Brussels, My Love?

In a week of political upheaval in Europe, Hungary got rid of its president and the UK's seventh Prime Minister in a decade entered office. What does this mean for Brussels? Brussels, My Love? investigates with Andrea Renda, director of research at the Brussels think tank CEPS, Teresa Küchler, Svenska Dagbladet’s European correspondent, and Euronews’ reporter Sandor Zsiros. 

On Monday, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, presented a highly anticipated report on child safety online and pledged a social media ban to protect children in the EU. But what would this measure entail? Why is it stirring debate? And what else can the EU do to hold Big Tech companies more accountable?  To discuss these and more questions, Brussels, My Love? talked to Sara Brandstätter, tech reporter at MLex, Simeon de Brouwer, digital policy advisor at European Digital Rights and Jean Cattan, co-director of the think tank Future Technology Institute.

The escalation of the war in Ukraine, an unpredictable NATO meeting in Ankara, a provocative dance on a football pitch, and an historic court ruling.  July may have just started, but European leaders seem far from a relaxing beach holiday. To discuss the latest events across the continent, Brussels, My Love sat down with Donnacha Ó Beacháin, professor of politics at Dublin City University, Teresa Küchler, European correspondent at the Svenska Dagbladet, and Stefan Grobe, Euronews’ senior reporter.

To mark the 250th anniversary of US independence, the US Embassy in Brussels threw a huge party at Parc du Cinquantenaire, in the heart of Brussels' European Quarter. From American candy to lobster rolls, the event attracted almost 10,000 people. On this episode of Brussels, My Love?, we delve into the politics behind the celebration and explore the state of the US-Iran talks aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East. We are joined by Ian Lesser of the German Marshall Fund of the United States, Lina Aburous of Forward Global, and Leo Cendrowicz, Brussels-based journalist and editor for Euronews and The Brussels Times.

On 1 July 2026, Cyprus will hand over the presidency of the Council of the EU to Ireland.  From the long-term EU budget to the crisis in the Middle East and the bloc’s defence, what have been the highlights of Cyprus’s presidency of the Council of the EU? And what priorities will Ireland set? To answer these and more questions, Brussels, My Love? sits down with Irene Kostaki, EU correspondent for the Cyprus News Agency, Cynthia Ní Mhurchú, Irish MEP for Renew Europe, and Micheal O Conchuir, secretary general for the European Alliance Group at the Committee of the Regions.

Ten years after Britain voted to leave the EU, the political and economic consequences of Brexit remain a subject of debate. On this episode of Brussels, My Love?, we mark the anniversary with an exclusive interview with the co-hosts of The Europeans podcast, alongside analysis and debate from our panel: corporate lobbyist Connor Allen and Euronews correspondent Shona Murray.