EU Untangled
EU Untangled
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EU politics and policies are messy and filled with jargon that is hard to understand. This makes it almost impossible to keep up with the latest developments in the EU. But plenty of exciting stuff is happening on the EU level and all over the continent that you may not even be aware of!
"EU Untangled" is here to help you make sense of this mess and speak of the politics and policies in a simple – yet informative – way so you can understand what’s happening behind the headlines.
Available episodes
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Oldest first
Sep 21, 2023
Can the EU engineer innovation?
Innovation is at the heart of human progress. The printing press, the steam engine, the automobile, and now AI have led to industrial and social revolutions. In modern history, Europe has been the cradle of countless technological innovations, but more recently it seems to be playing catch-up with other regions. The EU is aware of this, and it has ambitious plans in store to ramp up innovation in the digital age. The million-dollar question is: can the EU succeed?
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Jul 27, 2023
Tracking the ups and downs of cross-border train travel in the EU
Let's be honest, how often do you take the train when crossing borders in the EU? We know flying is anything but sustainable. Yet, the prospect of jetting to our family, friends, or holiday destination fast and (ahem) cheap is all too tempting. Trains have a hard time competing against planes: booking is complicated, trips often take longer, and prices can be irrationally high. We join forces with Philipp Cerny to untangle the complexity of EU cross-border train travel. After all, Europe has one of the densest railway networks in the world, but markets, policy and incentives seem to move like a slow train coming...
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Apr 3, 2023
How to land a job in the EU?
Dreaming of landing a well-paid job in the EU institutions? Thinking of having an impact on EU policy? Know that first you must navigate the EU recruitment jungle. Tune in to discover where to find the right information, what to expect from the recruitment exams, and what obscure acronyms such as "EPSO", "CAST" or "FG IV" really mean. Our guest, Chiara Bellani, who has worked in the EU Commission for several years, helps us untangle the EU selection process.
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Jun 13, 2022
Let's get digital
The European Union has an ambitious strategy to usher in data-driven innovation and stay competitive in the digital age. Proposals such as the Digital Markets Act and the Digital Services Act have been making waves in the EU and abroad, promising to reign in tech giants and protect human rights online. But why all the fuzz? What sets these initiatives apart and can they live up to their promise? What else is in the EU’s digital arsenal and why should we care? Is Europe too early or too late to the digital party? Buckle up, tune in to EU Untangled, and get into digital with us.
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Aug 18, 2021
Brussels jargon: breaking down the lingua franca of the EU Bubble
The EU Bubble (or should we say "babble"?) has developed its own language. Known as "Eurospeak", "Euro-English", or "Brussels English" it is a tongue twister of its own: an international version of English filled with all kinds of technocratic terms and borrowed expressions. In this summer edition, EU Untangled uncovers the origins and sounds of this strange language and takes a ride through its highs and lows.
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May 10, 2021
The EU’s Vaccines Strategy: The good, the bad, and the ethically questionable
Much has been said about the EU Vaccines Strategy in recent weeks and months. Coverage from various media can largely be boiled down to the conclusion that despite good intentions, the EU strategy is simply a case of “too little, too late”. But is there more to this story? How does the roll-out of the EU strategy measure up against the rest of the world? And most importantly, what are our reference points? Join Alex, Harpa, and Vic on a deep dive into the EU Vaccines Strategy and discover the good, the bad, and the ethically questionable elements of the complex world of COVID-19 vaccine distribution.
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May 8, 2021
The curious case of constitution creation
A constitution lays the foundations for how a society is organised and the fundamental principles that must underpin all laws and government decision-making. But how much do constitutions really impact our daily lives? Should they be updated to reflect rapid societal changes? How would you even go about making a new constitution in the first place? And whatever happened to the new Icelandic and EU constitutions?
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Apr 5, 2021
Erasmus+: what does the future hold for Europe's best-known programme?
"A life-changing experience" might be an accurate way to define the Erasmus+ programme. Over the past three decades, the EU’s flagship programme has allowed over 10 million people to benefit from cross-border exchanges in Europe and beyond. Now, Erasmus+ is undergoing changes of its own caused by a larger budget, a messy Brexit and a ravaging pandemic that has stalled mobility flows all over the world. ESN President Kostis Giannidis joins Victor, Harpa and Alex to discuss the challenges and opportunities lying ahead of an Erasmus+ programme that promises to be more inclusive, more digital and a lot greener.
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Dec 29, 2020
New Year's resolutions? EU heard it right!
This episode explores the European Commission's work programme for 2021 and the EU policies that will steal the show next year.
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Nov 30, 2020
European Green Deal
Victor and Alex are rebooting EU Untangled with a discussion about the European Green Deal.
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Apr 8, 2019
Tell me what EU want, what you really, really want
I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want. A referendum gives the people the option to have the final say in political matters of the utmost importance. And that’s what we ALL want, right? Well, the story of Brexit tells us that despite their relative simplicity, referendums can be a very tricky business. Harpa, Alex, and Victor ponder the pros and cons of this direct form of democracy and showcase how they can pull one nation from the brink of bankruptcy while threatening to push another one over the edge. Saying yes or no has never been this complicated.
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Mar 25, 2019
All I want for May is EU
From the 23 to the 26 of May, the citizens of 28 (most likely 27... ) countries will vote in the largest transnational elections in the world. Over 700 members will be elected to the European Parliament and Bruzzels is buzzing with excitement. But what exactly is the European Parliament and what role does it play in the EU? With so much at stake, why has voter turnout plunged over the past four decades? What are the political groups? Are there any newbies in the race? Stick around and let Victor, Harpa and Anna walk you through the maze of EU politics (we can’t promise you’ll find the exit, though…).
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Feb 26, 2019
Shine bright like a passport
Not all that glitters is gold and not all gold shines bright. Rosie Birchard helps us examine the dark glow of the EU golden visas and passports, as well as the risks and ethical questions that arise from the murky business of selling and buying EU citizenship.
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Nov 21, 2018
Internet 2.0 - What does it meme?
Ever since the World Wide Web gave us all access to the Internet, it has fundamentally changed our communications, businesses, services and even politics. Now, policies are trying to catch up, and the Internet as we know it may be about to change for good. The European Union’s Parliament has approved a new legislation to address copyright issues in the digital era. We interview the man pushing for this regulation to kick in. MEP Axel Voss helps us untangle the reasons, the ambition and the challenges of trying to regulate the Internet. Are these measures a threat to freedom of speech online or a necessary intervention to level the playing field for copyright holders?
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Nov 14, 2018
What's in a name?
Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYROM) have for decades clashed over nine letters: M-A-C-E-D-O-N-I-A. The conflict isn't new, but the solution is. Last June, the two nations signed an agreement that officially changes fYROM's name to the "Republic of North Macedonia". But why did the country have to change its name in the first place? What exactly is Macedonia? Why is this happening now? And, what are the implications of the agreement being ratified by the two nations? Tune in and we will try to untangle this complex, messy situation for you.
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Oct 1, 2018
Welcome to EU Untangled
Welcome to EU Untangled, the podcast that helps you to understand the large picture and the nitty-gritty details of EU politics.
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