Today in the EU

This week on the Beyond the Byline podcast, we are discussing the “death” of really cheap flights. Why are low-fare companies removing their cheap tickets? Why are the flight prices rising and how are travellers impacted by all this?

The rise of low-cost carriers and the plethora of cheap flights and air ticket deals have been a common trait in the past few decades due to an increase in travel movements, with many travellers taking advantage of the low fares and exploring the world more frequently. However, the future of cheap flights does not look as promising anymore.

This week on the Beyond the Byline podcast, we are discussing how corruption affects people on the ground and why this is such a complex issue to address.

For this episode, we spoke to our journalist colleagues from the EURACTIV network: Alice Taylor, who reports from Albania and Oliver Noyan, who is based in our Berlin office.  We also reflect on input from Alina Mungiu-Pippidi, professor of Democracy Studies at the Hertie School in Berlin, and Pawan Kumar Sinha, director of Academic Programmes at the International Anti-Corruption Academy in Vienna.

This week on the Beyond the Byline podcast, we are discussing the COP27 summit, which brings together world leaders to discuss climate change. In particular, together with MEP Pieter Liese (EPP) and Hanne Knaepen (head of ECDPM) we will take a look at the financial aspect of the topics on the table; climate finance, climate adaptation, and loss and damage.

Are developed countries, who are also guilty of the most polluting practices, willing to fund developing countries, which disproportionately suffer the fallout of the climate crisis? And will promises made at this year's event mean tangible change or simply more hot air?

This week on the Beyond the Byline podcast, we are looking at two aspects of the war in Ukraine.

First, the weaponisation of the conflict, with several European countries standing behind Ukraine and offering military assistance while Russia intensifies its attacks.

The second is innovative solutions such as EyeWitness to Atrocities which aims to help journalists, activists, and citizens capture relevant and reliable audio-visual evidence that can lead to justice.

This week on the Beyond the Byline podcast, we discuss how the far right is growing, as Giorgia Meloni’s leadership and the rapid rise of far-right governments in Europe create concern amongst leftist parties and political analysts.

We also discuss how the leftist parties can maintain their ground: SYRIZA’s Alexis Tsipras and the President of the Party of the European Left Heinz Bierbaum highlighted why they are calling for a united left so their ideas and positions become hegemonic.

This week on the Beyond the Byline podcast, we discuss the geopolitical complications of the EU’s relations with China.

The European Council will hold a strategic discussion on China for the first time since Russia's invasion of Ukraine. In a preview of this upcoming meeting, EU leaders and diplomats mentioned earlier in the week in Luxembourg that the bloc’s rivalry with China has deepened over the past few years.

The reasons include both geopolitics and economics, as China is one of the EU’s strongest competitors regarding trade, raw materials and technology.

This week on the Beyond the Byline podcast, we discuss the Commission’s enlargement report. Countries like Albania, North Macedonia, Serbia, Montenegro, and Turkey have been on the waiting list for years, with no significant progress being made.

The content of the enlargement report did not differ notably from previous years, yet, the language and tone reflected the renewed urgency on enlargement processes following Russia's war in Ukraine.

This week the Beyond the Byline podcast is all about energy, the hot topic of today! Winter is looming and EU leaders and ministers are pushing for solutions to protect consumers and lift Europe out of the crisis.

Last Friday (30 September), EU ministers met in Brussels to agree on new emergency measures to tackle potential shortages. Can a price cap on gas protect consumers and businesses from inflation and the energy crisis?

This week on the Beyond the Byline podcast, following Commission President Ursula von Der Leyen's new measures to fight corruption, we speak to experts on the matter.

Our guests this week are MEP Daniel Freund, Nick Aiossa, Deputy Director, Head of Policy and Advocacy at Transparency International EU, Jozsef Peter Martin, executive director at the International Transparency Hungary and Robin Lööf, lawyer specialised in commercial crime and financial regulation. We ask them: what is defined as corruption, what is the Commission doing to fight it, what can be improved and what makes corruption in Hungary so particular?