Share

cover art for Today on Briefed: Europe Talks Back (Extended Format)

Europod • News

Today on Briefed: Europe Talks Back (Extended Format)

Season 2, Ep. 28

Today’s Briefed Special is a longer conversation from our series Europe Talks Back.


The European Union is one of the world’s most developed regions; yet deep territorial inequalities persist. According to Eurostat, GDP per capita can vary threefold within the same member state, with capital regions often earning twice as much as the rest of the country.


In this episode of Europe Talks Back, produced with ESPON, Léa Marchal explores why many small and medium-sized cities are losing ground — and whether this trend can be reversed.


Joined by Andrés Rodríguez-Pose, Professor at the London School of Economics and Chair of the High-Level Group on the Future of EU Cohesion Policy, the discussion looks at demographic decline, policy blind spots, and the limits of current cohesion funding.


Are these cities doomed to fall behind - or can smarter investment and stronger local institutions help them thrive again?


Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.


A podcast by Europod, in cooperation with ESPON, an EU-funded programme that bridges research with policies


“This podcast series is cofunded by ESPON. However, the opinions and views expressed are solely those of the authors. ESPON can't be held responsible for them.”

More episodes

View all episodes

  • Reupload - My question to Angela Merkel - « Wir schaffen das » and the extremes go mad

    20:41|
    Briefed is taking a break this week.In the meantime, I’m bringing you a German-themed segment featuring one of Europod’s award-winning series: My Question to Angela Merkel.Follow Emilia, a young journalist, as she searches for the perfect question to ask Angela Merkel before she leaves office.In this episode, Emilia looks back at Angela Merkel’s decision to welcome refugees to Germany in 2015.Follow us on:LinkedIn • Instagram
  • Reupload - My question to Angela Merkel - What’s with the Austerity Angie?

    23:07|
    Briefed is taking a break this week.In the meantime, I’m bringing you a German-themed segment featuring one of Europod’s award-winning series: My Question to Angela Merkel. Follow Emilia, a young journalist, as she searches for the perfect question to ask Angela Merkel before she leaves office. In this episode, we look back at the EU’s response to the Greek debt crisis, with testimonies from Jean-Claude Juncker, Alexis Tsipras, and François Hollande.Follow us on:LinkedIn • Instagram
  • Reupload - My question to Angela Merkel - Financial Crash and Angie

    15:51|
    Briefed is taking a break this week.In the meantime, I’m bringing you a German-themed segment featuring one of Europod’s award-winning series: My Question to Angela Merkel. Follow Emilia, a young journalist, as she searches for the perfect question to ask Angela Merkel before she leaves office. Today, I’m bringing you episode 6 of the series, which looks at Angela Merkel’s response to the 2008 financial crisis. You’ll hear, in particular, from former President of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, and former Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram
  • Reupload - My question to Angela Merkel - Lisbon Treaty, Angie's Treaty?

    18:00|
    Briefed is taking a break this week.In the meantime, I’m bringing you a German-themed segment featuring one of Europod’s award-winning series: My Question to Angela Merkel.Follow Emilia, a young journalist, as she searches for the perfect question to ask Angela Merkel before she leaves office.For today, I’ve chosen episode 5 of the series, which looks at the early days of Angela Merkel’s time as chancellor, as well as Germany’s rotating presidency of the Council of the EU, and the Lisbon Treaty.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram
  • 65. EU–Syria reset: what will happen to Syrians refugees in Europe?

    05:26||Season 2, Ep. 65
    The EU has formally relaunched contact with Syria after years of frozen relations. But what does it mean for Syrians in Europe? What will be the impact on those who have sought refuge in Europe over the last two decades?Production: By Europod in co-production with the Sphera Network.This episode is based on an article published on Popaganda and is co-written with Hélène Pillon from Médianes.
  • 64. What does the EU put on the table to fight the energy crisis ?

    04:50||Season 2, Ep. 64
    The EU firmly believes that the answer to the energy crisis is in the transition to clean energies. But what does the Commission propose to ease the pressure on Europeans in the short term?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedInInstagram
  • 63. Can the EU fix expensive train travel?

    04:35||Season 2, Ep. 63
    For years, public authorities have said they want to support faster and more affordable train travel. But in practice, not much has changed. So, is the EU actually capable of boosting rail?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedIn • Instagram
  • 62. EU fines against X - will Elon Musk comply with EU rules?

    04:23||Season 2, Ep. 62
    The European Union imposed a 120 million euros fine on the social network X last December. On Monday April 20, Elon Musk was supposed to join a hearing by the French authorities about the functionning of X, but he did not show up. What is the real impact of European sanctions on X and other platforms?Production: By Europod, in co-production with the Sphera network.Follow us on:LinkedIn •. Instagram
  • What does it take to report the news from within a war zone? (with Voices)

    09:44||Season 2
    Briefed presents: Journalism in War - Solidarity Beyond Borders (From Florence)What does it take to report the news from within a war zone?In this special episode recorded at the Voices - European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom, we explore how journalists continue working under extreme conditions - in Ukraine and in Gaza.Featuring testimonies from Sergiy Tomilenko (National Union of Journalists of Ukraine) and Yousef Khader Habache (Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate – Europe), this episode focuses on the creation of Journalists’ Solidarity Centres: support hubs designed to help reporters operate in conflict environments.From access to electricity and internet, to safety equipment and emergency funding, these hubs provide the basic infrastructure needed to sustain journalism in times of war.In Ukraine, they were developed in response to Russia’s full-scale invasion. In Gaza, the model has been adapted to function in an environment where infrastructure has largely collapsed.At the core of this episode: a simple question - how do you maintain journalism when the conditions to produce information no longer exist?This episode was produced with the support of Voices. Europod retains full editorial responsibility for its content.More information about Voices: https://voicesfestival.eu/