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Who Can Still Afford to Live Here?
Across Europe, the cost of housing is reaching a critical point. Rents are rising, homeownership is slipping out of reach, and no major city remains affordable for an average-income household.
What are the driving forces behind this situation? What measures are being taken at the European, national or local level to address this crisis? How effective are they?
In our new episode of Europe Talks Back, produced in cooperation with ESPON, we explore this continent-wide challenge through fresh data and expert insight.
Our guest, Alice Pittini, Research Director at Housing Europe, helps us understand: Why have housing prices outpaced incomes? How affordability differs across territories; What national systems can (and cannot) do; How the EU’s new Affordable Housing initiative could support real change
This crisis is not only about markets — it’s about fairness, access, and the future of Europe’s cities and communities.
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.”
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Reupload - Reports against reports: the battle to regulate toxic TFAs
05:07|Before the launch of the new season of our daily podcast, we invite you to listen again to the best content produced in 2025.You’ve heard of PFAS, these forever chemicals found on your non-stick pan, in your dishwasher detergent, in your jacket and generally everywhere in your everyday lives. Now meet the trifluoroacetic acid or TFA, probably very dangerous to the public health but not regulated or measured in the EU. Now, you might wonder, if our food supplies are contaminated why isn’t the EU taking action to stop it? Well the EU can’t stop it because it didn’t monitor it.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
Reupload - Why wildfires aren’t just an emergency, but our reality
05:34|Before the launch of the new season of our daily podcast, we invite you to listen again to the best content produced in 2025.Wildfires have once again swept across the Mediterranean this summer. Catalonia saw entire towns forced into lockdown, fires crept dangerously close to Marseille, and evacuations have been underway in Greece. It’s becoming an all-too-familiar summer routine. But as the flames grow stronger and more frequent, are we doing enough to stop Europe from burning every summer?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
Reupload - The Right to decide - Episode 2
12:58|Discover a new podcast series! Who is threatening women’s rights and why? In the second episode of The Right to Decide, we uncover the forces driving the anti-gender movement with our host Sophie in ’t Veld and our guest Neil Datta, Executive Director of the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual and Reproductive Rights. From fake hotlines that discourage abortion to crisis pregnancy centres spreading disinformation, we reveal how a well-organised network of religious and political actors is working to roll back decades of democratic progress. A podcast by the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive RightsProduced by Europod, in collaboration with Ambiorix CenterFollow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.
Reupload - The Right to decide - Episode 1
12:56|Discover a new podcast series! What happens when the right to choose over your own body becomes a political battlefield? The first episode of The Right to Decide explores the fight for abortion rights in Europe. Our host Sophie in ’t Veld sits down with Joanna Scheuring-Wielgus, Polish MEP and long-time women’s rights defender, to explore one of the most contested issues in Europe today. From Poland’s near-total ban on abortion to France’s constitutional protection, we uncover how control over reproduction has become a test for democracy itself. A podcast by the European Parliamentary Forum for Sexual & Reproductive RightsProduced by Europod, in collaboration with Ambiorix Centre. Follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube
221. Belgium objects to the Russian assets loan as the EU prepares to table its plan
05:15||Season 1, Ep. 221Belgium’s Prime Minister, Bart De Wever, has thrown quite a spanner into the EU’s plans to use frozen Russian state assets to fund Ukraine. The Commission wants to turn those assets, around €210 billion frozen since Russia’s full-scale invasion, into a €140 billion “reparations loan” to keep Kyiv financially afloat for the next two years. But, what’s really behind Belgium’s resistance and could one country derail Europe’s entire Ukraine strategy?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
14. What is the climate cost of the European diet?
20:46||Season 4, Ep. 14COP30 ended with almost no attention to food systems, despite their huge climate footprint. In this episode of Europe Talks Back, Evi Kiorri explores the climate cost of the European diet, from high meat consumption to fertiliser-intensive farming, and why efforts like the Farm to Fork Strategy have stalled. With insights from Olivier De Schutter, co-chair of IPES-Food, and UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, we look at the political reluctance, the role of agri-food lobbies, and what it would take for Europe to make its food system truly sustainable.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
220. No evidence of wrongdoing, yet EU NGO funding inquiry sparks turmoil
04:59||Season 1, Ep. 220Wednesday’s inaugural session of the European Parliament’s new scrutiny working group, the one set up to investigate transparency around NGO funding, did not exactly go as planned. The meeting descended into chaos within the first half hour. Progressive and left-leaning MEPs walked out almost immediately, calling the probe a politically-motivated assault on civil society. 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
219. EU Court: all member states must recognise same-sex marriages
05:05||Season 1, Ep. 219The European Court of Justice has ruled that all EU member states must recognise same-sex marriages lawfully concluded in any other member state, even if they don’t allow such marriages at home. But what sparked this ruling and what are the reactions from countries where same sex marriages are illegal?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