This is a common space. EU podcast.

From the city of the Hague, welcome to Global Europe Unpact, a weekly podcast about Europe's engagement with its neighborhood and wider world.

It's not a question of if, but it's a question when we will build that strong more global power.

Hello and welcome to the first episode of Global Europe Unpacked, the podcast that helps

listeners to understand global trends affecting the European continent and the growing ambition

for the European Union to become a global or geopolitical power.

In each episode, we will look at a different emerging foreign policy challenge facing Europe

and how the continent can and should respond. These will include universal challenge In each episode, we will look at a different emerging foreign policy challenge facing Europe

and how the continent can and should respond. These will include universal challenges such

as the growing threat of disinformation, as well as regional challenges, such as how the EU

can navigate its relationship with China. I am your host, Will Murray, and in today's episode

we are going to look at what the concept of a global Europe means before speaking to Malikas Mani, a member of the European Parliament from the Netherlands, who's going to

help us to understand this growing ambition and the challenges it faces.

But what does the idea of a global Europe really mean?

Before I go on to speak to my guest, my colleague Nina is going to help provide some background.

Global Europe is a term often used to describe a geopolitically assertive European Union

that represents the collective interest and values of its member states with a single voice and strategy.

This is an ambition that is gaining traction amongst the foreign policy community and decision makers in both Brussels and the European capitals.

At present, the EU's ability to enact foreign and security policy can seem cumbersome,

characterized by the need for the unanimous consent of member states, or disjointed,

sometimes even contradictory strategies by the foreign offices across the European capitals.

Despite this, the EU has achieved a lot since its

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