Why today’s extraordinary EU Council in Brussels is a special one

Today’s headline in all caps A “MAJOR TRADE DEAL” is on the horizon, or so says Donald Trump, who posted on social media that he’ll be announcing one at 10 AM sharp, 4pm for us,  from the Oval Office. The deal will be with “A BIG, AND HIGHLY RESPECTED, COUNTRY.” So, which country is getting the Trump treatment this time? And what is this deal actually about?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The 76th papal conclave is officially underway, and this one is already being called the most unpredictable in modern Church history. 133 cardinals from across the world have entered the Sistine Chapel, under Michelangelo’s famous Last Judgment and they’re now sequestered from the outside world to elect the next pope.This is the largest conclave ever. And like every time since 1276, the voting will continue until one cardinal receives a two-thirds majority. So, what’s going to happen today in a nutshell?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Germany has entered unfamiliar territory. For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic, a designated chancellor has failed to get elected in the first round of parliamentary voting. So, what happens now that Merz failed to secure a majority?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This Monday, Israeli ministers agreed to ramp up their military campaign in Gaza as if they had ever slowed down. Now their new plan is to capture more territory, of whatever is left, draft tens of thousands of reservists of their military and continue striking what they call “militant infrastructure”. All this while Donald Trump is getting ready to visit the region. But will this visit shape the future of the war in Gaza? Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The second episode of A Grain of Power brings you to Ukraine. More specifically, we get to know the story of farmers in the Southwestern region of Mykolaiv, where families have suffered the destruction of their fields of wheat through bombs and mines. We also discuss the history of the weaponisation of grain through the voice of historian and professor Steven Kaplan.Through 6 episodes, A Grain of Power is a documentary podcast that takes you on a journey from the heart of Ukraine to the markets of Egypt, passing through Romania, Italy, and Brussels. It explores how an essential commodity – seeds, wheat, bread – has become a weapon of power, playing a crucial role both in the North and the South. Discover how these resources nourish nations, provoke conflicts, and reshape alliancesAnd you? Would you be willing to fight for a piece of bread?Narration: Alexander Damiano RicciReporting and field research: Futura D'Aprile and Diana Lanovets Author: Futura D'AprileEnglish adaptation: Futura D’AprileEditor-in-chief: Alexander Damiano RicciOriginal soundtrack: Epidemic SoundOriginal Sound Editing: Jeremy BocquetSound editing and mixing English version: Daniel Gutierrez OrtegaThumbnail illustration: Watermelon CollectiveProduction: Futura D'Aprile and Diana LanovetsExecutive producer: Ana RiberaProduction coordinator: Alexander Damiano RicciA Grain of Power is a six-episode documentary series produced by Europod and Outriders, as part of the WePod project, funded by the European Union. This podcast is co-produced by Europod.Subscribe to Europod • English for even more podcasts, and follow us on Linkedin and Instagram. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode of Long Story Short, we turn our attention to Romania, where Sunday’s presidential election could redefine the country’s role in Europe and shift the balance of power in the region. With a far-right frontrunner promising to cut off military aid to Ukraine and challenge Romania’s pro-Western trajectory, the stakes are high, not just for Romanians, but for the entire European project. We unpack who’s running, what’s at risk, and how this vote could echo far beyond Bucharest. Could Romania become the EU’s next political headache?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, the EU’s top court delivered a landmark ruling: Malta’s golden passport programme, which allowed wealthy foreigners to acquire Maltese, and therefore EU, citizenship in exchange for a cash investment, has been found illegal.According to the Court of Justice of the European Union, the scheme amounted to “the commercialisation of EU citizenship.” has violated the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. But what happens now to the passports Malta has already sold and which other countries are under pressure too?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Abortion remains illegal in Malta and highly restricted in Poland, despite ongoing pressure from European institutions to uphold reproductive rights. In this episode of Europe Talks Back, we examine the historical and current influence of religious institutions on abortion policy across Europe, and the political forces maintaining these restrictions. We are joined by Neil Datta, Executive Director and founder of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, and Magdalena Chrzczonowicz, Editor-in-Chief of OKO.press and contributor to the cross-border investigation Exporting Abortion, who share insights on how restrictive laws impact women and how cross-border initiatives are working to protect access to safe abortion care. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, our Long Story Short podcast is taking you outside of Europe, to the Mediterranean, to Tunisia. This may not be a strictly European story, but what happens in our neighborhood can have major implications for us too. Especially considering that just last year, Tunisia signed a 255-million-euro deal with the European Union to tackle irregular migration.The birthplace of the Arab Spring, is once again caught in a judicial farce, because last week, a Tunisian court sentenced 40 people up to 66 years of prison. But who are these people, and why is the EU turning a blind eye in its transactional relationship with Tunisia?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Over the weekend, world leaders gathered in Rome to attend Pope Francis’ funeral, an event that quickly became a hotspot for high-stakes diplomacy. At the heart of these diplomatic moves was the very first face-to-face meeting of Donald Trump and Voldomyr Zelenskyy since February’s highly tense Oval Office encounter.In what way did this meeting shape the future of the war in Ukraine, and what should we be keeping an eye on this week?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.