Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Wednesday that “he had the feeling that Europeans were not able to understand that an attack could happen to their country too.” Are Europeans really facing a concrete threat, and are they preparing themselves enough?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

Follow us on:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few days ago, a former general and member of the far-right party Lega in Italy announced his ambition to launch a new movement, even further to the right: Il Futuro Nazionale. The initiator, Roberto Vannacci, is known for his extremist views and his lenient stance on fascism. Meanwhile, Poland is witnessing the rise of an ultra-nationalist party that is openly antisemitic and pro-Russia. How did these highly extremist parties become so central to the political scene?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

Follow us on:

• LinkedIn

•Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the EU is celebrating the reopening of the Rafah crossing point between Gaza and Egypt, Israeli authorities are preventing many NGOs from providing humanitarian aid in Gaza — a move which violates the agreed peace plan. What are the EU's options to confront Israel over its violations of human rights?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

Follow us on:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Across the Atlantic, American President Donald Trump has just ordered that deep-sea mining be sped up, which is believed to be highly damaging for the ocean.

Meanwhile, every raw material extraction project in Europe meets with strong social opposition. This leaves the EU in a delicate situation when it comes to producing solar panels or batteries without relying on China. Will Europe edge toward a more US-style approach to resource extraction?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

Follow us on:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Poland in 2024, 99% of abortions took place outside hospitals, outside the legal framework. Polish women find alternatives to the near-total ban on abortion, but sometimes in ways that are either dangerous or very costly. That is why the European Parliament is asking for an European mechanism to allow every single woman in the EU to have access to safe and free abortion. This episode unpacks this proposal to see if it can come to light.

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

Follow us on:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

30,000. This is the figure circulating about the number of people who might have been killed by the Iranian regime since the start of the protests at the end of December last year. The EU has just decided to tag the Islamic Revolutionary Guards as a terrorist organization. What does it mean, and is there something the European Union could do to avoid this bloodshed?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

Follow us on:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Spain wants to regularize half a million undocumented migrants. Meanwhile, the rest of Europe is busy toughening migration rules. So is Spain the very last country on the continent to have a positive message around migration?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

Follow us on:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Kids under 15 should not access social media. That’s how France sees it. Its government is pushing for a full ban below this age. However, France, just like any other EU country, cannot force social media platforms to effectively restrict access for kids. Only the European Union can. Is the EU willing to do so?

Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.

Follow us on:

• LinkedIn
• Instagram

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.