Europe Speaks: A TEPSA Podcast

EuropeChats – The politics of the EU budget: Europe's Hamiltonian test? | Discussion with Klaus Welle

Europe Speaks: A TEPSA Podcast

Show Notes

This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Klaus Welle, Former Secretary-General of the European Parliament, and TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos. The discussion focuses on the EU long-term budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), covering the years 2028 – 2034. The MFF sets the EU’s financing methods and policy priorities for the next 7 years. This episode looks at the history of the MFF, its evolution through the years, and its ability to address the challenges the EU is facing. It also explores the Commission’s recent proposal for the next MFF and questions whether it can be considered a ‘Hamiltonian moment’ for Europe. Klaus Welle is the former Secretary-General of the European Parliament. He chairs the Martens Centre’s Academic Council since April 2023, and, in May 2025, he was appointed Special Advisor to the Commissioner for Defence and Space. EuropeChats is the flagship podcast of TEPSA and it is part of the TEPSA Podcast Channel “Europe Speaks” Music: Worakls, 22 September 2014, Salzburg, Hungry music This video is co-funded by the Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values programme of the European Union Co-Funded by the European Union.

More from Europe Speaks: A TEPSA Podcast

Oct 20, 2026

When candidate countries adopt EU social rules, do citizens’ lives actually change? What does it take to build resilient societies on the path to EU membership? This final episode looks at social cohesion in candidate countries and asks how the EU can help aspiring members move from passing laws to actually implementing them. InvigoratEU Talks is a podcast series born from the Horizon Europe-funded project, InvigoratEU, bringing together leading scholars and policy-makers from across Europe to do exactly what the name suggests: re-invigorate EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy in a changing world. Host: Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director, TEPSA Guests:

Oct 12, 2026

This episode of EuropeChats is a discussion between Seamus Allen, Senior Researcher at the Institute of International and European Affairs, and TEPSA Secretary-General Jim Cloos. The conversation covers European regulations and competitiveness in the tech sector, the regulatory framework for digital platforms, and the EU's AI policy. Seamus Allen is a Senior Researcher at the Institute of International and European Affairs (IIEA) in Dublin. He works on digital policy, on the IIEA’s democracy series and also works on the IIEA’s Future Proofing Europe project. Prior to joining the IIEA, he worked for the Central Bank of Ireland. EuropeChats is the flagship podcast of TEPSA, and it is part of the TEPSA Podcast Channel “Europe Speaks”. Music: Worakls, 22 September 2014, Salzburg, Hungry music Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Education and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA). Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

Oct 9, 2026

The European Commission has recently presented its pre-enlargement policy reviews with proposals on qualified majority voting, rule of law safeguards, and gradual integration. Will these proposals help accelerate European integration? And how do we remove the barriers that stand in the way of making enlargement a success? This episode of InvigoratEU Talks explores the changes that the EU must consider if it wants to speed up the enlargement process. InvigoratEU Talks is a podcast series born from the Horizon Europe-funded project, InvigoratEU, bringing together leading scholars and policy-makers from across Europe to do exactly what the name suggests: re-invigorate EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy in a changing world. Host: Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director, TEPSA Guests:

Jul 17, 2026

What are Russia and China trying to achieve in the Western Balkans and Eastern Neighbourhood? And how does that affect candidate countries’ path to EU membership? This episode of InvigoratEU Talks explores the impact of Russia and China’s political, economic, and social influence on the European continent. InvigoratEU Talks is a podcast series born from the Horizon Europe-funded project, InvigoratEU, bringing together leading scholars and policy-makers from across Europe to do exactly what the name suggests: re-invigorate EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy in a changing world. Host: Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director, TEPSA Guests:

Jun 25, 2026

Democracy support has been a cornerstone of EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy. Yet, today it is increasingly intertwined with geopolitical competition. In this third episode of InvigoratEU Talks, we ask: has the EU become better at promoting democracy, or has geopolitics changed the rules of the game? InvigoratEU Talks is a podcast series born from the Horizon Europe-funded project, InvigoratEU, bringing together leading scholars and policy-makers from across Europe to do exactly what the name suggests: re-invigorate EU enlargement and neighbourhood policy in a changing world. Host: Mariam Khotenashvili, Executive Director, TEPSA Guests:

See all episodes →