Briefed - Your Daily European Podcast

Imagine risking everything to reach safety, only to be sent to another country against your will. That’s exactly what happened to Nizam, who crossed the Mediterranean for a better life in Italy, only to end up detained in a camp in Albania. He’s just one of many asylum seekers caught in Giorgia Meloni’s so-called “fast-track” asylum system.  But an investigation by VoxEurop reveals the legal...

Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić dined with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa in Brussels last night. And what sounds like a simple diplomatic dinner was in reality a chance for the EU to ask Belgrade to deliver on EU reforms if it wants to join the block, but nothing on the protests was discussed.  So how long can the EU keep ig...

Femicide is not just a word. It's a tragedy, and a manifestation of the deep-rooted inequality women face in every corner of society. It’s not just the tragic end of a life; it’s the culmination of years of violence, abuse, and power imbalances that have been allowed to fester unchecked. Unfortunately, despite legal advancements, femicides remain a persistent issue across Europe. Some countries ha...

A bombshell report from The Atlantic has revealed private Signal messages between top U.S. officials, including Vice President JD Vance, discussing a military strike on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The problem is that they were so casual about military operations that they let a journalist into their private chat. Yup they offered him a front-row seat to active war planning and to calling Europe patheti...

On Sunday, Turkey took a sharp turn toward full-blown autocracy. Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, arguably President Tayyip Erdoğan’s biggest political rival, was arrested and removed from office. Allegedly his crime is corruption. But in reality this is a textbook political purge.  What does İmamoğlu’s arrest mean for Turkey’s political future and can Europe collaborate with a country slidi...

More than half a million people have signed a petition demanding an independent investigation into whether Serbian security forces deployed a sonic weapon or a sound cannon to disperse protesters in Belgrade on March 15.  The petition, addressed to the UN and the Council of Europe, calls for accountability, arguing that the use of illegal means against civilians is a serious violation of cons...

So, EU leaders have now gathered in Brussels, as they often do, to discuss Ukraine, Europe’s defense strategy, and economic competitiveness. For this summit Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join via video link possibly in an attempt to convince Europeans to approve faster the next help package of 40 billion euros, proposed by EU’s high representative Kaja Kallas.  But will everyon...

So, Vladimir Putin has agreed to a limited ceasefire, which basically means he’ll stop bombing Ukraine’s energy infrastructure, for now . This comes after a high-stakes phone call with US president Donald Trump, who is apparently in his own bubble seeing this as a successful diplomatic move. But what does this so-called ceasefire really mean for Ukraine? And what are Putin's conditions for abiding...

In a historic vote, German lawmakers are set to decide on amendments to the country's Basic Law, their constitution. This amendment would unlock billions in funding for defense, infrastructure, and climate initiatives.  Leading the charge is Chancellor-in-waiting Friedrich Merz, along with his conservative CDU party, who have joined forces with the Social Democrats and the Greens to push thro...

A night out turned into a nightmare in North Macedonia. On Sunday morning a fire ripped through a packed nightclub in the town of Kočani, killing at least 59 people and injuring over 150. The cause of this tragedy is a mix of reckless decisions, negligence, and corruption, an all-too-familiar pattern in the Balkans.  But is this another wake up call? And will anyone actually be held accountab...

In the last episode, we look at the future of the transport sector. How will goods be moved in the coming years? Which role will artificial intelligence play? And most importantly, will truck drivers still be needed or will they be replaced by machines? To answer these questions, we went to Intermodal Europe, the congress that brings together industry professionals in Rotterdam each year to d...

“Absolutely forbidden to open this door” signs are plastered with blue and white police tape on doors of European Parliament offices. And all this feels like a depressing déjà vu! Just a few years after the Qatargate bribery scandal rocked the EU’s only directly elected institution, accusations of cash-for-favors are once again casting a shadow on current and former European lawmakers.  The “...

So the latest diplomatic gymnastics around Ukraine are all about the proposed 30 day ceasefire between the two countries. President Donald Trump has suggested that he might target Russia financially if Moscow refuses to accept it.  This ceasefire was brokered in Saudi Arabia between the U.S. and Ukraine, and now the world is waiting for Russia’s response. Will Vladimir Putin say “nyet” to Tru...

This is the third time in three years Portugal is heading for a snap election. The political instability is more evident than ever for the country and analysts are worried if it will have a domino effect on the already vulnerable Portuguese economy.  But why is political instability becoming the norm in a country that, until recently, was seen as one of Europe’s most stable democracies? What...

Greenlanders are heading to the polls today for an election that is set to be one of the most consequential in Greenland’s history. The self-ruling Danish territory will elect 31 members of its legislature, the Inatsisartut, as they do every four years, but this time, the stakes are existential.  So, will Greenland remain part of Denmark, will it push for full independence, or will it strengt...

Călin Georgescu was, just a few months ago, a fringe pro-Russian, ultranationalist known to few people even in Romania. Now the Central Electoral Bureau has decided to bar him from running in May’s presidential election rerun.  This decision comes after allegations of attempting to subvert the constitutional order, extremism and endorsement of fascist leaders. But is this the final call for t...

Truck drivers transport 77% of products in Europe, but road transport is not the only option. Trains and intermodal systems are one of the alternative solutions the EU is focusing on, and one which could also improve the working conditions of truck drivers. Investment, however, is still too low. In the meantime, Europe is also trying to reduce the fossil fuel consumption of trucks by focusing on e...

Tomorrow’s International Women’s Day will not be an occasion for ‘celebration’, but for protest. As it has happened over the past few years, women and feminist movements across the globe are expected to take the streets for a massive strike: a women’s strike. In some countries, key sectors such as education, healthcare, and other industries will participate in the protests as well. But why do wome...

Today, 6th of March 2025, Brussels is set for yet another day of critical discussions. EU heads of state are gathering in Europe’s Capital for a much-awaited Special European Council. On the agenda? Nothing less than how the EU will act amidst a geopolitical crisis which has seen US President Donald Trump cornering Ukraine’s Volodimir Zelensky, almost forcing the latter into a peace deal negotiati...

The European Commission is giving carmakers a break, relaxing its CO2 targets by introducing a three-year average instead of annual compliance. The goal? To offer "predictability and fairness" and help struggling automakers avoid billions in fines. But critics argue this is a major step back in the EU’s climate commitments, favoring industry interests over the Green Deal. Is this a necessary adjus...

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has proposed the ‘Rearm Europe Plan,’ a bold strategy to channel up to €800 billion into military investments. The plan includes relaxing fiscal rules, offering substantial loans, and mobilising private capital to strengthen Europe’s defence capabilities. With Trump cutting military aid to Ukraine and hinting at a reduced NATO role, the EU faces g...

As US president Donald Trump publicly humiliated Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy at the White House, Europe found itself scrambling to take charge. In response, leaders are pushing for a so-called "coalition of the willing" to provide Ukraine with security guarantees, if a ceasefire is reached.  The UK and France are leading the charge, while Italy’s Giorgia Meloni is trying to mediat...

On our journey through the roads of central Europe, we often encountered trucks with Polish or Lithuanian licence plates. An accident? Certainly not. In this episode we travel to Sandomierz, Poland, to see how the competition between East and West works and to learn more about the problems of truck drivers in this part of Europe. Truck Drivers is a podcast co-produced by Europod and Ser Podcast ....

Two years after Greece’s deadliest train crash, the country is at a standstill. Today marks the anniversary of the Tempe rail disaster that killed 57 people. Despite repeated EU warnings about safety risks, Greece’s railway system remained dangerously outdated. Now, with no trial and growing suspicions of a government cover-up, public outrage is boiling over.  So, today Greeks are taking to t...

Austria may finally have a government! After five months of deadlock, the conservative People’s Party (ÖVP), center-left Social Democrats (SPÖ), and liberal Neos have agreed on a coalition.  This is Austria’s first-ever three-party coalition at the federal level and keeps the far-right Freedom Party (FPÖ) out of power, despite their win in last September’s elections. Quite the political exper...