Welcome to Europod & Sphera • News, your essential source for understanding Europe today.
From political shifts and EU policy updates to cultural trends and social challenges, our podcasts bring you closer to the stories that shape the European Union and the people behind it.
Stay informed, engaged, and connected to what’s happening across the continent.
Join us on a journey through the ideas, decisions, and movements that make Europe what it is — and what it’s becoming.
Production: Europod, with Sphera Network
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to Europod & Sphera • News, your essential source for understanding Europe today.
From political shifts and EU policy updates to cultural trends and social challenges, our podcasts bring you closer to the stories that shape the European Union and the people behind it.
Stay informed, engaged, and connected to what’s happening across the continent.
Join us on a journey through the ideas, decisions, and movements that make Europe what it is — and what it’s becoming.
Production: Europod, with Sphera Network
Follow us on:
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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.
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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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?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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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?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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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.
Sources:
A podcast by the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive Rights
Produced by Europod, in collaboration with Ambiorix Center
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
This episode was produced by Europod in cooperation with ESPON, an EU-funded programme that bridges research with policies.
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“This episode is co-funded by ESPON. However, the opinions and views expressed are solely those of the authors. ESPON can't be held responsible for them.”
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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?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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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?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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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?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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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?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Who is threatening women’s rights and why?
In the second episode of The Right to Decide, we uncover the forces driving the anti-gender movement with our host Sophie in ’t Veld and our guest Neil Datta, Executive Director of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights. From fake hotlines that discourage abortion to crisis pregnancy centres spreading disinformation, we reveal how a well-organised network of religious and political actors is working to roll back decades of democratic progress.
A podcast by the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive Rights
Produced by Europod, in collaboration with Ambiorix Center
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Thousands of Europeans are losing their savings to fake investment ads on Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. These scams use AI-generated deepfakes of politicians and celebrities, like Germany’s defence minister Boris Pistorius or Irish presidential candidate Heather Humphreys, to sell get-rich-quick schemes.
All this information is coming to light after a months-long investigation by Investigate Europe, which uncovered how criminal networks are using AI, illegal call centres and social media ads to scam people across the continent.
So how do the scams work and what is Europe doing to prevent them?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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Across Europe, a quiet movement is taking shape. From knitting circles in Helsinki to pottery workshops in Brussels, people are rediscovering the simple, grounding act of making things by hand. What began for many as a way to fill the long days of lockdown has grown into something deeper, a form of self-care, a social bond, and even a small act of resistance against the relentless pace of modern life.
In this episode of Europe Talks Back, we explore how creative practices such as ceramics, weaving and painting are reshaping wellbeing and community across the continent. We speak with Brussels-based designer and ceramicist Anna Tou, whose workshops offer people a chance to step away from their screens, slow down, and reconnect not just with clay, but with themselves.
Together, they reflect on the tactile joy of creation, the patience that crafting demands, and the way art and tradition continue to bring people together in an increasingly digital world.
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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Greece’s parliament is voting today on a controversial labour reform proposed by the conservative government, allowing employees under “exceptional circumstances” to work up to 13 hours a day, for up to 37 days a year. The government insists the measure is voluntary and designed to help workers earn more without having to take on a second job.
But why do workers need to take on a second job just to survive in the first place, and what does this new bill change for them?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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On Tuesday, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu announced the suspension of Emmanuel Macron’s 2023 pension reform, which had raised the retirement age from 62 to 64. The reform, pushed through parliament without a vote, triggered months of nationwide protests and strikes, becoming one of the most divisive policies of Macron’s presidency.
Now, two years after it was passed, its implementation will be paused until after the 2027 presidential election. But how is this suspension saving the government for now?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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European interior ministers met in Luxembourg yesterday, with the meeting continuing today to discuss how to better manage migration, or at least how to convince voters that they’re doing so. At the centre of the talks is a proposal that would make deportation orders issued by one EU country automatically recognised by all others.
But how would that actually work, and could it be the fix for the EU’s migration system?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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After more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas, all remaining living hostages have been released, a ceasefire has taken hold, and world leaders are gathering in Egypt to talk peace, but only one side of the conflict will be there.
So, what kind of peace can be built without Hamas at the table?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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What happens when the right to choose over your own body becomes a political battlefield?
The first episode of The Right to Decide explores the fight for abortion rights in Europe. Our host Sophie in ’t Veld sits down with Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, Polish MEP and long-time women’s rights defender, to explore one of the most contested issues in Europe today. From Poland’s near-total ban on abortion to France’s constitutional
protection, we uncover how control over reproduction has become a test for democracy itself.
A podcast by the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive Rights
Produced by Europod, in collaboration with Ambiorix Center
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Over the summer, a group of 24 European politicians, ministers, commissioners, senior officials, agreed to have their blood tested for toxic PFAS chemicals. The results that now came out showed that every single one of them tested positive.
But will these results push Brussels to act or to water down its own rules again?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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After nearly two years of war in Gaza, Israel and Hamas have agreed to the first phase of a ceasefire deal, a development announced, rather dramatically, by US President Donald Trump on his Truth Social account.
But after so many failed ceasefires, how much hope can people on the ground really have this time?
Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.
Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.
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