European Talks

In this episode of our #REACHingCitizens podcast we are talking to Vladimir Krasenov, a legal advisor in a local law firm in Bulgaria. Through our talk, we explore the effects of AI on the current political situation, as well as discussing what the future of law in the European Union.

In this episode, we dive back into the local consultation of the Reinventing Engagement through Citizens’ Consultations (REACH) project, held in Dijon on January 25th. Our conversation brings together two participants of this consulation, Gaëlle Boucher, a teacher in Dijon, and Roman Sobine, a student at the Dijon campus of SciencesPo, with whom we reflected on the consultation, on the recommendations that emerged from the discussions, and on the vision French people have on the environment, the rule of law, and the enlargement of the EU. This initiative, led by CEP, aims at strengthening the voice of citizens in the European decision-making process, both within the EU and in candidate countries.

In this episode, we dive back into the local consultation of the Reinventing Engagement through Citizens’ Consultations (REACH) project, held in Paris on March 3rd. Our conversation brings together two insightful participants, Anne-Sophie de Quercize, a former teacher specialising in the history of religions and Jules Paindessous, a young project engineer, with whom we reflected on the consultation: how it unfolded, the key themes discussed—environment, the rule of law, and EU enlargement—and the recommendations formulated by citizens. This initiative, led by CEP, aims at strengthening the voice of citizens in the European decision-making process, both within the EU and in candidate countries.

In this episode, we dive back into the local consultation of the Reinventing Engagement through Citizens’ Consultations (REACH) project, held in Dijon on January 25th. Our conversation brings together two participants of this consulation, Gaëlle Boucher, a teacher in Dijon, and Roman Sobine, a student at the Dijon campus of SciencesPo, with whom we reflected on the consultation, on the recommendations that emerged from the discussions, and on the vision French people have on the environment, the rule of law, and the enlargement of the EU. This initiative, led by CEP, aims at strengthening the voice of citizens in the European decision-making process, both within the EU and in candidate countries.

Welcome to our podcast series, REACHing Citizens, part of the “Reshaping Engagement through Affirmative Citizen Consultations (REACH)” project. Launched in 2024 and funded by the European Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), the REACH project brings together organisations from across Europe, including Serbia, Belgium, Kosovo, BiH, Bulgaria, France, Croatia, and Greece.

In this episode, we welcome Vladimir Krasenov, a young Bulgarian legal advisor with a strong interest in the European Union (EU) and its legal system. Vladimir became involved with the REACH project after attending a local citizen consultation in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, in November 2024. He also contributed an article to the Mladirini youth portal titled “The rule of law and the U.S. elections: The influence of perspectives as a premise of people’s decisions.”

In the podcast, Vladimir explores recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) and their implications for the rule of law in the EU, with a focus on Bulgaria. He discusses core legal principles such as respect for human rights, regulatory enforcement, transparency, and fairness in the application of law.

Vladimir begins by examining how AI is transforming society, particularly in education and business. While these changes offer significant benefits, they also pose major risks. In the legal field, AI enhances efficiency—streamlining legal research, improving contract analysis, detecting infringements, and reducing fraud. Yet serious concerns remain, especially around lack of transparency, difficulty verifying algorithmic impartiality, and risks of bias in automated decision-making.

The conversation then shifts to the role of the EU and other global players in shaping and regulating AI. Vladimir highlights the significance of the AI Act, approved by the European Parliament in 2024. This legislation marks a major step in safeguarding citizens from AI-related risks. It categorises AI systems by risk level, with those posing an “unacceptable risk” (i.e. violating fundamental rights) subject to strict limitations. The Act also addresses privacy protection and copyright concerns.

However, Vladimir notes the challenges the EU faces in competing with global tech powers like the US and China. While the US dominates with firms like OpenAI and Google, China invests heavily in AI giants such as DeepSeek. These countries are in a race to advance AI capabilities, often pushing the boundaries of regulation. The US lacks comprehensive ethical guidelines, while China’s approach raises serious privacy issues, particularly through biometric surveillance technologies used for state control. These tools collect and analyse facial data on a massive scale, yet the storage, use, and oversight of this data remain opaque.

Vladimir warns that adopting such technologies in Europe could severely undermine privacy rights, especially for vulnerable populations such as refugees and asylum seekers. Without robust legal safeguards, AI could threaten the foundational values of the EU.

To realise AI’s potential while mitigating its risks, Vladimir stresses the importance of public awareness and engagement. European citizens and policymakers must stay informed and actively participate in discussions on AI. Ethical, transparent, and rights-respecting AI development is crucial. According to Vladimir, the guiding principles must be transparency, fairness, and accountability.

In this episode of the #REACHingCitizens podcast, we talk about the impressions from our final citizen consultations in Greece.

What can we expect in the future, what are the final thoughts?

U jedanaestoj epizodi "REACHing citizens" podkasta razgovaramo sa Jelenom Mihajlović o stavu omladine prema EU integracijama, aktuelnim problemima i potencijalnim rešenjima za trenutno nepoverenje u državne institucije.

U ovoj podkast epizodi, desetoj epizodi u našem "REACHing Citizens" podkastu, razgovaramo sa učesnicom lokalnih građanskih konsultacija u Nišu, Marijom Ružić, o utiscima i stavu građana prema EU i njihovom stavu prema temama poput dobre vladavine, ekologije i EU integracija.

In this episode, we sit down with two participants from our local consultation in Gjakova to reflect on youth perspectives in Kosovo. They share candid thoughts on the rule of law, EU integration, and environmental issues—highlighting both hope and frustration. From mistrust in the justice system to the promise of renewable energy, we explore how young people see Kosovo’s future and their role in shaping it.

This episode was filmed in Albanian.

Link for the English transcript: https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:EU:5e63cf14-996f-4eca-bfbc-8d9b82d3d497

Our guest is Ornela Sollakou, one of the participants from our second event in Thessaloniki. We discuss tensions surrounding the 2018 Prespa Agreement, the migration crisis and the integration of migrants in Greek society, and finally how the EU has come to mean something abstract and bureaucratic to citizens.

Ornela shares her thoughts on why these things came up in the event and why people felt strongly about them. She also relays when she felt disappointed by opinions expressed and when she related to others.