Listen: Is the EU rolling back its pesticide rules?
A banned chemical, a divided nation, and Europe’s shifting rules: France reopens a heated debate over pesticides, public health, and industry pressure — as the EU hints at rolling back protections
Podcast
-
-
Listen: Is the EU well prepared for a threat from Russia?
Are Europeans truly ready for a Russian threat? As Ukraine endures war and peace talks stall, Léa Marchal examines EU defence preparedness, spending gaps, and the warnings of President Zelensky. Is Europe acting fast enough? The short answer is no.
-
Listen: How did radical far-right parties become central to Europe’s political scene?
From Italy to Poland, Europe’s far right keeps radicalising. New extremist parties, shifting norms, social media and democratic fatigue—how did the unthinkable become mainstream politics across the continent today now?
-
Listen: What can the EU do about Israel’s violation of the peace plan in Gaza?
The EU welcomed the reopening of the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt earlier this week. Meanwhile, Israeli authorities are blocking many NGOs from delivering humanitarian aid in Gaza, raising concerns over violations of the agreed peace plan. Will the EU take a stand on these human rights breaches?
-
Listen: Will the EU compromise on green policies to mine critical raw materials?
As Europe races for green tech, mining projects spark protests from Sweden to Portugal. With China’s dependence looming, is the EU abandoning environmental caution to secure a critical raw materials supply? Does this mean we are observing a shift from a precautionary approach?
-
Listen: Can Brussels ensure safe abortion for women everywhere in the EU?
Abortion bans pushed Polish women to seek risky or costly alternatives. Now the EU faces a showdown: can a new solidarity fund guarantee safe access across borders, or will politics block women’s rights again?
-
Listen: Spain wants to regularise half a million undocumented migrants, in full contrast with European migration policies
Spain wants to regularise half a million undocumented migrants. Meanwhile, the rest of Europe is busy toughening migration rules. Is Spain the very last country on the continent to have a positive message around migration?
-
Listen: Is it realistic to ban kids from social media?
France and several EU states want to ban social media for under-15s over mental health risks, but a lack of enforcement looms large. An e-ID system could enable age verification and revive debate on an EU-wide age limit.
-
Listen: Train accident in Spain as a testing ground for political exploitation
Train accidents, floods in Valencia – every disaster in Spain strongly reignites political battles. Using tragedy for political gain is widely condemned. Is this a typical Spanish thing, or is the taboo weakening?
-
Listen: Could the EU court of justice kill the EU-Mercosur trade agreement?
What exactly did European Parliament vote for around the EU–Mercosur trade deal, what could the judges decide, and how much power does this really give lawmakers over one of the EU’s biggest trade agreements?
-
Listen: Trump’s threats deepen differences between Macron and Merz
Germany and France have been trying to maintain a friendship since the 1960s — a friendship that is supposed to guide the rest of the continent. However, this doesn’t really work anymore. Why do they struggle to find a united position on Donald Trump’s ongoing threats? Could this lack of unity hamper Europe’s response?
-
Listen: Why Europe’s young people can’t afford a home
In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Evi Kiorri speaks with Ina Delić, youth engagement officer at Caritas Europe, and part of the very generation she’s advocating for, about the lived reality of Europe’s housing crisis, and what it means for young lives and futures.
-
Listen: How loneliness is spreading across urban and rural Europe
Loneliness doesn’t stop at city limits or country borders. In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Evi Kiorri explores how isolation takes root in both Europe’s bustling cities and its quiet rural towns.
-
Listen: Is living in rural Europe a retreat or a reinvention?
In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Evi Kiorri explores what life is really like far from the cities, speaking with Emanuele Monaco, who left urban life to build a distillery in rural Puglia, Italy.
-
Listen: The ‘always on’ culture and the battle for the right to disconnect
In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Evi Kiorri examines how digital tools, remote work, and workplace expectations are taking a toll on us and whether the growing push for a legal right to disconnect can help turn things around.
-
Listen: The fight for rainbow parenthood
What does it really mean to be a rainbow family in the European Union? In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Evi Kiorri explores the promise and the shortcomings of the European Certificate of Parenthood, a regulation meant to ensure that parenthood rights are recognised across all 27 EU countries.
-
Listen: Are Europe’s culture wars just a distraction from class struggle?
In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Evi Kiorri explores how Europe’s so-called culture wars are used to divert attention from structural economic issues.
-
Listen: How religious power is still shaping abortion laws in some European countries
In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Evi Kiorri examines the historical and current influence of religious institutions on abortion policy across Europe, and the political forces maintaining these restrictions.
-
Listen: Europe’s fight against femicide despite data gaps and taboos
Why is the legal recognition of femicides a taboo? And, beyond that, are we doing enough as societies to respond effectively to femicides?
-
Listen: Is Europe ready for the four-day work week?
Some European countries are already testing the four-day workweek, and the results are in higher productivity, happier employees, and less burnout. But while some are working less, others are working more, like in Greece, where a six-day workweek has been introduced in certain sectors.
