12 Minutes With - The Europe Interview

Danish Europe Minister Marie Bjerre joins 12 Minutes With to unpack a new plan to circumvent Hungary's veto on Ukraine’s accession bid, the key wins of the Danish EU Presidency and Copenhagen's transformation from migration outlier to European example.

Spain's economy minister Carlos Cuerpo joins 12 Minutes with to talk about modernising his country's economy, how it is outpacing its larger peers and the role of migration in this process.

The head of the EU's ombudsman, Teresa Anjinho, joins 12 Minutes with to discuss the probes that have rocked Brussels, accessing von der Leyen's text messages and what is needed to safeguard people's trust in the EU institutions. 

She has taken on her role at a time when drug-related attacks are rocking her country.  Belgian Drug Commissioner Ine Van Wymersch joins 12 Minutes With to discuss the risk of Belgium becoming a narco-state, her concerns about opioid-laced vapes harming youngsters and the emergence of fentanyl in Europe.

His country has been in the EU accession waiting room for 25 years and has seen little progress. Prime Minister of North Macedonia Hristijan Mickoski joins this latest episode of 12 Minutes With to discuss what he refers to as artificial disputes holding his country back, and the impact this has on the country's population. This interview was conducted during Euronews’ Enlargement Summit on 4 November. Find out more about the event on euronews.com  

Nine countries are candidates to join the European Union, but one is ahead in the race: Montenegro. The country of just over 600,000 people is aiming to wrap up accession talks next year and join the bloc as early as January 2028. Deputy Prime Minister Filip Ivanović explains why the EU could pay a "huge" geopolitical cost and risk "losing credibility" if it fails to welcome Montenegro, and urges Brussels to show other countries working to become EU-ready that their efforts are not in vain.This interview was conducted during Euronews’ Enlargement Summit on 4 November. Find out more about the event on euronews.com

He's known for his witty comebacks, and is widely considered one of Europe's most colourful leaders — traits he hopes will propel Albania on the path to EU membership. Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama joins this latest edition of 12 Minutes With to talk about pushing for reforms to accelerate its EU accession, his pregnant AI minister, who is at the heart of these talks, and his next creative idea. This interview was conducted during Euronews’ Enlargement Summit on 4 November. Find out more about the event on euronews.com 

Smuggler balloons were reported in the Lithuanian airspace in the wake of drones violating European airspace. Can they be considered Russian-backed hybrid attacks? How should the EU and NATO respond?  Lithuanian Foreign Affairs Minister Kęstutis Budrys joins Maria Tadeo for an exclusive interview on recent activities on Europe's Eastern flank.