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Europe is good at creating new technologies and innovative ideas, but too often European companies struggle to get the funding they need to grow. While the EU has traditionally looked to the 🇺🇸 USA and Silicon Valley for inspiration, could 🇨🇳 China offer Europe some useful lessons on how to help innovative companies scale up and strengthen Europe’s industrial base? In this episode of FEPS Talks, Anna Kolesnichenko, FEPS Policy Analyst on Economy, talks to Cornel Ban, Associate Professor of International Political Economy at Copenhagen Business School, about how Europe can better finance its growing companies and turn innovation into industrial strength. They explore why European start-ups often struggle to move from innovation to growth, what Europe can learn from China’s approach to funding new companies, and how the EU could make it easier for promising businesses to grow, scale up production and compete internationally. 📕 Read FEPS policy study “How can Europe’s missing middle be financed” by Cornel Ban on our website. 📺🔊 Available on YouTube, Spotify & Deezer

AI continues to remain a priority topic on the political agenda. As the EU leverages an increasing number of policy and financial instruments to stimulate the development and uptake of AI in Europe, this technology permeates virtually every aspect of our lives: our work, when we access public services, in education, our private lives and so on. Monty Aal, FEPS Policy Analyst for Digital talks to MEP Katarina Barley, Vice-President of the European Parliament and Chair of the AI Working Group of the Party of European Socialists. In the episode they talk about why AI is one of the biggest challenges of current times, how Europe can decrease it's dependence on the US, what the social-democratic vision on AI should be and how the centre-left can build alliances across ideological and party lines to create the political majorities needed to steer AI in Europe in a direction where it benefits society as a whole, not just a handful of tech oligarchs who have accumulated unseen amounts of money and power.

Many observers expect the 2026 FIFA World Cup to be the most political in history because it will unfold amid intensifying geopolitical rivalries, migration disputes, debates over democracy and human rights, and tensions involving participating countries such as Iran, all while being hosted by three North American countries. In this episode of FEPS Talks, Christian Salm, FEPS Head of Democracy and Participation Programmes, talks to Cas Mudde, Dutch Political Scientist and Research Professor of International Affairs at University of Georgia/US about the politics around the 2026 FIFA World Cup. They explore and discuss issues ranging from the impact of the Iran conflict on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to the legitimization of controversial policies during the event, potential boycott measures, and the role of football in political campaigning. 📺🔊 Available on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcast

In this episode of FEPS Talks, Josep Borrell Fontelles (former EU HRVP, former European Parliament president, former foreign minister of Spain and former chair of the FEPS Scientific Council) shares his opinion about the current challenges which the global disruption pose for the European Union. He explains why it is so hard to forge a stronger, more effective common foreign policy, especially in times of war and the transition towards multipolarity. Josep Borrell advocates a closer coordination of defence policy within the EU, but highlights the risk of losing some of the soft power of the EU on the way. Europe can and must champion multilateralism and international law, in all contexts and geographic regions. He believes that progressive politicians and experts can learn from the Spanish example, and specifically the courageous and principled leadership of Pedro Sánchez. 📺🔊 Available on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcast

🎧 In the spirit of #IWD2026, listen to the latest episode of FEPS Talks focusing on #FeministForeignPolicy with Lina Gálvez, FEPS Vice-President and MEP and Toni Haastrup, Chair in Global Politics, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester. 🌎 ♀️ As debates around multilateralism intensify and the global order shifts, rules we thought were here to stay are suddenly under threat. #FeministForeignPolicy can open a pathway to embed gender-responsive, justice-oriented thinking and an accountability framework into international relations, and to rethink what security, cooperation, and power should look like. In this conversation, Lina Gálvez, FEPS Vice-President and Chair of FEPS Scientific Council; S&D MEP and Chair of Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality, and Toni Haastrup, Professor and Chair in Global Politics, School of Social Sciences, University of Manchester, discuss #FeministForeignPolicy in depth. The podcast recording is part of the initiative by FEPS in collaboration with the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung on the Feminist Foreign Policy Progressive Voices Collective (FFPPVC). The Collective questions traditional approaches to foreign policy to enable an alternative account of foreign relations from the standpoint of the most disadvantaged. The work of the Collective provides insights into what might be the most challenging questions regarding feminist foreign policy today. The Collective is co-chaired by Ann Linde, former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden and Machris Cabreros, Co-Chair of the network and Coordinator at Progressive Alliance. Foreign affairs is still designed with masculine power at its core, and feminists, especially women and the LGBTQIA+ community, continue to be underrepresented in this area - despite evidence proving a positive effect of diverse negotiation teams. They also warn about the growing anti-gender backlash and the political efforts to weaken democracy by targeting feminist movements. At a time of shrinking aid and increasing geopolitical competition, they stress the need for global #FeministSolidarity and renewed commitment to equality and human security.

🎧 Listen to the latest episode of FEPS Talks with FEPS President Nicolas Schmit! 🇪🇺 🇱🇺 Nicolas Schmit was the lead candidate of the European socialists at the 2024 elections for the European Parliament. As a former Minister in Luxembourg and EU Commissioner for Jobs and Social Rights, he has now returned as FEPS president to lead the progressive think tank and contribute to a social democratic reconstruction. ❗ In this conversation with FEPS Secretary-General László Andor, he points to the rise of the far-right which, aggravated by the transatlantic rupture, represents a great danger to Europe’s social models and democratic standards. For inspiration, he looks at the recent interventions of Canadian PM Mark Carney (on international order) and the election of Zohran Mamdani (regarding the importance of affordability and working conditions), and highlights the example of Spain under Pedro Sánchez, whose policies and political strategy offer good lessons and a timely orientation for our movement in Europe and globally.

In a year marked by political backsliding and a return to outdated economic thinking, FEPS is proud to name Mariana Mazzucato as its Progressive Person of the Year. Through books such as The Entrepreneurial State and The Big Con, Mariana Mazzucato has contributed to key debates on the role of the state and public purpose in the economy. In this special edition of FEPS Talks Podcast, renowned economist and author Mariana Mazzucato joins László Andor for a wide-ranging conversation on why economics is never neutral, and why the real challenge today is not fixing markets, but actively shaping them. From parasitic public-private partnerships to the limits of competitiveness, from the EU’s Green Deal and the Draghi report to state capacity, mission-driven industrial policy and dignity, Mazzucato challenges orthodox thinking and calls for a new political economy that serves people and planet. This interview is also part of the 2026 edition of the Progressive Yearbook edited by FEPS and launched during FEPS’ traditional New Year Reception at our Headquarters in Brussels.

Europe is facing a growing mental health crisis. From digital overload to workplace burnout and addiction, too many people are struggling to stay healthy in systems that make them ill. In this episode of FEPS Talks, François Balate, FEPS Policy Analyst on Social Affairs, sits down with three leading experts: Sara Bojarczuk (University of Warsaw), Aida Bikic (University of Southern Denmark) and Jana Michailidu (University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague), co-authors of the FEPS Policy Brief "Healthy Minds, Stronger Europe"

🇮🇪 Delivery Matters More Than Promises In this episode of the Progressive Pollsters FEPS Talks series, Kevin Cunningham, MD and founder of Ireland Thinks, joins Ania Skrzypek, FEPS Director for Research and Training, to reflect on the evolving dynamics of Irish politics — from shifting trust in institutions to the lessons progressives can draw from Ireland’s distinctive landscape. 🗳️ Cunningham explains how delivery, rather than rhetoric, shaped voter confidence during the cost-of-living crisis — and why Ireland’s absence of a strong radical right sets it apart. Yet, he also highlights the warning signs: growing frustration among younger voters, deep divides in housing and migration debates, and a widening gender gap — with young women more focused on Gaza and social justice, and young men increasingly concerned about immigration. 🌹 In the run-up to PES Congress in Amsterdam Progressive Mobilisation, the Next Left Progressive Pollsters series highlights the ongoing work of the FEPS-Karl-Renner-Institut's Progressive Pollsters network, which brings together leading pollsters and political analysts to discuss and reflect on key political and social trends shaping Europe’s destiny, especially following the European elections in 2024. 📺🔊 Available on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcast

Why are so many Europeans angry at politics today? Listen to the latest episode in the Progressive Pollsters FEPS Talks series with Bruno Jeanbart, Vice President of OpinionWay! From frustration with “broken” political systems to fears around identity and immigration, we look at why dissatisfaction dominates — and what that means for progressive movements. Are people really losing hope? Or can social democrats reconnect by addressing the basics: education, housing, welfare? 🌹 In the run-up to PES Congress in Amsterdam Progressive Mobilisation, the Next Left Progressive Pollsters series highlights the ongoing work of the FEPS-Karl-Renner-Institut's Progressive Pollsters network, which brings together leading pollsters and political analysts to discuss and reflect on key political and social trends shaping Europe’s destiny, especially following the European elections in 2024. 📺🔊 Available on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcast

Prof. Stephen Bronner has been leading an international network of scholars and experts to study dialogue and diplomacy in the world, with a particular focus on peace negotiations, in theory as well as practice. In this interview he presents his views on the Russo-Ukrainian war, but also on Israel and Palestine. He offers his assessment of the impact of the Alaska summit on the diplomacy surrounding the war in Ukraine, and elaborates on some concrete steps that could be made to bring the positions of the two sides closer to each other. He also connects the concept of peace with culture, encouraging the prevention of conflict to remain on the agenda, also as part of European foreign policy. One conclusion of the conversation is that the complexity of the maximum plan, for example, in the case of Palestine, should not be used as an excuse for not doing the absolute minimum to ensure the safety and security of the civilian population.

Discover the new podcast series "Progressive Pollsters". The second episode with Kaisa Vatanen focusing on the electoral prospects of European social democracy! 📺🔊 Available on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcast Over the course of four episodes, FEPS Director of Research and Training Ania Skrzypek, delves into topics including elections, populism, cost-of-living, housing, and more, with: ➡️ Marcin Duma, CEO of IBRIS, Poland ➡️ Kaisa Vatanen, Chief Officer, Datapraxis. ➡️ Bruno Jeanbart, Vice President, Opinion Way, France ➡️ Kevin Cunningham, MD and founder, Ireland Thinks All speakers are part of the Progressive Pollsters network, which brings together leading pollsters and political analysts to discuss and reflect on key political and social trends shaping Europe’s destiny, especially following the European elections in 2024.

Prof. James K. Galbraith shares his views about the dramatic changes in US politics and policy which we experienced in the past year. Europeans are still struggling to understand what produced Donald Trump and how consequential his second term in the White House can be. In the conversation with FEPS Secretary General László Andor, he explores both internal and external factors driving the political changes of our time, which also are reshaping transatlantic relations. Is Trump a conservative who is nostalgic for the 1950s or the 1920s? Or he is responding, in his own way, to contemporary challenges which Europeans are also facing? Can the US go backwards, or at some point it will be going forward again? And what the European response needs to be, especially what concerns strategic (monetary) autonomy. At the end of the conversation, he recommends to our listeners one book written by his father, John Kenneth Galbraith, and a recent one from himself too. James Kenneth Galbraith is an American economist. He is a professor at the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs and at the Department of Government, University of Texas at Austin.

Discover the new podcast series "Progressive Pollsters". The first episode with Marcin Duma focusing on the far right is already available! 📺🔊 Available on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcast Over the course of four episodes, FEPS Director of Research and Training Ania Skrzypek, delves into topics including elections, populism, cost-of-living, housing, and more, with: ➡️ Marcin Duma, CEO of IBRIS, Poland ➡️ Kaisa Vatanen, Chief Officer, Datapraxis. ➡️ Bruno Jeanbart, Vice President, Opinion Way, France ➡️ Kevin Cunningham, MD and founder, Ireland Thinks All speakers are part of the Progressive Pollsters network, which brings together leading pollsters and political analysts to discuss and reflect on key political and social trends shaping Europe’s destiny, especially following the European elections in 2024.

We are often told that inflation “happens”, as if it is an unstoppable natural phenomenon. However, a new FEPS study shows that the inflation we experienced in 2021-2023 was largely caused by profiteering and speculation. 📺🔊 Available on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcast In this FEPS Talks episode, Ainara Bascuñana, FEPS Head of Communication discuss with the authors of 'The profit-price spiral in food and energy' Ben Tippet, Lecturer at King’s College London and Anna Kolesnichenko, FEPS Economic Policy Analyst. The discussion exposes the monopolistic structures within the food and energy sectors, where a handful of companies control global supply chains and manipulate prices. There is nothing unavoidable about this kind inflation, and it can and should be stopped. * There is a mistake in minute 00:14:06: It's not 20% but 2%*