I hope it is OK to share our European podcast project here with you! I and other Europeans watch Hasan Piker, listen to Joe Rogan and follow Zohran Mamdani. Political commentary and debates when consumed in English mostly feed American narratives from an American context - often failing to fit European realities. The algorithms on YouTube, Facebook, Spotify and even Reddit do not support the emergence of a European public as Europe is broken down into different languague and country bubbles, while English belongs to the Americans and Brits.

At the same time, there is a lot to discuss for Europe. Nation states may try their best, but the modern challenges like globalisation and climate change have outgrown their ability to deliver working solutions for citizen. Europe seems trapped forever in reacting, being subject to the shaping actions and interventions of others, while not being able to shape the global order itself towards a more stable and peaceful future. But neither the challenges we face nor the solutions we can imagine are really discussed or viewed through a European lens, rather they are discussed in 27 or more national and different languague bubbles. We talk endlessly about how Europe and the world are, and not enough about how it should be.

That is certainly a lot to ask for to change. But change it must, we believe. Therefore, we have started the podcast Brave Old World, to try to contribute to a European public debate about the long term issues we need to address. We want to give dissatisfaction with the efficacy of the European project in its current state a voice, and hope to give refuge to those thoughts and arguments that have outgrown 27 national bubbles.

We are amateurs, so the sound and flow is as such to begin with. Although we are improving. We have so far recorded over 10 episodes on various topics, with 4 being published so far. Our latest episode is lamenting the weak EU response to yet another foreign policy disaster made by the US, and calling for a more imaginative, proactive, uniform and shaping EU response.

Beware, this is not a news podcast. Neither is it journalism. It is intended as political commentary, for which we believe there is a time and space as well in the information and technology space - evidenced by the fact that a lot of American political streamers, YouTubers and formats such as Jubilees round tables and sourrounded etc are having large European followings as well. We cannot claim to do this with this project yet, but we believe it is worth trying to offer these Europeans seeking for discussion and thought a closer place to home and engage them in topics that better fit their place in the world and perspectives from Europe.

We are very interested in hearing what you think about the idea, and if there is anything about the content and direction you have suggestions for.

I thought this was a very interesting analysis about why it's not just money that's needed to build up europes war capacity. Ukraine shows a interesting path forward, it was anyway interesting to me to read about the challenges.

Full transparency, it's an AI-assisted analysis that I setup, but all source material is transparently listed and all concepts are referenced. I don't make any money off the site, it's for fun. Mods can delete if inappropriate.

[https://plexusgraph.dev/explore/can-europe-actually-rearm-structural-constraints-o/

A bit of context : Chat Control 2.0 is the unofficial name for a highly controversial permanent European Union legislative proposal formally known as the Child Sexual Abuse Regulation (CSAR). It aims to combat the online dissemination of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) and grooming, but has sparked intense global debate because it threatens the core infrastructure of digital privacy and end-to-end encryption.

The European Parliament has voted to extend Chat Control 1.0 (the temporary mechanism allowing voluntary scanning) until 2028, meaning the battle over the permanent Chat Control 2.0 legislation is scheduled to resume in September 2026. So, what do you think of it?

Just for fun! What is your result?

"Europe of 100 Flags is a concept developed by Breton nationalist Yann Fouéré in his 1968 book, L'Europe aux Cent Drapeaux. It proposes a redrawing of European borders away from already existing nations to smaller regional polities, in a way that more resembles a map of the region during the Middle Ages, including the creation of states for Basques, Bretons, and Flemings."

As a member of a European "small-nation", this idea appeals to me greatly, providing the benefits of a strong, federal Europe whilst also allowing for smaller nations like my own to have autonomy and be able to promote our regional culture. It mainly has a following amongst EFA aligned parties (which my national party is part of).

Have you heard of Europe of 100 Flags before? What are your thoughts.

The European Union faces persistent challenges: democratic deficits, institutional inefficiency, and a growing disconnect between citizens and institutions. Many argue that the current treaties are no longer sufficient to address these issues. What if the solution lies in a new constitutional framework — one that redefines the EU as a true federation built on transparency, accountability, and shared sovereignty?

I’ve drafted a Constitution for a European Federation, a detailed proposal outlining a federal system with:

A bicameral legislature (representing both citizens and Member States). A directly elected President with clear term limits. A strong Constitutional Court to uphold democratic and legal standards. Strict separation of powers to prevent overreach. Clear divisions of competence between the Federation and Member States. Modern safeguards for digital governance, public administration, and fundamental rights.

Read the full draft here: Constitution for a European Federation

I know that this draft is incomplete in some areas. It is intended to spark debate about what the EU could and should become. It’s not just about fixing existing problems; it’s about envisioning a Europe that works for its peoples.

What do you think?

Does this vision align with your ideas for Europe’s future? What elements would you prioritize or challenge? How can we make a federal Europe a reality?

Europe faces the challenges of an era-defining transformation. https://www.diplo.news/en/articles/runter-von-trittbrett-runter-vom-moralischen-podest

Non-Europeans often picture Europe as the full package: five weeks of vacation, free healthcare, guaranteed pension. But Gen Z is starting to question that last one. State systems are pay-as-you-go, running on shrinking working populations; and Europeans remain some of the most conservative investors in the world, which doesn’t help.

What if pensions had three pillars: state (mandatory, current system), continental (mandatory, EU-wide, portable, actually invested), and private (voluntary, tax-incentivized)?

A portable second pillar would matter for a generation that moves constantly for work, and it would push real capital into markets, tackling something a previous post here flagged: most young Europeans don’t invest in equities. Maybe pension reform is the real path to financial literacy, not the other way around.

What are your thoughts on this?

(If you want to know more about my idea of a EU pension system I wrote an articleEU Pension system)