CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Greenland and the NATO alliance

On this week’s Unpacking Europe podcast, CER senior research fellow Armida van Rij sat down with Sten Rynning, Professor of War Studies and Director of the Danish Institute of Advanced Study at the University of Southern Denmark, to discuss the implications of any coercive US action towards Greenland for the alliance. They also discussed the broader challenges for transatlantic relations and within the alliance, and how Europe is responding to US demands for a Europe-led NATO.

In our latest Centre for European Reform podcast, Kate Mullineux speaks to six of our researchers. They reflect on the EU's past year in different areas, including, the green deal, the global impact of Trump's return to office, the UK-EU reset, Ursula von der Leyen's second term, the gains of the far right and the EU's Middle East strategy. They then look ahead to 2026. 0.55 Elisabetta Cornago on the European green deal 4.11 Elisabetta Cornago on the effect of Trump's return on global climate action 5.24 Ian Bond on the impact of Trump on Europe, Russia and Ukraine 9.10 Ian Bond on Europe's approach to China 13.06 Charles Grant on the UK-EU reset 17.01 Aslak Berg on the EU-UK trade deal 19.50 Charles Grant on what Ursula von der Leyen has achieved so far 24.12 Zselyke Csaky Europe’s efforts to tackle the far right in 2025 26.30 Zselyke Csaky on Trump's hostility to Europe and Hungary’s 2026 election 28.50 Aslak Berg on the EU-US trade deal 34.14 Thomas Maddock on the Israel-Hamas war 36.57 Thomas Maddock on the wider Middle East into 2026 Produced by Kate Mullineux

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, the CER's senior research fellows Armida van Rij and Zselyke Csaky sat down with Catherine E. De Vries, President of the Institute of European Policy Making at Bocconi University in Milan, to discuss why support for the far right is growing, and the implications for democracy in Europe. They discussed why the far right is able to mobilise a base in reaction to voters' dissatisfaction with public services, slow economies and current immigration policies, and how these challenges impact perceptions of democracy.

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, the CER's director Charles Grant sat down with Sophie Pedder, The Economist’s Paris bureau chief, to discuss France and Macron’s unstable government. They discussed the deadlocked French Parliament, the growing popularity of the Rassemblement National and of Jordan Bardella, and whether France’s influence in the European Union is understood domestically and what Macron has achieved in his 8 years as President.

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, CER's Zselyke Csaky sat down with Ben Ansell of Oxford University and John Springford of the CER to discuss the causes of populism's rise in Europe. They discussed the relationship between immigration, trade and populism, and whether moderate politicians would be better off challenging or accommodating voters attracted by populist messaging.

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, deputy director Ian Bond sat down with Donald Jensen of Johns Hopkins University and a former US diplomat and Iuliia Osmolovska, head of the GLOBSEC Kyiv Office to discuss Russian negotiating tactics, Ukraine's negotiating objectives and how Ukraine and its allies can get the best outcome if and when Putin decides to negotiate seriously. They discussed Russian approach to negotiating, preconditions for Ukraine to negotiate successfully with Russia and the dynamics of US-Russia relations.

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, chief economist Sander Tordoir sat down with Zach Meyers, director of research at the Centre on Regulation in Europe and an associate fellow at the CER to talk about tech and tech regulation. They discussed the key priorities of the regulations that have been passed by Europe and why Europe's lagging behind the US and China in its technology sector.

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, research fellow Aslak Berg sat down with Agathe Demarais, senior policy fellow in Geoeconomics at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) to discuss where EU trade policy stands since the signing the EU-US trade agreement in July. They discussed how and why the EU prioritised damage limitation, where EU trade policy goes from here, the impact on the global trade system and priorities for the EU going forward.

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, research fellow Aslak Berg sat down with assistant director Elisabetta Cornago and chief economist Sander Tordoir to discuss where the EU stands one year after the landmark Draghi report which dissected the reasons behind Europe's sluggish growth. They discussed Draghi’s sombre diagnosis of the European economy after what some have called the “summer of humiliation” for the European Union.

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, deputy director Ian Bond sat down with Dr Hanna Shelest of the Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism" to discuss the Ukrainian assessment of recent diplomatic manoeuvres and whether they bring peace or even a ceasefire any closer. They discussed European military and diplomatic support for Ukraine and how important it is to prevent Russian influence on Ukrainian politics, elections and political stability.