Talking Europe

The world is currently looking back 20 years, to the devastating attacks of September 11, 2001. As the victims are commemorated, we're also asking what has come out of the two decades of Western engagement in Afghanistan, which began in the immediate aftermath of those attacks. The recent US pullout there has seen the Taliban retake control at a speed no Western government seemingly expected.

Our guest has overseen one of the most significant achievements in human health in recent memory: the development of one of the vaccines against Covid-19, billions of doses of which have been distributed around the world. Professor Andrew Pollard is director of the Oxford Vaccine Group – the scientists who developed one of those jabs, which is now being mass produced by AstraZeneca.

The summer is officially over here in Europe and it’s back to work – including for our political leaders.  As the autumn sets in, they're wrangling with some huge issues: from the chaos in Afghanistan to the ongoing challenges of Covid-19. In this edition of Talking Europe, two active European minds discuss what the next few months could hold for Europe.

The EU says its international trade deals are opportunities for European businesses to sell more goods overseas. But what about the impact on farming and farmers in the EU? Should the food we eat be on the same negotiating table as the cars the EU sells? Mercosur, JEFTA, CETA... behind these opaque terms lie deals with Latin America, Japan and Canada. What does Europe's farming sector think about them? Are they the pathway to a land of opportunity, or a Trojan horse letting in unfair competition?

The EU says its international trade deals are opportunities for European businesses to sell more goods overseas. But what about the impact on farming and farmers in the EU? Should the food we eat be on the same negotiating table as the cars the EU sells? Mercosur, JEFTA, CETA... behind these opaque terms lie deals with Latin America, Japan and Canada. What does Europe's farming sector think about them? Are they the pathway to a land of opportunity, or a Trojan horse letting in unfair competition?

From French President Emmanuel Macron to journalists, business leaders and human rights activists, the list of people allegedly spied on using the Pegasus software is long and illustrious. The only EU country among the states alleged to have used the Israeli-created spyware is Hungary. Its government must now allow an independent investigation, according to leading MEP Manfred Weber. He heads up the European People's Party, the biggest political group in the European Parliament.

Becoming a parent is one of the most special and life-changing moments you can experience. In France, under new legislation that came into effect in June, the amount of paternity leave new fathers are entitled to has just doubled to 28 days' paid leave, with one mandatory week off. It applies to the second parent in same-sex couples too, whether male or female.

Deadly flash floods hit Germany and Belgium this week, leaving dozens dead and hundreds seeking shelter. Leading Green MEP Philippe Lamberts says this shows the urgency of needing to tackle climate change. The head of the Greens Group at the European Parliament tells FRANCE 24 why the European Union's freshly announced package of laws aimed at achieving carbon neutrality by 2050 is "not ambitious enough" on some aspects.

Down on the French Riviera, the great and good of the movie world have just been back at the Cannes Film Festival: a sign for many that the world of arts and culture is coming back to life after more than a year of disruption from Covid-19. But is that really the case? Or, rather like the movies, is it all just a glitzy façade?

After the Covid-19 pandemic took a serious chunk out of EU economies in 2020, the bloc is betting on massive public spending projects to haul them out of the crisis and into a brighter future. The whole package is known as "Next Generation EU". It's worth €800 million in total across the 27 member states and will be handed out as a mix of loans and grants. As well as rebooting the EU's economies, the aim is to achieve certain green and digital objectives, with a certain proportion of the money ring-fenced for each.