FEPS Talks

We are often told that inflation “happens”, as if it is an unstoppable natural phenomenon. However, a new FEPS study shows that the inflation we experienced in 2021-2023 was largely caused by profiteering and speculation. 📺🔊 Available on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcast In this FEPS Talks episode, Ainara Bascuñana, FEPS Head of Communication discuss with the authors of 'The profit-price spiral in food and energy' Ben Tippet, Lecturer at King’s College London and Anna Kolesnichenko, FEPS Economic Policy Analyst. The discussion exposes the monopolistic structures within the food and energy sectors, where a handful of companies control global supply chains and manipulate prices. There is nothing unavoidable about this kind inflation, and it can and should be stopped. * There is a mistake in minute 00:14:06: It's not 20% but 2%*

📺🔊 Available on YouTube, Spotify & Apple Podcast 🇵🇸 “What about the 6th of October? What about the 5th? There was already occupation, siege, and no future.” As the war on Gaza continues, and while much of the international community remains inactive, Palestinians face mass displacement, starvation, and the systematic destruction of civilian life—from homes and schools to hospitals and water systems. In this FEPS Talks episode, we speak with Omar Shaban, economist, political analyst, and founder of the Gaza-based think tank PalThink for Strategic Studies, for a powerful and personal testimony on life under siege—and the broader political dynamics shaping the conflict. “20,000 orphans. 86,000 amputated children. What future are we giving them?” Omar exposes the human cost of the war, challenges Western media narratives, and reminds us that this is not just about Gaza. The illegal colonisation of the West Bank and the deliberate obstruction of Palestinian statehood are part of the same brutal reality. He also stresses that what is happening in Gaza has been described by credible international organisations as genocide. Despite unimaginable loss, Omar calls for a political future grounded in peace and justice: “Two-state solution, in a different modality, is still possible. Give PEACE a chance”

📺🔊 Available on YouTube, Spotify and Apple Podcast Rethinking Security through Nuclear Disarmament with Florian Eblenkamp In this climate of militarisation and declining support for international law, some European countries are considering nuclear weapons a legitimate defence strategy, with calls even emerging for the development of a European nuclear programme. We interview Florian Eblenkamp, Advocacy Officer at the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN)—the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning organisation—to discuss the differing positions of European countries, NATO, and the broader international debate on nuclear disarmament. He demystifies the alleged military and deterrent effect of nuclear arms. Nuclear deterrence is based on the underlying threat of catastrophic mass destruction as a central part of policy, making it not only an ineffective strategy, but also a morally indefensible one. Florian challenges the perceived dichotomy between disarmament and safety, insisting that the two can—and must—reinforce one another in any just and sustainable global order.

Peace keeping expert Prof. John Karlsrud (head of the international NAVIGATOR research project) comments on the current European discussion regarding the creation and maintanence of peace in Ukraine. He puts forward concrete ideas regarding the composition of peace keeping forces in Ukraine, and clarifies why the United Nations could not have been more instrumental during the last 3 years of war. Prof. Karlsrud is strongly in favour of EU enlargement, including to foster peace in the Western Balkans, and finally he also comments on the broader European institutional architecture, highlighting the significance of old organisations like the OSCE and new ones like the EPC.

📺🔊 Available on Youtube Spotify and Apple Podcast As International Women’s Day 2025 approaches, feminist movements face mounting threats from rising authoritarianism and Big Tech’s growing role in shaping public discourse. In this episode, Laeticia Thissen (Senior Policy Analyst on Gender Equality, FEPS) speaks with Asha Allen (Director and Secretary General, Center for Democracy & Technology Europe) about the increasing censorship of feminist and LGBTQ+ advocacy by platforms like Meta and X, the rollback of diversity and inclusion commitments by major tech companies, and the growing wave of online gender-based violence. They explore the role of the EU Digital Services Act, the Directive on Violence Against Women and existing intersectionality methodologies for policy assessments, exploring how these measures can effectively curb disinformation, algorithmic bias, and platform-driven suppression. With Trump 2.0 emboldening anti-gender movements and far-right forces gaining ground, what can activists and policymakers do to resist digital suppression and protect equality? Tune in for a crucial conversation on the fight for feminist digital justice.

🔊 Available on Spotify and Apple Podcast How can Europe achieve a unified industrial strategy that balances competitiveness with social and regional cohesion? In this episode, FEPS welcomes Lukas Bertram, economist at the ZOE Institute for Future-Fit Economies, to delve into the findings of the recent policy study "A Unified Industrial Strategy for the EU." Together with FEPS Director of Studies and Policy David Rinaldi, Lukas explores what it means to be strategic in fostering industrial renewal and the pivotal role of the public sector. The podcast clarifies the interlinkages between concepts like industrial policy and strategic autonomy, while addressing risks to territorial cohesion in Europe’s competitiveness agenda. Lukas also shares insights on aligning EU and local policymaking for effective reindustrialization and offers a forward-looking perspective on creating an economy fit for the future. Tune in for a thought-provoking discussion that connects policy, strategy, and social values.

🔊📺 Available on Spotify, YouTube, and Apple Podcasts In this episode of FEPS Talks, Anne Van Lancker (President of SOLIDAR and former MEP from Belgium) speaks about the evolving social agenda of the EU. Civil society organisations united in SOLIDAR consider the European Pillar of Social Rights as a game changer and an inspiration for social policy action in the EU with further potential to generate improvements. Behind us is a “Golden Age” of social policy initiatives at EU level but now there is a lot to do for implementation. Furthermore, since recently a poverty reduction target was set, an upcoming anti-poverty strategy from the European Commission will be a vital tool. Declaring housing to be a European concern is also appreciated, and social NGOs are ready to contribute to a common effort to learn from good practice and develop an effective EU policy in this area. Such developments prove that EU social policy has evolved well beyond what Jacaques Delors outlined three decades ago, but perhaps even more is needed, especially for a better coordination of economic and social policies, not least to ensure that there would be no return to austerity but an investment orientation is pursued instead.