MEPchat: EU budget, cohesion and Schengen expansion

In the latest episode of “EU Decoded”, we unpack the political developments in Belarus. At the turn of 2025-2026, the United States partly lifted and eased some of its sanctions on Belarusian exports, a key source of revenue for the regime. Shortly after, President Aliaksandr Lukashenka released 123* political prisoners, including prominent opposition figures Viktar Babaryka, Maria Kalesnikava and Ales Bialiatski. What does this mean for the European Union’s policy towards Minsk? Should sanctions pressure continue while hundreds of political prisoners remain behind bars? In this episode, we also examine Belarus’ ongoing alignment with Vladimir Putin’s Russia in the war against Ukraine, and the use of migration pressure at the EU’s borders as a hybrid warfare tactic. Our guests: EPP Group MEPs Andrzej Halicki and Paulius Saudargas and Anna Krasulina, Deputy Chairperson of the United Civil Party of Belarus 🎙️ Listen to the latest episode of “EU Decoded” to understand what these developments mean for Europe. * This episode was recorded before Belarusian authorities released another 250 prisoners on 19 March.

In this episode of “EU Decoded”, we bring you this past week’s plenary session in a nutshell. From strengthening Europe’s defence to tackling cyberbullying and improving the housing situation, the main goal is to make Europe safer and more prosperous. We also discuss child protection, focusing on the steps to take to make the online space safer for everyone. Tune in!

To mark International Women’s Day 2026, in our new episode of “EU Decoded” we ask: Gender equality - why are we still talking about it? We look at the concrete steps Europe has taken in recent years, from pay transparency rules to help close the gender pay gap to stronger parental and carers’ rights, binding targets for women on corporate boards, and the first-ever EU Directive to Combat Violence Against Women. Our guest are MEPs Liesbet Sommen and Maria Walsh.Tune in!

In this episode of “EU Decoded”, we bring you a wrap up of the latest Plenary session and explore how the European Parliament is addressing the defining challenges of our time. From strengthening Europe’s defence to reforming migration procedures and supporting Ukraine with a €90 billion package, the focus is on security, unity, and resilience. We also discuss Europe’s economic competitiveness, with calls to deepen the Single Market and reduce barriers to growth. Finally, we turn to online safety, as we call for criminalising cyberbullying across the EU and better protecting children in the digital age. Tune in!

January 2026 is off to an eventful start in geopolitics. In this episode of 'EU Decoded', we break down the key debates and outcomes of the first European Parliament plenary session of the year. The EPP Group stands firmly with the people of Greenland and condemns the brutal repression of protests in Iran, expressing our solidarity with the Iranian people. At the EPP Group’s initiative, the European Parliament also debated the situation in Venezuela following the extraction of Nicolás Maduro. Beyond geopolitics, we confront the alarming rise of AI-driven exploitation, which overwhelmingly targets women and children. While facing these challenges, we celebrate Europe’s strength and unity, marking 40 years of Portugal and Spain in the EU with inspiring addresses from President Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa and King Felipe VI. Tune in!

Greenland is the world’s largest island and part of the Kingdom of Denmark, with significant autonomy. Located between the Arctic and North Atlantic, it is strategically important for: -Military bases and missile defence systems. -Surveillance of Arctic shipping routes. -Access to rare minerals, including rare earths, uranium, and other critical resources. U.S. President Donald Trump has renewed statements about acquiring Greenland, calling it vital for U.S. defence and not ruling out force - provoking alarm among Denmark, the EU and other NATO allies. In our newest episode of EU Decoded we focus on Greenland’s strategic significance, US ambitions, and how Europe - particularly the EU and the EPP Group - can protect its interests. Our guests are: the Danish Member of the European Parliament and of the EPP Group Niels Hansen and the Member of the European Parliament and EP’s standing rapporteur on the US, Michał Szczerba.

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.