Are EU leaders tired of Russia’s war in Ukraine and ready to seek a way out? That was the message from Italy's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, during a phone call in September with Russian comedians posing as an African Union official. Although Meloni’s office later said it regretted the PM’s falling for the prank, the damage may already have been done. Meloni’s remarks seemed to confirm what some already suspected: that Europe’s pledge to support Ukraine for “as long as it takes” in its war against Russia, is being tested by Kyiv’s plodding counteroffensive … and a horrific new war in the Middle East. The Gaza conflict has left Ukraine competing for money, military supplies – and attention – from the West, leading some to ask whether Ukraine is slipping down Europe’s priority list.

Talking Europe hosts Italian former prime minister Enrico Letta, who is now president of the Jacques Delors Institute. Letta has been tasked by the European institutions to produce a report on the future of the EU single market, which is due to be discussed by the bloc's leaders next spring. He argues that the single market is under pressure from inside and outside, and that common solutions need to be found. He also calls for a "tailor-made" Stability and Growth Pact to take account of nuances between EU member states, as well as the impact of the crises that the EU has faced in the last three years.

In this debate we focus on the recent election results in Poland and Slovakia, and discuss what they mean for Europe. Liberals across the continent are cheering after Polish opposition parties won enough seats to form a majority, potentially ending eight years of rule by the conservative Law and Justice party. Meanwhile nationalists in Europe have applauded the return to power of Robert Fico in Slovakia. The populist prime minister has struck an agreement with two other parties; a coalition that could set a different tone in relations with Brussels, as well as on key issues such as Ukraine and migration.

Talking Europe hosts Andrej Plenkovic, the prime minister of Croatia. We unpack the dense agenda of the October 26-27 EU Council and debrief the summit's conclusions on the Israel-Hamas war, particularly the call for "humanitarian corridors and pauses" to ensure aid to the Palestinians in Gaza. We also discuss developments in southeastern Europe, such as the recent re-introduction of border checks, and ask what those mean for Croatia and the other countries concerned.

Almost a month into the war between Israel and Hamas, the European Union is still struggling to speak with one voice. While EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has expressed unconditional support for Israel, some of her own staff have signed a letter criticising her position, along with employees from other EU institutions. Some EU member states continue to express strong support for Israel, such as the Czech Republic and Hungary, while others worry that such stances may harm the bloc's image.

In this edition we focus on Poland, where opposition parties have won enough seats in the parliamentary election to oust the ruling conservative Law and Justice party after eight years in power. To analyse this major shift and what it means for Poland's place in the EU, we speak to Danuta Hübner, a member of the main opposition Civic Platform party. She's a former Europe minister for Poland and a former European commissioner who's now an MEP in the European Parliament.

In this debate we delve into the latest tensions between Serbia and Kosovo, and discuss how they could affect the efforts of the Western Balkan countries to come closer to the European Union. We also look at what is happening around Ukraine's efforts to join the EU, and what signals the EU Council should send to Kyiv at its upcoming summits this autumn and winter.

Talking Europe hosts the newly appointed EU Commissioner for Climate Action, Wopke Hoekstra. The EU has put the Green Deal at the heart of its policy making, and Hoekstra was confirmed in the key job after somewhat fractious hearings in the European Parliament, where some MEPs drew attention to his past work for oil and gas giant Shell. We discuss his plans for implementing the green transition, and the upcoming COP28 summit in Dubai.

The EU faces what is arguably its stiffest foreign policy test since the war in Ukraine. A devastating attack on Israel by Hamas has been met with a massive Israeli response in the Gaza Strip. It is being described as the worst chapter in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict since the war of October 1973. We discuss how convincing – or otherwise – the EU's response has been so far, as well as the EU's messaging mess when it comes to the question of continued development aid to the Palestinians.

How can a much bigger European Union function effectively? Will key national interests be overridden for the benefit of collective decision-making? How should European institutions and budgets adapt to a union of more than 30 members? These are some of the big questions that European leaders are currently mulling over. For more, Talking Europe hosts Daniela Schwarzer, the co-rapporteur of a new report: "Sailing on High Seas: Reforming and Enlarging the EU for the 21st Century". She is a member of the working group convened in 2023 by the French and German governments on reforming the EU.