Briefed - Your Daily European Podcast

EU to sanction Sudan RSF deputy as EU-made weapons are used in the war

EU foreign ministers are expected to impose sanctions today at their Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels, following mounting pressure to act against individuals and entities supplying weapons to Sudan’s militia groups responsible for the country’s catastrophic civil war. 

But are these sanctions enough to change the course of the war, or is it too late?

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The EU is easing its crackdown on Big Tech

The European Commission, backed strongly by France and Germany, is preparing to roll out a sweeping “digital simplification” package. This Wednesday the Commission will present a major omnibus plan to simplify digital rules, everything from data protection to the freshly minted AI Act.

Officials call it a way to ease burdens on European companies. Critics including MEPs, NGOs, and a good number of lawyers, say it’s more like opening Pandora’s box. But what does this digital simplification mean?

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Copenhagen turns against PM Frederiksen’s party over housing costs

In Copenhagen a political earthquake might be brewing. For the first time in over 120 years, Denmark’s Social Democrats are on track to lose control of Copenhagen, a city they’ve governed since 1903, longer than most European republics have even existed. 

Every single lord mayor since 1938 has been a Social Democrat. But perhaps that changes tonight. But why can these local elections shift Denmark’s power play?

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Rich EU countries set out their red lines ahead of the budget negotiations

EU countries are beginning negotiations on the bloc’s next Multiannual Financial Framework, covering 2028 to 2034. The European Commission has proposed a budget of €2 trillion, up from the current €1.2 trillion, with the aim of increasing flexibility for national spending and boosting funding for defence and competitiveness. 

But as discussions open, why are richer member states drawing the line on how far they’re willing to go?

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EU grants linked to Turkey’s use of Chinese facial-recognition tech

European research funding, Chinese-owned technology, and Turkey’s expanding surveillance system are more closely connected than EVER. A recent investigation by Follow the Money reveals that EU-backed research projects have indirectly supported a Turkish company supplying facial-recognition equipment to law enforcement, despite its ties to ZTE, a Chinese firm classified by the EU as a “high-risk” vendor.

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The Right To Decide - Episode 6: Beyond the Chaos

In the final episode of The Right to Decide, host Sophie in ’t Veld speaks once again with Neil Datta, Executive Director of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, to look at the global picture for reproductive freedom. With the return of the Trump administration, the world is witnessing renewed attacks on gender equality and sexual and reproductive health and rights. But this episode also looks forward. Together, we explore how Europe can step up as a global leader: by defending progressive policies, investing in education and healthcare, and building international coalitions that protect the right to decide for everyone.

EU migration solidarity pool: Who receives help, who pays, and who refuses?

The EU’s migration dilemma is back, not that it ever really went away. Member states are once again clashing over asylum rules, exposing old rifts that the bloc has spent years trying, and failing, to gloss over.

This week, the European Commission published its first annual migration management cycle. Think of it as a map of who needs help, who should give help, and who is already signalling they’ll try very hard to avoid both.

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What happens if the EPP joins forces with the far right?

Today, Thursday, all eyes are on a crucial vote in the European Parliament regarding corporate sustainability and due diligence rules. The Parliament’s biggest political group, the European People’s Party, or EPP, is poised to do something it has long claimed it would never do, vote alongside the far right.

How could this move reshape not only the EU’s environmental policy but also the entire political balance in Brussels?

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Kyiv suspends justice minister over $100 million corruption investigation

Ukraine’s Justice Minister, German Galushchenko, has been suspended from his position as energy minister after a major corruption investigation into the country’s energy sector.

Prime Minister Yuliia Svyrydenko announced the decision after an extraordinary government session today, Wednesday, saying Galushchenko would step aside while the inquiry continues. But how is this affecting Ukraine’s bid to join the European Union and its credibility on the international stage?

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Belgium, Slovakia and Norway will determine the EU’s reparations loan plan

The EU has been working on a plan to use frozen Russian state assets to help keep Ukraine afloat. Since Russia’s invasion in 2022, around €185 billion in Russian assets have been immobilised in Europe, most of them sitting at Euroclear, a huge securities depository based in Belgium. But, why is the EU’s plan to use these frozen assets hitting a wall?

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COP30: Big promises, missing players, and a the climate finance gap

The world has gathered for what’s called the “COP of truth.” Tens of thousands of delegates, activists, and journalists have descended on Belém, Brazil, for COP30 the UN’s annual climate conference.

It’s been one of the hottest years on record, with floods, fires and melting ice caps becoming the new normal. The UN warns that global temperatures are now on track to exceed 1.5 degrees Celsius within the next decade, the key threshold the Paris Agreement was supposed to prevent us from crossing.

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The Right To Decide - Episode 5: Youth and Contraception

In the fifth episode of The Right to Decide, host Sophie in ’t Veld speaks with Nicole Moran, Gender and SRHR Advisor, about a worrying trend spreading across Europe: the decline in contraceptive use among young people. Together, they explore how stigma, fake news, and a growing mistrust in healthcare providers are shaping young people’s attitudes toward contraception. From misinformation spreading online to the absence of proper sex education in schools, we uncover why investing in education is essential to restore trust and protect young people’s right to choose.

Orbán bets on Trump to shield Hungary from Russian oil sanctions

Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is about to meet US President Donald Trump, and he’s got quite the wish list. The visit comes at a sensitive moment. On the surface, it’s a diplomatic catch-up between two long-time political allies. 

But underneath, the Hungarian leader has two clear goals, first, to secure an exemption from US sanctions on Russian oil, and second, to persuade Trump to host another summit with Vladimir Putin, ideally in Budapest.

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France wants to suspend Shein after childlike sex dolls were found online

The French government has launched a procedure to suspend access to the fast-fashion giant Shein’s website, after authorities found child-like sex dolls listed on the platform. Under French law, online platforms must remove clearly illegal content, including child sexual content, within 24 hours, or risk being blocked and delisted.

This move came on Wednesday, the same day Shein opened its first permanent physical store in the world, inside BHV, one of Paris’s historic department stores. The opening drew long queues of shoppers, and a crowd of protesters, who briefly disrupted the launch before being escorted out.

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EU enlargement: vetoes, progress, and democratic backsliding among candidates

The European Commission has released its annual enlargement report and there’s movement on Europe’s waiting list. Ten countries are officially candidates to join the EU: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Georgia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia, Kosovo, Turkey, and Ukraine. 

They all want a seat at the table, but who is really getting closer to joining, and who is falling behind?

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Liberties 2025 report finds limited progress on EU rule of law

Liberties, a network of civil liberties organisations across the EU, has released its 2025 Gap Analysis, reviewing the Commission’s Rule of Law cycle. The report examined over 500 recommendations issued to Member States since 2022, case studies on Italy and Slovakia, and a dedicated review of media freedom.

The findings point to a system that is stalling. So, if this is the case how do we protect democracy in Europe now?

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One year after the Novi Sad collapse, Serbia’s protest movement intensifies

It has been a year since the concrete canopy at Novi Sad train station collapsed, killing 16 people and sparking one of Serbia’s largest youth-led protest movements in recent memory. What began as mourning has transformed into a sustained political awakening that is reshaping Serbia today. 

Now, tensions between citizens demanding accountability and a government determined to hold its grip on power have reached a new, boiling point. But what does this movement show about the future of democracy in Serbia?

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The Right to Decide - Episode 4: Influencing Politics, Shaping Culture

In the fourth episode of The Right to Decide, our host Sophie in ’t Veld speaks with Belgian Senator Celia Groothedde to explore how anti-rights actors are using money and media to influence politics, public opinion, and access to healthcare. From anti-choice clinics spreading disinformation to campaigns targeting schools and sex education, we uncover how a well-funded network is reshaping Europe’s cultural and political landscape…one narrative at a time.

Sudan slams the EU over “soft” reaction to the RSF El Fasher massacre

Sudan’s government has publicly criticised the European Union, accusing Brussels of responding too softly to atrocities committed by the Rapid Support Forces, the RSF, in the city of El Fasher. 

The United Nations describes the situation in Sudan as the world’s worst humanitarian crisis. So, what is happening on the ground and what is the international community, including the EU, actually doing to stop this crisis?

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Who is Rob Jetten, the possible next Dutch prime minister?

A political plot twist happened after yesterday’s election in the Netherlands. A leader once dismissed as “Robot Jetten” is suddenly the smiling face of Dutch centrist optimism, challenging the far-right, and potentially becoming the country’s first openly gay prime minister.

Who is Rob Jetten, and why is Europe watching him so closely?

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Locked Out: Why Europe’s young people can’t afford a home

Across Europe, Millennials and Gen Z are working, studying and saving, yet home ownership is increasingly out of reach. Though housing is officially recognised as a human right under Article 25 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the European Pillar of Social Rights, skyrocketing house prices and stagnant wages have created what Eurofound calls a “generation-wide affordability divide.” In this episode, I speak with Ina Delić youth engagement officer at Caritas Europe and part of the very generation she’s advocating for, about the lived reality of Europe’s housing crisis, and what it means for young lives and futures.

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Dutch elections: Migration, housing and Wilders’ grip on power

This Wednesday, voters in the Netherlands head to the polls for yet another snap parliamentary election. The vote was called after the collapse of a four-party coalition government led by Geert Wilders’ far-right Party for Freedom (PVV). The coalition, which included the liberal-conservative VVD, the agrarian BBB, and the centrist New Social Contract (NSC), lasted less than a year. Wilders withdrew his support in June, claiming the government’s migration policies were not strict enough, despite his own party holding the migration portfolio.

In one of Europe’s most fragmented and polarised democracies, governments fall faster than they form. So, can this vote finally change that?

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UN says global climate plans fall short, as the EU considers easing its 2040 target

The world’s latest climate plans are in and they fall drastically short. More than sixty countries have submitted their updated commitments to the United Nations, outlining how they’ll reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 2035. But according to the UN’s own analysis published today, these plans would only cut global carbon emissions by around 10% compared with 2019 levels.

That’s just one sixth of what’s needed to limit global heating to 1.5 degrees Celsius, the supposed goal of the Paris Agreement. So, are governments genuinely trying, or are these plans just for show?

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From the EU to Trump: why is everyone so eager to meet with China?

This week, the European Union and China will hold talks in Brussels aimed at easing trade tensions, focusing on Beijing’s restrictions on exports of rare earths and magnets, materials vital for Europe’s automotive, defence, green tech and digital industries. 

All this, as Donald Trump meets Xi Jinping to discuss trade and critical minerals on the other side of the world. But why is everyone so eager to meet Chinese officials?

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The Right To Decide - Episode 3: Follow the Money

Who’s funding the rollback of women’s rights in Europe?

In the third episode of The Right to Decide, host Sophie in ’t Veld speaks with Lucia Yar, Member of the European Parliament from Slovakia, to uncover how money fuels the anti-gender movement. From religious donors and oligarchs to EU funds being redirected toward conservative networks, we reveal how a well-organised financial strategy is reshaping Europe’s political and cultural landscape.

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Energy poverty in Europe: Why millions can’t afford to heat their homes

Winter is approaching, and while energy bills have fallen since the shock of 2022, when the EU moved to cut its dependence on Russian energy following the invasion of Ukraine, millions of Europeans are still struggling to keep their homes warm. The EU has now gone a step further, sanctioning Russian liquefied natural gas, and while Europe’s push for energy independence is essential, it hasn’t solved the problem for those who can’t afford to heat their homes.

According to the European Commission Joint Research Centre, around 48 million people in Europe, roughly one in ten, cannot afford to heat their homes adequately. And the trend is worsening, the share of households unable to keep adequately warm rose from about 9 % in 2022, to over 10.6 % in 2023, and the percentage is getting higher by the year. But what can the EU do to ease the needs of the vulnerable ones who cannot warm their homes?

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This episode was produced by Europod in cooperation with ESPON, an EU-funded programme that bridges research with policies.

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EU leaders greenlight new Russia sanctions and debate Ukraine reparation loan

EU leaders gathered in Brussels today, Thursday, to discuss matters ranging from defence and housing to climate targets, but the agenda is clearly topped by Ukraine.

Two big items stand out, the so-called “reparation loan” using frozen Russian assets, and the EU’s 19th sanctions package against Moscow, which was greenlit this morning.

But can Europe turn political agreement into real financial support for Kyiv without crossing legal red lines?

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Brussels scales back deforestation law to ease pressure on small firms

The European Commission has changed course, again, on its landmark anti-deforestation law, known as the EUDR.

After weeks of speculation about yet another delay, Brussels has now decided not to postpone the law for everyone. Instead, it’s introducing a series of exemptions and tweaks especially for small businesses and farmers. But what does this all mean in practice?

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Friedrich Merz under fire over ‘dangerous’ migration remarks

Friedrich Merz, Germany’s chancellor, is facing strong criticism for what many describe as “dangerous rhetoric” on immigration.

During a visit to the eastern state of Brandenburg, Merz said that Germany still had “a problem in the cityscape” and that his interior minister was working to enable and carry out large-scale deportations. Why have these remarks sparked such a strong reaction across Germany and what do they reveal about the country’s political mood on migration?

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Frozen funds, frozen pipelines: EU leaders close to reaching a deal for Ukraine

Today, EU energy ministers are meeting to decide the future of Russian fossil fuels in the bloc, after years of delays and exemptions. At the same time, leaders are debating how to use frozen Russian assets to support Ukraine’s defence, looking to reach a deal this week.

But can Europe finally act decisively on both energy and financial support and what will it actually mean for the EU?

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