Thursday

28th Mar 2024

Podcast

Book Club: The Scent of Wild Animals

  • MEP Sophie in 't Veld: 'I see my colleagues looking at me as if I'm Che Guevara, you know, some very dangerous revolutionary or something' (Photo: Helena Malikova)

Liberal lawmaker Sophie in 't Veld says the European Union's survival depends on overcoming creeping sclerosis, ending acquiescence to autocrats, and embracing the kind of political spectacle that captures the public imagination.

In her new book, The Scent of Wild Animals, in 't Veld writes that too much EU politics takes place behind closed doors, with no sensory experience for citizens.

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Her remedies include recasting the European Parliament's deference to the European Council and emboldening the Parliament to dismiss the European Commission when it fails to enforce EU law.

"I see my colleagues looking at me as if I'm Che Guevara, you know, some very dangerous revolutionary or something," says Sophie, a four-term member of the European Parliament from the Dutch D66 party who recently withdrew from the race to lead Renew Europe. "But I wonder why?"

Author bio

EU Scream is the progressive politics podcast from Brussels. Produced by James Kanter with graphics by Helena Malikova and music by Lara Natale.

You may also follow via @euscreams subscribe via iTunes, Spotify or from the EU Scream website.

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