Advertise on podcast: Europe Speaks: A TEPSA Podcast

When candidate countries adopt EU social rules, do citizens’ lives actually change? What does it take to build resilient societies on the path to EU membership? This final episode looks at social cohesion in candidate countries and asks how the EU can help aspiring members move from passing laws to actually implementing them. InvigoratEU Talks is a podcast series born from the Horizon Europe-funded project, InvigoratEU, bringing together leading scholars and policy-makers from across Europe to do exactly what the name suggests: re-invigorate EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy in a changing world. Host: Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director, TEPSA Guests: Séamus Boland, President of the European Economic and Social Committee Levan Kakhishvili, Postdoctoral Researcher, ETH Zurich Nino Abzianidze, Senior Researcher, PMCG Georgia   Music: Luka Margiani Editing: Barbara Vanotti This episode is funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe-funded InvigoratEU project.

This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Seamus Allen, Senior Researcher at the Institute of International and European Affairs, and TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos. The conversation covers European regulations and competitiveness in the tech sector, the regulatory framework for digital platforms, and the EU's AI policy. Seamus Allen is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) in Dublin. He works on digital policy, on the IIEA’s democracy series and also works on the IIEA’s Future Proofing Europe project. Prior to joining the IIEA, he worked for the Central Bank of Ireland. EuropeChats is the flagship podcast of TEPSA, and it is part of the TEPSA Podcast Channel “Europe Speaks”. Music: Worakls, 22 September 2014, Salzburg, Hungry music Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

The European Commission has recently presented its pre-enlargement policy reviews with proposals on qualified majority voting, rule of law safeguards, and gradual integration. Will these proposals help accelerate European integration? And how do we remove the barriers that stand in the way of making enlargement a success? This episode of InvigoratEU Talks explores the changes that the EU must consider if it wants to speed up the enlargement process. InvigoratEU Talks is a podcast series born from the Horizon Europe-funded project, InvigoratEU, bringing together leading scholars and policy-makers from across Europe to do exactly what the name suggests: re-invigorate EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy in a changing world. Host: Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director, TEPSA Guests: H.E. Daniela Morari, Ambassador of the Republic of Moldova to the EU Funda Tekin, Director, Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) & Academic Coordinator of InvigoratEU Pernille Rieker, Director, Arena Centre for European Studies & Coordinator of re-Engage   Music: Luka Margiani Editing: Barbara Vanotti This episode is funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe-funded InvigoratEU project.

What are Russia and China trying to achieve in the Western Balkans and Eastern Neighbourhood? And how does that affect candidate countries’ path to EU membership? This episode of InvigoratEU Talks explores the impact of Russia and China’s political, economic, and social influence on the European continent. InvigoratEU Talks is a podcast series born from the Horizon Europe-funded project, InvigoratEU, bringing together leading scholars and policy-makers from across Europe to do exactly what the name suggests: re-invigorate EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy in a changing world. Host: Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director, TEPSA Guests: Thijs Reuten, Member of the European Parliament, Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats  Marko Todorović, Senior Researcher, European Policy Centre (CEP) Belgrade  Matteo Bonomi, Head of Europe Programme, Istituto Affari Internazionali (IAI) Music: Luka Margiani Editing: Barbara Vanotti This episode is funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe-funded InvigoratEU project.

Democracy support has been a cornerstone of EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy. Yet, today it is increasingly intertwined with geopolitical competition. In this third episode of InvigoratEU Talks, we ask: has the EU become better at promoting democracy, or has geopolitics changed the rules of the game?  InvigoratEU Talks is a podcast series born from the Horizon Europe-funded project, InvigoratEU, bringing together leading scholars and policy-makers from across Europe to do exactly what the name suggests: re-invigorate EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy in a changing world. Host: Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director, TEPSA Guests: Petar Markovic, Ambassador of Montenegro to the EU Giselle Bosse, Professor, Maastricht University and TEPSA Board Member  Richard Youngs, Senior Fellow, Carnegie Europe and TEPSA Board Member Music: Luka Margiani Editing: Barbara Vanotti This episode is funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe-funded InvigoratEU project.

This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Bobby McDonagh, former Irish diplomat, and TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos. The discussion focuses on how to communicate and explain the European Union, specifically using Bobby McDonagh’s latest publication, "The European Union in 12 Objects", in which each object represents an aspect of the EU or one of its institutions.  Bobby McDonagh is a former Irish diplomat, he has been an Ambassador to Italy and the UK, as well as the Permanent Representative of Ireland to the EU. EuropeChats is the flagship podcast of TEPSA and it is part of the TEPSA Podcast Channel “Europe Speaks” Music: Worakls, 22 September 2014, Salzburg, Hungry music Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

In the second episode of InvigoratEU Talks, we explore the links between the EU's security and defence policies and the enlargement process. Has enlargement effectively become part of Europe's security strategy? And do policy-makers and European citizens fully appreciate what is at stake? InvigoratEU Talks is a podcast series born from the Horizon Europe-funded project, InvigoratEU, bringing together leading scholars and policy-makers from across Europe to do exactly what the name suggests: re-invigorate EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy in a changing world. Host: Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director, TEPSA Guests: Petras Auštrevičius, Member of the European Parliament, Renew Europe Tyyne Karjalainen, Research Fellow, Finnish Institute of International Affairs (FIIA)  Music: Luka Margiani Editing: Barbara Vanotti This episode is funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe-funded InvigoratEU project.

This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Frank Schimmelfennig, Professor at ETH Zurich, Tyyne Karjalainen, Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, and TEPSA Executive Director, Mariam Khotenashvili. The discussion explores Ukraine’s path to EU accession in light of the recent proposal by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz for an associate form of EU membership for Ukraine. Frank Schimmelfennig and Tyyne Karjalainen are researchers in the InvigoratEU project funded by Horizon Europe. Frank is a Professor at ETH Zurich and a leading scholar on EU enlargement. He recently took part in the first episode of TEPSA’s InvigoratEU Talks, a new podcast miniseries on re-invigorating the EU enlargement process. Tyyne is a Research Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs, where she focuses on European security, defence cooperation, and the EU’s role in Ukraine. EuropeChats is the flagship podcast of TEPSA and it is part of the TEPSA Podcast Channel “Europe Speaks” Music: Worakls, 22 September 2014, Salzburg, Hungry music This video is co-funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the European Union Co-Funded by the European Union.

In the first episode of InvigoratEU Talks, we turn to the enlargement policy toolbox. What does geopolitical enlargement actually mean in practice? And can the current enlargement methodology still deliver in a context shaped by war, security pressures, and renewed competition among great powers? InvigoratEU Talks is a podcast series born from the Horizon Europe-funded project, InvigoratEU, bringing together leading scholars and policy-makers from across Europe to do exactly what the name suggests: re-invigorate EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy in a changing world.   Host: Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director, TEPSA Guests: Vsevolod Chentsov, Ambassador of Ukraine to the EU, Funda Tekin, Director, Institut für Europäische Politik (IEP) & Academic Coordinator of InvigoratEU Frank Schimmelfennig, Professor, ETH Zurich Music: Luka Margiani Editing: Barbara Vanotti This episode is funded by the European Union as part of the Horizon Europe-funded InvigoratEU project.

This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Colette Braeckman, Journalist at Le Soir, and TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos. The discussion focuses on Central African history and politics in the post-independence era and the relation with the EU. Colette Braeckman has been a longtime senior correspondent for Le Soir in Central Africa and is the author of numerous books based on her investigations; her most recent work brings together her memoirs, published under the title Mes Carnets Noirs (2023). EuropeChats is the flagship podcast of TEPSA and it is part of the TEPSA Podcast Channel “Europe Speaks” Music: Worakls, 22 September 2014, Salzburg, Hungry music This video is co-funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the European Union Co-Funded by the European Union.

This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Klara Lindström, Analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS), and TEPSA Executive Director Mariam Khotenashvili. The discussion focuses on Ukraine’s perspectives on the war, peace talks, and prospects for EU membership. Klara Lindström is Analyst at SCEEUS at the Swedish Institute of International Affairs (UI) and Special Advisor, European Policy Institute in Kyiv (EPIK). She previously worked at East Capital Group, at the Swedish Armed Forces Headquarters, and the Swedish Ministry of Defence. She also served at the Embassy of Sweden in Moscow from 2018 to 2020 and worked as a military interpreter in Ukraine in 2021. Klara Lindström is an expert on Ukraine’s domestic politics and reforms, EU enlargement, and Russian studies. She regularly travels to Ukraine, for around 2-3 weeks every other month. EuropeChats is the flagship podcast of TEPSA and it is part of the TEPSA Podcast Channel “Europe Speaks” Music: Worakls, 22 September 2014, Salzburg, Hungry music This video is co-funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the European Union Co-Funded by the European Union.

If democracy feels out of sync with today’s crises, information speed, and geopolitical pressure, what does “updating” look like without breaking the core promises? Let’s examine institutional stress, experimentations, and the tension between responsiveness and stability. Democracy Cracks is a six-episode podcast mini-series exploring the cracks in our democratic systems, from weakening trust to widening social divides, narrated by TEPSA's Programme Manager Eva Ribera and produced as part of ActEU, a Horizon Europe research project.   Host and writing: Eva Ribera Production: Florence Ferrando,  Barbara Vanotti Editorial review: Mariam Khotenashvili, Alexandros-Christos Gkotinakos, Ilaria Giustacchini Music: Nicolas Gadrat Sound credits:  Robots and Electromechanics v2 - 152.wav by Headphaze -- https://freesound.org/s/268387/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 traffic horns city nervous busy.wav by klankbeeld -- https://freesound.org/s/180156/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 air horn close and loud.WAV by goose278 -- https://freesound.org/s/174819/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 demonstration-SCREAMS.wav by chazam -- https://freesound.org/s/218881/ -- License: Attribution NonCommercial 4.0 Frustrated Grunts Shouts.wav by Jim Goad -- https://freesound.org/s/265585/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 This podcast is funded by the European Union.

Elections still matter, but participation is changing shape. We look at who walks away from voting (and why), how participation gaps map into inequality and civic space, and where people go when they still do not abandon politics. Democracy Cracks is a six-episode podcast mini-series exploring the cracks in our democratic systems, from weakening trust to widening social divides, narrated by TEPSA's Programme Manager Eva Ribera and produced as part of ActEU, a Horizon Europe research project.   Host and writing: Eva Ribera Production: Florence Ferrando,  Barbara Vanotti Editorial review: Mariam Khotenashvili and Alexandros-Christos Gkotinakos Music: Nicolas Gadrat Sound credits: Typing on Computer-St.wav by mar.u02144 -- https://freesound.org/s/508234/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Signing 2 by The_AT5000 -- https://freesound.org/s/820051/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 protests_casolets_trombone.wav by mmiron -- https://freesound.org/s/350649/ -- License: Attribution 4.0 iPhone Text Sound by ukjoncollins -- https://freesound.org/s/653820/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Likes, Thumbs Up by LilMati -- https://freesound.org/s/714569/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 This podcast is funded by the European Union.

A final episode focused on repairs: protecting checks and balances, making accountability visible, investing in civic education and media literacy, and building resilience against inequality, distrust, and manipulation - without pretending democracy will ever be “perfect”. Democracy Cracks is a six-episode podcast mini-series exploring the cracks in our democratic systems, from weakening trust to widening social divides, narrated by TEPSA's Programme Manager Eva Ribera and produced as part of ActEU, a Horizon Europe research project.   Host and writing: Eva Ribera Production: Florence Ferrando,  Barbara Vanotti Editorial review: Mariam Khotenashvili, Alexandros-Christos Gkotinakos, Ilaria Giustacchini Music: Nicolas Gadrat Sound credits:  paper shuffle.wav by alec_mackay -- https://freesound.org/s/463682/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 ping 2.wav by cameronmusic -- https://freesound.org/s/138419/ -- License: Attribution 3.0 Magic - Cymbal Swell 2 by Vrymaa -- https://freesound.org/s/826131/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 This podcast is funded by the European Union.

What does a society look like when trust in democracy crumbles? In this episode, we explore how distrust reshapes civic life, from people walking away from the ballot box to rising polarisation, conspiracy theories, and the appeal of extreme “solutions”. But we also look at the other side: how frustration can spark new forms of participation, creativity, and democratic renewal. Democracy Cracks is a six-episode podcast mini-series exploring the cracks in our democratic systems, from weakening trust to widening social divides, narrated by TEPSA's Programme Manager Eva Ribera and produced as part of ActEU, a Horizon Europe research project.   Host and writing: Eva Ribera Production: Florence Ferrando,  Barbara Vanotti Editorial review: Mariam Khotenashvili, Alexandros-Christos Gkotinakos, Ilaria Giustacchini Music: Nicolas Gadrat Sound credits:  parliament noises.wav by Eneasz -- https://freesound.org/s/178247/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 iPhone Text Sound by ukjoncollins -- https://freesound.org/s/653820/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 Surfer dude - kit - Surprise n Shock kit 1 by Sadiquecat -- https://freesound.org/s/818949/ -- License: Creative Commons 0 This podcast is funded by the European Union.