Central Africa: History, politics and relations with the EU | Discussion with Colette Braeckman
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Colette Braeckman, Journalist at Le Soir, and TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos. The discussion focuses on Central African history and politics in the post-independence era and relations with the EU. In particular, the conversation explores Braeckman’s career in journalism, and the history of the Central African countries she […]
Ukraine: War, peace, and EU enlargement – Discussion with Klara Lindström
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Klara Lindström, Analyst at the Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies (SCEEUS), and TEPSA Executive Director Mariam Khotenashvili. The discussion focuses on Ukraine’s perspectives on the war, peace talks, and prospects for EU membership. In particular, the conversation explored Ukrainian citizens’ perspectives on the war, the real-life […]
EU competitiveness, the Single Market, and the Omnibus – Discussion with Ann Mettler
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Ann Mettler, Distinguished Visiting Fellow at Columbia University, and TEPSA Executive Director, Mariam Khotenashvili. The discussion focuses on the EU´s competitiveness, the future of the Single Market, and the Omnibus proposal by the Commission, which aims to simplify and harmonise the EU´s digital laws. This episode explores […]
The politics of the EU budget: Europe’s Hamiltonian test? – Discussion with Klaus Welle and Jim Cloos
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Klaus Welle, Former Secretary-General of the European Parliament, and TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos. The discussion focuses on the EU long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), covering the years 2028 – 2034. The MFF sets the EU’s financing methods and policy priorities for the next 7 years. […]
How has Trump changed transatlantic relations? – Discussion with Mariam Khotenashvili, Erik Jones and Jim Cloos
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 […]
Is EU enlargement geopolitical? – Discussion with Mariam Khotenashvili and Giselle Bosse
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Giselle Bosse, Professor at Maastricht University, and TEPSA Executive Director Mariam Khotenashvili. The discussion focuses on the EU enlargement process in the context of a turbulent geopolitical landscape and against the backdrop of Russia’s war against Ukraine. In particular, the discussion looks at EU institutions, Member States’ […]
Can the EU be a true superpower? – Discussion with Jim Cloos and Marc De Vos
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Marc De Vos, CEO of the Itinera Institute and author of “Superpower Europe: The European Union’s Silent Revolution”, and TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos. The discussion focuses on the place of the European Union in the world, its potential to rival the major powers, and what it needs […]
Reflections on the European Council & the future of Europe – Discussion with Jim Cloos and Enrico Letta
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Enrico Letta, former Italian Prime Minister and President of the Institut Jacques Delors, and TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos. The discussion follows our series of interviews with former members of the European Council to mark the 50th anniversary of the institution, but also focuses on Mr. Letta’s vision […]
EU Enlargement, Democracy, and Security – Discussion with Mariam Khotenashvili and Erik Jones
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Prof. Erik Jones, Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute, and TEPSA Executive Director Mariam Khotenashvili. The discussion focuses on EU enlargement – but from a different angle than usual: people, not just institutions; firms, not just nation states; and […]
Le Conseil Européen du point de vue d’un Président de la Commission – Discussion avec Jacques Santer
This episode of EuropeChats takes place in French. Cet épisode d’EuropeChats s’inscrit dans le cadre des activités variés de TEPSA sur le sujet des cinquantième anniversaire du Conseil Européen. Jim Cloos, Secrétaire Général de TEPSA, s’est rendu au Luxembourg pour parler avec l’ancien Président de la Commission Européenne Jacques Santer. Le Président Santer a été […]
What is the Role of the European Council? – Discussion with Herman Van Rompuy
Watch Part 1 in the window above, and Part 2 below! This episode of EuropeChats is the first in a number of discussions both within and outside of the EuropeChats series that TEPSA and its Member Institutes are conducting to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the European Council. In this discussion, TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos […]
What are the prospects for EU enlargement? – Discussion with Gert Jan Koopman
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Gert Jan Koopman, Director-General of the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), and TEPSA Executive Director Mariam Khotenashvili. The discussion focuses on the current prospect of the EU enlargement file. With the accession agenda firmly in the foreground of European politics once again, thanks to […]
Are EU sanctions against Russia working? – Discussion with David O’Sullivan and Clara Portela
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion on the implementation and effectiveness of EU sanctions against third countries, with a particular focus on Russia. TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos is joined by EU Sanctions Envoy David O’Sullivan and a leading expert on sanctions, Dr Clara Portela from the University of Valencia. Sanctions are a key tool […]
The EU’s next STRATEGIC AGENDA: more of the same or a reset? – Discussion with Richard Youngs and Wouter Detavernier
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion on a crucial question for the EU in 2024: what will the next Strategic Agenda look like? Every five years, EU leaders agree on the EU’s political priorities for the future. It is a collective effort led by the President of the European Council, where leaders discuss and […]
What is the Rotating Presidency of the Council of the European Union?
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Jim Cloos, TEPSA Secretary-General and former Director General for General and Institutional Policy at the General Secretariat of the Council, and TEPSA Executive Director Mariam Khotenashvili. The discussion focuses on a topic which comes around every six months in EU affairs: the Rotating Presidency of the Council […]
Building a New Future for EU Enlargement – Discussion with Frank Schimmelfennig
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Frank Schimmelfennig, Professor of European Politics at ETH Zürich, and TEPSA Executive Director Mariam Khotenashvili. The discussion focuses on building a new future for EU enlargement. With the accession agenda firmly in the foreground of European politics once again, thanks to the new candidacy of Ukraine and […]
Building a Competitive Economy for Europe – Discussion with Michele Chang
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Michele Chang, a Professor at the College of Europe in Bruges, and TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos. The discussion focusses on building a competitive economy for Europe. In the context of TEPSA’s recently published European Council Experts’ Debrief, which drew together experts from across the TEPSA Network and […]
Building European Security Against Russia – Discussion with Dr. Kristi Raik
This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Dr. Kristi Raik, Deputy Director of the International Centre for Defence and Security in Tallinn, Estonia, and TEPSA Executive Director Mariam Khotenashvili. The discussion focusses on building European security against Russia. In the context of Russia’s ongoing war of aggression against Ukraine, the EU has since February […]
EU-Russia Relations – Discussion with Heidi Hautala MEP
This episode of EuropeChats is a special talk between Heidi Hautala MEP, Vice-President of the European Parliament, and Jim Cloos & Mariam Khotenashvili, on the subject of the European Union’s response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. In the context of a recently published book coordinated by TEPSA, “Russia and the Future of Europe: […]
Change in EU Foreign & Security Policy – Discussion with Benjamin Tallis
This episode of EuropeChats focusses on the foreign and security policy of the European Union, in particular the transformation it has gone through since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. This episode was recorded in November 2022 shortly after the Ukrainian liberation of Kherson. With Ukraine’s victory becoming more and more plausible, […]
Why Trans-European Networks are so Important – Discussion with Matthias Ruete
One of the greatest benefits the EU has given to its Member States, beyond the political and economic integration on which it was founded, is the integration of infrastructures. There is no more visible example of this than in transport connectivity. In this episode of EuropeChats, TEPSA Secretary-General and long-time EU insider Jim Cloos sits […]
EU Sanctions Policy
Russia has been waging a full-scale war against Ukraine for almost four months. The European Union has adopted six packages of sanctions against Russia in this period. The first package aimed at dissuading Russia from starting the war, the subsequent packages have tried to convince Russia to stop. More limited sanctions against Russian individuals have […]
EU Membership Applications for Ukraine, Georgia and Moldova – Discussion with Richard Youngs
In the first half of 2022, the European Union finds itself at a crossroads. Two years of a global pandemic and Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine have set into motion a major geopolitical crisis cutting to the very heart of EU policy. Three countries (Ukraine, Georgia, and Moldova) are working their way towards accession […]
European Council Conclusions
In the first episode of EuropeChats for 2022, we discuss one key aspect of the European Council’s functioning: the conclusions issued at the end of each meeting. We will try to understand how they have evolved, what their key purpose is and how they come about. At the end of our talk, we will also […]
Europe 2021-2022: Looking Back & Thinking Ahead
In this episode of EuropeChats, Jim and Mariam look back at the challenges faced by the EU in 2021, and think ahead to 2022 to consider what may lay ahead for the European project. 2021 remained mired in the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, and 2022 looks set to continue that trend, in a context of disappointing […]
European Solidarity in Action – Discussion with Michael Kaeding
In this special episode of EuropeChats, we are joined by Prof. Michael Kaeding. Michael is Jean Monnet Chair ad personam at the University of Duisburg Essen, and along with Johannes Pollak and Paul Schmidt, he is co-editor of a series of books stemming from the TEPSA Network. The “Views from the Capitals” series draws on […]
EU-Canada Relations – Discussion with Ambassador Ailish Campbell
In this special episode of EuropeChats, we are honoured to be joined by Ailish Campbell, the Ambassador of Canada to the European Union, to discuss EU-Canada relations: where have we been, how far have we come, and where are we going? Canada is one of Europe’s most important international allies, and at a time of […]
Does Europe Need More Migrants – Discussion with Giles Merritt
In this special episode of EuropeChats, we are taking a look at the serious issue of migration, with TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos interviewing Giles Merritt on the subject of his book “People Power: Why We Need More Migrants”. The flaws of the Dublin system having been laid bare by the Refugee Crisis of the mid-2010s, […]
Angela Merkel’s European Legacy
In this new episode of EuropeChats, we’re taking a look at the legacy of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Chancellor Merkel announced this year that she would be standing down after 16 years in power. The German elections took place on 26 September 2021, and for the first time since 2005, we knew she would not emerge […]
European Strategic Autonomy
In this new episode of EuropeChats, we’re analysing the newest buzzword in Brussels: “European Strategic Autonomy”. We discuss the reasons why this new term arose: we live in an increasingly hostile global environment, and we have faced multiple crises in recent years, from the subprime crisis through the refugee crisis and Brexit, as well as the […]
The EU’s response to the COVID crisis
In this new episode of EuropeChats, we’re analysing the EU’s response to the COVID-19 crisis. For more than a year, the world has been caught in the grip of the coronavirus pandemic, and providing a successful response has been a significant challenge to the EU throughout. In this episode, we discuss how and why the initial response was […]
What is the European Interest?
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, Jim Cloos, TEPSA Secretary-General will be answering your questions about Europe and the EU. In this second […]
What is the EU?
If you ever wondered what powers 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, Jim Cloos, TEPSA Secretary-General will be answering your questions about Europe and the EU. In this first […]