European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's decision to assign the migration and home affairs portfolio to Austrian nominee Magnus Brunner was one of her most unexpected choices when deciding on the portfolios for her new College.Vienna's recent tougher stance on EU migration policy, as well as Brunner's own background, sprung to the fore.Austria was behind a long-standing veto against Bulgaria and Romania's entry into the Schengen Area, and Vienna also voted against and abstained from some key laws in the migration pact passed at the end of the previous mandate.Furthermore, Brunner, a former finance minister, has no significant experience or track record in migration policy.Today, Radio Schuman spoke with Spanish Socialist MEP Juan Fernando López Aguilar, who was the rapporteur for the legislative file — the Crisis Management Regulation — that Austria opposed.We also bring you a brief overview of the agenda for today, including an important meeting between the Commissioner in charge of trade, Valdis Dombrovskis, and China's Commerce Minister Wang Wentao. EU's tariffs on Chinese electric vehicles are expected to be the main topic of conversation.And finally, are you a non-smoker who is bothered by others smoking or vaping around you?In that case, there's good news from Brussels: the European Commission has recommended that EU countries ban outdoor smoking in places like café and restaurant terraces, bus stops and zoos. Will member states adopt these guidelines, or will they still allow people to light one up?Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The European Parliament in Strasbourg was again divided — this time, it was the MEPs' opinions that were split after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced her new batch of Commissioners.Radio Schuman gathered different reactions from the MEPs Peter Liese, Christel Schaldemose, Moritz Körner, and Sergey Lagodinsky on the entire affair, including the fitness of individual Commissioners for their new tasks, big jobs that went to Eastern European and Baltic countries and the meme-inspiring animal welfare portfolio that went to a certain Olivér Várhelyi.We also bring you a brief overview of the key issues set to dominate Wednesday's plenary session in Strasbourg, along with a timeline outlining the European Parliament's scrutiny and approval process for the newly announced Commissioner nominees.Finally, we explore Europe's best and worst metro systems — spoiler alert: Brussels did not perform very well.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thierry Breton's surprisingly public last-minute resignation as France's European Commission nominee was the talk of the town on Monday.While Paris quickly replaced the outgoing Commissioner with former MEP and Foreign Affairs Minister Stéphane Séjourné, Breton's final salvo aimed at Commission President Ursula von der Leyen further made sure her new mandate was off to a rocky start.Will von der Leyen weather the storm, and is she really as opposed to critical voices among her Commissioners as Breton insinuated?Today, Radio Schuman asks Elvire Fabry, a senior researcher at the Institut Jacques Delors, to comment on the Commission's fiery start to the week.We also glance at the agenda for today's Parliament's Strasburg plenary session. Notably, a few last-minute changes occurred, with floods preventing Hungary's Prime MInister Viktor Orbán from making an appearance.On a lighter note, we'll tell you which country in Europe has the best work-sleep balance and why.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Back in July, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen announced that she would appoint a Commissioner for housing and launch the union's first-ever European Affordable Housing Plan. The announcement was part of a favour made to the European Parliament's centre-left S&D group, which had asked the Commission to include the lack of affordable housing and the rising cost of living as one of its top priorities. But what does the job of housing Commissioner consist of? And how can the EU really act on an issue often seen as a matter of national policy? Today, Radio Schuman answers these questions with David Rinaldi, the director of the Foundation for European Progressive Studies. We also take a quick look at this week’s Strasburg plenary session: what are the most important events not to miss? Hint: both Viktor Orbán and Mario Draghi are featured. On a different note, we explore how much is enough and what could make a good salary in Europe. Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The leader of the Slovene European People's Party (EPP) delegation in the Parliament, Romana Tomc, has told Euronews that the country's new Commissioner pick Marta Kos is "unacceptable".Slovenia's opposition, led by the conservative SDS party of former Prime Minister Janez Janša, has criticised liberal Prime Minister Robert Golob for yielding to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen by replacing male nominee Tomaž Vesel with Kos without proper consultation.As a result, SDS MP Franc Breznik, chair of the parliamentary committee responsible for confirming Kos, has refused to schedule a confirmation hearing until he receives von der Leyen's letter requesting Vesel's withdrawal.Today Radio Schuman explored the issue with Euronews editor Aleksandar Brezar.We take a snapshot of the ongoing Budapest-Brussels standoff. Hungary is expected to tell the European Commission today whether it has implemented new measures to stop the unlawful treatment of asylum seekers. Will Hungary comply or continue to defy the EU?On a different note, Radio Schuman explores how the pandemic lockdown badly impacted teenagers' brain development.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The podcast dives into the alarming €295 million budget cut proposed for the Erasmus Plus program, sparking a heated debate among EU lawmakers. It emphasizes the vital need to protect this educational initiative that promotes student mobility and unity in Europe. The discussion also highlights mobilization efforts from student unions advocating for its preservation. Additionally, listeners learn about the EU Commission's nomination processes and Copenhagen's innovative strategies to enhance flood resilience against climate change.

What are the real reasons underlying European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen delaying announcing the portfolios for her executive?The official reason for the delay is that Slovenia has changed its nominee and the country’s parliament needs to ratify the new name. But the path to nominate commissioners is often turbulent, what else is afoot?Today Radio Schuman looks for answers with Euronews journalist Gerardo Fortuna.The German government's decision to reintroduce border controls at all its borders raises important questions about the future of the Schengen area. Is the restriction of free movement becoming the new normal in Europe? We also examine the European Commission's response.On a different note, did you know that overexposure to fitness videos promoting idealised, super-fit bodies can be harmful to teens? YouTube is introducing new rules to protect young users.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A key and controversial recommendation of former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi's competitiveness report was for Europe to have recourse to common debt instruments to keep the pace with competitors such as the US and China.But what happens when Draghi's recommendations come face to face with political reality in the EU?My colleague Vincenzo Genovese found out from Guntram Wolff, from the Brussels-based European economic think tank Bruegel.We make a brief overview of the two major court judgments cases due today involving Apple and Google: will the final rulings alter how the EU handles state aid cases (in the Apple case) and shape competition in the digital market (in the Google case)?On a lighter note, have you heard about the latest trend in tourism, the sleepcation?Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen presents her list of Commissioners to the European Parliament this week, the legal affairs parliamentary committee will assess whether any conflict of interest would make them unable to carry out their duties.In 2019, von der Leyen asked Hungary and Romania to present new candidates for the European Commission after the legal committee found out that the nominees could not carry out their task in full transparency.The unofficial list of commission nominees that has already circulated in the media show that Italy, Hungary and Malta among others could face hurdles to getting their nominees confirmed.What can we expect this time around? How will MEPs treat Raffaele Fitto, the potential Italian nominee whose party voted against the re-election of von der Leyen? Will MEPs reject the incumbent Hungarian candidate, Oliver Varhelyi? What will be their approach with any of Viktor Orban’s candidates?This Monday, Radio Schuman answers these questions in conversation with the Green German MEP Daniel Freund.A quick look at Mario Draghi's report, which will be presented on Monday by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Draghi himself: are there any controversial points that might generate heated discussions with EU member states?In good news from science, a new AI model for cancer diagnosis could greatly change how the disease is detected and understood.Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Will the European Parliament approve the list of Commission nominees that von der Leyen will present next week?According to veteran German MEP Peter Liese, some nominees will struggle to secure their spot, with the Maltese and Hungarian choices most imperilled.Euronews has seen a list of 25 commissioners-designate doing the rounds of Ursula von der Leyen's own European People's Party which earmarks their potential portfolios. It may not reflect what the Commission President finally decides on September 11, but Radio Schuman can give you a peek at the latest on which names will slot into the portfolios.We also take a quick look at the newly elected prime minister in France: Michel Barnier is very well known in EU Brussels circles, as two-time European Commissioner and chief negotiator of the Brexit deal. Will he be able to keep all political sides of France's divided National Assembly together however?On a lighter note, did you know that you can now buy Spaghetti Carbonara out of a tin in the UK? As you can imagine, that doesn't set Italian taste buds tingling...Radio Schuman is hosted and produced by Maïa de la Baume, with journalist and production assistant Eleonora Vasques, audio editing by Zacharia Vigneron and music by Alexandre Jas. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.