- 42 minutes 46 secondsRobert Schuman: The Architect
His name graces a Brussels roundabout, a metro station and the European Parliament’s traineeship programme — but who was Robert Schuman, really?
Born a German citizen in Luxembourg, only becoming French at age 33, Schuman moved around Europe for his studies and was a quintessential European long before the concept became mainstream. In this episode, Victor and Martina trace his extraordinary life: from devout Catholic to law student to French Prime Minister and Foreign Minister — taking in his almost forgotten role under the Vichy regime, his plot-twisting arrest by the Gestapo, and his daring escape through occupied France with a 100,000 Reichsmark bounty on his head.
At the heart of the episode is the Schuman Declaration of 9 May 1950, the visionary proposal that placed French and German coal and steel production under a common authority — rendering war among European nations, in Schuman’s words, “not merely unthinkable, but materially impossible.” That declaration laid the institutional foundations of what we know today as the European Union.
The episode also asks some harder questions: does his wartime resistance and peace-building efforts absolve his earlier vote to hand full powers to Marshal Pétain? How can a man on the path to Catholic sainthood also be the architect of a secular supranational project? And are the innovative institutions Schuman envisioned seven decades ago fit-for-purpose today?
Hosts: Victor Aguilar & Martina Domladovac
Producers: Victor Aguilar & Alexander Roth
Communication support: Martina Domladovac
Further reading
- Robert Schuman: architect of the European integration project (European Union)
- Schuman Declaration May 1950 (European Union)
- Robert Schuman : un itinéraire étonnant (Par Raymond Poidevin, Fondation Robert Schuman)
- French Coal Production Ceases As 300,000 Miners Go on Strike; COAL PRODUCTION CEASES IN FRANCE (The New York Times)
- Robert Schuman: Pope puts father of modern Europe on sainthood path (BBC)
- Schuman’s European Vision (Rafael Domingo, Canopy Forum)
- The Schuman Declaration: Where the EU was born (European Council/Council of the European Union)
Listen
… to other EU Untangled episodes from 2025:
- From outsider to insider: how to enter the EU?
- Can Europe cash in on the digital euro?
- Tastes like Europe: how the EU protects its most famous products?
- Can the EU regulate AI intelligently?
- Explaining the EU: one meme at a time (with DG MEME)
- Can the EU have an army?
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2 May 2026, 10:05 am - 12 minutes 27 seconds2025: The year untangled
As the sound of jingle bells draws ever nearer, Victor and Alex take you on a rollercoaster ride of the EU’s highs and lows of the past 12 months. Untangle with us a year of consequential elections, trade headaches, an increased focus on security and deregulation, a major new multi-annual budget for the EU and two failed attempts to oust the European Commission’s president. Tune in for the year untangled – the quick and dirty recap you didn’t know you needed to cheer goodbye to 2025.
Hosts and producers: Victor Aguilar & Alexander Roth
Research and communication support: Martina Domladovac
Further reading
- Bulgaria and Romania join the Schengen Area (European Commission)
- Baltic states unplug from Russia and join EU power grid (BBC)
- Munich Security Conferences 2025: Speech by JD Vance and Selected Reactions (MSC)
- Competitiveness compass (European Commission)
- Ursula von der Leyen wins no-confidence votes as opposition struggles for support (Politico)
- The 2028-2034 EU budget for a stronger Europe (European Commission)
- 2025 elections in the European Union (Wikipedia)
- Acting on defence to protect Europeans (European Commission)
- New Common European System for Returns (European Commission)
- EU and US agree trade deal, with 15% tariffs for European exports to America (BBC)
- EU to freeze €210bn in Russian assets indefinitely (The Guardian)
- Simplification [on the Commission’s omnibuses] (European Commission)
Listen
… to other EU Untangled episodes from 2025:
- From outsider to insider: how to enter the EU?
- Can Europe cash in on the digital euro?
- Tastes like Europe: how the EU protects its most famous products?
- Can the EU regulate AI intelligently?
- Explaining the EU: one meme at a time (with DG MEME)
- Can the EU have an army?
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17 December 2025, 9:57 pm - 49 minutes 16 secondsFrom outsider to insider: how to enter the EU?
What does it actually take to join the European Union, and why does the path to membership often resemble entry into one of the world’s most demanding clubs? In this episode of EU Untangled, Victor and Alex explore the EU’s enlargement history, why countries seek membership, the political and economic conditions they must meet, and how the accession process unfolds. The episode also examines what membership requires in practice, why expulsion is not foreseen in the treaties, and how withdrawal works when a member chooses to leave. Finally, it looks ahead at the rationale for further enlargement, the EU’s potential limits, and the scenarios that could shape its future.
Hosts and producers: Victor Aguilar & Alexander Roth
Research and communication support: Martina Domladovac
Further reading
- Key European Union achievements and tangible benefits (European Union)
- About EU enlargement (European Union)
- How EU enlargement works (European Council)
- New EU members could join without full voting rights (Politico)
- Member states can leave the EU, but can the bloc kick one of them out? (Euronews)
- Could we found a new EU without Hungary and Poland? (euobserver)
- The Need for an EU Expulsion Mechanism: Democratic Backsliding and the Failure of Article 7 (Res Publica)
- Dutch PM Rutte: No place in EU for Hungary with anti-LGBT law (BBC)
- EU slams Hungary, Poland over democratic standards (DW)
- EU 2.0 Revisited: Between Vetocracy and Rule of Law (Maastricht University)
- How much do countries benefit from membership in the European Union? (CEPR)
- Expanding the Neighbourhood: The Benefits of Ukraine Joining the EU (ECIPE)
- The Economic Benefit of EU Membership (Bocconi University)
- Estimating economic benefits of the Single Market for European countries and regions (Bertelsmann Stiftung)
- White Paper on the future of Europe (European Commission)
Listen
… to a few of our previous episodes:
- “Can Europe cash in on the digital euro?”
- “Tastes like Europe: how the EU protects its most famous products?”
- “Explaining the EU: one meme at a time (with DG MEME)”
- “Can the EU have an army?”
- “How to land a job in the EU?”
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29 November 2025, 6:56 pm - 45 minutes 3 secondsCan Europe cash in on the digital euro?
What is money in the digital age? Cash, cards, crypto – and now central bank digital currencies. The European Central Bank is working on a digital euro, a new form of central bank-backed money meant to boost Europe’s autonomy, competitiveness, and innovation.
In this episode, we explore how a digital euro might work in practice, what benefits it could bring, and why its current design risks falling short. Is this a bold step into the future of payments or a missed chance to rethink Europe’s financial system?
Whether you’re curious about the future of cash, the rise of digital payments, or Europe’s place in the global financial system, this episode breaks down what’s at stake as the euro goes digital.
Guest: Cyril Monnet, Professor of Economics at the University of Bern and the Study Centre Gerzensee.
Hosts and producers: Victor Aguilar & Alexander Roth.
Research and communication support: Martina Domladovac.
Further reading
- About the digital euro (European Central Bank)
- “Key objectives of the digital euro” by Christine Lagarde and Fabio Panetta (European Central Bank)
- Digital euro package (European Commission)
- “Why the digital euro might be dead on arrival” by Cyril Monnet and Dirk Niepelt (CEPR)
- “Money is Memory” by Narayana R. Kocherlakota (Journal of Economic Theory)
Listen
… to a few of our previous episodes:
- “Tastes like Europe: how the EU protects its most famous products?”
- “Explaining the EU: one meme at a time (with DG MEME)”
- “Can the EU have an army?”
- “How to land a job in the EU?”
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29 September 2025, 2:30 am - 44 minutes 21 secondsTastes like Europe: how the EU protects its most famous products
What do Champagne, Halloumi and Parma ham all have in common? They’re not just delicious — they’re protected. Andrea Zappalaglio helps us unpack the world of geographical indications (GIs), the EU’s unique way of safeguarding products that are deeply tied to a specific place, tradition, and know-how.
We unpack what GIs are, why they exist, who decides what makes the cut, and what happens when a dispute bubbles up (yes, even over bubbly). We discuss whether GIs help local communities thrive or if they limit competition. Are they powerful tools in trade negotiations, or barriers to entry? And what happens when climate change or new technology shakes up centuries-old traditions?
If you’ve ever wondered why names matter — and how a simple label can carry history, pride, and billions of euros — this episode uncorks the secrets behind the EU’s most flavorful rules.
Guest: Andrea Zappalaglio, Associate Professor in Intellectual Property Law at the University of Leeds.
Hosts and producers: Victor Aguilar & Alexander Roth.
Research and communication support: Lisa Vallese and Martina Domladovac.
Further reading
- Geographical indications and quality schemes explained (European Commission)
- How the war on terroir was won – Part 1 (Euractiv)
- Study on the Functioning of the EU GI System (Max Planck Institute for Innovation and Competition)
- Europe’s traditional food scheme becomes a global tourism goldmine (Euractiv)
- The Future of Geographical Indications (Edward Elgar Publishing)
Listen
… to a few of our previous episodes:
- “Can the EU regulate AI intelligently? (with Nicolas Moës, The Future Society)”
- “Explaining the EU: one meme at a time (with DG MEME)”
- “Can the EU have an army?”
- “How to land a job in the EU?”
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28 August 2025, 4:25 am - 1 hour 5 minutesCan the EU regulate AI intelligently? (with Nicolas Moës, The Future Society)
In this episode of EU Untangled, hosts Alex and Victor sit down with Nicolas Moës, Executive Director of The Future Society, to explore the promises and perils of artificial intelligence. They discuss the risks AI poses not only to individuals but to society as a whole. Nicolas explains why the EU is regulating AI and whether the AI Act goes far enough. Finally, they debate whether the EU is falling behind in digital innovation due to overregulation and how smarter rules could actually lead to more innovation.
Guest: Nicolas Moës, Executive Director of The Future Society
Hosted & produced by Victor Aguilar & Alexander Roth; Lisa Vallese and Martina Domladovac supported the preparation and communication.
Further readings
- EU AI Act (European Commission)
- DeepSeek: The Chinese AI app that has the world talking (BBC)
- Jack Dorsey and Elon Musk would like to ‘delete all IP law’ (Techcrunch)
- How we’re responding to The New York Times’ data demands in order to protect user privacy (OpenAI)
- Colossus: World’s biggest supercomputer aims 1 million GPUs to shake AI world (Interesting Engineering)
Listen
… to a few of our previous episodes
- “Explaining the EU: one meme at a time (with DG MEME)”
- “Can the EU have an army?”
- “Can the EU engineer innovation?”
- “How to land a job in the EU?”
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27 June 2025, 3:25 am - 37 minutes 44 secondsExplaining the EU: one meme at a time (with DG MEME)
The EU is often seen as a maze of bureaucracy, endless rules, and policymaking so complex it needs a manual, but humor? Not exactly its strong suit. Enter DG MEME, the website that pokes fun at EU politics while making it more understandable, one meme at a time. In this episode of EU Untangled, we sit down with Fabio Mauri, the mastermind behind DG MEME, to talk about how it all started, the creative process behind the scenes, and whether Brussels can actually laugh about itself.
Guest: Fabio Mauri, Director-General of DG MEME (Directorate-General for Memes, Satire and Sober Fun)
Hosted & produced by Victor Aguilar & Alexander Roth; Lisa Vallese supported the preparation and communication.
How to find and follow DG MEME:
Further readings
- DG MEME’s conversation with Ursula von der Leyen (DG Meme)
- Book by DG MEME: Brave Old Europe: or how I learned to stop worrying and love the European Union (Amazon)
- Inside the Commission’s satire department (Politico)
- DG MEME author: Eurocrats call me ‘troublemaker’ (Euractiv)
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… to a few of our previous episodes
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6 March 2025, 5:40 pm - 6 minutes 4 secondsThe Week Untangled 10-14 February 2025
Welcome to a “The Week Untangled” by EU Untangled. We look back at the past week to give you a quick and dirty recap of what has happened in the past seven days in and around the EU. Short, crisp and sassy. So, you can recap the week and enter the weekend with a clear conscience, feeling well-informed, knowing that you didn’t miss anything important.
Links:
- The tiny Alpine principality of Liechtenstein is set to get its first female prime minister (AP News)
- Baltic countries sever final power ties with Russia (Politico.eu)
- Video from the inauguration ceremony (DG Meme via Bluesky)
- Macron signals investments of 109 billion euros in French AI by private sector (Reuters)
- EU launches InvestAI initiative to mobilise €200 billion of investment in artificial intelligence (EU Commission)
- Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable Artificial Intelligence for People and the Planet (Élysée)
- Trump expands steel and aluminum tariffs to all countries (Politico.com)
- EU plans radical budget overhaul handing more power to capitals (Financial Times)
- Austrian government negotiations collapse again (Euractiv)
- Hegseth calls Ukraine’s return to old borders ‘unrealistic’ (Politico.com)
- Ukraine war talks start now, Trump says after Putin call (BBC)
- National strike in Belgium as protesters rally against new government reforms (Euronews)
- Trump Says He’ll Rework Global Trading Relations With ‘Reciprocal’ Tariffs (New York Times)
- Munich Security Conference 2025
- Vance’s Munich tirade leaves Europe guessing on Ukraine (Euractiv)
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… to a few of our previous episodes
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16 February 2025, 12:50 pm - 46 minutes 13 secondsCan the EU have an army?
The European Union is a powerhouse in many ways – a shared market, a common currency, and a united front on everything from climate policy to consumer protection. But when it comes to defence, things get murky. Despite its origins as a peace project after two world wars, the EU lacks a unified defence policy or an army of its own. Why is that? And could or should that ever change? In this episode of EU Untangled, Ionela Ciolan, research officer at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, outlines the current security threats to the EU and what should be done to address them. She also highlights the challenges of the European defence industry and answers whether the EU should have its own army.
Guest: Ionela Ciolan, Research Officer at the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies
Hosted & produced by Victor Aguilar & Alexander Roth; Lisa Vallese supported the preparation and communication.
Selected publications by Ionela
- Proposal for the European Commission White Paper on The Future of European Defence
- The 7Ds – Defence Extended
- The European Union is Getting Serious on Defence
Further readings
- Mission Letter to Andrius Kubilius (European Commission)
- European defence industry programme (EPRS)
- EDIS | Our common defence industrial strategy (European Commission)
- CSDP structure, instruments and agencies (EEAS)
- Defence expenditures and NATO’s 2% guideline (NATO)
- Government expenditure on defence (Eurostat)
- Get realist: How the EU can secure its position amid great power rivalry (ECFR)
- Defending Europe with less America (ECFR)
- Europe has a real defense commissioner — just not one appointed by Ursula von der Leyen (Politico)
- The never-ending debate of the European Army and why it is unhelpful (Heinrich Böll Siftung)
- Standard Eurobarometer 101 – Spring 2024 (European Union)
Listen
… to a few of our previous episodes
- “The three towers: how many seats to rule them all?”
- “Can the EU engineer innovation?”
- “How to land a job in the EU?”
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15 January 2025, 9:35 pm - 41 minutes 57 secondsWhat is a Spitzenkandidat?
This episode unravels the complexities of the Spitzenkandidat process ahead of the European elections on 6-9 June. Discover what a Spitzenkandidat is, the story behind its creation, and how it works, or doesn’t. From its origins to the current candidates and the tug-of-war between the European Parliament and the European Council, we dive deep into this key element of EU politics. Whether you’re an EU enthusiast or just curious (or confused), this episode will give you the insights you need ahead of the next European elections. Tune in and get untangled with us!
Hosted & produced by Victor Aguilar & Alexander Roth; Lisa Vallese supported the preparation and communication.
Links
- Lead candidates: who should head the European Commission? (European Parliament)
- MEPs propose lead candidate system rules ahead of European elections (European Parliament)
- European elections 2024: all you need to know (EPRS)
- Spitzenkandidaten or the lead candidate process (EPRS)
- EU election debate exposes weakness of lead candidate system (Euractiv)
- The lead candidate procedure isn’t dead – but it’s no longer what its inventors intended it to be (CEPS)
- Top jobs timeline: What happens after the European election (Politico)
- ‘Very disappointed’ Manfred Weber blames Macron and Orbán (Politico)
- Spitzenkandidaten: Democratic fix or political charade? (Euronews)
Listen
… to a few of our previous episodes
- “The three towers: how many seats to rule them all?”
- “Can the EU engineer innovation?”
- “How to land a job in the EU?”
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5 June 2024, 6:22 pm - 41 minutes 44 secondsThe three towers: how many seats to rule them all?
Join Victor Aguilar and Alex Roth as they tackle the fiery debate surrounding the European Parliament’s odd arrangement of having a “single seat” but multiple places of work. Why do hundreds of parliamentary staff travel monthly between Brussels and Strasbourg? Is this practice a symbol of unity or an outdated extravagance?
We discuss the practicality and cost of this system, citing concerns over inefficiencies, environmental impact, and logistical nightmares. But we also highlight the historical and symbolic importance of Strasbourg, arguing that it represents peace and balance within the EU. Could a single place of work simplify the operations of the house of EU democracy, or would it undermine the very ideals upon which the EU was built?
Tune in for an interesting debate and explore whether tradition or transformation should prevail in the governance of the European Parliament. Engage with us across our social platforms—your thoughts might just shape the next episode!
See EU next time!
Hosted & produced by
Victor Aguilar & Alexander Roth
Useful links
- Video on “Why does the Parliament have two seats?” (European Parliament)
- Why does Parliament move between Brussels and Strasbourg? (European Parliament)
- EU parliament’s €114m-a-year move to Strasbourg ‘a waste of money’, but will it ever be scrapped? (euronews)
- Analysis of potential savings to the EU budget if the European Parliament centralised its Operations (European Court of Auditors)
- 2023 Environmental Statement covering 2022 (European Parliament)
- Over 90 percent of EU Parliament staff sick of Strasbourg (EU Monitor)
- Strasbourg suffers as coronavirus keeps Parliament away (Politico)
- Keep the European Parliament in Strasbourg to fight Euroskepticism, says city’s mayor (Politico)
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… to a few of our previous episodes:
- “Can the EU engineer innovation?”
- “Tracking the ups and downs of cross-border train travel in the EU”
- “How to land a job in the EU?”
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