We knew it already that this year was set to be dominated by wins of the far-right across the board. The Netherlands set the scene in the end of last year with the victory of far-right populist Geert Wilders and Portugal continued the trend when it recently elected 50 – yes, 50 – far-right members of parliament in the year it celebrates as many years of democracy. As we are approaching the pivotal moment of the European elections, we want to dedicate some time exploring the rise of the far-right in Europe. We want to answer how did we get here and how do we solve this? So bear with us as we put together these series which will come to you already from next week. And now more than ever, we want to hear from you: do you know of any activist or organisation that is actively working to combat the rise of far-right in Europe? Think small-scale community projects working to deconstruct the harmful narratives of the far-right movement. It can be anything from working with migrants and refugees, to fighting against hate towards the LGBTQ+ community, misinformation… If you know of anyone that we should speak to get in touch with us. Our address is press@friendsofeurope.org. In the meantime, and because the next episodes are not going to be the most cheerful we have done, we want to take a step back and re-run our first episode of 2024. We want to take you to space with us with astrophysicist Guillem Anglada-Escudé. He spoke with Rayan Vugdalic, Programme Officer for the Making Space Matter Initiative at Friends of Europe.

Host Catarina Vila Nova sat down with Irene Fellin, NATO’s Special Representative for Women, Peace and Security at NATO’s headquarters in Brussels shortly after her return from her second trip to Ukraine. What she describes – the lack of body armour tailored for women – is just one very practical example of why NATO still needs a special representative for women, peace and security. The start of Fellin’s tenure as NATO’s special representative for women, peace and security came mere weeks before Russia’s full invasion of Ukraine. What had until then been a decade of crisis management quickly turned into NATO’s core tasks of deterrence and defence. But how does one get to become NATO’s special representative for women, peace and security? For Irene Fellin, it was not an obvious path. She describes how, being a wife of a diplomat, she found herself trapped in gender stereotypes and expectations and how she had to fight for her career. The rest is history… Irene Fellin also answered if she would be disappointed if her next boss would be another man and what legacy she hopes to leave for her twins in this episode of Policy Voices. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail. Our address is press@friendsofeurope.org.

In the year Portugal celebrates 50 years of democracy, it elected almost as many far-right MPs to the national parliament. Sunday’s elections saw the end of eight years of socialist rule with the social democrats coming first but by an extremely slim margin. In this episode of Policy Voices, host Catarina Vila Nova spoke to Ana Gomes, former MEP for the Socialists and Democrats. Ana Gomes painted Sunday’s elections as a choice for or against the ruling Socialist Party who was castigated by voters for not solving a critical housing problem, persistently low wages and lack of opportunities for the younger generations. With only three months to go until the European elections, Portugal stands as a warning sign to the rest of Europe of the gains the far-right is set to make across the continent. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail. Our address is press@friendsofeurope.org.

Exactly two years ago, on International Women’s Day, the European Commission proposed a EU Directive to combat violence against women and domestic violence. This new initiative was groundbreaking because, for the first time, it was proposing a common definition of rape based on consent but, in the end, the justice ministers of France and Germany blocked the inclusion of this clause. The European Women’s Lobby has been advocating for a EU-wide legislation tackling violence against women for decades and finally, such legislation is in the final steps of approval. On International Women’s Day, host Catarina Vila Nova speaks with Irene Rosales, Policy and Campaigns Officer at the European Women’s Lobby, about the significance of this EU directive. Although not including the consent-based definition of rape is considered a “missed opportunity”, among other clauses that didn’t make it to the final version, Rosales still highlights how important this directive is, as the first comprehensive legal instrument at the EU level to tackle violence against women, as she explains in this episode of Policy Voices. If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail. Our address is press@friendsofeurope.org

As the guardian of future generations, Derek Walker has to look ahead much more than any other politician. The job of the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales is to protect and promote the needs of future generations which means that most of his constituents are not born yet. Derek Walker has been the Future Generations Commissioner for Wales for exactly one year now. He started his seven-year mandate on March 1, 2023. In this episode of Policy Voices, Derek Walker spoke with Thomas Van Vynckt, Program Manager at Friends of Europe, about the lessons learned in his first year and what it means to be the guardian of future generations.

This week on Keeping an Eye on the Geopolitical Ball, Jamie Shea, Senior Fellow at Friends of Europe, reports on the shocking news of the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny in the Polar Wolf penal colony north of the Arctic Circle. In order to honour Navalny’s name and legacy, Jamie contends that outrage alone is not enough. Instead, he must become just as effective an opposition leader form beyond the grave as he was alive. Jamie outlines four key steps the EU and its member states must take to strengthen democracy in Russia and weaken Putin‘s regime.

Two years ago, Russian troops were stationed outside the Ukrainian border and on the morning of 24 February 2022, Russia began the largest attack on a European country since World War II. Two years ago, the questions we were asking were: is this the beginning of a full-scale invasion? Will sanctions have an impact? How can Putin be stopped now? Today, we know that 24 February 2022 marked the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russian troops and no, the sanctions did not have the desired effects because two years later, the war is still ongoing. In this episode of Policy Voices, we want to go back in time and revisit some of the questions we were all asking two years ago. What changed since then? Listen to this episode of Policy Voices where we re-run the first podcast episode Friends of Europe launched right after Russia invaded Ukraine.

This week on Keeping an Eye on the Geopolitical Ball, Jamie Shea, Senior Fellow at Friends of Europe, looks ahead at the Munich Security Conference, which is the annual gathering of the security policy community. Posing a great opportunity to assess the transatlantic temperature, Jamie predicts the mood to be rather downbeat. Donald Trump’s statement, that if he were president, the United States would not provide NATO protection to those countries who are not reaching the 2% defence spending benchmark and even invited Putin to attack, weakens NATO deterrence and leads to a more uncertain world. Jamie outlines what precautions Europe must take to face challenges posed by a weakened transatlantic security structure, an increasingly Russian aggressor and escalation in the Middle East.

In this episode of Policy Voices, Dalia Grybauskaitė, the former president of Lithuania, issued a stark warning about the risk Russia poses to European security. In calling for a serious effort to strengthen Europe’s defence, Grybauskaitė warned, "Putin will not ask for permission but he will involve us in direct conflict”. Grybauskaitė, a former European Commissioner, says that preparedness must come both at the national and EU level. Host Catarina Vila Nova asked Grybauskaitė, who was once tipped to be the next NATO secretary-general, if the time has come to put NATO boots on the ground in Ukraine and who should be the next leader of the alliance. At a time when the United States is already “paralysed”, even with a Democrat in the White House, Grybauskaitė, says that the people who matter most are the leaders of each member state.

This week on Keeping an Eye on the Geopolitical Ball, Jamie Shea, Senior Fellow at Friends of Europe, assesses whether Turkey should be expelled from NATO. At a time when the West is under a lot of geopolitical strain, the cohesion of alliances such as NATO becomes ever more important. Turkey blocking Sweden’s admission to the Alliance, quarrels with the United States about the arming of Kurdish Syrian groups fighting the Islamic State, as well as Erdogan’s support for Hamas, have led many commentators to demand for Turkey’s NATO membership to be suspended. However, Jamie advises against this for several important reasons.

Thierry Breton joined Friends of Europe for an event right after a special European Council and on the day hundreds of angry farmers drove their tractors to Brussels and paralysed most of the European Quarter. The European Commissioner for Internal Market spoke to Dharmendra Kanani, Friends of Europe’s Chief Spokesperson, about the challenges of the internal market, the much anticipated Digital Network Act and, of course, European defence. In the end, Breton still had a message for the farmers. You can see the full conversation here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGvjz_zM7tU&t=1476s

This week on Keeping an Eye on the Geopolitical Ball, Jamie Shea, Senior Fellow at Friends of Europe, claims that nowhere the cycle of hope and despair has been more visible than in Africa in recent times. Positive developments in the security situation in Africa - such as peace between Ethiopia and Eritrea, the end of conflict between Sudan and the breakaway South Sudan in 2011, and the 2015 Algiers Agreement - took a reverse turn as of late. Backsliding on the African continent is occurring in Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger, South Sudan and the DRC, with escalating conflicts and resistance to the return to democratic rule. To tackle these issues, Jamie contends that Africa needs the help of partners, such as the EU, that needs to establish long-term engagement with the continent.

Based in Sarajevo, the War Childhood Museum is the only museum in the world focused exclusively on childhood affected by war. Its founder, Jasminko Halilovic, was one of the keynote speakers of State of Europe, Friends of Europe’s flagship event, where he reminded European commissioners and national leaders from across Europe that having your childhood affected by war is one of the most commonly shared experiences of humanity. From Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jasminko, a European Young Leader (EYL40) brought two items from the War Childhood Museum: a book from Ukraine and a scarf from Gaza and he explains why in this episode of Policy Voices where he spoke to Mary Fitzgerald, trustee of Friends of Europe. As he visited the frontlines of the war in Ukraine, Jasminko was reminded of his childhood: “I clearly saw images from my childhood: children going to school through military checkpoints, classrooms destroyed.”

This week on Keeping an Eye on the Geopolitical Ball, Jamie Shea, Senior Fellow at Friends of Europe, analyses the awkward squad within the European order: Turkey, Hungary and Slovakia. Not upholding the democratic principles on which the EU and NATO are based, these three countries freeze decision-making and assert their naked national interests. While Turkey maintains strong relations with Russia and takes a transactional approach to membership in international organisations, Hungary is led by an authoritarian leader who is using his veto power to block a financial aid package for Ukraine worth €50bn. Jamie thus proposes five principles that should guide action towards the disruptors.

After years of experience in active theatres of war, including in Ukraine, Amir Omeragic, the Director of the Peace and Security Cluster of UNOPS, can confidently say that “we know what we’re doing” in Gaza. Before the latest outbreak of conflict, a team from UNOPS was already on the ground in Gaza due to the ongoing “cycles of violence” but Amir admits that, now, “it’s nearly impossible [to provide assistance] because conflict is ongoing”. The Peace and Security Cluster directed by Amir is responsible for clearing landmines in conflict zones and the impact of this work goes beyond the more immediate life-saving, as Amir explains in this episode of Policy Voices. Amir is no stranger to conflict having spent time in Bosnia and Herzegovina, his home country, during the war, as well as six years in Afghanistan. He reminds us that civilians are always the ones carrying the brunt of war and that the consequences of conflict are “far-reaching”.

This week on Keeping an Eye on the Geopolitical Ball, Jamie Shea, Senior Fellow at Friends of Europe, looks ahead to escalating conflicts and mounting tensions around the globe. In addition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the Israeli offensive against Hamas in Gaza, conflicts in Sudan, Ethiopia, the DRC, Afghanistan and Myanmar, paint a dire picture of the year ahead. In view of this, Jamie outlines what European diplomats should focus on going forward, such as a clear strategy for Ukraine and the Middle East, not only to prevent further escalation, but to also secure peace in Europe.

William Lai, from the incumbent Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) of Tawain, won comfortably the Presidential elections last Saturday. Framed as a choice between war and peace, democracy and autocracy, in the end, democracy was the clear winner. In this week’s Policy Voices, host Catarina Vila Nova speaks with Zsuzsa Anna Ferenczy, assistant professor at the National Dong Hwa University, who has been living in Taiwan for the past four years and describes Saturday’s vote as smooth and a testament to a strong and healthy democracy. Always looming is the China threat but Ferenczy says that socioeconomic issues also played a role in dictating the outcome. After all, “for the Taiwanese people, there is no Taiwan question. There is no need to declare independence because Taiwan is already independent”, says the expert on EU relations with China and Taiwan. On cross-strait relations, Ferenczy predicts a policy of continuity as far as Taipei is concerned but what about Beijing? And the European Union? As far as the 27-member states bloc is concerned, Ferenczy, who was a political advisor for the European Parliament for over a decade, claims that the EU is better positioned than the United States to maintain peace and stability in the strait because it’s not engaged in geostrategic rivalry with China.

It is a question we all have asked at some point: are we alone in the universe? In this episode of Policy Voices, Rayan Vugdalic, programme officer for the Space Matter Initiative at Friends of Europe, speaks to the astrophysicist Guillem Anglada-Escudé, who led the team that discovered the Proxima b exoplanet orbiting Proxima Centauri, our closest neighbouring star. This discovery landed Guillem in TIME Magazine’s list of 100 most influential people in the world, he was named one of the 10 most prominent scientists worldwide by Science Magazine, and Guillem is also a European Young Leader. Link to photos: https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Space_Science/Euclid/Euclid_s_first_images_the_dazzling_edge_of_darkness

As part of the work to design a renewed social contract for Europe, Debating Europe is embarking on a crucial exploration of the challenges facing liberal democracies in the 21st century. In an era dominated by global issues such as climate change and the rise of artificial intelligence, the traditional decision-making tools inherited from the past two centuries are proving to be inadequate. All of this is leading to a profound lack of trust in policymakers and institutions and fostering a sense of alienation among citizens from the democratic process. This is why Debating Europe is on a mission to reimagine a democracy fit for the 21st century. One that fosters trust and empowers citizens to actively participate in shaping the strategic and policy decisions that will shape not only their lives but also the future for generations to come. In this final episode, we asked two experts if they would rather complement or replace representative democracy with participatory and deliberative democracy.

As part of the work to design a renewed social contract for Europe, Debating Europe is embarking on a crucial exploration of the challenges facing liberal democracies in the 21st century. In an era dominated by global issues such as climate change and the rise of artificial intelligence, the traditional decision-making tools inherited from the past two centuries are proving to be inadequate. All of this is leading to a profound lack of trust in policymakers and institutions and fostering a sense of alienation among citizens from the democratic process. This is why Debating Europe is on a mission to reimagine a democracy fit for the 21st century. One that fosters trust and empowers citizens to actively participate in shaping the strategic and policy decisions that will shape not only their lives but also the future for generations to come. Today we ask our experts: could civic education be the silver bullet needed to rebuild trust in our democracies?