From the new crowdsourced Icelandic constitution to the abandoned EU constitution A constitution lays the foundations for how a society is organised and the fundamental principles that must underpin all laws and government decision-making. But how much do constitutions really impact our daily lives? Should they be updated to reflect rapid societal changes? How would you even go about making a new constitution in the first place? And whatever happened to the new Icelandic and EU constitutions? Tune in and listen to Vic, Alex and Harpa ponder these questions with the help of Valgerður, PhD student at the University of Iceland, who is researching citizen participation in constitutional reform in Iceland over the past 10 years. Show notes Iceland The new Icelandic Constitution petition with over 43.000 signatures (a lot for tiny Iceland!) The Icelandic Constitution in English Germany The Basic Law a.k.a. the German Constitution in English Mexico The Mexican Constitution in English The EU EU treaties Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe About Europe Day and the Schuman Declaration “Ratification problems loom over Convention”, euobserver, 31 May 2003 “EU scraps timetable for ratifying constitution”, The Guardian, 17 Jun 2005 Other The North Korean Constitution in English "15 of the hardest-to-pronounce names - and the right way to say them”, Stuff, 28 Mar 2019 “Longest personal name”, Guiness World Records, 1 January 2021 Contact and social media Check out our website (https://www.podworld.org/untangled/) and anchor profile (https://anchor.fm/untangled). We would be happy if you leave us a comment or contact us via email or social media. Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eu.untangled Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eu.untangled Twitter: https://twitter.com/eu_untangled

"A life-changing experience" might be an accurate way to define the Erasmus+ programme. Over the past three decades, the EU's flagship programme has allowed over 10 million people to benefit from cross-border exchanges in Europe and beyond. Now, Erasmus+ is undergoing changes of its own caused by a larger budget, a messy Brexit and a ravaging pandemic that has stalled mobility flows all over the world. ESN President Kostis Giannidis joins Victor, Harpa and Alex to discuss the challenges and opportunities lying ahead of an Erasmus+ programme that promises to be more inclusive, more digital and a lot greener. Our guest, Kostis Giannidis (link, twitter), is the president of the Erasmus Student Network (website, twitter). Further readings and sources: Erasmus+ Erasmus+: over €28 billion to support mobility and learning for all, across the European Union and beyond (European Commission) Europe needs a bigger, more inclusive Erasmus programme (European Data Journalism Network) Quietly sprouting: A European identity (The New York Times) Standard Eurobarometer Spring 2019: Public opinion in the European Union (European Commission) The Erasmus acronym: according to the European Commission; according to the European Council Turing Scheme New Turing scheme to support thousands of students to study and work abroad (UK Government) Iceland ´I’m not scared, just tired´: Icelanders lose sleep over earthquake tremors (The Guardian) Contact and social media Check out our website (https://www.podworld.org/untangled/) and anchor profile (https://anchor.fm/untangled). We would be happy if you leave us a comment or contact us via email or social media. Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eu.untangled Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eu.untangled Twitter: https://twitter.com/eu_untangled

This episode explores the European Commission's work programme for 2021 and the EU policies that will steal the show next year. Links European Commission Work Programme 2021 (European Commission) The European Commission’s priorities (2019-2024) (European Commission) Contact and social media Check out our website (https://www.podworld.org/untangled/) and anchor profile (https://anchor.fm/untangled). We would be happy if you leave us a comment or contact us via email or social media. Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eu.untangled Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eu.untangled Twitter: https://twitter.com/eu_untangled

Thanks for tuning in!  Victor and Alex are rebooting EU Untangled with a discussion about the European Green Deal. Check out our website (https://www.podworld.org/untangled/) and anchor profile (https://anchor.fm/untangled). We would be happy if you leave us a comment or reach us out! Email: [email protected] Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eu.untangled Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eu.untangled Twitter: https://twitter.com/eu_untangled Overview: A European Green Deal - overview page (European Commission) A European Green Deal - official communication (European Commission) EU Commission unveils ‘European Green Deal’: The key points (Euractiv) Analysis: Four pillars to make or break the European Green Deal (Bruegel) Criticism: A grey deal? (Corporate Europe Observatory) Basescu: European Green Deal risks pushing 'two or three countries' towards EU exit (Euractiv) The EU’s green deal is a colossal exercise in greenwashing | Yanis Varoufakis and David Adler (The Guardian) EU’s climate law faces criticism on all fronts (Financial Times) Is the European Green Deal sufficient? EU GHG Summary (Climate Action Tracker) The EU’s Green Deal may not be enough to reach the Paris climate goals (LSE Blog) CAN Europe calls for an increase of the EU's 2030 climate target to at least 65% (CAN Europe) About the name: Zur Entstehungsgeschichte des Green New Deal - Revival eines Begriffs (in German) (Heinrich Böll Stiftung)

I’ll tell you what I want, what I really really want. A referendum gives the people the option to have the final say in political matters of the utmost importance. And that’s what we ALL want, right? Well, the story of Brexit tells us that despite their relative simplicity, referendums can be a very tricky business. Harpa, Alex and Victor ponder the pros and cons of this direct form of democracy and showcase how they can pull one nation from the brink of bankruptcy while threatening to push another one over the edge. Saying yes or no has never been this complicated. LINKS David Cameron’s Speech After ‘Brexit’ vote - The New York Times. Non! Nein! No! A Country That Wouldn’t Let Women Vote Till 1971 - National Geographic. The Icesave referendum - The Economist. This is how Switzerland’s direct democracy works - World Economic Forum. European Parliament’s study on referendums on EU matters. Fraser Cameron on ‘Why we should ban referenda on EU policies’ - Euractiv.   SOCIAL Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, write us an email or buy us a beer.

From the 23 to the 26 of May, the citizens of 28 (most likely 27... ) countries will vote in the largest transnational elections in the world. Over 700 members will be elected to the European Parliament and Bruzzels is buzzing with excitement. But what exactly is the European Parliament and what role does it play in the EU? With so much at stake, why has voter turnout plunged over the past four decades? What are the political groups? Are there any newbies in the race? Stick around and let Victor, Harpa and Anna walk you through the maze of EU politics (we can’t promise you’ll find the exit, though…). LINKS Learn about how EU elections work directly from their makers. POLITICO has put together a comprehensive website to keep you abreast of the latest developments related to the EU elections.  SOCIAL Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, write us an email or buy us a beer.

Not all that glitters is gold and not all gold shines bright. Rosie Birchard helps us examine the dark glow of the EU golden visas and passports, as well as the risks and ethical questions that arise from the murky business of selling and buying EU citizenship. LINKS You can download here the full report of the European Commission on Investor Citizenship and Residence Schemes in the European Union. Or take a lighter read on the topic on The Atlantic or The Guardian.  SOCIAL Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, write us an email or buy us a beer.

Ever since the World Wide Web gave us all access to the Internet, it has fundamentally changed our communications, businesses, services and even politics. Now, policies are trying to catch up, and the Internet as we know it may be about to change for good. The European Union’s Parliament has approved a new legislation to address copyright issues in the digital era. We interview the man pushing for this regulation to kick in. MEP Axel Voss helps us untangle the reasons, the ambition and the challenges of trying to regulate the Internet. Are these measures a threat to freedom of speech online or a necessary intervention to level the playing field for copyright holders? SOCIAL Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, write us an email or buy us a beer.

Greece and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (fYROM) have for decades clashed over nine letters: M-A-C-E-D-O-N-I-A. The conflict isn’t new, but the solution is. Last June, the two nations signed an agreement that officially changes fYROM's name to the "Republic of North Macedonia". But why did the country have to change its name in the first place? What exactly is Macedonia? Why is this happening now? And, what are the implications of the agreement being ratified by the two nations? Tune in and we will try to untangle this complex, messy situation for you.    LINKS Macedonia and Greece sign Historic Deal on Name Change - The New York Times Greece’s Macedonian Touchstone - The New York Times  In the Balkans, Russia and the West Fight a Disinformation-Age Battle - The New York Times Macedonia’s messy referendum, puts name deal at risk - POLITICO Macedonia parliament votes to start name change process - BBC News  Iceland vs Iceland: Iceland Foods hits back at Icelandic government over trademark - BBC News SOCIAL Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, write us an email or buy us a beer.

Welcome to EU Untangled, the podcast that helps you to understand the large picture and the nitty-gritty details of EU politics. Check out our new website: http://www.podworld.org/untangled   SOCIAL Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, write us an email or buy us a beer.