting firm. In this episode, host Giada Santana and tech editor Eliza Gkritsi discuss how the EU regulatory machine i...
Jul 05, 2024•12 min•Ep. 83
UK citizens head to the polls today for a general election widely expected to end the 14 years of Conservative rule and return the Labour Party to power, prompting questions about what it will mean for the EU-UK relations and why - while Europe is shifting to the right - the UK is turning left. To understand the implications of the vote, the major players, and the European consequences, we're joined in the studio by Catherine Feore, Euractiv’s editor, with insights from Mathew Nicolson, Europe E...
Jul 04, 2024•13 min•Ep. 82
Ursula von der Leyen is campaigning to secure a second term as Commission president after her party's success in the European Parliament elections and her nomination by EU leaders. She is negotiating with key groups, including the Socialists, the liberals, and the Greens, to secure the 361 votes needed for her confirmation in Parliament. At the same time, far-right leaders across Europe, including Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, are forming a new alliance with nationalist parties from Austria and the Cz...
Jul 03, 2024•16 min•Ep. 81
Sunday (30 June) marked the deadline for EU countries to submit their National Energy and Climate Plans (NECP), outlining how each member state will deliver domestically on the EU’s emission goals by 2030. However, only a handful of countries have met the deadline so far. Is the EU at risk of missing its climate neutrality target? In this episode, host Giada Santana and energy and environment journalist Niko Kurmayer analyse the importance of NECPs and the road to achieving net zero emissions....
Jul 02, 2024•12 min•Ep. 80
The French headed to the polls to decide on their next government after President Emmanuel Macron announced a snap election a few weeks ago. Jordan Bardella’s far-right Rassemblement National emerged victorious in this first round of legislative elections, with a record score of 34%. But what signals is this result sending ahead of the definitive second round, and what could the outcome mean for Emmanuel Macron’s future? To look at the results of the first round of the French elections, the reac...
Jul 01, 2024•13 min•Ep. 79
Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni has successfully leveraged her exclusion from the EU top job talks to reinforce her party's Eurosceptic narrative and position herself as a champion against the EU's elitism. But how is her strategy playing out in Brussels? In this episode, host Giada Santana and Euractiv Italy's Alessia Peretti discuss what Meloni wants from the European Council’s meeting and what she obtained.
Jun 28, 2024•11 min•Ep. 78
EU leaders are gathering in Brussels as of Thursday (26 June) for the last summit under the current mandate, to seal the deal on the distribution of the bloc's top jobs following the June European elections. At the same time, they will be addressing a swath of key policy issues for the EU and agree on the EU's strategic agenda, a policy plan that sets the EU’s direction and goals for the next five years. To dive into the topics on this summit’s agenda, we are joined by our Global Editor Alexandr...
Jun 27, 2024•12 min•Ep. 77
"Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer" is a saying that feels particularly relevant in Brussels as Hungary prepares to take over the presidency of the European Council—one of the EU's most crucial brokering positions—in less than a week. From the choice of a provocative motto to its declared priorities, Budapest appears unafraid of escalating tensions with Brussels, disappointing those who hoped this role might prompt a Hungarian realignment with EU values. In this episode, host Giad...
Jun 26, 2024•11 min•Ep. 76
The forthcoming report by former Italian prime minister and former European central bank president, Mario Draghi, on the future of European competitiveness is a valuable opportunity to shape the EU policy agenda for the coming EU legislative term and beyond. The report will focus on the EU's aim to leverage its numerous strengths and competitive advantages while also tackling existing challenges and facilitating the twin transition towards a sustainable and digital economy. But why has Draghi’s ...
Jun 25, 2024•17 min•Ep. 75
The promise of halting migration to Europe has been at the heart of centre-right and far-right parties' election campaigns across the EU for June's elections. While the strategy worked and garnered wide public approval, voters are now expecting politicians to deliver and leaders are looking beyond the EU for solutions. In this episode, host Giada Santana and Berlin correspondent Nick Alipour analyse what influence UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda model might have on future EU migration pol...
Jun 24, 2024•16 min•Ep. 74
The European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) announced on Wednesday they've overtaken the liberal Renew group to become the third-largest political group in the European Parliament. This shake-up impacts the negotiations for EU top jobs as - at least in theory - it makes the ECR entitled to one of them. But is ECR really interested in one of the top jobs? How is Italy's Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni planning to use her power? And what next for Ursula von der Leyen? To discuss this further, we...
Jun 21, 2024•13 min•Ep. 73
France's budget has breached EU fiscal rules, according to the European Commission’s latest report. In response, the Elysée has until September to present a plan to quell Brussels’s fears over its growing budget deficit and its high levels of debt. The excessive deficit procedure's timing could not be worse — France is going through an unexpected political campaign where both far-left and far-right parties have promised to their electorate generous economic measures. Is it the start of a fiscal ...
Jun 20, 2024•13 min•Ep. 72
The work of the new EU legislature unofficially kicks off in Brussels as per the post-election choreography. Freshly elected members of the European Parliament are now confronted with the choice to join existing political groups or form new ones. Groups have less than a month, until July 15th, to recruit newcomers and get re-grouped for the first European Parliament’s plenary. In this episode, host Giada Santana and politics reporter Max Griera review the latest moves in Brussels’ high-stakes ga...
Jun 19, 2024•14 min•Ep. 71
Members of the EU now have to respect legally binding targets, regarding national efforts to restore degraded land and sea ecosystems, compiling with the newly endorsed Nature Restoration Law. It was highly politically controversial, with the text risking failing to be approved multiple times in the past few months. Austrian Environment Minister Leonore Gewessler, even voting in favour, sparked a national political crisis. In this episode, host Giada Santana and Agrifood reporter Sofia Sanchez M...
Jun 18, 2024•14 min•Ep. 70
Today, the heads of state and government of the 27 European Union member states will meet at an informal European Council dinner, and one of the topics on the agenda will be who will take the EU top jobs. The meeting comes at a crucial time, just after the European Parliament Elections which have shaken up the balance of power and will see new, and old faces vying for key positions in the bloc's various institutions. In this episode, host Giada Santana and politics hub editor Aurelie Pugnet disc...
Jun 17, 2024•11 min•Ep. 69
The European Commission announced new trade tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles on Wednesday (12 June), in the hope of opening negotiations with China. So far, the anticipated decision has only managed to irk Beijing's ire. Will Europe’s move trigger an expensive domino effect for its industrial market? In this episode, host Giada Santana and economy and transport reporter Jonathan Packroff analyse the costs and likely outcomes of the EU-China's head-to-head.
Jun 14, 2024•15 min•Ep. 68
Farmers and the agricultural sector were one of the key issues in the political debate before the European elections. With the vote now behind us, we’re looking into what the new parliamentary composition means for the sector in this mandate. Who will sit on the Agri committee and will the electoral promises to farmers be kept? To shed some light on what will happen with the agri sector, I’m joined by our agrifood reporter Sofia Sanchez Manzanaro.
Jun 13, 2024•13 min•Ep. 67
Despite a series of recent scandals, Germany's far-right AfD party achieved its best national result in history in the European elections on Sunday (9 June). However, the internal situation doesn’t look as rosy: AfD's lead candidate Maximilian Krah, implicated in various scandals , will not be included in its EU delegation, as the party hopes this could improve its chances of joining the far-right ID group. But where will we see AfD positioning itself, and how will it impact national and EU poli...
Jun 12, 2024•12 min•Ep. 66
On Sunday night, Emmanuel Macron called for snap elections. The decision follows the European election results, which confirmed the victory of Rassemblement National and the clear defeat of the president’s party, Renaissance. Can Macron's surprise political gamble halt the growing success of the far right? In this episode, host Giada Santana and reporter Théo Bourgery-Gonse analyse what will come out of France’s political storm, with original comments from Greens co-chair Melanie Vogel, and RN y...
Jun 11, 2024•14 min•Ep. 65
More than 360 million European citizens had the right to vote in this weekend's European Parliament elections. Across Europe, the overall turnout was around 51%, and the results had knock-on effects on individual countries. Who were the big winners according to the latest exit polls, who were the losers, what happens with the non-affiliated, and in which EU countries were these make-or-break elections? To talk about what happened during the election night we’re joined by Aurelie Pugnet, Euractiv...
Jun 10, 2024•11 min•Ep. 64
European elections often reflect national concerns. Slovakia, Czechia, Latvia and Malta are no exception. In this episode, journalists Aneta Zachova, Liene Lusite and Alice Taylor explain turnout trends, projections and what drives the electoral campaign in the latest countries to close their polls.
Jun 09, 2024•16 min•Ep. 63
On the second day of the European elections, the Irish and the Czech went to the polls to decide who they want to represent them in the upcoming European Parliament. Although the turnout in Ireland was relatively high, the exit polls weren’t published, while the Czechs will be voting today as well. To better understand how the Irish voted, what the key issues are, and which MEPs may be staying in Brussels, we spoke with Euractiv’s editor, Donagh Cagney.
Jun 08, 2024•11 min•Ep. 62
The European elections have officially started. Yesterday, around 44 percent of Dutch citizens went to the ballot to cast their vote. We're here with the latest polls, projected seats, and all the highlights from last night. We're joined in the European Parliament by Rene Moerland, Euractiv’s publisher, with comments from Bas Eickhout, Spitzenkandidat for the European Greens, Gerben-Jan Gerbrandy, lead candidate of D66, and Reiner van Lanschot, lead candidate and co-lead of Volt for The Netherla...
Jun 07, 2024•13 min•Ep. 61
