Eight months after Georgia’s disputed parliamentary elections, the country has taken a dramatic turn towards authoritarianism. The ruling Georgian Dream party has passed law after law to silence independent media, criminalise protests, and punish dissent.

But how did a country once hailed as a frontrunner for EU accession end up targeting its own political opposition and journalists and what does this mean for the rest of Europe?

Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.

Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.

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The European Commission has officially proposed in a very confusing manner an almost €2 trillion budget for the 2028–2034 period. The biggest budget, in Ursula von der Leyen’s words, to be spent “for a new era.”

Von der Leyen says this budget will make the EU’s cash pot “larger, smarter and sharper.” But critics warn it may just end up being leaner, meaner, and far more politically painful than she anticipates. So, what are the first reactions, and who wins and loses with the new MFF?

Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.

Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.

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This afternoon, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is expected to present a draft proposal for the European Union’s next seven-year budget, officially called the Multiannual Financial Framework, or MFF.

The current MFF, running from 2021 to 2027, stands at just over €1.2 trillion. But according to a leaked draft, the next proposal, covering 2028 to 2034, could reach €1.717 trillion, or 1.23% of the EU’s gross national income. That’s up from about 1.1% now. With political divides deepening and resources stretched thin, can this budget still deliver on Europe’s promises?

Join us on our journey through the events that shape the European continent and the European Union.

Production: By Europod, in co production with Sphera Network.

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Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.