Europe's population reckoning: How can the EU avoid falling off a demographic cliff?

EU should not miss an opportunity on Ukraine diplomacy: Bulgarian FM Velislava Petrova

Bulgaria has become notorious for holding elections. In 5 years, voters went to the polls 8 times. But this debilitating crisis finally ended on April 19th, when the Progressive Bulgaria party won an outright majority. It is led by the former president, Rumen Radev, now the prime minister. He has pledged to continue on the country's pro-European path, following Bulgaria’s entry into the Eurozone in January. But he has also called for pragmatism from the EU towards Russia, and a restoration of dialogue with Moscow – that has raised a few eyebrows in other European capitals. We welcome the new Bulgarian foreign minister, Velislava Petrova, who was appointed to the job in early May. She is no stranger to the foreign ministry, nor to European affairs, having been deputy minister of foreign affairs in three consecutive Bulgarian governments. We begin by asking her about the government’s reform programme. “We have a majority that we haven't had in more than 20 years. We have a clear mandate from people to deliver on what they expect as the next phase of our European integration,” Petrova states. “We joined first the EU, then Schengen, then the Eurozone as well. People have given us a mandate to fight corruption, to establish the rule of law, and to have transparent working institutions. When it comes to the Recovery Fund, we actually managed to unblock the fourth installment of the RF (from the EU), exactly because the reforms in the judiciary were implemented extremely quickly. We were less than four weeks in government and all the legislation was pushed through. So this promise of judicial reform is already underway.” We point out the dark cloud hanging over this pro-European path – The EU Commission recommending the opening of an excessive deficit procedure against Bulgaria, less than 6 months after the country joined the single currency! “The previous governments acted mainly on populism rather than on true measures that were needed to maintain a healthy budget, and we'll have to pay the price,” Petrova remarks. “For us it’s a very difficult path ahead. We don't shy away from it, and we know that we'll have to set very clear reforms and clear steps forward.” Prime Minister Rumen Radev – seen by some pro-EU forces as being too sympathetic to Russia – has called for the EU to be pragmatic when it comes to talking to the Kremlin. Is this a significant shift? “All we are calling for is for effective use of all three pillars; military support (to Ukraine), economic sanctions and diplomacy. The third one has been missing,” Petrova replies. “It does not show a very strong image when we are not able to speak between ourselves. We should focus on the question of under what terms do we sit at the table, what are the non-negotiables for us and for Ukraine, and how do we conduct those negotiations, and with what end result? We need to have those discussions internally. It's been a bit too long that we haven't held them. I am happy to see that more and more leaders recognise the importance of this. But we need to be strong and united in the way we sit at the table. And we have to be clear that we shouldn't miss an opportunity.” When it comes to Bulgaria’s neighbourhood and EU enlargement, Petrova points out that “during our 2018 EU presidency, we were the country that put enlargement back on the agenda. So we absolutely believe that it should be a topic of high priority.” She elaborates; “It's important that enlargement does not create a sense of scepticism in some current (EU) members. Trust requires the sense that institutions are working in (candidate) countries. I think that the fundamentals: transparency, the rule of law, working institutions – these are the areas that are non-negotiables. So the merit-based approach needs to be the core that we cannot really step away from.”   Programme prepared by Aline Bottin, Oihana Almandoz and Perrine Desplats

Negotiations on air passenger rights hit turbulence: EU Parliament takes on airlines

Negotiators from the European Parliament and EU member states have been trying to reach an agreement on the rights of air passengers travelling within the bloc. The current rules date back to 2004, but the scale and nature of air travel have changed dramatically since then. We take you inside the negotiations, examine the key sticking points, and explain why MEPs are pushing for stronger protections for passengers affected by delays and cancellations. Programme prepared by Oihana Almandoz, Perrine Desplats, Aline Bottin and Isabelle Romero

Europe’s fight to stay in the AI race

This week’s special edition of Talking Europe asks whether the EU is ready for the disruption that comes with Artificial Intelligence. It is the most important technological revolution of the century, and is set to impact every aspect of our lives. Whether you are working in a small business or in an industrial giant, whether you are a student, a musician or an author – the anxiety is real. As Nobel prize-winning economist Philippe Aghion puts it: “AI means new ideas and new activities, but it may be that job destruction will occur before job creation. Countries need to adapt.” Our report covers half a dozen EU countries to find out how they are preparing, from grassroots education and upskilling efforts in rural Ireland, to the manufacturing sector, which sees AI and robotics as key to improving productivity and helping offset a shrinking workforce.  We also look at global competition: How does Europe plan to catch up with leaders in the United States and China when it comes to AI infrastructure? We visit one of the EU’s first “AI factories” in Luxembourg and take a look at the Meluxina supercomputer, which provides European startups with processing power for their AI models. Indeed, the question of digital and AI sovereignty has become key given that so much AI infrastructure is based in the US, meaning many European organisations are rethinking their dependence on Silicon Valley. And just as important for the EU: The creative sector, where European artists remain influential figures worldwide. For many musicians, AI can be both a tool and a threat to their creativity as AI-generated music has begun to capture revenues on streaming services. Electronic music pioneer Jean-Michel Jarre tells FRANCE 24; “What differentiates chaos from democracy is, of course, the rules. We creative artists deserve our share, and we should be considered as real partners at the table.” While AI is set to transform the economy, many in Europe still remain wary, believing in the need for safeguards. While two-thirds of Europeans say AI can improve workplace productivity,  84 percent insist that it requires careful management. Balancing that fine line between innovation and regulation will be crucial for the EU. Report by Luke Brown and Renaud Lefort. Programme prepared by Isabelle Romero, Perrine Desplats and Oihana Almandoz.

Europe's population reckoning: How can the EU avoid falling off a demographic cliff?

It has been called Europe’s demographic time bomb: Older people are living longer, while younger people are having fewer children. Last year in France, for example, deaths outpaced births for the first time since the end of World War II, prompting President Emmanuel Macron to call for "demographic rearmament". According to Eurostat, the European population is expected to shrink by 11.7 percent, or 53 million people, by 2100. A key issue is the fertility rate, which has dropped to around 1.3 births per woman. That is below replacement level. Our guests debate what the EU's priorities should be to prevent the continent from walking off a demographic cliff. Programme prepared by Isabelle Romero, Perrine Desplats, Aline Bottin and Oihana Almandoz

Energy crisis heightens risk of poverty and social exclusion: EU Commissioner Minzatu

Our guest has an important role in promoting social policies in the European Union, at a time when much of the political oxygen is being sucked out by the competitiveness and simplification agenda, as well as by defence and security issues. Roxana Minzatu is Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and is in charge of social rights and skills, quality jobs and preparedness. Minzatu is a Romanian social democrat, a former minister for European funds in the Romanian government and a former MEP. She recently presented an anti-poverty strategy aimed at dealing with the fact that one in five Europeans – or 93 million people – are at risk of poverty [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/poverty/] or social exclusion. "I want to send a signal of optimism with this strategy. I don't want to paint a bleak picture," Minzatu tells the programme. "But the reality is that the numbers (of people at risk of poverty) are dynamic. The cost of living is rising, the energy [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/energy/] shocks crisis, the invasion of Ukraine [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/ukraine/], and now the Middle East [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/middle-east/] crisis. There are a number of shocks that could modify these numbers. And then this strategy sets the path forward and sets out a kind of shield." Read moreIran war squeezes Europe’s economy as growth slumps, prices surge [https://www.france24.com/en/europe/20260521-iran-war-squeezes-europe-economy-growth-slumps-prices-surge-energy-shock] But isn't Minzatu limited by the fact that it's up to EU member states to decide on their own anti-poverty measures? "I meet prime ministers and ministers of finance, not just ministers of labour and education [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/education/]," she responds. "They're not easy conversations. Of course, many times the temptation is to say, 'but, you know, we need to invest more in security. We need to invest more in technology.' But I always bring into the discussion the essential role of people, and the quality of their jobs." Minzatu insists on the link between quality jobs and competitiveness, pointing to the proposed Quality Jobs Act that will focus on labour relations, high-risk or precarious sectors, and health and safety in the workplace. "Quality jobs are a key ingredient of being more competitive and stronger economically," she says. "Our proposal for a Quality Jobs Act is now in consultation, so both trade unions [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/unions/] and employers are giving us their input. Trade unions want more legislation, more binding rules. Employers want more guidance." The Quality Jobs Act would work hand in hand with the Union of Skills, and with the Skills Portability Initiative, "which will make use of everything we can: legislation, digital tools, AI tools to create much more equivalence and trust in qualifications, degrees and diplomas between member states, so that people can travel freely with their knowledge, with their education." Minzatu admits that all this will be a challenge amid declining performance in maths and science [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/science/] among young Europeans. "Looking at the statistics, the pandemic was the turning point where numbers started to deteriorate a bit more," she notes. "That has to do with how education was offered; the online teaching. But then we see numerous other transformations, including the impact of artificial intelligence, of technology, of social networks." We ask Minzatu about the collapse of the pro-EU government in her home country, Romania [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/romania/], following a no-confidence vote in the parliament. "Romanians are highly pro-European, and the dream of many generations has been to be part of Europe [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/europe/]. This dream does not disappear easily," she remarks. "But people will of course judge politicians from the perspective of their everyday lives. So we need to be able to address their concerns about their cost of living, their concerns about the taxes [https://www.france24.com/en/tag/taxes/] that they pay, and so on. The reactions (of Romanians) are very concretely anchored into that." Programme prepared by Isabelle Romero, Perrine Desplats, Aline Bottin and Oihana Almandoz.