Europod • News

This week, the EU’s top court delivered a landmark ruling: Malta’s golden passport programme, which allowed wealthy foreigners to acquire Maltese, and therefore EU, citizenship in exchange for a cash investment, has been found illegal.According to the Court of Justice of the European Union, the scheme amounted to “the commercialisation of EU citizenship.” has violated the Treaty on the Functioning of the EU. But what happens now to the passports Malta has already sold and which other countries are under pressure too?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram

Abortion remains illegal in Malta and highly restricted in Poland, despite ongoing pressure from European institutions to uphold reproductive rights. In this episode of Europe Talks Back, we examine the historical and current influence of religious institutions on abortion policy across Europe, and the political forces maintaining these restrictions. We are joined by Neil Datta, Executive Director and founder of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights, and Magdalena Chrzczonowicz, Editor-in-Chief of OKO.press and contributor to the cross-border investigation Exporting Abortion, who share insights on how restrictive laws impact women and how cross-border initiatives are working to protect access to safe abortion care.

Today, our Long Story Short podcast is taking you outside of Europe, to the Mediterranean, to Tunisia. This may not be a strictly European story, but what happens in our neighborhood can have major implications for us too. Especially considering that just last year, Tunisia signed a 255-million-euro deal with the European Union to tackle irregular migration.The birthplace of the Arab Spring, is once again caught in a judicial farce, because last week, a Tunisian court sentenced 40 people up to 66 years of prison. But who are these people, and why is the EU turning a blind eye in its transactional relationship with Tunisia?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram

Over the weekend, world leaders gathered in Rome to attend Pope Francis’ funeral, an event that quickly became a hotspot for high-stakes diplomacy. At the heart of these diplomatic moves was the very first face-to-face meeting of Donald Trump and Voldomyr Zelenskyy since February’s highly tense Oval Office encounter.In what way did this meeting shape the future of the war in Ukraine, and what should we be keeping an eye on this week?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram

The first episode of A Grain of Power starts in Trevignano, near Rome, Italy. It starts with the story of Culetti, a small modern bakery led by Mirko Magnano, who discusses the philosophy behind the business. More than 2000 kilometres away, Zainab describes the visceral relationship between Egyptian people and bread, as well as the challenges the local population encounters to access this essential good. How and why are the stories of Mirko and Zainab connected?Through 6 episodes, A Grain of Power is a documentary podcast that takes you on a journey from the heart of Ukraine to the markets of Egypt, passing through Romania, Italy, and Brussels. It explores how an essential commodity – seeds, wheat, bread – has become a weapon of power, playing a crucial role both in the North and the South. Discover how these resources nourish nations, provoke conflicts, and reshape alliancesAnd you? Would you be willing to fight for a piece of bread?Narration: Alexander Damiano RicciReporting and field research: Futura D'Aprile & Matteo GaravogliaAuthor: Futura D'AprileEnglis adaptation: Alexander Damiano RicciEditor-in-chief: Alexander Damiano RicciOriginal soundtrack: Epidemic SoundOriginal Sound Editing: Jeremy BocquetSound editing and mixing English version: Daniel Gutierrez OrtegaIllustration: Watermelon CollectiveProduction: Futura D'Aprile & Matteo GaravogliaExecutive producer: Ana RiberaProduction coordinator: Alexander Damiano Ricci A Grain of Power is a six-episode documentary series produced by Europod and Outriders, as part of the WePod project, funded by the European Union. This podcast is co-produced by Europod.Subscribe to Europod • English for even more podcasts, and follow us on Linkedin and Instagram.

The European Union is currently investigating whether Hungary’s new plan to use facial recognition at LGBTQ+ Pride events on June 28th is even legal. But what does Hungary’s surveillance move reveal about the strength of the EU’s AI Act? And will the European Commission take action this time around?Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram