In our latest Centre for European Reform podcast, podcast host Octavia Hughes speaks to six of our researchers. They reflect on the EU's past year from different perspectives, including trade and competitiveness; support for Ukraine; UK-EU relations; and the conflict in the Middle East. They then look ahead to 2025.

00:28 Zach Meyers on tech and competitiveness

04:49 Ian Bond on Ukraine

10:52 Luigi Scazzieri on defence spending and the Middle East

17:51 Charles Grant on UK-EU relations

22:15 Aslak Berg on trade

25:37 Zselyke Csaky on the rule of law

Produced by Octavia Hughes

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, director Charles Grant sits down with Labour MP for Walthamstow and chair of the Labour Movement for Europe Stella Creasy, to discuss Labour's plan for forging closer ties with the EU. Stella explains the role of the Labour Movement for Europe, while Charles examines how weakened governments in France and Germany, and the re-election of Donald Trump, could affect the UK’s relations with Europe.

Produced by Octavia Hughes

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, senior research fellow Luigi Scazzieri sits down with deputy director Ian Bond and Sophia Besch, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to discuss the impact of Donald Trump's second presidency on European security. They discuss Trump's stance on Ukraine and China before delving into the relationship between Trump's team and the Labour Party and the impact of the collapse of the German government.

Produced by Octavia Hughes

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, host Octavia Hughes sits down with deputy director Ian Bond and senior research fellow Zselyke Csaky to discuss the recent elections in Georgia and Moldova. They break down their significance and evaluate what the results mean for the battle of influence between Brussels and the Kremlin.

Produced by Octavia Hughes

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, Clara Marina O'Donnell Fellow Anunita Chandrasekar sits down with senior research fellow Luigi Scazzieri to discuss Europe's role in the Middle East. They examine the chances of escalation, explore the implications of a wider regional conflict for Europe and assess whether the EU's position might change as the stakes continue to grow.

Produced by Octavia Hughes

On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, host Octavia Hughes sits down with CER research fellow Aslak Berg, assistant director Zach Meyers and senior trade writer at the Financial Times Alan Beattie to discuss the transatlantic economic relationship. They break down what Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have said on trade, how realistic their proposals are and what’s at stake for Europe.

Produced by Octavia Hughes

On September 10, former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi published his hotly-anticipated report, assessing Europe's productivity challenges. Senior research fellows Elisabetta Cornago and Luigi Scazzieri, assistant director Zach Meyers and chief economist Sander Tordoir sat down with podcast host Octavia Hughes to discuss the key takeaways from the report, as well as its shortcomings. They assess Draghi's proposals to boost innovation, relaunch industrial competitiveness, upgrade trade policy, accelerate decarbonisation and strengthen defence.

Produced by Octavia Hughes

In our latest Centre for European Reform podcast, senior research fellow Luigi Scazzieri and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Sophia Besch join podcast host Octavia Hughes to discuss NATO and European security. They explain the outcomes of NATO's 75th anniversary summit, and what Donald Trump’s return would mean for the alliance and for European security more broadly.

Produced by Octavia Hughes

In our latest Centre for European podcast, director Charles Grant is joined by the Economist's Paris Bureau Chief Sophie Pedder. She is the author of 'Revolution Française: Emmanuel Macron and the Quest to Reinvent a Nation'. Charles and Sophie discuss the fallout from the parliamentary elections in France. They outline possible outcomes and their likelihoods, debate whether the result weakens President Macron's position in Europe and look forward to the next French Presidential elections, in 2027.

Produced by Octavia Hughes

In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast Charles Grant, director of the CER, and Neil Kinnock, leader of the Labour party 1983 - 1992, European commissioner 1995 - 2004 and member of the house of Lords since 2005, join podcast host, Octavia Hughes, to discuss what Labour's landslide victory will mean for UK-EU relations. They debate whether the success of Reform UK will dampen Keir Starmer's ambitions for Europe, make suggestions to improve security and trade ties and explain the importance of the current geopolitical context.

Produced by Octavia Hughes