Podcast Selection

Will German Elections Set a New Direction after Merkel?

German voters prioritized stability in the first post-Merkel election—voting for the party who most emulated the former chancellor’s approach to government, the Social Democrats (SPD), instead of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union (CDU). What does the…

Who is Olaf Scholz? — German election aftermath — EU-US trade and tech push

We dive into the aftermath of the German election and take a closer look at Olaf Scholz, the favorite to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor. We also unpack a new push by the EU and…

EU–Western Balkans Summit, U.S. Budget Talks, and More

European Union and Balkan leaders hold a summit amid rising Kosovo-Serbia tensions, the U.S. Congress reaches a critical budget deadline, and the postponed Expo 2020 kicks off in Dubai.

Christine Lagarde: the ECB chief talks COVID, climate and crypto

The president of the European Central Bank, ranked the world’s second most powerful woman by Forbes, chats with World Economic Forum Founder and Executive Chairman Klaus Schwab about what the world needs to do to…

Nadia Calviño: Is Europe too fragmented to shape the 21st Century?

The covid pandemic and emerging superpower rivalries have presented the EU with troubling questions. Stephen Sackur speaks to Spain's Deputy Prime Minister and Economy minister Nadia Calviño. Is Europe too inward looking and too fragmented…

Methane: The other greenhouse gas

The latest UN climate report concludes that while carbon dioxide (CO2) is the main driver of global warming, another gas - methane - is likely responsible for between 30-50% of the current rise in temperatures.…

Hydrogen: A climate game-changer?

"With less than six months to go before the next big climate conference (COP26) in Scotland, the world's major polluters are under pressure to significantly increase their ability to cut greenhouse gas emissions. One of…

Where is Germany going? The future of Europe’s sleeping giant after the Merkel era

The fight is on to replace Germany's centrist chancellor, Angela Merkel, who is stepping down after dominating the country's political scene for a decade and a half. With new elections scheduled for September will Germany…

Germany after Merkel

Angela Merkel is the longest serving leader in the European Union. Known as Mutti, or mother, to her supporters, Merkel is credited with keeping Germany stable in the midst of global and European crises with…

CER podcast: Russia and Ukraine: A worsening crisis?

Seven years after Russia illegally annexed Crimea, conflict between Russia and Ukraine has resurged, with Putin deploying Russian regular forces along Ukraine's eastern border. In this podcast episode, the CER's director Charles Grant speaks to…

The future defense of Europe

This episode features a discussion with retired Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges. He served until 2017 as the commanding general of US Army Europe and now holds the pershing Chair in Strategic Studies at the Center…

The Digital Decade

This week, we take a look into the thinking behind the Commission's recently published plans for their so-called 'Digital Decade' targets, and we probe perhaps the blindspots that the EU executive hasn't yet addressed in…