Europe Rendezvous

In this edition of Europe Rendezvous, we travel to Italy, one of the European Union's founding members, to examine how the country's democratic institutions have come under increasing pressure. It may be the season of la dolce vita, but life has been far from sweet for migrants, women seeking abortions in parts of Italy, and journalists facing growing political pressure on the media. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni leads a coalition of conservatives and the far right, and as the 2027 elections approach, her government has been accused of seeking greater influence over the judiciary, the media and the electoral system.

In part two, we speak with Antonio Tajani, one of Italy's most experienced politicians and a longtime ally of the late Silvio Berlusconi. Italy's foreign minister and deputy prime minister in Giorgia Meloni's coalition government, Tajani leads the conservative Forza Italia party. We discuss the major geopolitical challenges facing Italy, as well as the strains that have emerged in Meloni's relationship with US President Donald Trump.

We also meet Ylenja Lucaselli, a member of parliament from Meloni's Brothers of Italy party, to discuss one of the country's most contentious issues: access to abortion. Although abortion is legal in Italy, the widespread use of the conscientious objection clause by medical professionals has made access increasingly unequal, leaving women in some parts of the country with little or no practical access to the procedure.

On the other side of the political spectrum is Sandro Gozi, an Italian MEP elected in France on the Renew Europe ticket. He argues that Meloni has steered Italy in an increasingly illiberal direction, citing restrictions on civil rights, growing political pressure on the media, and plans to reform the electoral system by introducing a majority bonus that would award extra parliamentary seats to the winning coalition ahead of the 2027 general election. The proposal has already passed the lower house but has yet to secure approval in the Senate.

Finally, Luke Brown reports on another defining issue of Meloni's premiership: migration. Her tough stance on immigration helped propel her to victory in the 2022 general election, and her government later opened a controversial migrant processing centre in Albania. Yet her approach has also been shaped by economic realities. Responding to pressure from employers facing labour shortages, the government has approved an additional half a million work visas for the 2026–2028 period. Meanwhile, migration remains deeply divisive. The death of a Moroccan-born man in Bologna in July, after he was restrained by police, sparked protests and renewed debate over policing and migrants' rights.

Editor-in-Chief: Caroline de Camaret

Presented by Armen Georgian. Produced by Renaud Lefort.

Visual direction and Camera: Stéphane Bodenne and Renaud Lefort.

Reports by Luke Brown and Renaud Lefort.

"Europe Rendezvous" is a magazine programme broadcast on FRANCE 24 in English, on YouTube and on france24.com.

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In this edition of Europe Rendezvous, we travel to Italy, one of the European Union's founding members, to examine how the country's democratic institutions have come under increasing pressure. It may be the season of la dolce vita, but life has been far from sweet for migrants, women seeking abortions in parts of Italy, and journalists facing growing political pressure on the media. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni leads a coalition of conservatives and the far right, and as the 2027 elections approach, her government has been accused of seeking greater influence over the judiciary, the media and the electoral system.

In our first report, Renaud Lefort profiles Italy's first female prime minister, speaking with her longtime mentor, Gianfranco Fini, a pivotal figure in the history of the Italian far right.

We also speak to Paolo Borchia, a Member of the European Parliament from the Patriots for Europe group and a member of The League, one of Meloni's coalition partners. We ask whether participating in government has come at the cost of The League's credibility and support in the polls.

From the opposition, MEP Dario Nardella of the Socialists and Democrats offers a critical assessment of Meloni's four years in office, focusing in particular on her economic record and her government's use of the EU's post-pandemic recovery fund, of which Italy was the largest beneficiary.

Finally, our reporter Luke Brown examines the state of media freedom in Italy, as the cross-party parliamentary committee responsible for overseeing the public broadcaster RAI resigns and the country falls to 56th place in Reporters Without Borders' World Press Freedom Index.

Editor-in-Chief: Caroline de Camaret

Presented by Armen Georgian. Produced by Renaud Lefort.

Visual direction and Camera: Stéphane Bodenne and Renaud Lefort.

Reports by Luke Brown and Renaud Lefort.

"Europe Rendezvous" is a magazine programme broadcast on FRANCE 24 in English, on YouTube and on france24.com.

You might know that the European Parliament is the only directly elected institution in the EU, and that it plays a crucial role as a co-legislator with the EU Council. But what does an MEP actually do? We meet three Belgian MEPs from contrasting political ideologies and parties. Through them, we explore some of the key European issues that they are working on.

We meet Benoît Cassart, an MEP for the centrist Renew bloc, who is also a farmer. He talks about innovative ways to reduce carbon emissions from livestock farming, and he also raises some of the current big challenges for Belgian and European agriculture, such as the Mercosur free trade agreement.

We then talk to Assita Kanko, an MEP from the European Conservatives and Reformists, whose party takes a tough stance on the migration issue. We meet her at the Migration Museum in Molenbeek, a particularly diverse neighbourhood in Brussels, in the context of that museum's partnership with the local police force.

Finally, we speak to Estelle Ceulemans, an MEP for the Socialists and Democrats, who tells us of her fight to keep social issues alive in the current EU Parliament, amid what she sees as a growing threat from the right and far right.

In this show we also debunk fake news targeting the European Parliament, which is a growing challenge. FRANCE 24's Renaud Lefort analyses fake footage of farmers' protests with Grégoire Ryckmans, a fact-checking specialist at Belgian broadcaster RTBF. Lefort also scrutinises a Russian destabilisation campaign aimed at Moldovan President Maia Sandu, which falsely suggested that the European Union had abandoned her.

Editor-in-Chief: Caroline de Camaret

Presented by Armen Georgian

Visual direction and Camera: Charlotte Prudhomme, Renaud Lefort and Luke Brown

"Europe Rendezvous" is a magazine programme broadcast on FRANCE 24 in English, on YouTube and on france24.com.

It's one of the EU's most important instruments, but one of the least talked-about ones: cohesion policy aims to reduce disparities between Europe's regions, and make sure no part of Europe is left behind. We commissioned a video competition, inviting young people from high schools, universities and journalism schools to take part.

In this episode we bring you the winning videos, which show a whole range of creative and original approaches to this crucial component of European solidarity, and what it means in concrete terms.

We also show you the awards ceremony that we invited our winners to at the iconic Europa Experience venue in Paris, with a prestigious jury.

Winner in the high school category:

Europe of Cohesion: how does it work? Stephen Liegeard high school, near Dijon, France

Salwa Zenasni El Anizi

Joint winners in the university student category:

How European Regional Development Funds have rebuilt our regions   College of Europe, Bruges, Belgium

William Boucher and Loic Harbonnier

How Europe is funding the chefs of tomorrow – and hitchhiking! ISCOM school of communication, Paris

Mélanie Barseyni

Winner in the journalism students category:

Cardiac emergency: how the EU is helping newborns in northern France   ESJ, Lille

Emma Loret

Special thanks to the European Commission and its representation in Paris, to Europa Experience, and to France Médias Monde’s Marie-Christine Saragosse and Vanessa Burggraf.

Editor-in-Chief: Caroline de Camaret

Presented by Armen Georgian

Visual direction and Camera: Charlotte Prudhomme, Stéphane Bodenne and Luke Brown

Europe Rendezvous is a magazine programme broadcast on FRANCE 24 in French and English, on YouTube and on france24.com.

It's no secret that the EU is caught in a maelstrom of disinformation aimed at undermining its credibility. In response, FRANCE 24 commissioned a video competition, inviting high school pupils, university students and journalism school students to take part.

In this episode you can watch the videos by our extremely gifted winners, as well as the awards ceremony that we organised at the Europa Experience interactive museum in Paris with a star-studded jury. Don't miss these fresh and unique perspectives on fake news from our young competition participants and winners.

Joint winners in the high school category:

Fake news about the Queen and Nazis – Joachim du Bellay high school, Angers, western France

Miley Brisard, Apolline Foucher, Mathilde Cailleau, Jeanne Lecor

Insects in European food – Honoré de Balzac International school, Paris

Luca Hatt Heuwagen, Naima Ferrara, Néroli Georget Guenzi, Olivia Giuliani, Andreas Hatt Heuwagen, Léo Guerin

Joint winners in the university student category:

The Invisible Danger of Deepfakes – ISCOM school of communication, Paris

Sofia Zaki, Laetitia Gaillot, Clémence Perros-Walat, Anais Domingues

Europe under the microscope of fact-checking – CNED school

Wassim Dridi

Special thanks to the European Parliament and its representation in Paris, to Europa Experience, and to FMM's Marie-Christine Saragosse and Vanessa Burggraf

Europe Rendezvous is a magazine programme broadcast on FRANCE 24 in French and English, on YouTube and on france24.com. 

In this two-part show, Armen Georgian takes viewers on a journey across the European Union, exploring mobility and transport projects funded by the EU’s cohesion policy. In the 2021-2027 budget, the EU has been using its cohesion funds to invest €63.2 billion in transport schemes. From France to Austria, via Poland and Hungary, Armen takes a whistle-stop tour using seven different means of transport: train, plane, metro, tram, bicycle, scooter, and car.

Watch moreCrossing borders: The EU powers your mobility (part 2)

The show highlights modern infrastructure and improved connectivity between regions of the EU.

Our journey begins in France, along a cycle path near Paris co-funded by the EU, before heading to Poland, which has become a major transport hub in Central Europe.

Our guests include Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski, who outlines his priorities for the capital, and Poland's Secretary of State in the Ministry of Development Funds and Regional Policy, Jan Szyszko, who explains why the country is betting so much on rail transport.

FRANCE 24's Luke Brown reports from an exciting future transport hub under construction, Port Polska, which will be crucial to strengthening connectivity within Poland and also between Poland and other European countries.

Editor-in-Chief: Caroline de Camaret

Presented by Armen Georgian

Visual direction and Camera: Charlotte Prudhomme, Stéphane Bodenne and Luke Brown

Special thanks to PKP Intercity (Poland)

"Europe Rendezvous" is a magazine programme broadcast on FRANCE 24 in French and English, on YouTube and on france24.com.

In this second part of Europe Rendezvous, Armen Georgian is in Hungary and Austria on his whistle-stop journey across the EU, exploring mobility and transport projects funded by the EU's cohesion policy. 

Watch moreCrossing borders: The EU powers your mobility (part 1)

Our journey continues in Hungary, where the ouster of longtime prime minister and strongman Viktor Orban spells the likely unfreezing of EU funds that had been blocked because of the rule-of-law abuses while Orban was in power. We look at how transport projects were hit by corruption and the freezing of EU money with Gabor Eross, a former deputy mayor of Budapest's 8th district. Meanwhile, FRANCE 24's Charlotte Prudhomme dives into the corruption issue with Jozsef Peter Martin, the executive director of the Hungarian chapter of Transparency International.

Armen Georgian also meets Hungarian MEP Andras Laszlo, a member of Orban's Fidesz party. Laszlo argues that the EU money freeze was itself a violation of EU norms and a clear double standard when compared with the way the EU Commission treated a more Brussels-friendly government in Poland.

The trip ends in Austria, where Armen meets the general secretary of Pro Danube International, Robert Rafael, to explore the bureaucratic hurdles still hampering connectivity and transport flows across this great river.

Editor-in-Chief: Caroline de Camaret

Presented by Armen Georgian

Visual direction and Camera: Charlotte Prudhomme, Stéphane Bodenne and Luke Brown

"Europe Rendezvous" is a magazine programme broadcast on FRANCE 24 in French and English, on YouTube and on france24.com.

France is a poor performer when it comes to cohesion in Europe and is marked by growing regional inequalities, despite being allocated a whopping €18 billion in EU cohesion funding for 2021-2027. Numerous regions risk falling into a "development trap": after a period of growth, they stagnate or even decline, having invested in sectors with little long-term potential. In this first part of the show examining EU cohesion policy, we're on the French island of Corsica.

Corsica has a population of 260,000. To counter the disadvantages that come with being an island, the European Union has allocated €117 million in cohesion funding between 2021 and 2027. Corsica has a strong identity and distinct culture within France, but its challenge is to develop and innovate without relying too heavily on tourism. We meet those who are driving change on the Isle of Beauty.

For example, the EU financed the acquisition of special tanks to help fight the forest fires that have ravaged the island in recent years. Armen Georgian interviews Captain Stéphane Gherardi from the Corsican Fire and Rescue Service. We also visit INRAE, the National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and the Environment – where the iconic Corsican clementine fruit reigns supreme – alongside Marie-Antoinette Maupertuis, president of the Corsican Assembly.

We then head to the Stella Mare platform, which specialises in marine and coastal engineering. We learn how to handle endangered sea urchins with Emmanuelle de Gentili, the first deputy mayor of the city of Bastia. She is concerned that a planned centralisation of EU funds will sideline Corsica and undermine its ability to attract the kind of projects that it needs.

In our reports:

• Renaud Lefort analyses the impact of European funds on economic growth and highlights the challenges of using those funds effectively in Corsica.

   

• Luke Brown looks at the renovation of public lighting in Corsica, with 52,000 light points financed by the EU. Better lighting also means a clearer night sky, as Corsica seeks to obtain the International Dark Sky Reserve (IDSR) label.

Editor-in-Chief: Caroline de Camaret

Presented by Armen Georgian

Visual direction, Camera: Stéphane Bodenne et Renaud Lefort

Reports: Luke Brown et Renaud Lefort

Special thanks to Emergency Response Service (Upper Corsica), Bastia Tourist Office, Simone Riolacci (INRAE), Laura Casanova, Sylvain Alessandri (Corsica Tourist Office), Paula Monestié-Andreani (Stella Mare).

"Europe Rendezvous" is a magazine programme broadcast on FRANCE 24 in French and English, on YouTube and on france24.com.

Watch moreWarning: French regions at risk! Part 2: Creuse

France is a poor performer when it comes to cohesion in Europe and is marked by growing regional inequalities, despite being allocated a whopping €18 billion in EU cohesion funding for 2021-2027. Numerous regions risk falling into a "development trap": after a period of growth, they stagnate or even decline, having invested in sectors with little long-term potential. In this second part of the show examing EU cohesion policy, we're in the central French department of the Creuse.

With 115,000 inhabitants, the Creuse is one of the least populated and poorest departments in France. The EU provides significant support to this rural area through the Common Agricultural Policy, as well as €12 million in cohesion funding (2021-2027). Yet that's only a tiny fraction of the overall cohesion money that goes to the broader region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. What's more, there's a lack of project leaders locally, and the "development trap" is being felt – perhaps with the exception of the more dynamic cultural sector.

We meet British artist Helen Burgoyne, who finds it challenging sell her art in one the least well connected areas of France. We take a walk through the Valley of the Painters with Pierre Veysseix, the local head of tourism and heritage sites. From 1850 to 1920, this area attracted many artists and cultural figures, including Claude Monet, George Sand and Frédéric Chopin. At the Monet-Rollinat centre, we join Laurence Rouède, vice-president of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. We ask her if the Creuse department is the great forgotten territory of France's largest region.

Finally, we visit the International Tapestry Centre of Aubusson. A cultural jewel of the region, it has benefited from European funding to help weave large tapestries inspired by the works of JRR Tolkien and Hayao Miyazaki. Valérie Simonet, president of the Creuse department and of the International Tapestry Centre, describes European support as a very positive force.

In our reports:

• Renaud Lefort focuses on very small and medium-sized enterprises trying to grow thanks to European funds. In rural areas, some projects exist only because of the EU.

   

• Luke Brown explores the EU-funded timber industry. The establishment of a new wood pellet factory has sparked strong opposition: environmental groups are outraged, but some mayors are highly supportive.

Editor-in-Chief: Caroline de Camaret

Presented by Armen Georgian

Visual direction and camera: Stéphane Bodenne et Renaud Lefort

Reports : Luke Brown et Renaud Lefort

Special thanks to Creuse Tourist Office, Héloïse Gorse Fénelon (Aubusson International Tapestry Centre), Rachid Belhadj (Media relations, Nouvelle-Aquitaine region).

“Europe Rendezvous” is a magazine programme broadcast on FRANCE 24 in French and English, on YouTube and on france24.com.

Watch moreWarning: French regions at risk! Part 1: Corsica

FRANCE 24 heads north to the kingdom of Denmark. The Scandinavian country has been in the spotlight this year, holding the rotating presidency of the European Council from July to December and pushing forward its priorities such as migration and the energy transition – topics that we dive into in this show. In this second part of the programme, our focus is on Denmark's economy.

Denmark used to be a Eurosceptic country, voting against the Maastricht Treaty and opting out of the single currency. Denmark was also traditionally thought of as a "frugal" member of the EU when it came to common expenditure. But all this has changed with the war in Ukraine and the long shadow that Russia casts over the Baltic and Nordic regions. 

Denmark's stated priority for its presidency of the EU in 2025 is "A Competitive and Green Europe". Combining those two objectives has arguably become a strength for the kingdom, as it has long been a pioneer in green energy. Wind power, especially offshore, produces over 50 percent of the country's electricity needs. Danish Green MEP Rasmus Nordqvist joins us as we visit an iconic wind farm just off the coast of the capital Copenhagen.

Despite its small size, Denmark is also a major player when it comes to agriculture – especially on intensive farming. Here again it's a pioneer, becoming the first country in the world to tax livestock methane emissions, also known as a flatulence tax. Our team visit a dairy farm in Jutland to see the impact there.

Economically, Denmark has historically been export-oriented: its modest population and its maritime history mean it has long been outward facing when it comes to trade. Our team heads to the country's second-biggest container port at Fredericia, to discuss the effects of US President Donald Trump's and China's international tariffs. We meet MEP Niels Flemming Hansen, from the conservative European People's Party.

Finally, we tackle another key issue: Greenland. It's an autonomous territory in Denmark with a significant independence movement, and its strategic location and its natural resources make it a tempting target for the US president. Greenland was thrust into the international spotlight earlier this year because of Trump's sudden interest in the territory. Our team interview Jens Heinrich, the head of Greenland's representation in Denmark.

Read more'Greenland is not for sale': French foreign minister visits Arctic territory in show of solidarity

From Danish design and from pharma to farmers, our reporter Luke Brown visits some of the most emblematic sectors of the Danish economy, to gauge the impact of the global economic headwinds.

Show presented by Armen Georgian, produced by Charlotte Prudhomme, filmed on location by Charlotte Prudhomme and Stéphane Bodenne, with Luke Brown. Editor-in-chief: Caroline de Camaret.