Twenty-five years after the Women, Peace and Security agenda was enshrined through Resolution 1325, the face of war looks completely different. What started off as an initiative from a handful of women in conflict-torn countries was at first hard to understand for the international community. Yet, as it was getting incorporated by Western countries, it also started to lose its original aims. In a tense world, militarisation risks obscuring the “peace” in the term Women, Peace and Security. Host Sabina Șancu and Eugenia Rossi, programme assistant in charge of the Frontline Voices project, spoke with Sanam Naraghi Anderlini, one of the people who formulated resolution 1325. She is now the founder and CEO of International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN). If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

As the uptake of Artificial Intelligence (AI) increases in many sectors of the economy, all of that infrastructure has to be supported somehow: that is where data centres come in. The most advanced economies are rushing to scale up their digital infrastructure, yet industry laggard Europe is also behind in this aspect, compared to places like the US and China. These massive facilities use great amounts of electricity, burdening local energy grids to already unsustainable levels in places like Dublin. That is not to speak of the water consumption needed to cool these facilities and the larger implications of the increased integration of AI into our daily lives. Host Sabina Șancu spoke to Thomas Spencer, senior energy analyst at the International Energy Agency, about the characteristics of energy consumption by AI data centres and what the future might have in store for them: more efficiency or a greater burden for our grids. Programme Executive Davide Sofia met with Denis "Jaromil" Roio in Piacenza, at the Festival del Pensare Contemporaneo. Jaromil, the founder of the Dyne.org foundation, spoke about the potential of AI, its effect on energy, and the immense care with which we need to treat it when it comes to our security in these unstable times. This episode is connected to our 2025 Climate and Energy summit, taking place in Brussels on the 23rd of September. The event will bring together speakers from the private and public sectors to explore how Europe can turn its green agenda into a powerful engine for investment, prosperity and shared decarbonisation pathways. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

This is the seventh episode of Overcoming Polarisation: Paths to Common Ground, a podcast series from Debating Europe, Friends of Europe’s citizen engagement unit. In this episode, we’re looking into the nature of polarisation, with the occasion of the International Day of Democracy (15 September). Europe is feeling fractured. Whether it’s politics, climate, tech, or trust in institutions, more and more people are feeling left out, unheard, and uncertain about the future. But what if we could flip the script? What if instead of fuelling division, we looked for common ground? In this series, we’re diving into the real issues behind polarisation. Economic inequality, climate anxiety, digital disruption, and bringing together voices from across the spectrum. From policymakers, activists, business leaders, and most importantly, citizens’ voices via our latest study “Voices for Choices”. In today’s show, host Sabina Șancu spoke with Alison Goldsworthy, lecturer at Stanford University and Chair of the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust, about the complex roots of polarisation, how hard it can be to change opinions, and the importance of (admitting to) being wrong. In the second part of the episode, Matthew MacWilliams, public opinion lead at Foundation International Communications Hub, discusses different generations’ take on freedom and authoritarianism – and how this can indicate a very different future for democracy. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

Twenty-five years after the Women, Peace and Security agenda was enshrined through Resolution 1325, the face of war looks completely different. New geopolitical configurations, new ideological visions, technology and social media have made the war in Ukraine to be decisive for Europe’s future - and the most documented war in history. Women are no longer just victims of war: they are active participants in the efforts to resist Russian occupation. Overcoming stereotypes, recovering kidnapped children, participating in political decision making but being on the sidelines of strategic military decisions despite comprising 10% of soldiers, Ukrainian women are trying to get involved to support their communities and country. Hosts Sabina Șancu and Eugenia Rossi, programme assistant in charge of the Frontline Voices project, spoke with Maksimas Milta (Ukraine country director at The Reckoning Project), and Olena Suslova (Senior Analyst at Women’s Information Consultative Center Ukraine). Together, we looked at the impact of war on Ukrainian women - and of Ukrainian women on the war. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

This is the sixth episode of Overcoming Polarisation: Paths to Common Ground, a podcast series from Debating Europe, Friends of Europe’s citizen engagement unit. In this episode, we’re unravelling equity’s many facets, analysing this delicate moment in time and looking for a stronger tomorrow. Europe is feeling fractured. Whether it’s politics, climate, tech, or trust in institutions, more and more people are feeling left out, unheard, and uncertain about the future. But what if we could flip the script? What if instead of fuelling division, we looked for common ground? In this series, we’re diving into the real issues behind polarisation. Economic inequality, climate anxiety, digital disruption, and bringing together voices from across the spectrum. From policymakers, activists, business leaders, and most importantly, citizens’ voices via our latest study “Voices for Choices”. In today’s show, host Sabina Șancu spoke with Nadia Calviño, president of the European Investment Bank, about many of the things that worry young people: future opportunities, housing, the environmental crisis, AI. In the second part of the episode, coordinator of the Jacques Delors think tank institutes Pascal Lamy reflects on the balance between public and private sectors and the need to adapt democracy to modern times. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

This is the fifth episode of Overcoming Polarisation: Paths to Common Ground, a podcast series from Debating Europe, Friends of Europe’s citizen engagement unit. This episode features a recording from the public session of our European Young Leaders #EYL40 seminar in Bucharest, a discussion on rebuilding trust in a polarised society. Europe is feeling fractured. Whether it’s politics, climate, tech, or trust in institutions, more and more people are feeling left out, unheard, and uncertain about the future. But what if we could flip the script? What if instead of fuelling division, we looked for common ground? In this series, we’re diving into the real issues behind polarisation. Economic inequality, climate anxiety, digital disruption, and bringing together voices from across the spectrum. From policymakers, activists, business leaders, and most importantly, citizens’ voices via our latest study “Voices for Choices”. In today’s episode, recorded at the end of May, the participants to the public session discussed a polarised society in light of the recent Romanian presidential elections. You will hear the voices of many of our EYLs: Oana Țoiu, Daria Kaleniuk, Maria Nefeli, Andras Kulja, Andrei Popoviciu, Bora Muzhaqi and Min-Sung Sean Kim. They are joined by other notable guests such as Dragoș Tuță (Sustainability Embassy), Ciprian Stănescu (Social Innovation Solutions Romania) and Robert Santa (Rethink Romania). You will also hear insightful interventions from several other participants in the public session. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

This is the fourth episode of Overcoming Polarisation: Paths to Common Ground, a podcast series from Debating Europe, Friends of Europe’s citizen engagement unit. In this episode, we’re discussing how citizens can influence climate policy. Europe is feeling fractured. Whether it’s politics, climate, tech, or trust in institutions, more and more people are feeling left out, unheard, and uncertain about the future. But what if we could flip the script? What if instead of fuelling division, we looked for common ground? In this series, we’re diving into the real issues behind polarisation. Economic inequality, climate anxiety, digital disruption, and bringing together voices from across the spectrum. From policymakers, activists, business leaders, and most importantly, citizens’ voices via our latest study “Voices for Choices”. In today’s show, former host Catarina Vila Nova sat down with Chloé Mikolajczak, an environmental and social justice activist bridging European policy and grassroots organising, to discuss the accessibility of a more sustainable life, inspiring figures driving a greener future, and the divide between citizens’ desires and institutions’ willingness to act. Host Sabina Șancu spoke with Graham Smith, professor of politics at the University of Westminster, about climate assemblies – a unique model for citizen participation in policymaking. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

This is the third episode of Overcoming Polarisation: Paths to Common Ground, a podcast series from Debating Europe, Friends of Europe’s citizen engagement unit. In this episode, we’re discussing the EU’s enlargement, with a particular view to the Western Balkans. Europe is feeling fractured. Whether it’s politics, climate, tech, or trust in institutions, more and more people are feeling left out, unheard, and uncertain about the future. But what if we could flip the script? What if instead of fuelling division, we looked for common ground? In this series, we’re diving into the real issues behind polarisation. Economic inequality, climate anxiety, digital disruption, and bringing together voices from across the spectrum. From policymakers, activists, business leaders, and most importantly, citizens’ voices via our latest study “Voices for Choices”. In today’s show, former host Catarina Vila Nova sat down with Nathalie Tocci, director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali in Rome, to discuss the faultlines keeping EU states from agreeing on enlargement and EU citizens’ lack of knowledge about many of the candidate countries. Host Sabina Șancu is speaking with Valbona Zeneli, senior fellow for Peace, Security and Defence here at Friends of Europe, and non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council, about “enlargement fatigue”, external influences on the Western Balkan countries, and the steps these countries still need to take in order to create prosperity. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

This is the second episode of Overcoming Polarisation: Paths to Common Ground, a new podcast series from Debating Europe, Friends of Europe’s citizen engagement unit. In this episode, we’re discussing distrust, disinformation and a dissonant future in the EU, NATO and Ukraine. Europe is feeling fractured. Whether it’s politics, climate, tech, or trust in institutions, more and more people are feeling left out, unheard, and uncertain about the future. But what if we could flip the script? What if instead of fuelling division, we looked for common ground? In this series, we’re diving into the real issues behind polarisation. Economic inequality, climate anxiety, digital disruption, and bringing together voices from across the spectrum. From policymakers, activists, business leaders, and most importantly, citizens’ voices via our latest study “Voices for Choices”. In today’s show, host Sabina Șancu is speaking with Eugene Slavnyi, news director at United24 Media Ukraine, the biggest English-speaking outlet covering all things Ukraine, about trust within communities, combating Russian disinformation by mastering social media narratives and the importance of preventing war in order to protect tomorrow’s climate. Former host Catarina Vila Nova sat down with Jamie Shea, Senior Fellow for Peace, Security and Defence at Friends of Europe, to discuss building a European defence project and who will take charge of it, in light of intricate regional relationships and a complicated rapport with the United States. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

All eyes were on The Hague this week, as a historic NATO summit concluded on Wednesday with new commitments to increase defence spending. US president Donald Trump dominated the conversation and managed to do what many previous US presidents had more or less openly hoped to achieve: get the allies to pay up more. The 32 members of the alliance agreed to a steep hike in defense spending, up to 5% of GDP, but starting with a target of 3.5% by 2035. Most of that would go to armament and technology, but 1.5% of defense-related spending must also go towards improving the infrastructure needed to deploy this new technology: from roads and bridges to railroads and ports. An easy feat for budget champion Poland, but an uncomfortable target for countries like Spain or France. Our new podcast host, Sabina Șancu, sits down with two former high-ranking NATO officials to unravel the most important developments from this summit and look to the future, both within and outside the alliance. Rose Gottemoeller, former deputy secretary general of NATO and trustee of Friends of Europe, comments on the tense ‘bromance’ between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Jamie Shea is the senior fellow for peace security and defence at Friends of Europe and a former deputy assistant secretary general for emerging security challenges at NATO. Shea wonders if Trump will truly commit to upholding Article 5 of the NATO treaty, conditioned on his allies implementing the promised spending boost. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

***This show is a re-run*** While all eyes are now turning to the most recent escalation of conflict in the Middle East between Israel and Iran, the situation in Gaza continues as dire as ever. On Monday alone, more than 30 people were killed while trying to get food at an aid site. In Brussels, the European Union is reviewing its trade and cooperation agreement with Israel. Meanwhile, thousands of people keep showing up in European capitals in support of Palestine. 15 months of war in Gaza have decimated the Strip and left more than 46 thousand Palestinians dead. On the week the World Refugee Day is commemorated, host Catarina Vila Nova spoke with Jonathan Fowler, Senior Communications Manager for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). Jonathan joined UNRWA shortly after the 7 October attacks and is currently based in East Jerusalem. What he details is an intense campaign against UNRWA by the Israeli authorities. But nowhere is this situation more egregious than in the Gaza Strip. As Jonathan calls it, “it is a war of superlatives” and at no point in the history of the United Nations have so many UN personnel been killed in a war. The staff UNRWA employs in Gaza are local staff and are themselves refugees. During this episode of Policy Voices, Jonathan tells their stories. Like the story of a sanitation engineer who lost his family and kept showing up for work to prevent a worsening health situation in his community. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

This is the first episode of Overcoming Polarisaton: Paths to Common Ground, a new podcast series from Debating Europe, Friends of Europe’s citizen engagement unit. Europe is feeling fractured. Whether it’s politics, climate, tech, or trust in institutions, more and more people are feeling left out, unheard, and uncertain about the future. But what if we could flip the script? What if instead of fuelling division, we looked for common ground? In this series, we’re diving into the real issues behind polarisation. Economic inequality, climate anxiety, digital disruption, and bringing together voices from across the spectrum. From policymakers, activists, business leaders, and most importantly, citizens’ voices via our latest study “Voices for Choices”. In today’s show, host Catarina Vila Nova is speaking with Miriam Gonzalez, who founded Espana Mejor, a non-for-profit organization providing new non-partisan ways for Spanish citizens to contribute to policy making, and Giles Merritt, the founder of Friends of Europe who has written extensively about Europe’s demographic challenges. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

Two weeks ago, the centre held in Europe after a Super Sunday of elections in Romania, Portugal and Poland. And that was in part because of Poland where the centrist Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski narrowly beat the nationalist Karol Nawrocki in the first round of the Presidential elections. That is no longer the case. In last Sunday’s run-off, Trzaskowski failed to materialize a victory and lost against Nawrocki, the candidate backed by the right-wing Law and Justice Party. Today’s guests attribute Trzaskowski’s failure to the fact that Prime Minister Tusk hasn’t been able to pass the significant reforms he promised before being elected almost two years ago. Even though the main reason why he hasn’t been able to do so is because of President Duda from the Law and Justice Party. And yet, Poles elected a President that is only going to make Tusk’s life even harder if not impossible. To discuss the fallout from the Polish elections, host Catarina Vila Nova sits down with Leszek Konrad Jażdżewski, Editor-in-Chief of Liberté! and 2022 European Young Leader (EYL40), and Michał Olszewski, former deputy mayor of Warsaw who served under Rafal Trzaskowski for six years and 2015-2016 European Young Leader (EYL40) who currently serves as Board Member of PGNiG TERMIKA, Poland’s leading natural gas company. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

Next week, Friends of Europe is organizing the event “Re-imagining Europe’s health systems”. This event aims to imagine a resilient, sustainable and innovative healthcare system for Europe. Ahead of this event, host Catarina Vila Nova sat down with Anke Van Es, Head of Europe for Hospital Patient Monitoring at Philips.

After a Super Sunday in Europe, Policy Voices brings you three guests. The three consequential elections took place in Romania, Portugal and Poland and history kept repeating itself. The centre holds far from an absolute majority, the far-right continues its speedy ascent to power and the left gets handed an embarrassing defeat. In Romania, Nicusor Dan managed to turn around the results from the first round and beat the far-right candidate George Simion in the presidential elections. To bring you up to speed, host Catarina Vila Nova speaks with Dacian Ciolos, former prime minister of Romania and European commissioner who currently serves as special advisor to Romania’s interim President, and Andrei Popoviciu, a Romanian journalist who’s been covering the elections for Politico and The Guardian. In Portugal, the Democratic Alliance (who sits with the EPP in the European Parliament), repeated last year’s feat of winning again the general elections albeit far from an absolute majority. Of note is the fact that the far-right Chega came neck and neck with the Socialists who are now tied in second place. To understand the Portuguese results, Catarina speaks with the Portuguese political analyst Maria Luisa Moreira. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

Pete Hegseth’s decision to scrap the Women, Peace and Security agenda from the Pentagon came as a surprise given that the Women, Peace and Security Act was signed by Donald Trump in his first mandate as President of the United States. However, this decision cannot be understood in a vacuum and is part of a wider movement targeting diversity, equity and inclusion practices in the US military and elsewhere. It is also significant that this decision came when Resolution 1325 on Women, Peace, and Security from the United Nations Security Council is celebrating its 25th anniversary and countries across Europe are boosting their defence budgets. But this doesn’t mean that we are also seeing an increase in the attention and money being provided to WPS projects. Quite the opposite. And even though Resolution 1325 was successful in starting conversations on why we need to include gender perspectives in peace and security, the work is far from complete. To discuss the broader implications of Hegseth’s decision, host Catarina Vila Nova sat down with Floor Keuleers, Senior Analyst for Gender and Conflict at the International Crisis Group. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

Today marks 75 years since the Schuman Declaration. What started first and foremost as a peace project has developed into a European Union with a single market, an official currency for 20 EU countries and freedom of movement. However, at the age of 75, the European project is being attacked from the outside by a war right at its border and an American President questioning the decades long Trans-Atlantic relationship, but also faces challenges from within. To mark Europe Day, host Catarina Vila Nova sat down with Arancha González Laya, Dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po. González has previously held positions in the European Commission, United Nations, World Trade Organization and served as Minister of Foreign Affairs, European Union and Cooperation of Spain. Sustainability, competitiveness and security are, according to González, the three biggest challenges facing the EU and countries can’t afford to ignore any of them. There is space for disagreement, she adds, but that must be done within the rules of the game. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

It is not a new problem but the housing crisis has gotten bad enough that the European Commission created a Housing Task Force and, in the European Parliament, the Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the EU was born. In simple economic terms: there is too much demand and not enough supply. At least not enough supply to meet the demands of lower and middle income groups. Hotels, Airbnb, digital nomads, and golden visas have made the situation worse. What seemed like a sound economic policy back then ended up working too well and backfired in the faces of locals searching for affordable housing. In this episode of Policy Voices, host Catarina Vila Nova sits down with Irene Tinagli to address the housing crisis in the European Union. An economist by training, Tinagli is a Member of the European Parliament where she chairs the Special Committee on the Housing Crisis in the EU. Catarina asked her how bad the housing crisis is in Europe, how did we get here, and what is being done to fix this problem. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

In three months, EU leaders will gather once again to decide – or not – to extend sanctions to Russia for another six months. It is a dance everyone is getting used to with Hungary threatening to make good on its veto until another EU leader finds a clever or not so clever way out. But there are real concerns that next time around Hungary and Slovakia may get to lift sanctions on Russia. That is why Daria Kaleniuk is calling for Europe to get its act together. She is the founder and executive director of the Anti-Corruption Centre, an Ukrainian NGO that has played a key role in shaping the country’s powerful anti-corruption apparatus. In this conversation with host Catarina Vila Nova, she tells why she thinks Hungary and Slovakia may be the reason why sanctions to Russia will be lifted and not extended in July and makes the case for confiscating Russian assets in Europe. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org

Russia’s war in Ukraine, rising instability in the Middle East and North Africa and an unpredictable transatlantic alliance expose deep vulnerabilities in Europe’s defence architecture. Considering the precedent of the European Defence Community, the European Union now has the opportunity to implement changes that will create greater shared responsibility in defence and allow its security to be less dependent on the United States. This conversation with Sylvie Goulard, former French minister of defence and Trustee of Friends of Europe, and Federico Fabbrini, European Young Leader and Full Professor of European Law at Dublin City University (DCU), presented the outcomes of the ALCIDE (Activating the Law Creatively to Integrate Defence in Europe) project and the report “Getting Serious about European Defence Integration: The European Defence Community Precedent”. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org