Radio Schuman

The high-stakes European Council summit concluded on Thursday, with migration policy dominating the agenda.For the first time, leaders discussed so-called "return hubs" — centres in third countries where migrants within the EU, whose asylum claims have been rejected and cannot be repatriated, would be held.This, along with discussions around the European Union's asylum and migration pact, set to be implemented in 2026, signalled that leaders were potentially radically rethinking how the bloc approaches migration.However, final council conclusions made no mention of return hubs, and failed to provide a timeline for the EU's new migration pact.Leaders did, however, call on the European Commission to propose new legislation on deporting rejected asylum seekers still residing in the EU, and supported Poland's call to give nation states the right to temporarily suspend asylum applications.In a first, Ursula von der Leyen suggested that temporary and proportionate measures might be legally feasibleAlso on the podcast, Radio Schuman looks at the first ever far-right Patriots of Europe pre-summit meeting with exclusive sound bites from Dutch far-right leader Geert Wilders.Finally, we ask where in Europe do people say they are the happiest? Spoiler alert: high rates of happiness tend to correlate with the amount of sun.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

In today’s European Council, EU leaders will discuss mainly Ukraine, the Middle East, and migration. In particular, there is the implementation of the €50 billion loan agreed at the G7 and call for a ceasefire in Gaza, the release of hostages, continued humanitarian aid, and an end to Israel's attacks on UNIFIL in Lebanon.However, migration will be the summit's key issue, especially the bloc's Migration and Asylum Pact, set to be enforced by 2026.Some EU countries, under pressure from rising anti-immigration sentiment, have reintroduced temporary border controls. Leaders are expected to focus on to focus on migrants whose asylum claims are rejected, with proposals for return hubs and stronger return policies under consideration.Today Euronews's Maria Psara brings us into the summit.The second part of Radio Schuman is dedicated to other minor points up for discussion and some agenda points in Brussels to keep in mind.And in the last part of the show, there's a report about how Gen Z seems to be faring in the workplace. Key point: results indicate that many companies are not very happy with recent graduate hires. Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

Today marks the first-ever summit between the EU and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), which includes the UAE, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, and Kuwait, part of the EU's new strategy to strengthen ties with Gulf countries, focusing on climate and trade relations.Radio Schuman brings you a part of our colleague Shona Murray's interview with Jasem Mohamed AlBudaiwi, Secretary General of the Cooperation Council for the Arab States of the Gulf.There's also a brief comment by European Commission spokesperson for foreign affairs Peter Stano on how the EU will approach its partners in the Gulf, particularly on what divides them — such as the geopolitical approach towards Russia and its invasion in Ukraine.We also discuss a report by the European Social Insurance Platform highlighting a steady increase in pharmaceutical spending in Europe. Spoiler alert: it's not a good thing for taxpayers.And on the last part of the show, Radio Schuman explores the best places to go skiing this winter, after many resorts shuttered last season due to snowless slopes.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

Is outsourcing migration management the new trend in Europe?In this episode, Radio Schuman examines the external dimension of migration by discussing the model of Italy’s new migration centres in Albania.The outsourcing of migration to non-EU countries has become a new trend, whether it is by sending money to countries of origin or by looking into the possibility of building processing centres outside of the EU borders. But are these options viable?Radio Schuman talks about this issue with Euronews's Vincenzo Genovese.There are also the new EU sanctions against Iran, approved on Monday, and the news items on today's agenda — Albania's EU accession conference and the Energy and General Affairs Council, all taking place in Luxembourg.And finally, we'll tell you where to find Europe’s best slices of pizza outside of Italy (but you should really go to Italy for pizza if you can, let's face it).Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

Since European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced her proposals for the new batch of European Commissioners, the legal affairs committee, also known as JURI, has been in charge of examining the conflict of interest declarations for each candidate.However, many members of the committee from the Greens and The Left walked out of the meeting, arguing that the examination was a total scam as the Parliament has no real powers to investigate - so what is the point of scrutinising financial interests? We speak to MEP Manon Aubry (The Left/France).Radio Schuman will also have a look at today's agenda. This Friday, EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will be in Cyprus for the 11th summit of the southern countries of the European Union, discussing EU-Jordan relations and Mediterranean priorities for the new institutional cycle. And in case you missed it: EU justice ministers have once again failed to agree on the controversial EU regulation to detect online child sexual abuse content.For the proposal to be adopted, a minimum of 15 of the 27 member states, representing at least 65% of the EU population, must support it - and the numbers are not there yet, EU diplomats say. Lastly, what is the most popular EU country for studying abroad? Think of a sunny and beautiful country in southern Europe and you'll get the answer: Spain is the most attractive short-term study destination for European students - but watch out! The top picks change in the long-term studies of international students.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Paula Soler, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

In this podcast, Radio Schuman interviews Péter Magyar, leader of the Tisza party in Hungary, who has recently emerged as the only popular alternative to Prime Minister Viktor Orbán.Magyar spoke to Euronews political reporter Vincenzo Genovese in his office in Strasbourg, where the Hungarian MEP talked frankly about Orbán's media machine, his own court cases in Hungary and where he stands on Ukraine, migration, and relations with China.As the plenary session in Strasbourg wraps up later today, all eyes are shifting back to Brussels. On Thursday's agenda, EU justice ministers will meet in the capital to discuss Schengen, migration and asylum policies for the first time since Germany reintroduced land border controls for six months in a bid to tackle "irregular migration".  Justice ministers will also discuss the controversial EU regulation aimed at detecting online child sexual abuse material. Despite this being a top priority for Hungary’s Council presidency, don't expect a vote just yet — several EU diplomats say that a consensus among member states is still a long way off.And here’s a little teaser: the 2025 World University Rankings are out. Think you know which European universities topped the list? Don't be so sure. We don't want to spoil the whole list for you, but we can tell you that European universities have seen a decline in this year's ranking.Check out the full story at euronews.com.  Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Paula Soler, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

Halfway through its six-month rotating presidency, rather than playing the honest broker, Budapest has blocked many files, including the ones on aid to Ukraine.It further blocked a statement denouncing Moscow's media ban, and it voted against the EU’s plan to impose tariffs on electric vehicles.It's unclear what exactly broke the camel's back, but one thing is certain: the EU has lost its patience with Hungary.Yet on Tuesday, at a press conference ahead of this speech in Parliament, Orbán played the now-traditional martyr card at a press conference before his big speech in front of all MEPs, arguing that he's not the problem — it is Brussels that needs to change its strategy on Ukraine, migration and competitiveness.So, what can the EU do now with Hungary? We ask Daniel Hegedüs, the German Marshall Fund's regional director for Central Europe.Coming up on Wednesday’s EU agenda, Radio Schuman will dive into the latest developments on the G7's proposed $50 billion (€45 billion) loan to Ukraine — will we see further progress?Over in Strasbourg, MEPs are set for a lively debate on several key issues, including a G20 proposal to tax the world’s wealthiest individuals, strengthening the security of Europe’s external borders, and ensuring decent and affordable housing for all citizens.And lastly, have you ever wondered if MEPs get to skip the airport lines? Or what benefits do they have? Short answer: the European Parliament does not issue passports with diplomatic status for MEPs, but they can have a "laisser-passez" travel document when going on parliamentary business.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Paula Soler, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.

Monday marked a year since the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, which led Brussels to repeat its calls for a ceasefire and the immediate release of hostages.One year later, Europe is still not on the same page, and in just a few weeks, Kaja Kallas, the former Estonian prime minister, will become the EU's new foreign policy chief.But Kallas is known to be less committed and outspoken on the Middle East than the current High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borell.So, what can we expect from Kallas, and how can the EU break the current deadlock in the Middle East? Martin Konecny, director of the European Middle East Project, an independent civil society hub on EU policy towards Israel and Palestine is our guest today.On the EU's daily menu, get ready for a first taste of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg.Ahead of his big speech on Wednesday outlining his vision for Hungary's six-month turn at the EU's rotating presidency, Orbán will hold a press conference with MEP Kinga Gál at 2:30 pm today that could steal some of the limelight from a parliamentary debate on the EU's car industry and... himself.  Lastly, Radio Schuman dives into one of the EU’s toughest challenges: a serious shortage of doctors, nurses and other healthcare pros. Curious about which countries rely most on foreign medical staff? Here’s a hint: Northern Europe’s where to look.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Paula Soler, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas.