Europe now

• Ukraine: A nation at war, yet firmly on the path to EU membership (part 1)

  Europe Now brings you a special programme from Kyiv to mark the second anniversary of full-scale war in Ukraine. The fighting has killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people and left around a fifth of Ukrainian territory under Russian control, but this has not deterred Kyiv from seeking full membership of the European Union. In this first part of the show, we focus on Ukraine's reforms and its cultural heritage. In December, Ukraine received a crucial signal from the EU, when the 27 member states agreed to start accession talks with Kyiv. And in February, a compromise was reached with Hungary to unblock a €50 billion financial support package for Ukraine. Throughout the war, and even before, the EU has been a crucial partner, providing at least €85 billion in aid to Ukraine.In part one of this special programme, we visit Ukraine's premier innovation park, Unit City, where we meet Olha Stefanishyna, the country's deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration. She outlines the current state of play on Ukraine's EU reforms and tells us what she now expects from the European Commission in order to take things further.We also tour the war-damaged Khanenko museum in Kyiv and discuss the impact of the war on Ukrainian culture with the country's most celebrated novelist, Andrey Kurkov. He describes how, despite the destruction of cultural heritage and all the horrors associated with that, the international visibility of Ukraine's culture has grown significantly.In our motion design segment, Sophie Samaille recaps the various EU funding programmes that have been deployed in Ukraine.Our reporter Luke Brown looks at EU-funded projects for Ukraine: from long-standing efforts to help "level up" Ukraine with EU Cohesion funds, to the more recent – and all the more urgent – efforts to help Ukraine rebuild homes and schools damaged by the Russian invasion, even as the war rages on.Watch moreUkraine: A nation at war, yet firmly on the path to EU membership (part 2)Show presented by Armen Georgian, produced by Johan Bodin, filmed on location by Johan Bodin and Stéphane Bodenne, with Luke Brown. Video editing: Gilles Terrie, Joël Procope, Aude Richelet. Editor-in-chief: Caroline de Camaret.Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the DG Regional and Urban Policy. Neither the European Union nor the DG Regional and Urban Policy can be held responsible for them.    

  --------  
• Ukraine: A nation at war, yet firmly on the path to EU membership (part 2)

  Europe Now brings you a special programme from Kyiv to mark the second anniversary of full-scale war in Ukraine. The fighting has killed and injured hundreds of thousands of people and left around a fifth of Ukrainian territory under Russian control, but this has not deterred Kyiv from seeking full membership of the European Union. In this second part of the show, we focus on the reconstruction of the country. In December, Ukraine received a crucial signal from the EU, when the 27 member states agreed to start accession talks with Kyiv. And in February, a compromise was reached with Hungary to unblock a €50 billion financial support package for Ukraine. Throughout the war, and even before, the EU has been a crucial partner, providing at least €85 billion in aid to Ukraine.In part two of this special programme, we travel to the northern suburbs of Kyiv that were hit especially hard in the first weeks of Russia's onslaught – Bucha, Hostomel and Irpin. We look at concrete examples of reconstruction and EU aid to small and medium-sized businesses, such as the Dim bakery in Bucha, which recently won a grant from the EU and is managed by refugees from eastern Ukraine. We discuss the importance of such projects with senior representatives from the EU delegation in Ukraine, Iryna Hubarets and Alberto Fernandez-Diez.We also visit the town of Borodyanka, which was devastated in February-March 2022, with around 1,500 buildings damaged. In the new administrative services centre, financed by the UN and the EU, we meet Liudmyla Buimister, an independent MP in the Ukrainian parliament. We discuss rebuilding plans, EU-aligned reforms of local government and her hopes for Ukraine's anti-corruption efforts.In our motion design segment, Sophie Samaille looks at the ripples of the Ukraine war in the EU, particularly the cost-of-living crisis, and how EU funds – including cohesion – are being used to counter inflation.Our reporter Luke Brown examines how EU cohesion funding is supporting Ukrainians in Poland, and takes a look at how fears of "social dumping" – or cheaper Ukrainian labour costs – are being felt in the vital road haulage sector; fears which led to a months-long blockade of the two countries' road border.Read moreUkraine: A nation at war, yet firmly on the path to EU membership (part 1)Show presented by Armen Georgian, produced by Johan Bodin, filmed on location by Johan Bodin and Stéphane Bodenne, with Luke Brown. Editor-in-chief: Caroline de Camaret. Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the DG Regional and Urban Policy. Neither the European Union nor the DG Regional and Urban Policy can be held responsible for them.

  --------  
• Spain's EU presidency overshadowed by political crisis (part 2)

  It's not often that an EU member state decides to hold a national election just as it takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union. But that's exactly what the Spanish government did on July 23, just three weeks after starting its six-month stint at the helm of the EU. In this second part of the show, we focus on Spain's scientific research and the importance of EU funds to the country.  We take you to Spain's national scientific research council, which is very much aligned with the EU's goals on cutting-edge research and strategic autonomy in key industries.We also take a closer look at EU cohesion funding and Next Generation EU funds (the post-Covid recovery plan) in Spain, with two of the country’s leading economists.In our motion design segment, Sophie Samaille reports on how cohesion funds help communities across EU borders.And FRANCE 24's Luke Brown reports on the Franco-Spanish Treaty of Barcelona and cross-border projects.Read moreWatch part one of the showShow presented by Armen Georgian, produced by Johan Bodin, filmed on location by Johan Bodin and Stéphane Bodenne, with Luke Brown. Editor-in-chief: Caroline de Camaret.Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the DG Regional and Urban Policy. Neither the European Union nor the DG Regional and Urban Policy can be held responsible for them.

  --------  
• Spain's EU presidency overshadowed by political crisis (part 1)

  It's not often that an EU member state decides to hold a national election just as it takes over the rotating presidency of the European Union. But that's exactly what the Spanish government did on July 23, just three weeks after starting its six-month stint at the helm of the EU. In this first part of the programme, we meet movers and shakers in Madrid to take the political temperature following the inconclusive result of Spain's July 23 parliamentary vote. Acting Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, from the ruling Socialist Party (PSOE), insists that Spain's EU presidency is firmly on track and making important decisions, despite a few initial delays.We also speak to Antonio Lopez-Isturiz White, whose conservative Partido Popular (People's Party) won the election but did not succeed in building a governing coalition.The far right Vox party's Hermann Tertsch expresses his concerns about a possible government of "extremists and ex-terrorists" as he puts it, going forward.And Ernest Urtasun, representing the left-wing bloc Sumar, shares his optimism about four more years of progressive politics if a deal is found with the incumbent Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez.In our motion design segment, Sophie Samaille reports on how Spain benefits from EU cohesion funding.Plus, we report on how Spain and the EU are trying to bridge the digital divide and improve connectivity for all.Read moreWatch part two of the showShow presented by Armen Georgian, produced by Johan Bodin, filmed on location by Johan Bodin and Stéphane Bodenne, with Luke Brown. Editor-in-chief: Caroline de Camaret.Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the DG Regional and Urban Policy. Neither the European Union nor the DG Regional and Urban Policy can be held responsible for them.

  --------  
• Fighting poverty across the EU - one of the bloc’s top priorities (part 1)

  Bulgaria is one of the most recent members of the European Union, and also the poorest. EU funds contribute a vital role to the economy: €12 billion for the period of 2021-2027, and €6.6 billion already thanks to the post-Covid recovery fund. But Bulgaria faces multiple obstacles in its attempts to reduce poverty. Political instability has resulted in five elections in the past two years, and that instability has undermined long-term financial planning. Meanwhile, reforms to reduce corruption and strengthen the independence of the judiciary are still incomplete.Our guests in part one of the show explain Bulgaria’s current political deadlock, as well as how the EU aid is helping the country.Bulgarian Vice-President (close to the Socialist Party), Iliana Iotova is interviewed in the Bulgarian archeology museum in Sofia.Mayor of Gabrovo, Tanya Hristova (GERB - centre-right party which got the most seats in the recent elections) - interview in the city of Gabrovo, which is still dealing with the legacy of its industrial past. Our reports also cast light on how the EU functions in Bulgaria:The EU helping young Bulgarians to help their country, by David Gilberg. How EU funds help improve education opportunities for young people in Bulgaria and aim to reverse the brain drain - Bulgaria’s population has fallen 10 percent in the past decade.Fact or Fake by Sophie Samaille: Does the EU really help young people?>>Watch part two of the showShow presented by Armen Georgian, produced by Johan Bodin, filmed on location by Johan Bodin and Stéphane Bodenne, with Luke Brown. Editor in chief, Caroline de Camaret.Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the DG Regional and Urban Policy. Neither the European Union nor the DG Regional and Urban Policy can be held responsible for them.

  --------  

Acerca de Europe now