London Calling EU

In a special co-production with the Who Rules the World? Podcast, created and produced by EU Delegation in New York, Lars Westra, EU Youth Delegate to the UN, presents this month’s episode of London Calling EU. Lars attended the EU Delegation to the UK’s Annual Youth Dialogue event held this year in Newcastle University, where he caught up with the EU Ambassador to the UK Pedro Serrano. Ambassador Serrano, who was infact the first EU Ambassador to the UN, spoke to Lars about the importance of youth voices in multilateralism and why youth should get in contact with different cultures/environments. At an important juncture in EU-UK Youth relations, the commitment to keeping channels open with youth is more important that ever. 

This month’s episode of London Calling EU will focus on a unique literary project that underscores the enduring cultural ties between the UK and the rest of the European continent: the interactive, online European Literary Map of London devised by University College London's European Institute. Highlighting London’s relevance for European culture and in particular for European writers, Dr Uta Staiger Director of the UCL European Institute and curator of the project discusses the project and the wider relationship of London and European Literature with European authors Ciara Broderick (Ireland), Nisrine Mbarki (The Netherlands), Domas Raibys (Lithuania) and Iryna Shuvalova (Ukraine) and her UCL colleague, Lucy Shackleton.

The first UK-EU Summit post–Brexit was held in London on May 19th 2025 and was agreed to have marked a new chapter in UK-EU relations. Ambassador Pedro Serrano published an op-ed on the Summit’s significance and spoke of the strength of the ‘new beginnings for old friends’. On the day following the Summit, Chatham House, the renowned foreign policy think tank in London, held a panel event featuring the Ambassador Serrano, Professor Anand Menon, Director of the UK in a Changing Europe, Olivia O’Sullivan, Director of the UK in the World Programme and Dr Nathalie Tocci Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali. The timely discussion, deftly moderated by Sébastien Maillard of Chatham House, is presented here in full.  

This month’s episode of London Calling EU will mark the 3 years that have passed since the devastating Russian invasion of Ukraine. From the first day of the invasion, the EU rallied to Ukraine’s side and so far has organised the delivery of unprecedented humanitarian, financial and military assistance both directly from the EU and from Member States individually. Bringing us up to date, we discuss the breakneck diplomatic developments of late with the Director of the Ukrainian Institute in London, Olesya Khromeychuk. We also catch up with the curator Gabriele Salciute Civiliene, Associate Professor in Digital Humanities, King’s College London, Baroness Deborah Bull and commissioner Anna Huth, Cultural attaché at the European Parliament Liason Office to the UK, of a new exhibition at Europe House devoted to the protection of the built and cultural heritage of Ukraine.

Since its establishment in 2020, the EU Delegation to the UK has implemented a unique strategy focused on supporting and connecting with EU citizens in the UK. A highlight of this work is the annual EU Citizens’ Gathering. This year more than 200 people came together - EU citizens’ organisations, EU and UK politicians, Member States and EU institutions - to celebrate the contributions of EU citizens to UK society. In addition, 2024’s Gathering saw the launch of the inaugural EmpowerEU Award scheme which celebrates the incredible work of grassroots organisations supporting EU citizens in the UK. Nine organisations were shortlisted for award, all of which have gone above and beyond to support EU citizens, strengthen EU-UK relations, and foster youth cooperation between the EU and the UK. Join Benedicte Paviot, UK correspondent for France 24, on this episode of London Calling EU, who brings us through the highlights of the day as we hear from the panels, including the Ambassadors to the UK of the EU, Italy, Poland and Germany, MPs and the EmpowerEU award winners. Benedicte also speaks to Lydia Martin, Deputy Head of Projects, New Europeans UK about the significance of the day and the challenges ahead for EU citizens resident in the UK.

Now the European Election 2024 has taken place, we devote the third episode of our election series to the possible legacy of the campaign to mobilise the vote of the European community in the UK. Our host Barbara Serra takes in the Delegation’s celebrations of Europe day and speaks to the Delegation’s own EU citizens’ rights programme lead Daniel Fleischer-Ambrus on what are the outreach plans ahead. Finally, with the new European Parliament in the process of being formed, Barbara speaks with Professor Anand Menon, Director of UK in a changing Europe and Deborah Bonetti, director of the Foreign Press Association to evaluate how the results of the European election might impact EU-UK relations.

In this second episode of our special series devoted to the upcoming European Elections, our host Barbara Serra reaches out to members of the two largest EU diasporas in the UK- the Polish and the Romanian - to hear how the message about the European Elections is cutting through. Then to help better understand the opportunities and challenges involved in trying to speak directly to the citizens of the EU in the UK, we are joined by Nicholas Hatton, the co founder and former CEO of the 3 million, Typhaine Morillon, press attache for the European Parliament liaison office to the UK and Jakub Krupa, Polish journalist and author. Our third and final episode in the series will be coming up soon! 

Welcome to the first of the EU Delegation’s 3 part series on the upcoming European Elections and the role to be played in them by the UK’s almost 5 million resident EU citizens. Hosted by journalist Barbara Serra, this first episode addresses how the EU community here in the UK, the EU’s biggest diaspora outside the Union, will be able to take part in the election of the 700 MEPs that make up the European Parliament. With turnout a persistent problem we discuss not just how EU citizens can vote but also why the should. In this episode Barbara speaks to EU Ambassador Pedro Serrano, Susanne Oberhauser head of the EPLO in London, Samer Melki French General Consul to the UK and Charles Grant Director, Centre for European Reform.