Voices from Brussels: Recent Episodes
Euranet Plus
European journalists based in Brussels take you through encounters and interviews to understand what’s brewing in the bloc - a Euranet Plus podcast.
This five-year term will be characterised by strong leadership from Ursula von der Leyen and an unstable majority in the European Parliament.
An episode by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Commission president von der Leyen and HRVP Kallas © Alexandros Michailidis - Shutterstock
The EU is pulling out all the stops to achieve its goal of a green car fleet, while preserving its automotive industry. This includes reviewing the timescales for this transition, thinking strategically about electric batteries, ensuring a sustainable supply of essential raw materials and providing direct support to European industry. But are we not too late? Journalist Léa Marchal reports from Brussels.
An episode by Léa Marchal, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image © Shutterstock/ Rangsarit Chaiyakun
With a Commission and Parliament more right-wing than before, and with member states often showing little support, the next five years are unlikely to bring progress on equal rights in the EU.
An episode by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image © SibRapid / Shutterstock
Why is the future of the European car industry so bleak?
In this first episode of a two-part series, journalist Léa Marchal deciphers the ills of the automotive industry with MEP Jens Gieseke (EPP, Germany), Neil Makaroff, director of the Strategic Perspectives think-tank, and Simon Schütz, spokesman for the German automotive industry association VBA.
An episode by Léa Marchal, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image © Alexandros Michailidis / Shutterstock
The EU will have to show that it means business when it comes to defending Europe.
An episode by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image: Modern camouflage howitzer with a runway and 155 mm gun ammunition © Shutterstock - ZenitX
Nationalist and conservative representatives have gained ground in the European Parliament, but the centrist majority should retain control of key policies.
An episode by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image: JK21 on Shutterstock
Outgoing Commission president Ursula von der Leyen is standing for re-election, but a new mandate is not a foregone conclusion. Vincenzo Genovese looked into this for us.
An episode by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus
Image: © Alexandros Michailidis - Shutterstock
With the rise of far-right parties in the polls across Europe, the political choice of the European People's Party, the centre-right party and the largest party in the European Parliament, will be crucial. Vincenzo investigates from Brussels to find out how things might shape up in the next European assembly.
An episode by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image: EPP Congress in Bucharest on 3 March 2024 © CornelPutan - Shutterstock
With extreme right parties on the rise across Europe, the next European Parliament will inevitably see an increase in the number of nationalist MEPs. What might that look like?
An episode by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus
Image: Nicola Procaccini (ECR, Italy) and Marco Zanni (ID, Italy) at an EP plenary session © European Union 2023 - Source : EP
The reform of the founding treaties, a long-standing thorn in the side of the European Union, is back on the agenda to meet the challenges of enlargement of the bloc.
An episode by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image © Maxx-Studio / Shutterstock
While the immigration issue is having a major impact on the functioning of the Schengen area, Bulgaria and Romania are (im)patiently waiting at the borders of the area to enter - but it is not certain that the issue will be resolved by the end of the year.
This is the second part of a series of two episodes on the state of play in the Schengen area, by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image © Ducu Rodionoff / Shutterstock
The vulnerability of the Schengen area of free movement to the vagaries of European migration policy and the regular exceptions made by member states to its smooth operation have made reform increasingly necessary.
This is the first part of a series of two episodes on the state of play in the Schengen area, by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image © Pasquale Senatore on Shutterstock
With the presence of drugs on the rise in Europe, what is the EU doing to put a stop to it and prevent dramatic consequences?
An episode by Léa Marchal, brought to you by Euranet Plus
Image: Rudmer Zwerver / Shutterstock
By financing arms production, the EU is killing two birds with one stone: continuing to support Ukraine and developing its defence industry.
An episode by Vincenzo Genovese, brought to you by Euranet Plus
Image: SviatlanaLaza / Shutterstock
Instead of a European sovereignty fund, Brussels’ new clean tech financing facility falls short of investment expectations.
A podcast by Léa Marchal, brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image: giSpate / Shutterstock
The glimmer of hope brought by the “historic” agreement in the Council on a reform of the Pact on Migration was short-lived, as major obstacles remain.
A podcast by Vincenzo Genovese - brought to you by Euranet Plus.
Image © Adam Radosavljevic on Shutterstock
Russia's war on Ukraine has made the European Union wake up to its vulnerability to hybrid threats. But given their scale, potential impact and rapid evolution, the task of defending against them is daunting.
Image © Alex_Po on Shutterstock
The European Union has taken out its 'strategic compass' to move towards strengthening its future defence and security, including by increasing its capacity for action. But will the path it has charted be sufficient - and relevant? Journalist Vincenzo Genovese followed its tracks.
Image: Shutterstock
In this episode journalist Léa Marchal looks at the EU's Net Zero Industry Act, Brussels' attempt to prevent clean tech companies from relocating their manufacturing to the US.
Image: Shutterstock
One of the consequences of the war in Ukraine is the growing drive to strengthen the EU's military capabilities.
But beyond supporting Ukraine's war effort, what is the EU's common vision for the future of its defence and security policy?
Image: Shutterstock
In this episode Léa Marchal meets the leaders of the largest political groups in the European Parliament to reveal what MEPs are hoping to achieve in the run-up to the next European elections. Beyond the war in Ukraine, they want to show concrete results in the fight against inflation, social justice, easing migration flows and creating jobs.
MEP Iratxe Garcia Pérez at a plenary voting session early in 2023 © European Union 2023 - EP
The war in Ukraine has reshuffled the cards of the bloc’s defence and security policies and its relationship with NATO. Whether this will serve its geostrategic ambitions is still unclear. Listen to the first episode of a series on EU defence and security by journalist Vincenzo Genovese.
EU-NATO leadership sign third joint declaration in January 2023 © NATO, 2023
The EU has just put the finishing touches to a series of important texts targeting CO2 emissions in industry. While hitting the mark in terms of ambition, this latest Green Deal move is not likely to bear fruit as quickly as Brussels might have liked.
Coal plant / Shutterstock / kamilpetran
Search and rescue vessels in the central Mediterranean cause tensions among EU countries in the EU, while the Western Balkan route has seen the biggest increase in arrivals, causing great concern in Austria. Vincenzo Genovese takes us through interviews with MEPs and experts in Brussels to give us fresh - even chilling - news on EU migration policy.
Nine months after the start of the war and eight sanction packages later, the Ukrainian army is making significant progress in pushing back the Russian army. This progress has not come about thanks to the restrictive measures imposed by the EU. But then what do these sanctions achieve?
Anti-war rally in Spain © Photo by Al More on Shutterstock
The massive influx into the EU of people fleeing the war in Ukraine since February 2022 has triggered an unprecedented response of welcome and solidarity in the bloc. But whether this momentum will have a long-term impact on the EU’s migration policy is questionable.
Image: Volunteers help refugees from Ukraine at the railway station in Warsaw, Poland © Olha Solodenko, Shutterstock
La photo de famille des dirigeants de 44 pays européens à Prague le 6 octobre est peut-être le résultat le plus significatif du tout premier rassemblement sous l'égide de la Communauté politique européenne. Cette "plate-forme de coordination politique pour les pays européens de tout le continent", destinée à traiter des questions d'intérêt commun, peut-elle apporter de réels bénéfices ? Léa Marchal était à Prague et nous rapporte en ces nouvelles.
The family photo of the leaders of 44 European countries in Prague on 6 October is perhaps the most significant outcome of the first ever gathering under the aegis of the European Political Community. Can this 'political coordination platform for European countries across the continent', designed to address issues of common concern bring real benefits? Léa Marchal was in Prague - and has the story.
La Commission européenne a proposé une loi pour supprimer du marché européen les importations issues du travail forcé. Quel en sera vraiment l'impact? La journaliste Léa Marchal enquête - à Strasbourg cette fois - dans cet épisode en français de notre série "Voices from Brussels", produite par Euranet Plus.
Photo © Shutterstock (Femmes ouïgoures dans une usine de vêtements de la province du Xinjiang)
In a delicate balancing act, Brussels is proposing a law to rid the European market of all forced labour products.
Photo: Uyghur women in clothes factory in Xinjiang province © Azamat Imanaliev on Shutterstock
After a difficult birth, new EU legislation is finally coming to life that will require companies to have at least 40 per cent women on their boards - in this new 'Voices from Europe' episode by Júlia Manresa Nogueras.
© Photo by Rawpixel on Shutterstock.com
NATO allies and EU member states have supported Ukraine's war effort and sent weapons. Whether this support will be enough for Ukraine - and whether the West could do better - remains an open question. In this new episode of our 'Voices from Brussels' podcast, Léa Marchal reports... from Madrid.
Picture by Thomas Ragina on Shutterstock
EU institutions have recently passed two tech regulation that will mark a shift in the way we use the internet. Follow Júlia in the European capital, as she tries to grasp the concrete benefits of the DMA and DSA rules.
A new Voices from Brussels podcast by Euranet Plus.
© Photo by Kenny Eliason on Unsplash
Recent applications for European Union membership, including the popular Ukrainian one, call for an overhaul of EU's sclerotic enlargement policy. Léa, a French journalist who reports on European affairs from Brussels, asks politicians and observers in the EU capital where they this EU enlargement is headed.
This year should be the year of the revision of the 30 year old European tax rules. What is at stake? What ideas are on the table? What are the positions around the table? Spanish business journalist Júlia Manresa guides you through the complexities of European reform.
Júlia, a young Spanish journalist specialising in European economic issues and based in Brussels, takes you on a series of interviews in the EU capital. In this episode, she takes you through the debate on sanctions against Russia. What is their real impact? Should and can the EU do more?
Léa is a young French journalist who follows European news from Brussels. Discover with her what is going on in the heart of the EU and understand the stakes of these issues! In this episode, prepared the day before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she discusses the country's accession to the EU with MEPs and experts.
Júlia, a young Spanish journalist specialising in European economic issues and based in Brussels, takes you on a series of interviews in the EU capital. In this episode, she takes you through the debate on sanctions against Russia. What is their real impact? Should and can the EU do more?
Léa is a young French journalist who follows European news from Brussels. Discover with her what is going on in the heart of the EU and understand the stakes of these issues! In this episode, prepared the day before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, she discusses the country's accession to the EU with MEPs and experts.
This year should be the year of the revision of the 30 year old European tax rules. What is at stake? What ideas are on the table? What are the positions around the table? Spanish business journalist Júlia Manresa guides you through the complexities of European reform.