Greens/EFA podcast: An Unfiltered Conversation

As 2025 is coming to an end, we invited the Greens/EFA Co-Presidents Terry Reintke and Bas Eickhout to join us for a review of the year and to look ahead to 2026. We talked about their highlights and about moments they would have liked to press the skip button. Who will make it to their naughty or nice list? In a “festive mood” we look back to some inspiring moments of 2025: Budapest Pride, My Voice My Choice and our amazing MEPs negotiating groundbreaking deals. You might also pick up on some personal music recommendations. Of course we end by looking ahead to 2026 and discuss what Terry and Bas are looking forward to in the new year.On behalf of the Greens/EFA podcast team, we all wish you a nice Christmas time and the best for 2026!In this episode0:11 welcome1:23 2025 wrapped European Parliament edition5:06 Highlights of 202518:14 Questions by our supporters22:30 Naughty or nice28:43 Looking ahead to 2026About our guestsTerry Reintke is Member of the European Parliament for Bündnis 90/Die Grünen from Germany since 2014. She has been Co-President since 2022.Bas Eickhout is Member of the European Parliament for GroenLinks from the Netherlands since 2009. He has been Co-President since 2024. 

Everyone was shocked by the full scale war in Ukraine, but for some it was no surprise. For this episode we invited MEPs Markéta Gregorová and Mārtiņš Staķis to talk about their special relationship with Ukraine and its people.Markéta and Mārtiņš had a frank discussion about Europe's strengths and weaknesses in this war, the typical cynical humour of Ukrainians people and the miscalculations by Putin when attacking the country. As the war drags on we are also looking forward: What gives moments of hope when we are looking for solutions? And how does this link with Green policies? (spoiler: energy independence)Note: We recorded this podcast before the current dynamic of peace negotiations - nevertheless the conversation is still very relevant. In this episode0:00 Welcome0:32 A personal relationship with Ukraine6:34 We saw it coming - anticipating the attack from Russia12:47 Visiting Ukraine, a united and resilient nation 16:12 Europe's will to fight20:38 Adapting to a political reality23:26 A message from Olena29:40 Lightning round31:46 Myth busting35:25 Moments of hopeAbout our guestsMarkéta Gregorová is Member of the European Parliament for the Czech Pirate Party in the Greens/EFA Group. She is Vice-Chair of the Euronest Delegation, an exchange forum with parliamentarians from Ukraine, Moldova and other countries in the region.Mārtiņš Staķis is Member of the European Parliament for the Latvian Progresīvie Party in the Greens/EFA Group. He is a member of the committees on Security and Defence and on Regional Development. He was the mayor of Riga from 2020 until 2023.

On Thursday 13 November, we witnessed a vote in the European Parliament that broke the firewall (cordon sanitaire) between the Christian Democrat EPP and the far right. This is the recording of the webinar where we share our analysis of what happened and what the consequences of this vote are. Our MEPs Terry Reintke and Kira Peter-Hansen joined the call. In this episode1:06 What happened last week?5:08 The importance of the due diligence legislation9:38 A symbol for moving majorities13:57 Next steps for this legislation15:31 Sleepwalking into a trap18:08 This keeps us motivatedAbout our guestsTerry Reintke is Co-President of the Greens/EFA Group. She has been a Member of the European Parliament since 2014 for Bündnis 90/Die Grünen from Germany.Kira Marie Peter-Hansen is Member of the European Parliament for Socialistisk Folkeparti (SF) from Denmark. She is the lead negotiator on behalf of the Greens/EFA on the due diligence files.What you can doIf you want to get involved in our movement for fight for freedom, join us on https://act.greens-efa.eu/courageclub

Ten years ago world leaders were celebrating the climate agreement in Paris, but a lot has changed since then. Time to sit down with our climate expert MEPs Lena Schilling and Michael Bloss. How do they counter fossil fuel industries and European conservatives following Trump? How do they make them keep to their promises?Our guests discuss how they see a way out by showing white old men like Trump, Merz and Marcon that people still care for the climate and that they are willing to work across borders to achieve that. That another world is possible. That giving up, because it is difficult, is not an option.In this episode0:00 Welcome0:45 Paris, ten years ago3:20 An assignment4:00 Fighting back12:13 Are COP climate summits still relevant?15:38 Quick Fire Round17:30 Mythbusters22:13 Looking forward27:30 Final messageAbout our guestsLena Schilling is Member of the European Parliament for Die Grünen from Austria since 2024. Before becoming the youngest MEP elected, she was a member of the climate youth movement in her country.Michael Bloss is Member of the European Parliament for Bündnis 90/Die Grünen from Germany since 2019. Before that he was co-chair of the Federation of Young European Greens.

Clean air, healthy food, and a safe climate - everything we need depends on nature. But nature is under pressure from pollution, corporate lobbying, and far-right attacks on environmental laws.In this episode, Jutta and Virginijus discuss their fight to protect Europe’s biodiversity, the future of the EU Green Deal, and how we can take action together to save our planet. 🌍In this episode0:00 welcome1:05 Knowing me, knowing you6:20 The Empire strikes back: nature under threat14:33 Quick Fire Round 16:35 Debunking21:37 Fixing things: what gives hope?About our guestsJutta Paulus is Member of the European Parliament for Bündnis 90/Die Grünen from Germany. She was trained as a chemist/scientist and saw first hand how pollution was harming people.Virginijus Sinkevičius is Member of the European Parliament for The Union of Democrats "For Lithuania". As European Commissioner for the Environment, Oceans and Fisheries last term, he was the youngest Commissioner in office.

Join Marie and Rasmus for an unfiltered conversation about wealth and financial inequality in Europe. How do billionaires get away with paying almost no tax, while workers are struggling to get by? Why do we accept so much injustice? And what do we do about it?Don’t know your monetary policy from your macroeconomics? Don’t panic. We’ve imposed a jargon tax to keep the conversation understandable.Marie and Rasmus debunk the tax myths they hear every day - and talk about their solutions to make society fairer for all. "If we don't solve inequality, we won't solve other issues."In this episode0:00 welcome1:44 The importance of fighting wealth inequality9:27 Should billionaires exist?12:40 Quick Fire Round18:24 Debunking24:33 Fixing thingsAbout our guestsMarie Toussaint is Member of the European Parliament for Europe Ecologie from France and Vice-President of the Greens/EFA Group. She was trained as a lawyer in international environmental law before elected in the European Parliament.Rasmus Andresen is Member of the European Parliament for Bündnis 90/Die Grünen from Germany, from the Schleswig-Holstein region on the German-Danish border. Rasmus is coordinator of the Greens/EFA Group in the Budget Committee.Sign our petitionPeople in Europe work hard to earn a living and to provide for their families. But ultra-rich tech bros owning digital giants are just raking in record breaking profits, without contributing to society - all with the support from US President Donald Trump. It is time to stand up to them and make them pay (a Digital Services Tax).

Now that Brussels has officially kicked off Pride season, join Kim and Rasmus for an unfiltered conversation about why Pride as a protest is still f-ing important. They talk about their pride in taking over a city: the feeling of freedom, allowing you to be who you are. “You cannot silence a rainbow.” Kim and Rasmus also discuss how the Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is attacking fundamental rights by trying to ban Budapest Pride - and how he is actually harming the mental wellbeing of kids himself. Both will be present to protect the local LGBTQIA+ community.In closing Kim and Rasmus tell us what keeps them going: “We are one community and we stand together - but we are also very diverse. That is the wonderful thing about Pride.”In this episode0:00 Welcome1:58 Personal Pride12:00 Pride as protest (vs corporate pink washing) 18:43 Budapest Pride25:23 What keeps you going?About our guestsKim van Sparrentak is Member of the European Parliament for GroenLinks from the Netherlands and chair of the Parliament’s LGBTQIA+ intergroup.Rasmus Nordqvist is Member of the European Parliament for the Danish SF party and leads the Queer Network within the European Greens.ConnectSign up to our newsletter to receive updates

In this new year we are trying something new! We asked our Co-Presidents, Terry Reintke and Bas Eickhout, to sit down and give us their unfiltered opinion on the challenges this year ahead.Listen now to Terry and Bas as they discuss the realities of daily politics. How are they coping with the idea of four more years of Trump? How do we make sure European policy responds to people's real world problems? How can we make sure we invest in clean energy in a way that's fair for everyone?We discussed what politicians need to do to regain trust from its citizens, how we can stand up against a disruptive Trump presidency and how a Green Industrial Deal will provide jobs in the European Union.We enjoyed this conversation and we hope you do too. This podcast was just a pilot episode - please let us know what you think in the comments.We might come back later in 2025 with more unfiltered conversations with our Greens/EFA MEPs as a full podcast series. Sign up to our newsletter to receive updates