Race and the von der Leyen Commission

27. Jul, 08:31

With no non-white commissioners, just how well-equipped is the EU Commission to tackle race?

News in Brief

Today, 09:25 EU calls for political clean-up in Lebanon
Today, 09:18 Possible Covid vaccine before year's end, says EU
7. Aug, 08:53 Germany breached rights of Madeleine McCann suspect
7. Aug, 08:52 EU offers trade perks to Lebanon
7. Aug, 08:49 Germany charges ex-Audi chiefs on emissions cheating
7. Aug, 08:48 UK quarantines Belgium, as European infections climb
6. Aug, 08:41 Bulgaria's Borissov mulls resignation
6. Aug, 08:40 EU prolongs anti-dumping duties on Chinese steel

Standing up to bullies with Frans Timmermans

13. May, 07:05

To succeed Timmermans needs to stand up to governments and vested interests rushing to reboot economies crashed by the coronavirus. That means ensuring the trillions of euros the EU and its member states spend transform rather than entrench polluting industries.

Winning the Car Wars

7. May, 07:13

Lockdowns in response to the coronavirus mean quieter cities, clearer skies and easier breathing. For many city dwellers the lack of cars has been a revelation amid the suffering and loss inflicted by Covid-19.

Angst over 'Italexit'

22. Apr, 07:03

Italians were hit hardest when the coronavirus landed in Europe but the European Union was slow to help the country. The president of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen has apologised — twice.

The high price of muzzling media

16. Apr, 07:03

The coronavirus outbreak has been a pretext for government censorship and a crackdown on journalists, who have been exposed to new criminal charges as well as violent attacks.

Crisis communications

7. Apr, 07:08

When journalists were barred from the EU commission press room in March because of coronavirus, the relatively-new chief spokesperson, Eric Mamer, amiable Frenchman, had to improvise.

Data and Dystopia

17. Jun, 07:02

Despite concerns about civil liberties and activities of companies like Clearview AI and Palantir, EU authorities are shaping a new industrial policy around artificial intelligence.

Věra Jourová on surveillance and Covid-19

31. Mar, 07:03

Commissioner for values and transparency, Věra Jourová, says Brussels will vet moves in Hungary to give prime minister Viktor Orbán scope to rule by decree and urges Facebook and Google to push official health advice to WhatsApp and YouTube.

EU Scream

Coronavirus vs Democracy

Concern is growing that emergency powers deployed to control the coronavirus pandemic will be used to erode democracy and civil rights.

A Field Guide to Autocrats

16. Mar, 06:59

Beware the modernisers and saviours - autocrats often play the 'saving democracy' card as they undermine it.

Campaigning in the Age of Bigots

13. Feb, 07:05

How are campaigners winning progressive victories in the age of bigots and bullies?

Macron's ugly side

9. Jan, 07:02

For many people, Emmanuel Macron still represents the great hope for an open and liberal Europe. So what to make of the French president's growing preoccupation with Islam, terror and security?

Don't Fall For Fascist Porn

16. Dec 2019, 14:56

Far-right trolls commonly target women and minorities and seek to subvert the work of politicians, journalists and activists. But technology platforms and their supporters tend to resist legislation that could help tame the trolls.

A World We Have Lost

29. Nov 2019, 08:48

Ahdaf Soueif, who recently resigned from the British Museum, talks about the persistence of racist thinking, EU-funded authoritarianism in Egypt, and the Cold War roots of terror.

Cultural Battlefield

13. Nov 2019, 09:03

Marta Keil knows firsthand the pressure on culture from Poland's ruling Law and Justice party. Her overview begins at the Polski theatre in the city of Wrocław, and describes an epic clash as the Polish museum sector is steadily hollowed-out.

Not That Ambassador

16. Oct 2019, 13:23

Gordon Sondland, Donald Trump's ambassador to the EU, is due to appear before the House impeachment inquiry in Washington on Thursday. His predecessor as ambassador, Anthony Gardner, talks about the role, and his successor, on our EU Scream podcast.