This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Erik Jones, Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute, Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director of TEPSA, and TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos. The discussion, recorded in late June 2025, examines the first months of Donald Trump’s second term in the White House and what they mean for transatlantic relations.
Erik Jones is Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute and a Nonresident Scholar at Carnegie Europe. He is the author, editor, or co-editor of books and special issues of journals on topics related to European politics and political economy. Professor Jones is co-editor of Government & Opposition and a contributing editor of Survival. His commentary has appeared in the Financial Times, the New York Times, and other major newspapers and magazines across Europe and North America.
This episode also takes place in the context of TEPSA’s latest book, to which Erik Jones has contributed. “The United States and the Future of Europe: Views from the Capitals”, is co-edited by Michael Kaeding, Johannes Pollak, and Paul Schmidt, and published by Springer.
EuropeChats is TEPSA’s talk show dedicated to answering your questions about the European Union. If you ever wondered what competences the EU has, what effects its policies have on your day-to-day life, and why the EU is so important, then this show will give you all the answers you need! Every episode we will be answering your questions about Europe and the EU.
Mariam Khotenashvili is TEPSA’s Executive Director. Her background combines research coordination, policy advocacy, project management and academic work. Her fields of expertise include EU foreign and development policies and in particular the European Neighbourhood Policy. Mariam is your direct line into the European bubble.
Jim Cloos is TEPSA’s Secretary-General, and has spent a lifetime in the heart of Brussels. As the former Deputy Director General for General and Institutional Policy at the General Secretariat of the Council of the European Union, he was involved in European decision-making at every level. He had a key role in drafting the Maastricht Treaty during the Luxembourgish Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 1991, and has an intricate expertise on EU Affairs and the internal functioning of the European institutions. There is no-one better placed to answer any question about Europe that you might have.
