Centre for European Reform podcast
The Centre for European Reform is a think-tank devoted to making the European Union work better and strengthening its role in the world. The CER is pro-European but not uncritical.
Episodes
CER podcast: Unpacking Europe: Rearming Europe for deterrence
On this week’s Unpacking Europe podcast the CER’s deputy director Ian Bond sat down with Armida van Rij a senior research fellow at the CER and Michael Martin Richter UK country director at the Hanns Seidel Foundation to discuss the themes of the new paper ‘Rearming Europe for Deterrence’, available here: https://buff.ly/rwfLU1S
They took a detailed look the security threats to Europe, the incre
Unpacking Europe: The path to EU enlargement
On this week’s Unpacking Europe podcast Zselyke Csaky sat down with Milan Nic a senior research fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) to discuss the latest on EU enlargement.
They took a detailed look at new and old ideas recently put forward, including a so-called associate membership for Ukraine, as well as at progress by candidate countries. They discussed what the key chal
Unpacking Europe: How Europe is responding in Lebanon and Palestine
On this week’s Unpacking Europe podcast, the CER’s Clara Marina O’Donnell fellow (2025-2026) Thomas Maddock sat down with Zizette Darkazally, Associate Fellow at the Middle East and North Africa programme at Chatham House, and Schams El Ghoneimi, a former Advisor on Middle East and North Africa affairs to Renew Europe in the European Parliament. They took a detailed look at how Europe is respondin
CER podcast: Unpacking Europe: Is the EU-US trade deal unravelling?
On this week's Unpacking Europe podcast, CER's senior research fellow Anton Spisak sat down with Sam Lowe, partner at Flint Global and author of the Most Favoured Nation newsletter, to discuss renewed tensions in transatlantic trade between the EU and the US, why the contentious Turnberry deal is faltering, and whether Brussels and Washington can still find common ground.
CER podcast: Unpacking Europe: Hungary's landslide election outcome
On this week’s Unpacking Europe podcast, CER’s senior research fellow Zselyke Csaky sat down with Zsuzsanna Szelényi, director of the Democracy Institute's Leadership Academy, a founding member of Fidesz and a former MP in the Hungarian Parliament to take a detailed look at Hungary's landslide election outcome.
They discussed the biggest challenges that Péter Magyar faces, including when it com
CER podcast: Unpacking Europe: The future of EU-Türkiye relations
On this week’s Unpacking Europe podcast, the CER’s Clara Marina O’Donnell fellow (2025-2026) Thomas Maddock sat down with Galip Dalay, Senior Consulting Fellow, Turkey Initiative, Middle East and North Africa Programme, Chatham House and Senem Aydin-Düzgit, Director of the Istanbul Policy Center to take a detailed look at the current EU-Türkiye relationship.
They discussed: can the EU and Türkiye
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Four years of war in Ukraine
On this week’s Unpacking Europe podcast, the CER’s deputy director Ian Bond sat down with Andy Hunder, president of the American Chamber of Commerce in Ukraine, and Victoria Vdovychenko, the joint leader of the Future of Ukraine program at Cambridge University's Centre for Geopolitics, to take stock of the situation on the fourth anniversary of the start of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Will 2026 be the year to reset the reset?
On this week’s Unpacking Europe podcast, the CER’s deputy director Ian Bond sat down with Anton Spisak, a senior research fellow at the CER, and Jannike Wachowiak, a researcher at the UK in a Changing Europe, to discuss how things stand in the EU-UK relationship and if 2026 will be the year to reset the reset?
They also discussed the prospects for the future of the relationship, including the La
Unpacking Europe: The trade implications of ruptures in transatlantic relations
On this week’s Unpacking Europe podcast, the CER’s assistant director Elisabetta Cornago sat down with Anton Spisak and John Springford, to discuss the trade escalation and de-escalation between the US and Europe in the past weeks.
They also discussed Trump's tariff threats, the EU-US trade deal, the Mercosur and the EU-India agreements and the European economy’s dependency on open global market
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Greenland and the NATO alliance
On this week’s Unpacking Europe podcast, CER senior research fellow Armida van Rij sat down with Sten Rynning, Professor of War Studies and Director of the Danish Institute of Advanced Study at the University of Southern Denmark, to discuss the implications of any coercive US action towards Greenland for the alliance.
They also discussed the broader challenges for transatlantic relations and with
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The EU in 2025
In our latest Centre for European Reform podcast, Kate Mullineux speaks to six of our researchers. They reflect on the EU's past year in different areas, including, the green deal, the global impact of Trump's return to office, the UK-EU reset, Ursula von der Leyen's second term, the gains of the far right and the EU's Middle East strategy. They then look ahead to 2026.
0.55 Elisabetta Cornago on
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The far right and democratic backsliding in Europe
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, the CER's senior research fellows Armida van Rij and Zselyke Csaky sat down with Catherine E. De Vries, President of the Institute of European Policy Making at Bocconi University in Milan, to discuss why support for the far right is growing, and the implications for democracy in Europe.
They discussed why the far right is able to mobilise a base
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The instability of Macron’s France
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, the CER's director Charles Grant sat down with Sophie Pedder, The Economist’s Paris bureau chief, to discuss France and Macron’s unstable government.
They discussed the deadlocked French Parliament, the growing popularity of the Rassemblement National and of Jordan Bardella, and whether France’s influence in the European Union is understood dome
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The causes of the rise of populism
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, CER's Zselyke Csaky sat down with Ben Ansell of Oxford University and John Springford of the CER to discuss the causes of populism's rise in Europe.
They discussed the relationship between immigration, trade and populism, and whether moderate politicians would be better off challenging or accommodating voters attracted by populist messaging.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Russia's negotiating tactics & Ukraine's negotiating objectives
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, deputy director Ian Bond sat down with Donald Jensen of Johns Hopkins University and a former US diplomat and Iuliia Osmolovska, head of the GLOBSEC Kyiv Office to discuss Russian negotiating tactics, Ukraine's negotiating objectives and how Ukraine and its allies can get the best outcome if and when Putin decides to negotiate seriously.
They dis
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The economic future of EU tech regulation
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, chief economist Sander Tordoir sat down with Zach Meyers, director of research at the Centre on Regulation in Europe and an associate fellow at the CER to talk about tech and tech regulation.
They discussed the key priorities of the regulations that have been passed by Europe and why Europe's lagging behind the US and China in its technology sect
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: EU trade policy after Trump
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, research fellow Aslak Berg sat down with Agathe Demarais, senior policy fellow in Geoeconomics at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) to discuss where EU trade policy stands since the signing the EU-US trade agreement in July.
They discussed how and why the EU prioritised damage limitation, where EU trade policy goes from here, the i
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: One year after the Draghi report
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, research fellow Aslak Berg sat down with assistant director Elisabetta Cornago and chief economist Sander Tordoir to discuss where the EU stands one year after the landmark Draghi report which dissected the reasons behind Europe's sluggish growth.
They discussed Draghi’s sombre diagnosis of the European economy after what some have called the “su
CER Podcast: Latest developments in Russia's war on Ukraine
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, deputy director Ian Bond sat down with Dr Hanna Shelest of the Foreign Policy Council "Ukrainian Prism" to discuss the Ukrainian assessment of recent diplomatic manoeuvres and whether they bring peace or even a ceasefire any closer.
They discussed European military and diplomatic support for Ukraine and how important it is to prevent Russian inf
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Trump’s tariffs and digital policy
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, senior research fellow Zselyke Csaky sat down with Zach Meyers, director of research at the Centre on Regulation in Europe and an associate fellow at the CER, to discuss digital policy as Trump's tariffs are back on the agenda, with the deadline for a new trade deal approaching on 1st August.
They discussed how the EU should approach tech polic
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Immigration reform in the UK
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, associate fellow John Springford sat down with Madeleine Sumption, director of the Migration Observatory at Oxford University and deputy chair of the Migration Advisory Committee to discuss the British government's white paper on immigration, which proposes some more reforms to a migration regime that has been going through a lot of change over th
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The 2025 NATO summit
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, director Charles Grant sat down with Luigi Scazzieri, senior policy analyst at the European Institute of Security Studies and a non-resident associate fellow at the CER, to discuss the recent NATO summit of 25-26 June.
They spoke about what was agreed at the summit and whether Trump has turned out to be less disruptive to NATO than expected.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The geopolitics of the war in the Middle East
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, director Charles Grant sat down with Gideon Rachman, chief foreign affairs commentator for the Financial Times to discuss the geopolitics of the war in the Middle East.
Their converstion, recorded on 23rd June conversation, focused on the geopolitical shifts in the region rather than the details of the fighting.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Britain's trade stagnation
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, senior research fellow Elisabetta Cornago sits down with CER associate fellow Anton Spisak to discuss his recent insight ‘A perfect storm: Britain's trade malaise, weak growth and a new geopolitical moment’.
They consider what has contributed to the stagnation of Britain’s trade since 2020, and how this continues to affect economic growth in the
CER podcast: Unpacking Europe: Nothing about Ukraine without Ukraine
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, deputy director Ian Bond sits down with Mykola Bielieskov policy analyst at the National Institute for Strategic Studies & Senior Analyst at Come Back Alive and Olesya Khromeychuk director of the Ukrainian Institute London, to discuss the ongoing war in Ukraine and the coalition of the willing and the influence of the US on negotiations.
They cons
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Will the UK-EU summit reset relations?
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, director Charles Grant sits down with visiting fellow in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, Sophia Gaston, to discuss the UK-EU summit set to take place on May 19. They consider the geopolitical and domestic context, and what will or won’t be on the negotiating table.
Produced by Octavia Hughes
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The implications of Trump's tariffs
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, research fellow Aslak Berg sits down with Professor of Economics at the University of Cambridge, Meredith Crowley, to discuss President Trump's latest tariff announcements. They set out the impact on transatlantic relations, what a US-China decoupling would look like in practice, and the broader implications for the world trading system.
Produced
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The future of EU-India relations
After the recent visit of the EU's College of Commissioners to New Delhi, CER's Anunita Chandrasekar speaks to Tara Varma, who is currently a visiting fellow at Brookings Institution's Centre for the US and Europe, and Amaia Sánchez-Cacicedo, senior fellow covering Asia and India at Institut Montaigne, to consider the trajectory of EU-India relations.
Produced by Octavia Hughes
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Can Europe still rely on the United States?
Following the Trump administration's controversial comments and actions on Ukraine, tariffs and much else, CER director Charles Grant sits down with the director of Foreign and Defense Policy at the American Enterprise Institute, Kori Schake, to discuss what America’s hostility to the rules-based international order means for transatlantic relations.
Produced by Octavia Hughes
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: A snapshot of the war in Ukraine
Three years after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the CER's deputy director Ian Bond talks to head of the GLOBSEC Kyiv Office Iuliia Osmolovska about the mood in the country, Ukrainian reactions to US-Russian negotiations, and the role of the EU and European countries in Ukraine.
Produced by Octavia Hughes
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: How can Europe survive Trump's tariffs and a second China shock?
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, senior research fellow Zselyke Csaky sits down with chief economist Sander Tordoir to discuss President Trump's tariffs and the second China shock. Sander explains which countries and industries Trump is targeting and sets out a series of recommendations to protect Germany’s automotive and engineering sectors from Beijing’s industrial policies.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Trump's inauguration: What's next?
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, senior research fellow Luigi Scazzieri sits down with deputy director Ian Bond and Constanze Stelzenmueller, director at the Center on the US and Europe and Fritz Stern chair at The Brookings Institution, to discuss Donald Trump's inauguration. They highlight key takeaways from his speech, European guests in attendance and how this term will diffe
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: The EU in 2024
In our latest Centre for European Reform podcast, podcast host Octavia Hughes speaks to six of our researchers. They reflect on the EU's past year from different perspectives, including trade and competitiveness; support for Ukraine; UK-EU relations; and the conflict in the Middle East. They then look ahead to 2025.
00:28 Zach Meyers on tech and competitiveness
04:49 Ian Bond on Ukraine
10:52 L
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Labour's plan for the EU
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, director Charles Grant sits down with Labour MP for Walthamstow and chair of the Labour Movement for Europe Stella Creasy, to discuss Labour's plan for forging closer ties with the EU. Stella explains the role of the Labour Movement for Europe, while Charles examines how weakened governments in France and Germany, and the re-election of Donald Tru
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: What does Trump mean for European security?
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, senior research fellow Luigi Scazzieri sits down with deputy director Ian Bond and Sophia Besch, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, to discuss the impact of Donald Trump's second presidency on European security. They discuss Trump's stance on Ukraine and China before delving into the relationship between Trump's team
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Moldova and Georgia: In Brussels’ orbit, or Moscow’s?
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, host Octavia Hughes sits down with deputy director Ian Bond and senior research fellow Zselyke Csaky to discuss the recent elections in Georgia and Moldova. They break down their significance and evaluate what the results mean for the battle of influence between Brussels and the Kremlin.
Produced by Octavia Hughes
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Europe and the Middle East - just a bystander?
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, Clara Marina O'Donnell Fellow Anunita Chandrasekar sits down with senior research fellow Luigi Scazzieri to discuss Europe's role in the Middle East. They examine the chances of escalation, explore the implications of a wider regional conflict for Europe and assess whether the EU's position might change as the stakes continue to grow.
Produced by
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: What does the US presidential election mean for Europe’s economy?
On this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, host Octavia Hughes sits down with CER research fellow Aslak Berg, assistant director Zach Meyers and senior trade writer at the Financial Times Alan Beattie to discuss the transatlantic economic relationship. They break down what Kamala Harris and Donald Trump have said on trade, how realistic their proposals are and what’s at stake for Europe.
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Evaluating Mario Draghi's report on competitiveness
On September 10, former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi published his hotly-anticipated report, assessing Europe's productivity challenges. Senior research fellows Elisabetta Cornago and Luigi Scazzieri, assistant director Zach Meyers and chief economist Sander Tordoir sat down with podcast host Octavia Hughes to discuss the key takeaways from the report, as well as its shortcomings. They asse
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: NATO at 75
In our latest Centre for European Reform podcast, senior research fellow Luigi Scazzieri and senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Sophia Besch join podcast host Octavia Hughes to discuss NATO and European security. They explain the outcomes of NATO's 75th anniversary summit, and what Donald Trump’s return would mean for the alliance and for European security more broadly
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: What's happening in France and what it means for Europe
In our latest Centre for European podcast, director Charles Grant is joined by the Economist's Paris Bureau Chief Sophie Pedder. She is the author of 'Revolution Française: Emmanuel Macron and the Quest to Reinvent a Nation'. Charles and Sophie discuss the fallout from the parliamentary elections in France. They outline possible outcomes and their likelihoods, debate whether the result weakens Pre
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: What the Labour landslide means for UK-EU relations
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast Charles Grant, director of the CER, and Neil Kinnock, leader of the Labour party 1983 - 1992, European commissioner 1995 - 2004 and member of the house of Lords since 2005, join podcast host, Octavia Hughes, to discuss what Labour's landslide victory will mean for UK-EU relations. They debate whether the success of Reform UK will dampen Keir Starme
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: What would a Labour government mean for Europe?
In our latest Centre for European podcast, host Octavia Hughes is joined by the research fellow Aslak Berg, deputy director Ian Bond and senior research fellow Luigi Scazzieri to find out what a Labour victory in the UK general election would mean for EU-UK relations. They discuss Labour's flexibility on its red lines and changes to trade, security, defence and foreign policy.
Produced by Octavia
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Winners, losers and implications of the European elections
In our latest Centre for European podcast, host Octavia Hughes is joined by the 2023-24 Clara Marina O'Donnell fellow Christina Keßler and senior research fellows Zselyke Csaky and Luigi Scazzieri to discuss the results of the European Parliament elections. They dissect the implications of the results on green policies, defence, the rule of law and enlargement, and react to France's President Emma
CER event audio: Unpacking Europe: Paving the path for future EU enlargement
This is an audio recording from the Centre for European Reform and the Delegation of the EU to the UK's discussion on 'Expanding Horizons: 20 years of EU membership – paving the path for future EU enlargement' with Amelia Hadfield, Head of Department of Politics & Founding Director at the University of Surrey, Simona Leskovar, Ambassador of Slovenia to the UK, and Anand Menon, Director of UK in a
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: What to expect from a more right-wing European Parliament
In our latest Centre for European podcast, host Octavia Hughes is joined by the 2023-24 Clara Marina O'Donnell fellow Christina Keßler and senior research fellows Zselyke Csaky and Luigi Scazzieri to discuss the upcoming European Parliament elections. They explain how the president of the European Commission is selected, unpack concerns surrounding voter turnout and examine the implications of a m
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: How is China's foreign policy shifting?
In our latest Centre for European Reform podcast our director Charles Grant and Dr Yu Jie, senior research fellow on China at Chatham House's Asia Pacific programme, join podcast host Octavia Hughes to discuss China's shifting foreign policy. They analyse the success of Beijing's European charm offensive, the strength of Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping's friendship and China's objective to create a
CER Podcast: Unpacking Europe: Evaluating Enrico Letta’s report on the single market
On April 18, former Italian prime minister Enrico Letta published his hotly-anticipated report, assessing the state of Europe's single market. Research fellow Aslak Berg and assistant director Zach Meyers sat down with podcast host Octavia Hughes to discuss the key takeaways from the report, as well as its shortcomings. They assess the reaction from European leaders and the Commission, and share
CER Podcast: Unlocking better regulation in Europe
The EU has for years been a proponent of better regulation: steps to make sure regulation is evidence-based, proportionate, and made in a transparent way. However, there has been a perception that the quality of regulation in the bloc has declined recently. To discuss the EU's performance on better regulation and what the next Commission might improve on, assistant director Zach Meyers was joined
CER Podcast: Can Berlin and Brussels disentangle their economy from China’s grasp?
Globalisation may not have gone into reverse, but it is surely changing – and not in Germany’s favour. Encouraged by the US, von der Leyen wants to push ahead with the ‘economic security strategy’, which would seek to limit the export of advanced technologies to China. But Germany worries that the Commission is trying to grab new powers and that it could provoke retaliation or even a trade war wit
CER Podcast: How is the EU's role in European defence changing?
As we enter the third year of full-scale war in Ukraine and the possibility of Trump's re-election becomes more likely, Charles Grant, director, and Luigi Scazzieri, senior research fellow, consider how the EU's role in defence is changing. They discuss where the money for a larger defence budget would come from and whether the Commission could play a role in defence planning. Charles concludes th
CER Podcast: War in Ukraine: Where are we two years on?
In our latest Centre for European Reform podcast Dame Melinda Simmons, Ambassador of the United Kingdom to Ukraine 2019-2023, and Hanna Shelest, Director of Security Programmes at the Foreign Policy Council Ukrainian Prism, join the CER's Deputy Director, Ian Bond, on the two-year anniversary of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. They examine the media's portrayal of the conflict and shed li
CER Podcast: Europe's defence production challenge
In our latest Centre for European Reform podcast, Camille Grand, Distinguished Policy Fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and Luigi Scazzieri, Senior Research Fellow at the CER, speak to podcast host Octavia Hughes about the challenges of European defence production. They examine the challenges Europeans have faced in ramping up defence production after Russia's invasion, and exami
CER Podcast: The Taiwan election: China cares, but should Europe?
In our latest Centre for European Reform podcast, Deputy Director Ian Bond speaks to Philippe Le Corre, Senior Fellow at the Asia Society's Centre for China Analysis, Helena Legarda, Lead Analyst at the Mercator Institute for China Studies, and Christina Keßler, Clara Marina O'Donnell Fellow 2023-24. They provide some background on Taiwan's recent elections before examining reactions to the result
CER review of 2023: What's next for Europe?
In our latest Centre for European Reform podcast, podcast host Octavia Hughes speaks to eight of our researchers. They reflect on the EU's past year from different perspectives, including climate action; support for Ukraine; UK-EU relations; and the possibility of enlargement and reform. They then look ahead to 2024.
00:41 Elisabetta Cornago on energy and climate policy
11:57 Charles Grant on UK
CER Podcast: Can EU enlargement happen without reform?
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast Charles Grant, director at the CER, and Camino Mortera-Martinez, head of the CER's Brussels office, join senior research fellow Luigi Scazzieri to discuss the prospects for EU enlargement and institutional reform.
Produced by Octavia Hughes
Music by Edward Hipkins
CER Podcast: Will Wilders’ Dutch election win weaken the EU?
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast Sander Tordoir, senior economist at the CER, and Caroline de Gruyter, author and columnist for the leading Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad, join podcast host, Octavia Hughes, to discuss the outcome of the Dutch general election and what the surge of Geert Wilders’ far-right means for the EU. Caroline explains how the adoption of more extreme polic
CER Podcast: What does AI mean for Europe?
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast Zach Meyers, Assistant Director of the CER, is joined by Kai Zenner, Head of Office and digital policy advisor to MEP Axel Voss, to discuss AI’s implications for Europe. They discuss how Europe can make the most out of AI while managing its risks. The pair also discuss the progress of the EU’s Artificial Intelligence Act, and the possibility of it
CER Podcast: Where is Europe in the Israel Hamas conflict?
One month on from Hamas’s attack on Israel killing 1400, Israeli forces have killed more than 10000 Palestinians in Gaza. The head of our Brussels office, Camino Mortera-Martinez asks Nathalie Tocci, director of the Institute of International Affairs in Rome, and senior research fellow Luigi Scazzieri what Europe's role is in this latest iteration of a decades long conflict, and where it should be
CER Podcast: EU enlargement and reform, migration and the EPC summit
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast Camino Mortera-Martinez, head of the CER Brussels office, and Luigi Scazzieri, senior research fellow, join podcast host, Octavia Hughes, to discuss EU enlargement, the EPC and migration policy. They set out the successes and failures of the EPC summit in Granada and the subsequent informal meeting of EU leaders. Camino explains why migration is b
CER Podcast: A European strategy for Labour
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast Charles Grant, Director of the CER, and Neil Kinnock, leader of the Labour party 1983 - 1992, European commissioner 1995 - 2004 and member of the house of Lords since 2005, join podcast host, Octavia Hughes, to discuss a European strategy for Labour. They set out the steps the party should take to foster a better relationship and consider how Europ
CER Podcast: Ukraine's road to EU membership
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast Ian Bond, Director of Foreign Policy, and Hennadiy Maksak, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Prism think-tank, look at Ukraine's path to EU membership after a year and a half of war with Russia. The EU has given Ukraine candidate country status and by the end of the year, it should take a decision on opening membership negotiations. Hennadiy shed
CER Podcast: Will political turmoil in Spain and the Netherlands leave the EU in a tough spot?
In this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast Camino Mortera-Martinez, head of the Brussels office and Sander Tordoir, senior economist, join our host Octavia Hughes to discuss the implications of the Spanish and Dutch elections for the EU. They explore the causes of the political impasse in Spain and the consequences of government collapse in the Netherlands. The Spanish and the Dutch have be
CER Podcast: Is the EU ready for enlargement?
In this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast Camino Mortera-Martinez, head of the Brussels office, joins Charles Grant, director of the CER, and Heather Grabbe, senior advisor at the Open Society Foundation, to discuss the prospect of EU enlargement. They talk about the likely timeline of the accession process, the countries with prospects of joining and which of these will struggle to meet t
CER Podcast: NATO in Vilnius: What's next for Ukraine?
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast Ian Bond, Director of Foreign Policy, and Luigi Scazzieri, Senior Research Fellow, sit down with podcast host, Octavia Hughes, to discuss the NATO summit in Vilnius, Lithuania. They look at Ukraine's request for NATO membership and the Alliance's response, assess whether NATO members will increase defence spending and what a Republican in the White
CER podcast: The politics of China-US-EU trade: Pulling up the drawbridge?
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast Brad Setser, senior fellow at the Council of Foreign Relations, and the CER’s Sander Tordoir and John Springford discuss green tech industrial policy and ‘de-risking’ trade with China. They discuss the growing consensus between Europe and the US on China, as well as the ‘risks of de-risking’ – how challenging China might slide into protectionism an
CER podcast: We have to talk about Spain
In this week’s episode of the Centre for European Reform podcast, host Octavia Hughes speaks to the head of our Brussels office, Camino Mortera-Martínez. They discuss the results of the Spanish local and regional elections and Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez's decision to call a snap election. Camino explains what is at stake for Spain and Sánchez, including the rotating presidency of the council of
Ask CER - Episode 9: Turkish elections, industrial policy and Ukraine joining NATO
In this week’s episode of the Centre for European Reform podcast, we answer questions you have sent to us. Host Octavia Hughes speaks to our director Charles Grant, director of foreign policy Ian Bond, and senior fellow Luigi Scazzieri. We discuss the likelihood of a Kılıçdaroğlu victory in Turkey's presidential run-off, arguments for and against French-style industrial policy in the EU, and alter
CER podcast: What's at stake in Turkey's historic election?
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast, Senem Aydin Düzgit, Professor of International Relations at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences of Sabancı University and Senior Scholar and Research and Academic Affairs Coordinator at the Istanbul Policy Center, and Luigi Scazzieri, senior research fellow at the CER, join host Octavia Hughes to discuss the potential outcomes of Turkey's elec
CER podcast: What is the EU's China policy?
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast, Ian Bond, director of foreign policy, joins host and head of the CER’s Brussels office, Camino Mortera-Martinez, to discuss the EU's elusive China policy. They talk about the lack of consensus among EU member-states on an effective China policy and explain why Brussel's stance on China is different from Washington's. Can Beijing be an honest broke
CER podcast: Berlin versus Brussels: The politics of EU fiscal rules
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast, Sander Tordoir, senior economist at the CER, joins host Octavia Hughes to discuss the EU's fiscal rules ahead of the release of his policy brief on the same subject next week. Sander explains why EU countries must have public finances that are largely aligned and the difficulties the European Commission has faced in enforcing the rules. He offers
CER podcast: Russian hybrid threats
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast, Helmi Pillai, our (2022-23) Clara Marina O'Donnell fellow, joins our director of foreign policy, Ian Bond, to discuss hybrid threats ahead of the release of her paper on the same topic. They consider the often-disputed definitions of 'hybrid threats' and 'critical infrastructure' and the evolving story of the destruction of the Nord Stream pipelin
CER Podcast: What does the Windsor Framework mean for EU-UK relations?
In this week's episode of the Centre for European Reform podcast, our director Charles Grant is joined by Catherine Barnard, Professor of EU Law and Employment Law at the University of Cambridge and Deputy Director of UK in a Changing Europe, to discuss the recently agreed Windsor Framework. Together, they delve into how the new framework modifies the previous UK-EU trade deal and its implications
CER podcast: One year of war in Ukraine
In this week's Centre for European Reform podcast, Dr Olesya Khromeychuk, historian, writer, and director of the Ukrainian Institute London and Sir Richard Shirreff, former NATO Deputy Supreme Allied Commander for Europe, join our director of foreign policy, Ian Bond, to discuss the Ukraine-Russia war. They consider how to avoid 'Ukraine fatigue' in the West, what can be learnt from Ukraine's mili
Ask CER - Episode 8: Inflation Reduction Act, Qatargate and Iran
In this week’s episode of the Centre for European Reform podcast, we answer questions you have sent to us. Clara Marina O’Donnell fellow Helmi Pillai speaks to the head of our Brussels office Camino Mortera-Martinez and senior fellows Zach Meyers and Luigi Scazzieri. They discuss the EU’s response to the Inflation Reduction Act, Brexit’s impact on UK science and technology, Qatargate, EU migration
CER podcast: Brexit and the labour market
In this week's episode of the Centre for European Reform podcast, the CER's deputy director John Springford and professor at King's College London Jonathan Portes discuss their report 'Early impacts of the post-Brexit immigration system on the UK labour market'. The report estimates that Brexit has led to a net shortfall of 330,000 workers in the UK, concentrated in low-skilled sectors such as tra
CER podcast: The cost of Brexit
In this week’s episode of the Centre for European Reform podcast Helmi Pillai interviews John Springford about his most recent cost of Brexit analysis. John shares his estimate of the damage Brexit caused to the British economy in 2022 and explains the reasons for the negative impact. John also discusses the methodology behind his findings and responds to criticisms of his analysis.
Produced by
CER podcast: The implications of Russia’s war against Ukraine
In this year’s final episode of the Centre for European Reform podcast, our researchers unpack the most significant event of the past year, Russia’s war on Ukraine. The CER’s experts analyse the impact of the war thus far and share their predictions for 2023. Ian Bond, director of foreign policy, evaluates Russia and Ukraine’s performance in the war and the Western response. Senior research fellow
CER podcast: Will the EU unblock Hungary’s funds?
In this week’s episode of the CER podcast, Camino Mortera-Martinez, head of our Brussels office, and Sander Tordoir, senior economist at the CER, explain the escalating conflict between Hungary and the EU. They discuss the EU’s strategies for tackling democratic backsliding and corruption in Hungary, and cast light on the politics and economics of Hungary’s frozen EU funds.
Produced by Helmi Pill
CER podcast: Will the Commission’s fiscal rules plan work?
In this week’s Centre for European Reform podcast, John Springford, our deputy director, and Sander Tordoir, senior economist at the CER, discuss the EU’s fiscal rules. They consider why the rules matter, what their shortcomings are, and weigh up the European Commission’s proposal for tweaking the current fiscal rulebook.
Produced by Helmi Pillai and Rosie Giorgi
Music by Edward Hipkins
