EU Scream

Ireland and Spain are to grant formal recognition to a Palestine state as soon as this month. The move puts Dublin and Madrid at odds with most other EU states and with the United States. Sweden is the only other state to have recognised Palestine during its membership of the EU, and that was a decade ago. In this episode, Tony Connelly, the Europe editor for the Irish public broadcaster RTE, describes the historical and political backdrop to Ireland’s decision.

Abortion is a deal breaker for some voters. That’s the case in the US where Joe Biden is making Donald Trump pay a political price for his role in overturning Roe vs. Wade. That’s also been the case in Poland where a wellspring of pro-choice sentiment helped remove the ultraconservative Law and Justice party last year. So could that same dynamic have an impact on voter choice across Europe? Yes, says Nika Kovač, the coordinator of My Voice, My Choice, which recently launched a petition for a million signatures using a European Citizens' Initiative.

The likes of Nigel Farage, Viktor Orbán and Éric Zemmour lined up to claim they were victims of cancel culture after Brussels mayors tried to shut down the hard-right National Conservatism conference. The hullabaloo meant NatCon's deleterious policies on Ukraine’s war effort, women’s health, the LGBTQI community and racialised communities got far less attention. Charlemagne columnist at The Economist Stanley Pignal describes what happened at NatCon, and he discusses alternate approaches to dealing with the hard right. 

Some people love the Eurovision Song Contest. Others don’t get it. But beyond the camp and kitsch of the annual song contest there’s much to observe about the politics of Europe and the wider region. In this episode, author and broadcaster Dave Keating describes discord between Sweden and France over language, and tensions between Russia and countries like Ukraine that use their performances to denounce Moscow. This year the focus was on Israel’s entrant Eden Golan amid the ongoing bloodletting in Gaza. 

Racialised groups are poorly represented at the only directly elected EU institution, the European Parliament. A recent study commissioned by European Network Against Racism Aisbl (ENAR) shows that the proportion of racialised lawmakers stands at just 3.3 percent since the departure of British members. Also in this episode: European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson encourages much greater diversity in European policing.

Donald Trump wanted to buy it; Mette Frederiksen said it wasn’t for sale. Greenland and its ownership is for Greenlanders to decide, the Danish prime minister told President Trump five years ago. In this episode Karin Axelsson, EU correspondent for Danish daily Politiken, reflects on why the world’s biggest island is back in the headlines. Also, Rwanda-style asylum plans that were previously seen as too extreme by EU policymakers.

Something is badly amiss at EU Border and Coast Guard Frontex. Migrants keep drowning in large numbers under its watch. That includes what is thought to be the worst disaster of its kind when the fishing vessel Adriana capsized in Greek waters in June 2023. In response, the European Ombudsman, Emily O’Reilly, looked under the hood at Frontex and at its relations with national coast guards. She found an institution that calls itself a border and coast guard but that lacks the power to carry out some of the basic duties that come with such an important job. 

The world is growing more violent. Worst affected countries include Myanmar, Syria and Mexico as well as those experiencing more obvious crises like Gaza and Ukraine. That’s according to the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED). But there’s also growing concern about more developed countries with longer established democratic traditions like the United States. ACLED chief of external affairs Hugh Pope talks about how data can give a uniquely accurate and new perspective on unfolding events and help anticipate where conflicts will worsen and where peace building efforts should be targeted.

Markus Becker of DER SPIEGEL discusses how to fortify Germany’s constitution in the event that far-right extremists from the Alternative for Germany seek to dismantle democracy in future. Markus also discusses the wave of farmer protests across Europe — and how the astonishing readiness of EU leaders to capitulate to their demands shows the grossly disproportionate power of farming and agri-business sectors.

Terry Reintke of The Greens/EFA in the European Parliament unhesitatingly describes some EU lawmakers with anti-European and far-right views as fascist. Her directness stands in sharp contrast to bland circumlocutions more common to Brussels. In this episode Terry proposes an inquiry into whether extreme right Identity and Democracy Group, or ID Group, adheres to European values. The inquiry would run in parallel to German scrutiny of one of ID Group’s main members, the Alternative for Germany.