MEPchat: Press freedom, mental health and combating hate speech

In this final episode of 2025, “EU Decoded” wraps up the European Parliament’s last Strasbourg plenary session of the year. We decode some of our key EPP Group successes this week, such as reversing the disastrous ban on internal combustion engines and balancing climate goals with industrial competitiveness and jobs. Plus, after negotiations led by the EPP Group, the Omnibus I simplification package was backed by a large majority and will simplify rules and reduce costs for businesses across the continent. We also dive into our firm stance on phasing out Russian oil and gas while keeping energy affordable for everyone. Tune in!

Christian communities across Africa and the Middle East are facing unprecedented levels of violence - kidnappings, church burnings, intimidation, and even mass killings. And yet, much of the world remains silent. In this episode, MEP François-Xavier Bellamy sheds light on this overlooked crisis. We discuss why Christians have become one of the most targeted groups globally, how extremist movements and state policies contribute to their persecution, and why Europe cannot look away. MEP Bellamy also reflects on the EU’s responsibility to defend freedom of conscience - a value deeply rooted in Europe’s own history - and outlines what practical steps Europe can take to protect vulnerable minorities. Tune in for a powerful and necessary conversation. 

Two countries, two different people, but their stories are so similar. Andrzej Poczobut and Mzia Amaglobeli represent two fronts of the same struggle - the defence of truth, dignity, and free expression against Kremlin-sponsored tyranny. Journalists from Belarus and Georgia were jointly awarded the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought, following a nomination by the EPP Group and a decision by the Parliament’s political group leaders and President Roberta Metsola. In this episode of the “EU Decoded Podcast,” we talk with Andrzej Halicki, MEP and Vice-Chair of the EPP Group, who co-initiated the nomination for Andrzej Poczobut for the Sakharov Prize; Łukasz Kohut, MEP and Vice-Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Rights, as well as co-initiator of the nomination; and Rasa Juknevičienė, MEP and co-initiator of the nomination for Mzia Amaglobeli. 

The conflict in Sudan is one of the worst humanitarian disasters of our time – yet it remains largely overlooked. Cities have collapsed, famine is spreading, millions are displaced, and warnings of genocide are growing. Some figures: around 30.4 million people need humanitarian assistance. Over 11 million people are displaced – 8.5 million internally and 3.9 million in neighbouring countries. Sudan is being described as the world’s largest displacement crisis today. Healthcare is collapsing; health facilities have been destroyed, and disease outbreaks (cholera, measles, malaria) are rising. Sexual and gender-based violence is increasing, especially among displaced populations. In this episode of "EU Decoded", we spoke with MEP Reinhold Lopatka, Head of the Austrian Delegation of the EPP Group in the European Parliament and Chair of the Delegation for relations with the Arab Peninsula; Ingeborg Ter Laak from the Netherlands, Vice-Chair of the Delegation to the Africa-EU Parliamentary Assembly; and Lukas Mandl, also from Austria, EPP Group negotiator of the resolution on Sudan. Furthermore, we have recordings from people in Sudan: Mr Salih Mahmoud Osman, who won the Sakharov Prize in 2007; Mr Mohamed Moustafa El-Nour, a human rights lawyer; and Ms Salwa Elsadik, a Sudanese women’s rights activist. 

In this week’s EU Decoded, we dive into the most pressing topics from the European Parliament’s plenary session in Strasbourg. We break down the newly adopted European Defence Industry Programme, designed to boost Europe’s defence industry capabilities. We also discuss how to stop illegal and dangerous Chinese products from flooding the EU market and how to ensure Europe’s children grow up in a digital world that supports, not harms, their development. Tune in! 

Over the past few years, the geopolitical landscape has been reshaped. The recently published EPP Group Position Paper on EU-US relations calls for a renewed Euro-Atlantic strategy - one that adapts to these changes while maintaining Europe’s values and autonomy. In this episode of “EU Decoded,” we discuss the future of EU-US Transatlantic relations and the actions needed.  Hear more from MEPs Željana Zovko and Michał Szczerba, with Executive Director Tomi Huhtanen (Martens Centre).

Across Europe, airports are grounding flights, energy networks are tightening security, and defence agencies are on high alert - all because of drones. From Poland to Denmark, incursions are exposing the EU’s vulnerabilities to low-cost attacks. In this episode of “EU Decoded,” we explore how Europe is responding to the rise of aerial threats and whether the new “European Drone Shield Initiative” can keep the skies safe. We spoke with Radosław Sikorski, Deputy Prime Minister of Poland; Angelika Niebler, Member of the European Parliament from Germany and a Member of the Committee on Industry, Research and Energy; Pekka Toveri, an MEP from Finland and a Member of the Committee on Security and Defence; and Andrey Novakov, an MEP from Bulgaria, who also serves on the Committee on Security and Defence and led Parliament’s negotiations on a resolution calling for a united response to recent Russian violations of EU Member States’ airspace and critical infrastructure. All three are Members of the EPP Group. 

Welcome back to “EU Decoded,” the podcast by the EPP Group in the European Parliament.  Tune in as we discuss topics ranging from how Europe can lead with principle and strength on the global stage to why the EPP Group led the successful rejection of a new Forest Monitoring Law, protecting foresters and the environment from excessive EU bureaucracy. 

In this episode of “EU Decoded”, we take you inside the latest plenary session of the European Parliament, where Europe’s security, competitiveness, and digital future took centre stage. From defending EU airspace against Russian hybrid threats to strengthening the Schengen area with new visa suspension rules, the EPP Group is calling for action and unity. We also look at efforts to deepen the Single Market by cutting red tape and ensuring one set of rules for all, while advancing Europe’s digital sovereignty under the Digital Markets and Digital Services Acts. Tune in!

Europe is entering an autumn of truth. In this week’s EU Decoded, we take you inside the State of the European Union address by Ursula von der Leyen, explore the EU’s response to Russian aggression, and examine urgent questions on jobs, trade, and competitiveness. We also look at Moldova’s and Ukraine’s paths toward EU membership, efforts to support Europe’s industries and farmers, and new measures to cut red tape.Tune in!