Will the EU compromise on green policies to mine critical raw materials?

The Kurdish diaspora has been demonstrating in major European cities for weeks now. Protesters are urging European and international authorities to respond to the takeover of the Kurdish autonomous region called Rojava by Syria’s new government. They fear that their community is at risk of disappearing. What is the diaspora hoping from the European and international authorities?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.This episode is based on a story written by Blanche Ribault for Streetpress and is co-written with Hélène Pillon from Médianes.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

French senator Laurent Duplomb is back with a controversial proposal: reintroducing pesticides that are currently banned in France. Last year, his first attempt was blocked by the constitutional court. This time, the debate returns, as discussions at EU level also suggest a possible softening of pesticide rules. Are we witnessing a broader rollback of pesticide regulation in Europe?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

“We need to protect our industry. The Chinese are doing it, the Americans too.”This is what Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has been advocating for a while now: more European protectionism.Is he on the right track to convince his European counterparts?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedIn•Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Giorgia Meloni has called protesters at the Winter Olympic Games "the enemies of Italy" — a kind of shortcut we often see in Donald Trump’s interventions.Is the Italian prime minister, replicating Trump’s recipe for success?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedIn Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After X by Elon Musk, here comes “W”, or “We”, by privacy and technology expert Anna Zeiter. The “We” project was unveiled in Davos at the end of January. Its goal is to create a European alternative to X. But this is not the first attempt to create a large-scale European social media platform. Can it be the first one to actually succeed? Are Europeans able to compete with US platforms?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated on Wednesday that “he had the feeling that Europeans were not able to understand that an attack could happen to their country too.” Are Europeans really facing a concrete threat, and are they preparing themselves enough?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A few days ago, a former general and member of the far-right party Lega in Italy announced his ambition to launch a new movement, even further to the right: Il Futuro Nazionale. The initiator, Roberto Vannacci, is known for his extremist views and his lenient stance on fascism. Meanwhile, Poland is witnessing the rise of an ultra-nationalist party that is openly antisemitic and pro-Russia. How did these highly extremist parties become so central to the political scene?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedIn•Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the EU is celebrating the reopening of the Rafah crossing point between Gaza and Egypt, Israeli authorities are preventing many NGOs from providing humanitarian aid in Gaza — a move which violates the agreed peace plan. What are the EU's options to confront Israel over its violations of human rights?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Across the Atlantic, American President Donald Trump has just ordered that deep-sea mining be sped up, which is believed to be highly damaging for the ocean.Meanwhile, every raw material extraction project in Europe meets with strong social opposition. This leaves the EU in a delicate situation when it comes to producing solar panels or batteries without relying on China. Will Europe edge toward a more US-style approach to resource extraction?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedIn Instagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Poland in 2024, 99% of abortions took place outside hospitals, outside the legal framework. Polish women find alternatives to the near-total ban on abortion, but sometimes in ways that are either dangerous or very costly. That is why the European Parliament is asking for an European mechanism to allow every single woman in the EU to have access to safe and free abortion. This episode unpacks this proposal to see if it can come to light.Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.