Arena Europa podcast

How can the United Kingdom make deals with EU member countries after it left the Union in 2020? And how are EU member states constricted by the Union in making these deals?

Guest: Hussein Kassim, Professor, University of Warwick.

Host: John Erik Fossum, Professor, ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo

Producers: Tyra Kristiansen Stave and Dag Backer

In this episode of Arena Europa, Vlad Makszimov and Alida Steigler discuss Hungary’s 2026 parliamentary elections and what they mean for democracy. The episode explores what elections can—and cannot—change in a system shaped by years of democratic backsliding.

Guest: Alida Steigler, Doctoral Research Fellow, Department of Public and International Law, University of Oslo

Producer: Dag Backer, University of Oslo 

How is the EU responding to a changed global context? And what are the consequences for Norway?

Guests in this episode are Craig Parsons, University of Oregon and ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo, and Guri Rosén, Department of Political Science and ARENA, University of Oslo.

Host: Pernille Rieker

Producer: Dag Backer

Read more in the policy brief "The Path to a New European Economic Order (and Norway’s Place in It)"

Is the EU institutional system fit to solve crises? And do the member states have too much power over EU decisions?

Guest: Sergio Fabbrini, professor of political science and international relations at Luiss Guido Carli University in Rome.

Host: John Erik Fossum, professor at ARENA Centre for European Studies, University of Oslo

Producer: Tyra Kristiansen Stave, adviser, ARENA

Over the past decade, Hungary has slid into a competitive authoritarian state. Courts are formally independent, but that independence is hollowed out in practise. Learn about how judges are controlled, and why it is difficult for the EU to intervene.

Vlad Makszimov interviews Etienne Hanelt, researcher at Verfassungsblog and Masaryk University, and Attila Vincze, assistant professor at Masaryk University.

This episode is part of a mini-series on Hungary.

Full transcript available. 

Read more: Managing courts in competitive authoritarian regimes: Co-optation, repression and resistance in Hungary.

Discussions about the situation in Hungary are often centered on the effectiveness of any possible action. However, we rarely evaluate the correct course of action in terms of values. In this episode, we ask: what should the EU do? 

Vlad Makszimov interviews Antoinette Scherz about democratic backsliding in Hungary to find out what is normatively the right choice — suspension, expulsion, or something else?

This episode is part of a mini-series on Hungary.

Relevant literature:

Antoinette Scherz (2024), How should the EU respond to democratic backsliding? A normative assessment of expulsion and suspension of voting rights from the perspective of multilateral democracy

Tom Theuns (2022), The Need for an EU Expulsion Mechanism: Democratic Backsliding and the Failure of Article 7

Vlad Makszimov (2025), ARENA Policy Brief: Safeguarding EU values in Hungary: Navigating next steps amid increasing repression

How are new security threats influencing Europe? And how is international cooperation and peace the pragmatic solution? Federica Mogherini is former High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, now Rector at the College of Europe.

This is a recording of the ARENA Lecture 2025.

Find the recorded panel discussion that followed the lecture and read more on arena.uio.no.

How does Europe work to safeguard the future of humanity? Mai’a Cross, Dean’s Professor at Northeastern University, emphasises the need for strategies with a long-term perspective.

Host: Pernille Rieker, Centre Director, ARENA Centre for European Studies

Producer: Tyra Kristiansen Stave, Adviser, ARENA  Centre for European Studies

Hvordan vil den nye regjeringen jobbe for å sikre Norges interesser i Brussel? Og hva er begrensingene i EØS-avtalen? I denne episoden møter du Maria Varteressian, statssekretær i Utenriksdepartementet.

Programleder: Pernille Rieker, senterleder ved ARENA Senter for europaforskning

Produsent: Tyra Kristiansen Stave, rådgiver, ARENA Senter for europaforskning

Has Donald Trump’s proposed tariffs strengthened the relationship between Europe and China? And how does the Russian invasion of Ukraine play into this relationship? In this episode, meet Reuben Wong, Deputy Head of the Political Science Department at the National University of Singapore.

Host: Pernille Rieker, Centre Director at ARENA Centre for European Studies

Producer: Tyra Kristiansen Stave, Adviser, ARENA Centre for European Studies

Find more research on arena.uio.no.

See also a recording of the NUPI seminar with Reuben Wong “A normative China and a geopolitical Europe – have the roles been reversed?”

Uncertainty, disappointment and betrayal define European-American relations after Donald Trump came into office in the US. Why was Europe not prepared for a second term of Trump? What does the future of the trade and security relationship look like?

Guest: Erik Jones, Director of Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, European University Institute

Host: Pernille Rieker, Centre Director, ARENA Centre for European Studies

Producer: Tyra Kristiansen Stave, adviser, ARENA

Music: Epidemic Sound

Read more: arena.uio.no

This episode is in Norwegian only. 

Hvordan er Norge knyttet til EUs kraftmarked? Hvorfor er strømspørsmålet så kontroversielt i Norge? Og hvem tjener på energisamarbeidet? I denne episoden møter du Merethe Dotterud Leiren, forskningsleder ved CICERO og seniorforsker ved ARENA Senter for europaforskning.

Relevante lenker:

Governing under turbulence: The European Green Deal and implications for Norway (DEAL)

Green Dilemmas - Public Opposition and Support for Norway's Energy Transition (preprint, pdf)

Norway’s EU Experience and Lessons for the UK | On Autonomy and Wriggle Room

Alt om vår forskning på arena.uio.no.

Programleder: Pernille Rieker, senterleder ved ARENA Senter for europaforskning

Produsent: Tyra Kristiansen Stave

Musikk: Epidemic sound

This episode is in Norwegian only.

USA har brukt mange år på å støtte den liberale verdensorden, og har gitt Europa en sikkerhetsgaranti gjennom Nato. Når Donald Trump har blitt president i USA, hvordan ser forholdet mellom USA og Europa ut? Hva skjer med verdiene internasjonalt samarbeid er tuftet på? Og betyr det noe hvem som styrer et land?

Les kronikken til Neumann her: Dersom Norge vil ha allierte, finnes det bare ett svar og Trumps USA er potensielt ødeleggende for småstaten Norge i Aftenposten

Og kronikken til Rieker her: Norges sikkerhet er uløselig knyttet til et sterkt og samlet Europa i Aftenposten

Mer forskning på EU, Europa og sikkerhetspolitikk på arena.uio.no

Gjest: Iver B. Neumann, direktør ved Fridtjof Nansens Institutt

Programleder: Pernille Rieker, senterleder ved ARENA Senter for europaforskning

Produsent: Tyra Kristiansen Stave, rådgiver, ARENA Senter for europaforskning

Musikk: Epidemic sound