Podcast Selection

France’s looming deadline

Apple launches the iPhone 16 with generative AI features, and France’s new PM needs more time to submit the country’s debt plans. Kamala Harris is under pressure to perform in tonight’s debate against Donald Trump.…

Draghi: The EU to consider report’s proposals or face ‘slow agony’

Mario Draghi handed his highly anticipated report on European competitiveness to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, outlining the urgent need to boost productivity to achieve the EU’s political and economic goals. Without significant…

All the President’s Women: the candidates competing for the next EU Commission

As Brussels raises concerns about the next European Commission resembling a ‘men’s club’, President Ursula von der Leyen stands firm on the need for gender balance among the nominees. While nine women have been proposed…

Why Macron chose Barnier as France’s new prime minister

After months of political deadlock, French President Emmanuel Macron appointed former Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier as France’s new prime minister on Thursday (5 September). Barnier faces the challenge of forming a government in a fractured…

Malta’s and Hungary’s Commission nominees face ‘tough’ grilling in Parliament – EPP

Will the European Parliament approve the list of Commission nominees that von der Leyen will present next week? According to veteran German MEP Peter Liese (CDU/EPP), some nominees will struggle to secure their spot, with…

How the French political impasse is undermining Macron in Europe

Two months after snap elections, France remains without a coalition or prime minister-elect, despite five days of government consultations. For President Macron, the deadlock means spending vital political capital at a time when the country…

How Scholz’s government stabilises despite European instability

Germany’s domestic politics has recently stabilised after a turbulent spring. While Europe faces fresh instability, Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s coalition government in Germany has taken steps to solidify its position.   What measures have been implemented,…

Paris Olympic games amid political turmoil and protests

As Paris buzzes with preparations for today’s opening ceremony of the Summer Olympic Games, there’s palpable excitement in the air. However, Parisians seem to have mixed feelings about hosting the 2024 Olympics, with murmurs of protests adding an element…

The next generation of European far-right leaders

Can the far right be kept from power in Parliament?

Members of far-right parties in the European Parliament have been excluded from powerful positions on parliamentary committees, with pro-European forces deploying the so-called 'cordon sanitaire'. Pro-European forces inside the European Parliament have held far-right parties…

Power moves in EU Parliament: Committee claims and chair votes

It’s a busy summer for the European Parliament, with this week seeing the formation of committees and MEPs voting on the committee chairmanship on Tuesday (23 July).  The major political groups in Parliament are already…

Unpacking the European Commission’s political guidelines