Podcast Selection

Fortress Europe: Who gets to come in?

The European Union is at loggerheads with Belarus over the arrival of thousands of migrants. It alleges that President Lukashenko has created a deliberate crisis by facilitating the migrants' travel into Belarus and onwards to…

Standoff at the Belarus border

People seeking to migrate through Belarus and Poland are stuck at the border, and neither country wants them. EU officials have called it “weaponization of migrants” by Belarus, but for the people at the border,…

Could conflict return to the Balkans?

The peace deal that ended the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina 25 years ago is in danger of unravelling. Bosnian Serb leader, Milorad Dodik, is threatening to pull out of state-level institutions, raising fears that the unity…

How digital labour platforms can provide decent jobs for young refugees

Digital labour platforms can transform how young refugees make a living. But the unequal spread of internet connectivity, inequalities in digital skills and the specific obstacles that many refugee population face daily make it difficult…

European Pillar of Social Rights: Gothenburg, Porto and beyond

The social pillar is to be the fifth pillar of the economic and monetary union. It is to serve as a compass for updating the EU's welfare states and labour markets to the new realities…

Jean-Claude Juncker: Is Covid an unprecedented test of EU cohesion?

The Covid-19 pandemic has presented the European Union with an unprecedented test of its cohesion and competence. Right now, the scorecard looks decidedly mixed, with many member states facing a third wave of infection while,…

Adar Poonawalla: How to vaccinate the world

Stephen Sackur speaks to Adar Poonawalla, the CEO of the biggest vaccine producer in the world, Serum Institute of India. He went all-in on a production deal with Astrazeneca, and for many of us, the…

A year of pandemic and inequality

A year ago this week, the coronavirus outbreak was officially declared a pandemic. Now, Pfizer, a leading vaccine manufacturer, is being accused of bullying governments with negotiation tactics so harsh that deals have been delayed…

How the pandemic polarised us

We explore political polarisation in the UK, EU, US and on social media in light of COVID-19, and how democracy can be built back.

From support to recovery: national fiscal policy in the wake of COVID-19

The EU has set ambitious goals for economic recovery: how these recovery funds are spent by member states will be critical to its success. A look into the European framework and the case of Italy.…

Where did the vaccine strategy go wrong?

“We have to open our mind, we have to look internationally. Because if we don’t, COVID-19 is going to stay with us.” One year since the pandemic began, widespread vaccination has finally started. It would…