Letter from Brussels
Sean O'Curneen
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Letter from Brussels is a 15-minute podcast by the Renew Europe Group in the European Committee of the Regions, focusing on news from the European level which is relevant to anyone active or interested in subnational politics, and including amazing stories about the city of Brussels itself, the capital of the Union. Recorded in English, it appears after every plenary of the CoR, every 6-8 weeks.
Available episodes
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Oldest first
May 21, 2023
The Puppets and the Scandal - may2023 Letter from Brussels 12
* The Theatre of the indigenous Sami people in the Arctic city of Kiruna, and what it stands for in this area of vital economic interests for the EU;
* The innovative School of Politics for Young People of the Finnish Arctic city of Oulu;
* Why reconstruction of Ukrainian cities cannot wait till the war is over;
* The 15th anniversary of the opening of a key street in the divided Cypriot city of Nicosia;
* The plans to revamp the Cinquantenaire Park in Brussels ahead of Belgium's 200 years of independence; and
* The scandal in a Brussels puppet theatre that had the audience shouting for the curtain to drop.
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Feb 28, 2023
The attack on the 20th convoy - feb2023 Letter from Brussels 11
The extraordinary scenes of President Zelenskyy's visit to the European Parliament.
How the city of Timisoara is going digital.
How EU regions and cities are helping the victims of the earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria.
Why wolves are causing a fierce debate about subsidiarity.
The message for Europe from a Ukrainian refugee.
The 80th anniversary of the attack by three young men from Brussels on a convoy taking Jewish deportees to Auschwitz.
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Dec 20, 2022
The year that changed the future - December 2022 Letter from Brussels 10
A special edition of Letter from Brussels, episode 10 brings you a few predictions for 2023 in key policy areas, including an analysis of the recent scandal which has rocked the EU, and a journey back to the Brussels of 1908 discovering how events in that year still echo in the present day.
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Jul 6, 2022
The car that almost changed history - july2022 Letter from Brussels 9
The 9th Letter from Brussels takes you west to the middle of the Atlantic with the new President of the European Committee of the Regions; south to one of the EU’s land borders with Africa; and north to the Arctic, which has become of great interest to China. Plus, why the new female vice-presidents of Renew Europe in the CoR are political leaders you need to follow. And the story of the antique car in Brussels which could have helped change the course of climate history.
Pictures of the antique car and Sean's recent visit to the Brussels Autoworld Museum can be found at www.reneweurope-cor.eu/podcast
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May 17, 2022
Ukrainian reconstruction and the Aleksandrov ship - may2022 Letter from Brussels 8
The 8th Letter from Brussels takes us to Odessa, Ukraine, to hear the story of the Borys Aleksandrov ship and its unusual naming ceremony. This episode also includes President Zelenskyy's inspired plan for reconstruction of Ukrainian cities, news about the city most recently awarded the title of European Capital of Culture, as well as news about the wider Renew Europe political family, and an insight into a EurActiv op-ed article by Renew Europe President François Decoster explaining what would happen if a mayor failed to visit a local school during its refurbishment and how this is relevant to the future of the European Union.
(Opening audio credit: EU Neighbours East, EU4EMBLAS video about the ship name change)
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Feb 1, 2022
The rocket and the rock - February 2022 Letter from Brussels 7
The extraordinary precision of Europe's spaceport launching the James Webb telescope; the Royal Belgian Observatory's connection with Webb and a mission in 2022 to crash into an asteroid; the urban rural divide is a challenge to democracy; what cities can do to help prevent a crash in the number of pollinators; the latest on the Conference on the Future of Europe; and the inspiring and courageous Mayor of Cologne who has won the first Pawel Adamowicz award.
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Dec 7, 2021
The hero and the roof - Dec2021 Letter from Brussels 6
"The hero and the roof" features French President Emmanuel Macron at the plenary of the European Committee of the Regions and his 3 objectives to strengthen the Union, proposals by the European liberal youth LYMEC for the European Year of Youth 2022, new approaches to eradicating homelessness, and the Brussels heroes challenging people to spend a night sleeping outdoors.
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Oct 19, 2021
The crime & the lone crusader - October 2021 Letter from Brussels 5
"The Crime & the Lone Crusader" carries highlights of a highly tense debate in the October plenary of the CoR, led by Fianna Fáil's Kate Feeney against homophobic amendments by Viktor Orban's Fidesz members, as well as new proposals by MR's Alexia Bertrand to empower consumers to make climate friendly choices when shopping, and the story of the lone crusader who fought against architectural crimes in Brussels in 1950 and 1964, and who was behind one of the most successful museums of the Belgian and EU capital.
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Sep 14, 2021
The skeletons, the musicians, & two great cities - Sept2021 Letter from Brussels 4
A special extended edition on the occasion of the 2021 World Mayor Awards, profiling two winning mayors, François Decoster of Saint-Omer and Matus Vallo of Bratislava. Packed full of amazing and amusing stories about them as well as of Brussels, find out why there is a change of colour in the pavement of a historic Brussels street, who wrote a letter to a celebrity 18th century composer, and how an unstoppable soprano was stopped by an empty opera house.
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Jul 6, 2021
The Marchioness & the League - July2021 Letter from Brussels 3
Third Letter from Brussels telling the story of a pioneering Belgian woman who was well ahead of her time in the protection of biodiversity, plus the value of language learning, the nominations for the Adamowicz award, LGBTIQ Freedom cities, the future of urban mobility, the threat of rural depopulation, and local youth shaping climate adaptation.
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May 11, 2021
Robert Schuman & Nat Neujean - May2021 Letter from Brussels 2
Second Letter from Brussels revealing the little known story of the artist who sculpted Robert Schuman's bust, a tribute to Hans van Baalen, plus the amazing story of Cathérine Chabaud and her initiative to protect the oceans, as well as proposals to ensure energy security in Europe, the challenges for digital education, and a simple and effective way to connect Europe with its citizens.
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Mar 23, 2021
Einstein and the priest - March2021 Letter from Brussels 1
Highlights of the debates with EU leaders on the future of Europe, integration of migrants, preventing violent extremism, defending the rights of LGBTIQ citizens in Poland, building local integrity systems, and a fascinating little known story about the Parc Leopold in Brussels.
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