This time last year, the health services of the Italian city of Bergamo were sinking under the burden of COVID-19, as we hear from EESC member Giuseppe Guerini when the NGO Emergency stepped in to manage a field hospital set up to cope with the

S2 Episode 1: MFF: the good, the bad and the ugly

Feb 10th, 2021 11m 31s

"The Grassroots View" podcast opens its second season with an episode dedicated to the new European Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). Our four guests tell us what is the good, the bad, and the ugly in this long-awaited agreement. Jan Olbr

Episode 9: La communication pendant la crise (FR)

Jul 15th, 2020 18m 55s

Dans ce dernier épisode de la série, réalisé en français, Isabel Caño Aguilar, vice-présidente du CESE responsable pour la communication, parle de l'expérience de la COVID. Elle nous décrit comment la pandémie a modifié tout le travail de commu

Episode 8 : When the world of work comes tumbling down

Jul 2nd, 2020 10m 42s

When COVID-19 struck Europe, it not only brought hospitals to the verge of collapse but created havoc in its wake on many different fronts: European GDP slumped, industrial production plummeted and thousands lost their jobs. The future does not

Episode 7: Getting the European air industry back off the ground

Jun 12th, 2020 10m 54s

Caught in the crossfire of the COVID-19 and climate crises, will the European air industry take off again after months of grounding? We hear the views of Thomas Kropp, senior advisor to Lufthansa and EESC rapporteur on the waiving of airport sl

Episode 6: Shoring up businesses from Covid-19

May 20th, 2020 9m 7s

In this episode, Belgian hotel owner and industry representative Marc Van Muylders illustrates the catastrophic impact of COVID-19 on the tourism and hotel sector, while Milena Angelova, EESC Vice-President for budget and secretary-general of t

Special episode - Make or break: Europe’s struggle with Coronavirus

Apr 3rd, 2020 14m 21s

Is the EU rising to the challenge of COVID-19? Can people expect the EU to help them weather the storm this time, or will they feel let down as they did with the other two major crises of this century? As the outbreak sweeps across Europe taki

Episode 4: The long and winding road to accessibility

Feb 26th, 2020 12m 48s

With the new EU disability agenda in the pipeline, in episode 4, "The long and winding road to accessibility", we discuss the employment situation of people with disabilities. We talk about what the EU should do to make its workplaces more incl

Episode 3: Getting tough on gender violence

Jan 27th, 2020 12m 53s

In Episode 3 "Getting tough on gender violence", we provide a vivid example of the power of civil society to bring about changes and push lawmakers to act. Our guest is Croatian actress and screenwriter Jelena Veljača who, enraged by a gruesome

Episode 2: Is the European Citizens' Initiative an instrument of democracy?

Dec 4th, 2019 9m 55s

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Lisbon Treaty, we debate the question: Has the ECI been an instrument of democracy? With us Pablo Sanchez, one of the champions of the first successful ECI Right2Water; EESC member Antonio Longo, who

Episode 1: Whatever happened to the rule of law?

Nov 6th, 2019 9m 26s

Episode 1 "Whatever happened to the rule of law?" features Spanish EESC member José Antonio Moreno Díaz, who explains what the EESC Group on Fundamental Rights and the Rule of Law is doing to help fend off growing attacks on core EU values, suc

Pilote episode : Sibiu and beyond

May 6th, 2019 5m 4s

On the eve of the EU summit on the future of Europe, to be held in Sibiu, Romania, on 9 May, the EESC presents its blueprint for a Europe that is a global leader in sustainable development, is close to people and has a strong social dimension a