Interviews | DG MEME

In the last years, thanks to the popularity of DG MEME, I was able to meet and interview the most prominent EU politicians. It was a great opportunity to ask them questions about their lives and views and have a friendly chat with them. Here you find the full list of those interviews.

Geopolitics

How Georgia’s European Dream Turned Into a Nightmare

This is a long reportage about Georgia and its deeply concerning situation, it mixes personal memories with interviews of political leaders. You [...]

Interview

Born to run (and return) – a conversation with Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Pt. II

In the previous part of the interview, we followed Toomas Hendrik Ilves from his youth in the US to his work as a journalist in Munich, until he [...]

Interview

A Lynx Off the Map - a conversation with Toomas Hendrik Ilves, Pt. I

In Europe, few people have had as much impact on tech governance and the integration of the Baltic countries as Toomas Hendrik Ilves, professor [...]

Interview

Pour faire le portrait de la MEP Loiseau

Continuing my quest for ”cool people of the European Parliament”, I present you Nathalie Loiseau, former diplomat, former director of ENA [...]

Interview

The Diplomacy of the (Olympic) Javelins - a conversation with Baiba Braže

It is quite rare to find ministers among the politicians who share my memes on social media; Baiba Braže, incumbent Latvian minister of foreign [...]

Interview

Kallas of Duty - a conversation with the EU’s High Representative for Foreign Affairs

Kaja Kallas has been high on my list of cool people to meet for a couple of years. Not only did she inspire lots of memes, but she also [...]

Interview

Of Dinosaurs, Stars and Radio Receivers, a conversation with Andrius Kubilius

Defence and Space are very hot topics these days; at EU level they are energetically managed by Andrius Kubilius, a sixty-eight years old [...]

Research

The nitrogen reVolt, decarbonizing ammonia production in the EU

At DG MEME we keep hearing that the EU does not invest in research and that we lose our best minds to other continents. So I decided to go out [...]

Geopolitics

Elections on thin ice - a Journey to Greenland, the Outpost of Democracy

I started reading about Greenland after it made the headlines a few months ago, and I found it very fascinating: it is one of the biggest [...]

Interview

From Rags to Fishes - A conversation with Virginijus Sinkevičius

In my continuous effort to maintain a certain inter-institutional balance, I had the pleasure to interview the former (and youngest) European [...]

Interview

The Rīga’s mayor who brewed change: a coffee with Mārtiņš Staķis

It is the first time I venture out of my Commission comfort zone, interviewing a truly elected politician from the European Parliament. In these [...]

Interview

Inside Kafka’s Castle: a conversation with Martin Dvořák, Czech Minister of EU Affairs

At Colours of Ostrava , one of Czechia’s biggest culture and music festivals, I had the pleasure to meet and interview Martin Dvořák, the Czech [...]

Interview

Mr. Schmit goes to Europe - a beer with the Socialists’ lead candidate

“I’m thirty-four and I am exhausted”, said Robin, who has been following the seventy-year-old Commissioner and lead candidate Nicolas Schmit in [...]

Interview

When Fabio met Uschi - Coffee & memes with Ursula von der Leyen

“P. S. Whether you accept it or not, don’t worry: I will not ask Charles Michel for a rebound interview” . This is the last line of the [...]

Interview

A Family between War and Peace - A conversation with Gabrielius Landsbergis

Of the many politicians I follow online, no one communicates as clearly and effectively as the Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs (MFA) [...]

Interview

I’ve got you under my Schinas - A conversation on the European Way of Life

Interviewing Vice-President Margaritis Schinas, the Midday Matador, the Father-of-us-all DG COMMers, the EU’s favorite son... I didn’t think I [...]

Interview

EUmanitarian Aid - An Interview with Commissioner Lenarčič

It is with a certain apprehension that I follow the social media account of Janez Lenarčič, Commissioner for Crisis Management: I know that [...]

Interview

Quo Va(l)dis? A conversation with EVP Dombrovskis

Since I was a trainee at the Commission I was always intrigued by Valdis Dombrovskis: his institutional smiles, his precise statements, his [...]

Interview

Memories of a Vestagiaire

DG MEME had the pleasure to interview Margrethe Vestager , Executive Vice-President of the European Commission and Commissioner for the Digital [...]

Interview

Along the Baltic Way’s memory lane

Brave, daring and adventurous are not the first adjectives that come to mind when thinking about EU functionaries; the tabloid narrative wants [...]

Interview

In the beginning was the Word: conversation with the creator of the term Brexit

Today we welcome Peter Wilding , solicitor, media director for the Conservatives, proud remainer, political commentator and, last but not the [...]

Interview

Parlement, the Interview

With Europe Day approaching and no way to celebrate it in person, we decided to binge-watch the TV series Parlement , a political comedy set in [...]

Interview

Fuck the EU, Ingeborg’s Monologue

Parlament is a very entertaining TV series set in the European Parliament (we interviewed one of its creators a few days ago). Ingeborg’s [...]