Briefed - Your Daily European Podcast

Today Foreign Affairs ministers are gathering in Brussels for a Council that was never going to be easy. Because in the last 72 hours, everything has turned into a geopolitical balancing act.  EU foreign ministers arrived expecting to discuss Israel’s war in Gaza. That alone is a diplomatic minefield. But then came the twist with US President Donald Trump ordering airstrikes on Iranian nuclea...

In France’s Champagne region a high-profile human trafficking trial is raising serious questions about working conditions in one of Europe’s most luxurious industries. Three people, a woman from Kyrgyzstan, a Georgian man, and a French national, are on trial in Châlons-en-Champagne. They’re accused of trafficking and exploiting over 50 undocumented workers during the 2023 grape harvest. How widesp...

A brewing foreign policy storm is putting the EU’s diplomatic resolve to the test. Foreign ministers from some of Europe’s most powerful countries, France, Germany, and the UK, are meeting with their Iranian counterpart in a bid to de-escalate a crisis that risks spiraling into an all-in war between Israel and Iran.  Can European diplomacy influence the course of this crisis? Join us on our j...

The EU’s most powerful member state is clashing with its biggest political party and the fight is about money. Yes, the EU’s budget is back in the spotlight, and it’s starting to look like a family feud.  The European People’s Party says: if we expect Europe to do more, then we need to spend more. But Berlin is holding the wallet tight and is refusing to contribute a cent extra. But what does...

The G7 summit in Canada ended up delivering more drama than diplomacy. US President Donald Trump cut his visit short, skipping the final day of talks, including a key session with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, and publicly insulted French President Emmanuel Macron on his way out.  So, where does this leave the resolution of the conflicts in Gaza, Israel and Iran, and Ukraine? Join...

Today world leaders are gathering in the Canadian Rockies to kickstart what promises to be… well a high-stakes political retreat with plenty of dramatic potential: the G7 Summit. The group includes Canada, the UK, the US, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, and the European Union. While the original agenda focused on global economic turbulence, Ukraine, and the climate crisis, one issue has bulldozed i...

Israel has launched a major military attack on Iran, during the night and the world woke up to a scarier reality today.  The operation involved over 200 fighter jets and targeted dozens of Iranian military and nuclear sites, including the enrichment facility in Natanz and high-ranking officials. But how is Iran planning to retaliate and what are the reactions so far? Join us on our journey th...

The EU, the UK and Spain have struck a deal over Gibraltar ’s post-Brexit future, the last unresolved issue of Brexit.  The territory has been in a kind of diplomatic limbo ever since, but now all sides have agreed to remove border and customs checks between Gibraltar and Spain. But how will this affect everyday life for people living in the area? Join us on our journey through the events tha...

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk is expected to win a symbolic but politically significant vote of confidence in parliament today.  His coalition government holds 242 seats in the 460-member Sejm, Poland’s lower house, making the outcome largely predictable at least for now. But what message is Tusk trying to deliver today? Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European co...

After being intercepted by Israeli forces in international waters, the 12 passengers of the Gaza-bound aid ship Madleen, including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg and Rima Hassan, a French Member of the European Parliament, have been transferred to Ben Gurion Airport in Tel Aviv.  Israeli authorities say the group of activists is currently being processed for deportation. However, acc...

On Sunday and Monday, June 8 and 9, Italians are heading to the polls for five referendums. These are abrogative referendums, meaning citizens are being asked whether to repeal existing laws or parts of them.  And to be valid, turnout must reach 50% plus one of eligible voters. But what is at the core of these referendums and can they pass?  Join us on our journey through the events that...

Consumer watchdogs from 21 countries, coordinated by the European Consumer Organisation, BEUC, have filed a complaint against the ultra-fast fashion Shein to the European Commission and EU consumer protection authorities.  What is the complaint about and what could this case mean for fast fashion in Europe? Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the Eu...

An internal report written by the EU foreign service in late 2024 has resurfaced this time, in full. The document, originally kept confidential, was published yesterday by the EU Observer and it outlines findings from a human rights audit that was ordered by the EU’s then, foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell. But what is in the report and what could it mean for the EU- Israel trade agreement? Join...

This Tuesday morning, the Netherlands woke up to a political earthquake, again. Geert Wilders, the leader of the anti-migration PVV party, announced on X that he is pulling out of the coalition government, causing the collapse of Prime Minister Dick Schoof’s cabinet.  But what led to the fall out and what does this mean for the country’s stability? Join us on our journey through the events th...

So… Poland has a new president. And not the one the exit polls predicted. Right-wing opposition candidate Karol Nawrocki (Navrotski) has narrowly won Poland’s presidential runoff election, with 50.89% of the vote, just edging out centrist Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, who landed at 49.11%. A result so close it feels like a decimal-point drama. But what does this result mean for Poland and for Eu...

In the last episode of A Grain of Power, we cast a light on the functioning of the market of grain and wheat at the global level. Until now, this series has focused on the responsibilities of nations and supranational institutions, but in this sixth episode, we focus on the power of private companies and, also, financial markets.  Through 6 episodes, A Grain of Power is a documentary podcast...

The Slovak central bank governor, Peter Kažimír and member of the European Central Bank’s Governing Council, you know the body that decides monetary policy for 20 eurozone countries, has just been convicted of bribery.  Yes, he has been convicted and fined €200,000 and with a warning that if he doesn’t pay, he’s looking at a year behind bars. But how did we get here and what does this mean fo...

Yesterday was International Menstrual Hygiene Day, and chances are, it passed without much notice. But something that affects nearly half the population, every single month, for around 40 years, deserves a bit more attention. Periods might still be treated like an uncomfortable secret, but they’re not.  And the most important thing isn’t the discomfort, it’s the cost, the stigma, and the sile...

The rule of law and democracy were the two topics at the heart of the General Affairs Council this week in Brussels, and Hungary was once again the elephant in the European room.  This time, the vibe was already set by many EU countries who called Hungary to reverse the ban on Pride celebrations and scrap the law that cracks down on independent media and NGOs. Is the EU finally ready to make...

In this episode of Europe Talks Back , we explore how Europe's so-called culture wars are used to divert attention from structural economic issues.   With insight from political scientist and member of the Social Democrats Justus Seuferle and Politics Professor at the University of Bath, Aurélien Mondon, the episode examines how political and media discourse has shifted away from materia...

Germany has just joined the US, the UK, and France in lifting range restrictions on the weapons it sends to Ukraine.  Which means that Kyiv is now officially allowed to hit targets inside Russia using Western-supplied weapons. But why is this decision coming now and what does it mean for the war? Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Unio...

On Sunday, US President Donald Trump announced that he will delay the implementation of a 50% tariff on European Union goods.  The tariffs were originally set to take effect on June 1 in a few days, but the new deadline is now moved to the 9th of July. But what does this signal for the future of the trade relations between the EU and the US? Join us on our journey through the events that shap...

After analysing the impact of the lack of grain and wheat on the global South, in the 5th episode of A Grain of Power, we look at the impact an abundance of the same can have on economies. In 2024, farmers’ movements across Europe took the streets of their capitals and Brussels. To some, it looked like the Kremlin had been able to spur these protests through its geopolitics of grain. What was that...

329 civil society organisations across Europe issued a very clear call to Brussels: stop Hungary’s latest attempt to silence pluralism.  In a public letter addressed to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath, the signatories urge the EU to act immediately against a new Hungarian law that could destroy what little remains of the country’s democratic...

The humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and the UN warning that 14,000 babies could die within 48hours if aid does not reach communities in the Strip, finally, pushed the European Union into a moment of reckoning. But this comes after more than 19 months of Israeli military operations in Gaza and three months of suspended humanitarian aid, prompting several EU member states to call for a formal revie...