Lisa Burke Show

Epizódok

• How do we educate people for a future that no one can predict?, 30/05/2026 30.05.2026 57p

  AI, Talent and the Future of Europe: Why Universities Matter More Than Ever As AI reshapes jobs, health and society, University of Luxembourg Rector Jens Kreisel explains why universities matter more than ever. The future belongs to people who can learn, adapt and think critically. That was the central message from University of Luxembourg Rector Jens Kreisel when he joined The Lisa Burke Show for a wide-ranging conversation on artificial intelligence, education and Europe's future. As AI transforms almost every aspect of life, Kreisel argues that universities have never been more important. Their role extends far beyond delivering degrees. They educate future generations, drive research and innovation, connect knowledge with society and increasingly provide lifelong learning for people whose careers will evolve multiple times throughout their lives. "The future challenge is not knowledge alone," he suggests, "but wisdom, ethics and contextualisation." One of the most striking revelations concerns Luxembourg itself. The University of Luxembourg attracts students from more than 100 nationalities and retains around 70% of its graduates after they finish their studies. In a country facing the same demographic challenges as much of Europe, the university has become a powerful engine for attracting and retaining global talent. "We bring them in, and Luxembourg makes them stay." The discussion also explored AI's extraordinary potential in medicine and biology. Kreisel points to breakthroughs such as Nobel Prize-winning AI systems that can predict protein structures at unprecedented speed, potentially accelerating drug discovery and transforming healthcare. Yet he warns that AI also raises profound questions around trust, manipulation, democracy and truth. As machines become more persuasive, the ability to question information may become humanity's most valuable skill. "Universities are not just educating students - they are shaping the future of a country." That is why Kreisel believes the humanities are becoming more important, not less. Historians, philosophers and social scientists are trained to analyse sources, understand context and challenge assumptions: skills that may prove essential in an age of synthetic media, misinformation and algorithmic influence. "Welcome to the club," one historian told university leaders when ChatGPT emerged. "We've been questioning sources for 400 years." "The ability to question information may become humanity's most valuable skill. Humanities may become more important, not less, in the age of AI." Ultimately, Kreisel believes the university of the future must combine deep expertise with intellectual curiosity across disciplines. In a world where careers are no longer linear and technologies evolve at digital speed, success will belong not simply to those who know the most, but to those who know how to learn, think and adapt. For Luxembourg, Europe and the next generation, that may be the most important lesson of all. "Success will belong not to those who know the most, but to those who know how to learn."
• Europe's quiet banker is now buying rocket launchers and bridges, 23/05/2026 23.05.2026 49p

  The man who helps finance Europe's defence: Robert de Groot, vice president of the European Investment Bank There is a particular kind of power that comes with someone who decides, quietly, which ideas get funded and which don't. Robert de Groot, and his team, holds that power over an extraordinary range of things: military bridges in Poland, rocket launchers in Spain, satellite-to-smartphone startups in Luxembourg, drone intelligence software in Estonia. As Vice President of the world's largest multilateral lender, the EIB sitting on the Kirchberg plateau, his brief covers security, defence, space, and innovation. It is, as he puts it with characteristic understatement, "quite a new direction" for a bank that, not long ago, wouldn't touch defence at all. That has changed. Dramatically. Since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the EIB has rewritten its mandate, opening five distinct financing pillars across the defence and security ecosystem, from large-scale infrastructure to venture equity for startups building things that didn't exist five years ago. De Groot has spent the last two years touring every European capital, sitting down with defence, finance, and interior ministers, and asking “What does Europe actually need, and can we finance it?” "The urgency I hear in private is far greater than what you see in public." What he found on the road was a continent with a perception gap. The Baltic states are operating in a different psychological reality from much of western Europe. For Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, the threat from the east is not geopolitics but geography. However, de Groot is cautiously optimistic. Germany has made a near-complete reversal on defence spending in three years. The Nordics have joined NATO. Ministers of Interior are now showing up to defence finance meetings, because the boundary between military security and civil security has dissolved. Cyber attacks, compromised energy grids, sabotaged undersea cables are happening now. The physical problems, meanwhile, are startlingly concrete. Bridges that cannot carry battle tanks. Ports unable to defend against unmanned underwater vehicles. Roads along NATO transit routes from Antwerp through Germany deep into Poland that haven't been maintained to handle today's military hardware. "It sounds absurd," de Groot says, "until you realise it's a multi-billion euro problem." The financing exists. The fixes are underway. But getting three countries to agree on a shared corridor before one of them goes its own way remains the harder challenge. For innovators and entrepreneurs building the dual-use technologies that now sit at the heart of European defence strategy, de Groot offers a map through the financing ecosystem. Early stage? Venture capital funds backed by the European Investment Fund. Series A and B? Venture debt, a product barely known in Europe five years ago, now scaling fast, with Luxembourg companies OQ Technology and Artec 3D among its beneficiaries. Series C and beyond? The European Tech Champions Initiative, designed explicitly to stop European unicorns from decamping to California. And for defence tech specifically, a new Defence Equity Facility of up to one billion euros: real, patient, European capital, with no American relocation clause attached. "The companies I meet across Europe mostly want to stay. We need to make sure the financing is there when they do." On the day of interview, a loan was signed for the Luxembourg Fire Brigade's logistics infrastructure. Security exists at multiple scales simultaneously, from orbital launch capability to the speed at which a fire engine reaches a crisis. Both matter and both require investment. Both represent the same underlying bet: that Europe, if it chooses to move with enough conviction, is more than capable of defending and financing its own future. De Groot, for his part, seems to believe it. The question, as ever, is whether the institutions can move as fast as the moment requires. Robert de Groot is Vice President of the European Investment Bank, responsible for Security, Defence, Space and Innovation Finance.
• Stop Shouting. Start Whispering, 16/05/2026 16.05.2026 56p

  From entrepreneurial burnout to authorship on realignment, Pascal Wiscour-Conter shares his learnings You know that feeling when someone speaks and every single word lands? Not because they're loud or made slick slides or rehearsed an elevator pitch to death, but because you sense they mean it? Pascal Wiscour-Conter calls this alignment and has spent three years building the science to prove it. Pascal is back in the studio: author, entrepreneur, strategist, and the kind of person who once convinced government ministers in a landlocked country to register mega-yachts. His new book, The Culture of Purpose: How to Communicate in the Age of Intelligence, is out now. "Shouting louder does not work anymore. The secret is learning how to whisper: clearly, meaningfully, and with impact." We are drowning in noise: more channels, content, AI-generated everything. And yet, nobody feels more heard. Pascal's counter-intuitive argument, backed by neuroscience, Havas research, and decades of entrepreneurial scar tissue, is that the answer is not volume but authenticity. Specifically: the alignment between what you believe, what you say, and what you do. It sounds simple. Of course it's not quite that simple. The Noble Cause Why do you do what you do? Before there's a pitch, a mission statement, or a marketing budget, there's a why. Pascal calls it the Noble Cause: the thing inside you that, when unfulfilled, leaves you hollow. Pair that with an Aspirational Goal: something that makes you want to get up every morning, and you have the roots of purpose. Here's the twist: you can't think your way to it. Your neocortex, the rational brain, is not where decisions are actually made. That happens in the limbic system, the emotional centre, the part that knows you love someone but can't explain why. "Ask 'why' seven times," Pascal advises. "Keep going deeper. Very often, the real answer takes you back to your adolescence - something that made you suffer, something you've been trying to solve ever since." "People think they rationally made a decision. What really happened is the brain decided emotionally and then rationalised afterwards." The Business Case Purpose isn't fluffy - it's financial. For the sceptics, and Pascal has met plenty, here are the numbers. Havas research shows that purpose-driven, meaningful brands are 100% more effective than their counterparts. On the stock exchange? A 133% premium. The Edelman Trust Barometer maps trust against competence and ethics. Deloitte can now measure it in five specific parameters. This is a competitive edge. Pascal's model, the Tree of Business Life™, maps it visually: roots (your vision), trunk (mission and value proposition), the prism of culture, and two ecosystems in the crown: outward communication to clients, inward communication to teams. When both ecosystems are aligned and self-sustaining, he calls it Comusynthesis™: converting the energy of ideas into the energy of communities. Just like photosynthesis. Just as essential. On AI & Being Human The beast is yours to harness. Pascal is not afraid of AI. He is, however, precise about what it cannot do. Curiosity? An LLM can't wonder. Transcendence? It cannot transpose one idea onto an entirely different domain the way Newton did when an apple fell on his head. Wisdom - the ability to use lived experience to make the right call in a new situation? Distinctly human. "Use AI as a tool," he says. "But harness it. Push the limits further. The questions just get harder, like the day you were allowed a calculator in a maths exam. The test didn't get easier. You just got to solve bigger problems." His term for this? Creative AI, as opposed to Lazy AI, where you prompt, copy-paste, and call it done. One of these will make you obsolete. The other will make you extraordinary. "The next ten years will compress an Industrial Revolution and a Renaissance into one decade. Step out of the comfort zone, or someone will do it for you." Physicians lack of self-compassion? Physicians in the USA have the lowest self-compassion of any workforce. That statistic, shared at a Stanford medical roundtable that Pascal sat on, is the kind of detail that stays with you. People who enter medicine to heal others, hollowed out by a system that forgot to ask why. It is, Pascal argues, the corporate culture problem in its starkest form: the gap between the values on the wall and the values in the room. Luxembourg, by the way, has one of the highest rates of active workplace disengagement in Europe. Numbers from the annual Gallup Quality of Work Life study don't lie, even when they're uncomfortable. The Culture of Purpose: How to Communicate in the Age of Intelligence Pascal Wiscour-Conter · Pascalogy · Published March 2026 · Available in ebook, audiobook, and paperback · https://pascalogy.me/
• Eurovision Is Never Just a Song Contest, 11/05/2026 11.05.2026 58p

  Boycotts, soft power, and sequined bodysuits - the definitive guide to Eurovision 2026 with two of Luxembourg's sharpest voices If you think Eurovision is nothing more than glitter, key changes, and strategic voting between neighbours, think again. Seventy years in, Europe's biggest song contest continues to be fun alongside the loaded messaging and controversy. Five countries are boycotting. The bookies are watching Finland. And Luxembourg's own Eva Marija is about to take a violin to the stage in Vienna and remind the world exactly why this small country has returned. This week, on The Lisa Burke Show, we sat down with two guests who between them know Eurovision inside out: Dr. Dean Vuletic, the world's leading academic authority on the history of the Eurovision Song Contest and author of the definitive book on its political and cultural significance; and Sarah Tapp, RTL Today presenter, graduate student in music business at Berklee College of Music, and the voice behind RTL's Eurovision commentary for the last two years. In this conversation we talk about contest and about what it tells us about the world we're living in right now.
• What’s the capital of Europe - where does Europe live?, 09/05/2026 09.05.2026 1ó 6p

  A film about bureaucracy, jazz, and the story of how three cities:Strasbourg, Luxembourg & Brussels, became the unlikely home of a continent's big idea. It's the founding question nobody thought to ask. Six nations sat down after World War II, determined never to fight again, and forgot to decide where they'd actually meet. In the middle of the night on July 23rd, 1952, exhausted negotiators gave up trying to agree and said: let's just start in Luxembourg and see what happens. That glorious act of improvisation is the beating heart of Europe: Three Cities, One Roof, a new documentary by Luxembourgish director Donato Rotunno that lands just in time for Europe Day. And on this special Friday show, Lisa brings together three brilliant guests to dig into what Europe actually means right now, and what it should mean for the next generation. "We structured 70 years of European integration with a tone closer to a thriller and a crime drama than an institutional film." Donato Rotunno, director The film is extraordinary because it explains European institutions through the story of people who actually built them. Jean-Claude Juncker, Colette Flesch, Louis Michel, Catherine Trautmann: these are political titans, speaking freely now that the cameras of official duty have gone, mostly. What comes out is funny, candid, and unexpectedly moving. And the music? Pascal Schumacher locked himself and his musicians in a studio for three days before a single frame was shot. The jazz score came first: a deliberate choice, because jazz, like Europe, is built on improvisation, risk, and the hope that something beautiful emerges from the chaos. "For once, the music came before the images. Perhaps that is what creates this synergy - a process of trial and error, sometimes haphazard, spanning seventy years." Donato Rotunno On the show, Anne Calteux, Head of the Representation of the European Commission to Luxembourg, unpacks what the EU is actually doing right now, and why this year's Europe Day heads to Wiltz, in the rural north, as part of the campaign Hei & an Europa doheem! (Home here and in Europe). It's a bold, co-created initiative: five graffiti murals spread across the Grand Duchy, from Esch to Dudelange to Bissen, built on a simple truth: Europe isn't just a Brussels thing. It's everywhere, including in the places that rarely make the headlines. And Ellen Spencer brings a brilliant opportunity from the Rotary Club Luxembourg Hearts ( https://lu.linkedin.com/company/rcl-hearts). She coordinates Europe 4 Europe ( https://europe4europe.com): a remarkable EU Rotary youth initiative that brings 27 young people - one from every EU member state - on a shared journey through the founding EU countries. The programme fosters connection, intercultural awareness, and civic participation in ways that no policy document ever could. Rotary Club Luxembourg Hearts has been a quiet but powerful force behind this kind of grassroots European engagement for years, and Ellen's work is a perfect example of why. The friendships formed along the way, she says, are the most powerful outcome of all. "European identity isn't abstract, it's something young people experience very quickly when they meet, live, and travel together." Ellen Spencer, Europe 4 Europe coordinator, Rotary Club Luxembourg Hearts Meet the guests Donato Rotunno - Director & Producer, Tarantula Born in Luxembourg in 1966, Rotunno founded Tarantula Luxembourg ( https://www.tarantula.lu) in 1995 and has produced over 50 feature films. A politically engaged filmmaker, his work on immigration, identity and European politics has twice represented Luxembourg at the Oscars. Anne Calteux - Head of the Representation of the European Commission to Luxembourg One of Luxembourg's most authoritative voices on EU affairs, Anne leads the European Commission's Representation here in the Grand Duchy. This Europe Day she's taking the celebrations somewhere unexpected - to the countryside - to prove that Europe lives in every corner of the country, not just the capital. Ellen Spencer - Rotary Club Luxembourg Hearts · Europe 4 Europe A global citizen living in Luxembourg for nearly 20 years, Ellen coordinates Europe 4 Europe ( https://europe4europe.com) through the Rotary Club Luxembourg Hearts network — sending 27 young Europeans, one per member state, on a journey through the founding EU countries. Her mission: reach the young people who don't yet see themselves as part of the European conversation. This is Europe Day as it should be celebrated - a living question. What are we building? Who gets to be part of it? And why does it still matter? Tune in, follow along, and bring a friend who questions Europe. Listen & follow — The Lisa Burke Show RTL Play: https://www.rtlplay.lu RTL Today Website: https://today.rtl.lu Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/lu/podcast/the-lisa-burke-show/id1598518705 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/the-lisa-burke-show RTL Today Radio: https://today.rtl.lu/radio
• Stop Hiding Behind Your Slides, 07/05/2026 07.05.2026

  Dirk Daenen, the man who brought TEDx to Luxembourg, reveals the science and the secrets behind becoming a truly confident speaker. You'd think the man who coaches Luxembourg's most compelling public speakers would have been born fearless on stage. You'd be wrong. Professor Dirk Daenen, communication expert, TEDx Luxembourg organiser, and the person quietly responsible for some of the most-watched talks ever delivered on Luxembourgish soil started out as an introvert dreading the spotlight. In this candid conversation on The Lisa Burke Show, he opens up about fear, failure, the science of self-confidence, and why one talk filmed in front of 75 people in Wiltz went on to rack up 13 million views. If you have ever frozen in front of a room, gone blank at a podium, or quietly vowed to avoid public speaking for the rest of your life, this one is for you. TED vs TEDx: What's the Difference? Most people have heard of TED Talks. Far fewer know what the differential for TEDx is, or how accessible it really is. A standard TED conference ticket starts at around $20,000. You'll be sitting next to the world's most powerful minds, but the barrier is enormous. TEDx events, on the other hand, are independently organised under strict licence from TED, run entirely by volunteers, and designed to bring big ideas to local communities. Here in Luxembourg, that licence belongs to Dirk Daenen, and he has been running it for years. "I'm used to being the smartest person in the room as a teacher," Dirk says with a grin. "And then suddenly I'm surrounded by the most impressive people I've ever met: graffiti artists, photographers, scientists, a Belgian pop star. No money could pay for that.” "Luxembourg is a small country. But the ideas we spread are HUGE. Over 20 million views and counting." The Fear Is Real — and It Starts at School Up to 80% of people report some fear of public speaking. The academic figure sits closer to 40%. But according to Dirk, the number is almost beside the point, because wherever you land on that scale, the roots are almost always the same. "We are doing a quantitative survey right now," he explains, "asking people about their childhood experiences. And what we are finding is that most people who identify as having a fear of public speaking can point to a specific moment at school where it all started.” A teacher who snickered or a classroom that laughed at you. A presentation that went badly and was never properly supported. These are not trivial memories. Dirk calls them out for what they are: trauma. "If you do it badly, you end up with people carrying post-traumatic stress disorder because of something that happened in front of a classroom.” It is why his PhD research [yes, he is also completing a doctorate] focuses on finding the most effective way to teach public speaking to 16-year-olds, with the minimum possible trauma and the maximum boost to self-confidence. His dream: one full year of public speaking on the Luxembourg school curriculum. Not optional. A core subject, like French or German. "Europe's biggest social failure?" he asks. "We have an amazing education system. And yet we do not teach the one skill you need in every single job, every single day." The Science of Self-Confidence Dirk is a researcher as much as a coach, and he brings the science of psychology into every conversation about communication. The key framework he returns to is the work of psychologist Albert Bandura, whose four sources of self-efficacy - your belief in your own ability to do something - underpin everything Dirk teaches. The first and most powerful source is mastery: actually doing the thing and surviving it. The second is vicarious experience: watching someone just like you nail it, and thinking: if they can, so can I. The third is social encouragement: the right kind of feedback, delivered with care. And the fourth is physiological readiness: understanding that the butterflies you feel before speaking are not a warning signal. They are energy. "I still get the butterflies. But I have taught them to fly in formation.” Self-confidence, he explains, is not some vague quality you either have or don't. It is the sum of two measurable things: self-esteem (how much you value yourself) and self-efficacy (how capable you believe yourself to be). Public speaking, done well and in a safe environment, is one of the fastest ways to build both. What Actually Works on Stage So what does Dirk actually tell the people he coaches? Here are some of the most practical insights from the conversation. Your body will move whether you plan it or not. When you're nervous, adrenaline floods your system. Oxygenated blood pumps into your muscles. If you don't channel that energy intentionally, your body finds its own outlet: clicking pens, rotating wedding rings, crossing arms, hands shoved in pockets, the classic 'fig leaf.' The fix is not to stand rigid. It's to plan your gestures in advance. Identify your key words and decide how to show them physically. Do this for six months and those movements become automatic. Preparation is not the same as memorisation. One of the most striking stories in this interview involves Emma Bale, the Belgian pop star who had performed for 60,000 people at Dour Festival but was terrified of a TED Talk. She memorised her speech so perfectly it sounded robotic. The humanity disappeared. Dirk had to coach her to re-introduce vulnerability: a planned, spontaneous-sounding moment at the start. 'It takes a lot of preparation to be spontaneous,' he says. Tony Blair knew this. So did every great performer you have ever admired. The top 10 most-viewed TED Talks have no slides. Think about that the next time you spend three hours building a PowerPoint. Structure matters, yes. But the elements almost nobody teaches: voice, body language, audience engagement, are what people actually remember. The information-heavy slide culture in European education has produced presenters who hide behind their decks. Stop hiding. You are the presentation. Watch people who are like you. Bandura called this vicarious experience. You don't need to imitate a world-famous orator. You need to see a normal person, someone at your level, stand up and do it well. That is why TEDx Luxembourg matters. Local people, on a real stage, sharing real ideas. 13 million views from a room in Wiltz. Proof that it is possible. Just do it. There is no way around this one. Toastmasters. Improv classes. The TEDx stage. The school debate club your child has been avoiding. The skill builds only through exposure. 'I was a chef allergic to food,' Dirk says. 'I ate the food anyway. It wasn't poison. It was the best meal of my life.'
• Cycling Across Europe to Fuel Breast Cancer Research, 02/05/2026 02.05.2026 1ó 30p

  Entrepreneur René Beltjens pedals 7,000km from Estonia to Gibraltar with 2Wheels4Purpose to raise €1 million for breast cancer research at Saint‑Luc. René Beltjens is a brilliant business man, co‑founder of Alter Domus amongst many more accolades, but as a young family man he had to endure the very hardest family situation. His young wife was diagnosed with breast cancer aged just 30 right after the birth of their third child. Due to a new treatment at that time, she was given another few years of life, priceless for their entire young family. René is now giving back to Saint-Luc, the place where she was treated, by undertaking a cross-section cycle of Europe with  teammates Sander van der Fluit and Marc Bijlsma to raise €1m towards specific breast cancer research. Two Wheels for Purpose began with a simple dinner between lifelong friends and grew into an ambitious cycling expedition from Tallinn to Gibraltar, 7,000km crossing 22 countries, matching physical endurance with the resilience of patients and families fighting cancer. Professor François Duhoux, Head of Medical Oncology at Cliniques universitaires Saint-Luc in Brussels, will be leading the research project from the money raised. Breast cancer treatment has evolved from a one-size-fits-all model to increasingly personalised care, using tumour characteristics, mutations and 3D organoids, ‘avatars’ of the tumour, to test which drugs may work best before treatment begins. Prof Duhoux also stressed that cancer care is no longer only about treating the tumour. At Saint-Luc’s Institut Roi Albert II, patients are supported by doctors, nurses, psychologists, dieticians, physiotherapists, social workers and volunteers, with art therapy and other wellbeing tools helping patients better tolerate treatment and improve quality of life. “We don’t treat tumours, we treat patients with cancer.” That holistic approach was echoed by Tessa Schmidburg, Secretary General of Fondation Saint-Luc, who described the foundation as a bridge between generosity and progress. She said its role is to accelerate “the excellence and the humanity” of care, supporting medical research, innovation and patient wellbeing through donations from individuals, families and companies. “It’s not a Tour de France Andy, it’s much harder.” Andy Schleck, former Tour de France winner lost his mother quite recently to cancer and in her final year during visits, Andy would always try to transit positive ideas. That was until she told her son that enduring the treatments is much harder than a Tour de France. Andy does have a little cycling advice (and perhaps it’s not just for the road) for René and his fellow cyclists: “When the road is long you go kilometre by kilometre. When the road gets hard you focus on the next corner.” “Cancer is a family disease.” Cancer reshapes family life during the treatment, and also aftwards. René described commuting between Luxembourg and Brussels, protecting weekends as sacred time with his children, and navigating the fear and uncertainty that comes with a diagnosis in the family. He also explained why his daughters’ decisions about genetic screening raised difficult questions about health, privacy and insurance, even though medical guidance strongly supports testing where there is a family history. “The first thing is awareness.” Nimkee Gupta was diagnosed with aggressive ovarian cancer in 2023. She spoke candidly about treatment in both India and Luxembourg, the difficulty in recognising ovarian cancer, and the importance of language in changing how people respond to the disease. Nimkee also speaks about how ovarian cancer and other women’s cancers remain under-researched. Data, scale and gender bias all matter. “There should be no shame through cancer.” Nimkee is passionate about the healing power of music, art, movement and food became part of her recovery, and she described learning to use minimal mobilisation, swimming, and Ayurveda as part of a sustainable approach to wellbeing. The conversation offered a thoughtful reminder that treatment does not end when chemotherapy or similar ends; recovery continues in the body, mind and family circle. Prof Duhoux also highlighted a crucial public-health message: breast cancer screening rates remain too low, and early detection makes a major difference. Beltjens said the goal of Two Wheels for Purpose aims to also create a ripple effect - a community of ambassadors who speak openly about cancer and encourage others to act. Purpose grows when people turn private pain into public progress. https://www.2wheels4purpose.com/ https://www.fondationsaintluc.be/
• The Luxembourg Winemakers Putting the Moselle on the World Map, 25/04/2026 25.04.2026 58p

  Consultant oenologist Jean Cao and organic winemakers Jeff Konsbrück and Mathieu Schmit reveal why Luxembourg wines deserve global recognition. The tiny stretch of vineyards along Luxembourg's Moselle River, just 42 kilometres of slopes producing some of Europe's most distinctive white wines and Crémants, remains remarkably unknown to the wider wine world. On The Lisa Burke Show this week, three experts who are changing that perception joined Lisa to demystify Luxembourg wine and invite you to come taste it yourself. Jean Cao, a Mexican-born consultant oenologist who has worked in Saint-Émilion, Châteauneuf-du-Pape, and the Languedoc, now advises Luxembourg's independent winemakers through the OPVI. His verdict after years of global experience? "In terms of quality, we are completely comparable to other regions. We don't have the historical name yet - we are working on that - but if we taste blind, we are really, really close." Some of us, who do not grow up with a wine 'education' might feel inadequate around such experts when tasting wine, but these three make it very easy to understand: "A good wine is just you open, you taste, and you have the time to talk with your friends. The wine will not be the centre of the conversation. If the wine is talking, it's not a good one." Jean Cao Jeff Konsbrück and Mathieu Schmit represent Luxembourg's new generation of organic winemakers. Jeff, whose family sold grapes for generations, took the entrepreneurial leap to produce his own wines on 14 hectares, all hand-harvested. His Crémant "Kinnekskummer" blends Champagne-style grapes with a touch of Riesling for acidity. Mathieu, seventh generation at Domaine Schmit-Fohl, studied in Champagne before returning to farm 16 organic hectares with his brother Nicolas. Their philosophy is terroir-driven, mineral wines, plus experiments like "Tout-Nü," a natural wine, and newly planted Merlot responding to climate change. "We are a region too small to be one against the other. We have to rise up together." Mathieu Schmit The three are united by a mission to make Luxembourg wine approachable. "You don't need anything special, just identify if you like it," Jean insists. Visitors can drop into Jeff's wine bar (Wednesday–Friday 4–9pm, Sundays 2pm onwards) or book a tasting at Schmit-Fohl. And on 8 May, the Privat Wënzer Uncorked event offers 100 wines from 20 independent producers aboard the Marie-Astrid boat in Ehnen, €15 entry, public transport encouraged. A walking dinner follows at 5pm with top cuvées and five gastronomic dishes. https://privatwenzer.lu/ https://www.instagram.com/privatwenzer https://www.winery-jeffkonsbruck.lu/ https://schmit-fohl.lu/en/
• Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kęstutis Budrys, 24/04/2026 24.04.2026 51p

  "I never felt that Lithuania is a soft target. I saw Brussels always as the softest target of all." Lithuania's Foreign Minister, Kęstutis Budrys, passionately lays out why Europe must wake up to the war already being waged against it in this interview. "If we are not doing this, there will be a huge price. And believe me, that price will be much higher than 5% of GDP." Drawing on more than 20 years in national security and intelligence, Budrys described a country witnessing sustained hybrid attack: drones crashing in Lithuanian territory, fighter jets violating airspace, undersea cables sabotaged, civil aviation disrupted by GPS jamming, and assassination plots targeting opposition figures. However, his sharpest message was aimed at Brussels. "I never felt that Lithuania is a soft target. I saw Brussels always as the softest target of all." Budrys recounted how Lithuania spent decades purging Russian influence from its energy, transport, and financial sectors; work he believes much of Europe has yet to begin. He pointed to ongoing purchases of Russian LNG and the continued presence of Rosatom in European nuclear projects as evidence of dangerous complacency. "When we criticise the United States, they point to our numbers and say: you are buying Russian gas that finances their war machine. And they are right." On Ukraine, the minister expressed cautious optimism. He noted that Ukrainian forces have halted Russian advances and are inflicting unsustainable losses: over 30,000 Russian soldiers killed per month by drones alone. A strategic turning point, he suggested, could come within the next year if Europe maintains political and financial pressure. But he refused to entertain territorial concessions. "We will never recognise the occupation of Ukrainian territory, neither de jure nor de facto." Looking ahead to Lithuania's EU Council presidency in January 2027, Budrys outlined a security-first agenda: accelerating EU enlargement for Ukraine and Moldova, building economic defences against hostile actors, and finally treating the bloc as a geopolitical force rather than a collection of national interests. His closing message was unambiguous: Europe's survival depends on shedding its illusions about Russia, about its own vulnerabilities, and about the cost of inaction.
• Conscious coalition of Ambassadors for Ukraine, 18/04/2026 18.04.2026 1ó 8p

  Ambassadors unite to defend Ukraine & keep Europe's attention from drifting. How an Advocacy Coalition is turning solidarity into sustained action. In the studio this week: six female ambassadors plus a Ukrainian representative. Between them, decades of global diplomatic experience. We discuss how to keep a continent's consciousness alive when the news cycle is relentless and fatigue sets in. My guests: Ambassador Barbara Karpetová - Czech Republic Ambassador Carin Lobbezoo - Netherlands Ambassador Jean McDonald - Ireland Ambassador Nieves Blanco - Spain Ambassador Heike Peitsch - Germany Ambassador Joanne Oliver - UK Inna Yaremenko - Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg/Vice President at LUkraine These ladies have frontline diplomatic experience spanning Russia, Kosovo, the Balkans, the Middle East, and beyond. Several have lived in Russia, speak Russian and studied Russian history. Heike met Vladimir Putin; Barbara was in Washington D.C. on the day Crimea was invaded; Carin was studying Soviet history when the wall came down. "When a diplomat stops talking, you end up in a war. The talking needs to restart — and the circumstances for that have to be right." AMBASSADOR CARIN LOBBEZOO — NETHERLANDS The creation of the ‘Advocacy Coalition’ was borne out of a desire to keep the support for Ukraine from eroding quietly in the background while other crises clamour for attention. Ambassador Joanne Oliver of the UK underlined the strength of a coalition in that one embassy putting is not putting its head above the parapet, but shows a unified front which is harder to ignore and harder to exhaust. "Ukraine is on the front line of Europe. We have to do it together.” The Advocacy Coalition - Defending Our Future Now launched in early 2026 by LUkraine asbl together with ten partner embassies and the support of the European Commission. It is a year-long programme of monthly public events, a digital advocacy platform of personal testimonies, and a photo exhibition: "How to Destroy a Country" co-hosted by the Czech Embassy. The founding embassies are Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom. Spain has since joined and the coalition is open both in Luxembourg and the idea is open to be replicated across more countries. "Each of us can do something. In Ukraine we say: if you do nothing, evil will prevail. This project is solidarity in action not just in slogans" INNA YAREMENKO — VICE PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE, LUXEMBOURG The path to peace is long and hard. Ambassador Peitsch, who served as Consul General in St. Petersburg and headed the German Embassy's Economic and Scientific Affairs Department in Moscow, described the slow architecture of mediation: how a trusted broker must talk to each side separately first, map the areas of potential compromise, set aside the intractable issues, and build a minimum of trust before parties can even share a room. Ambassador Lobbezoo, who studied Russian history at Leiden and Russian & Soviet Studies in London when the Berlin Wall still stood (then fell during her second masters), offered the historian's caveat: history doesn't repeat itself exactly, but long lines of behaviour do, and and many of those lines in Russia's current conduct trace back to patterns she began reading about in the 1980s. Ambassador Jean McDonald from Ireland spoke movingly about cultural diplomacy as public diplomacy: the harp on the Irish euro coin, the way a poem by Moya Cannon can open a space for dialogue that policy briefings cannot. Ambassador Karpetová, who grew up in Czechoslovakia during Soviet occupation and watched her country's invasion repeat its patterns in Ukraine, described how she asked herself what Pierre Werner, the Luxembourgish statesman whose family villa houses the Czech Embassy, would have done. The answer was action: look around, count the resources, multiply strength through communication. "Female diplomats tend to focus on getting things done. After 38 years in the German foreign service, that is my consistent experience." AMBASSADOR HEIKE PEITSCH — GERMANY The question of women in diplomacy ran through the conversation. All six ambassadors agreed, carefully, and without reducing it to a binary, that women's presence at peace tables is structural: as Jean McDonald noted, women are 50% of the population, and any peace settlement that excludes them is unlikely to be sustainable. Ambassador Lobbezoo watched women with excellent ideas locked out of the Kosovo-Serbia negotiations despite being ready and willing. Inna Yaremenko noted that there are currently no women at all in the Ukraine-Russia peace negotiation process, a gap flagged publicly by the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk, keynote speaker at the Coalition's opening event. The show ended with a clear call to listeners: exercise your consciousness like a muscle. Be curious. Seek to understand. And do not flinch. "Women need to be at the table, need to be part of the discussions, and need to be part of the solutions. That is a really fundamental point." AMBASSADOR JEAN MCDONALD — IRELAND Advocacy Coalition — Defending Our Future Now A year-long initiative by LUkraine asbl and partner embassies in Luxembourg, supported by the European Commission, featuring monthly public events, a live digital advocacy platform, and the "How to Destroy a Country" photo exhibition. The coalition is open to new members. To join, contribute a testimony, or attend upcoming events, contact inna.yaremenko@ukrainians.lu https://advocacy.lukraine.org/
• Nicolaj Coster-Waldau on Climate, Greenland and Cooperation, 21/03/2026 21.03.2026 11p

  Actor and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador on climate action, inequality, education, and the power of optimism. Nicolaj Coster-Waldau, famed for his role in Game of Thrones as Jamie Lannister, takes his role as a UNDP Goodwill Ambassador very seriously. Nicolaj spoke with urgency and optimism about the need for cooperation, climate action, and stronger global institutions in an increasingly fragmented world. He reflected on his work with the United Nations Development Programme, explaining that one of the biggest challenges is helping people understand the scale and impact of what the agency does around the world. He also spoke about Greenland, dearly close to his heart as a Danish citizen married to a Greenlander. The vulnerability of small communities is something he has witnessed in his global travels with UNDP, who face enormous geopolitical and environmental pressures. For him, the message is one of developing united human dignity, respect, and collaboration of international action. The conversation also turned personal. Raised by a mother who was a librarian, and now the father of two daughters, Coster-Waldau spoke warmly about education, books, and the importance of supporting gender equality. He recalled writing a pledge to fathers in Kenya during International Women’s Day and said that empowering women and girls remains essential to building a fairer future. Despite all, one of the strongest themes was hope. Drawing on his documentary series An Optimist’s Guide to the Planet, Coster-Waldau described inspiring solutions he has seen in places like India, Africa, and South America: from mangrove replanting to innovative energy projects and nature-based solutions. His central belief is that there is no such thing as trash, only resources we have not yet learned to use wisely. The conversation was a reminder that optimism is a necessary tool for today’s woes. And Coster-Waldau made it clear that the future will depend on our ability to imagine something better and work together to create it.
• Defending Our Future: Why Ukraine’s Fight is the Frontline of European Security, 21/03/2026 21.03.2026

  Nobel laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk and Deputy Minister Alona Shkrum join Lisa Burke to discuss the Advocacy Coalition and the cost of silence for Europe My Guests: - Her Excellency Ambassador Barbara Karpetová, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg - Inna Yaramenko, the Representative of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and Vice President at LUkraine - Oleksandra Matviichuk, Chairwoman of the Center for Civil Liberties, which was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. - Alona Shkrum, First Deputy Minister for Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine. - Kristina Mikulova, Head of Regional Hub for Eastern Europe for the European Investment Bank In this powerful episode, the conversation shifts from the abstract concept of 'aid' to the urgent reality of strategic investment in European security. As Ukraine enters its fourth year of full-scale invasion, a new initiative has been developed by Ambassador Karpetová with the help of Inna Yaramenko. 'The Advocacy Coalition - Defending Our Future Now' has launched in Luxembourg to remind the continent that defending Ukraine is synonymous with defending the future of democracy itself. This year-long set of events will pass the baton between the founding embassies: Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Ireland, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, and the United Kingdom, to stand united in the conviction that defending Ukraine means defending Europe’s future. Beyond Charity: A Strategic Investment Supporting Ukraine in 2026 is now viewed as a strategic investment in the infrastructure of European security. Alona Shkrum, Ukraine’s First Deputy Minister for Reconstruction, explained that waiting for hostilities to cease before rebuilding is not an option. "If we do not reconstruct water, utilities, energy supply, schools, and hospitals, then people will leave," she noted, emphasising that keeping the economy functioning allows Ukraine to fund its own defence and protect the eastern borders of the European Union. The scale of destruction is staggering: the road damage alone is equivalent to the distance from Luxembourg to Iran, and the amount of housing destroyed, over 3 million units, exceeds the total housing stock of Denmark. Humanising the Numbers Whilst the statistics are overwhelming, Nobel Peace Prize laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk focuses on "humanising the numbers". She shared the harrowing story of 10-year-old Ilya from Mariupol, whose mother died in his arms in a frozen apartment after they were caught in Russian shelling. Matviichuk also recounted the experience of Professor Irak Kyvslovski, a philosopher who spent 700 days in captivity and gave lectures on philosophy to rats in his solitary cell just to hear a human voice. "Dignity is action," Matviichuk told the audience, asserting that the "accountability gap" in international law must be closed by establishing a Special Tribunal for the crime of aggression. A Year of Intensive Advocacy The Advocacy Coalition, a partnership between LUkraine, the European Commission, and nine resident embassies in Luxembourg (but they're open for more partners), will host monthly events throughout 2026. These events will tackle critical themes such as countering disinformation, reconstruction, and the role of the Ukrainian diaspora. The first event will take place at the European Parliament in Luxembourg on March 23, featuring a keynote address by Matviichuk, focussing on the abducted children. Unity as the Strongest Weapon The message from my guests underlines that unity is the strongest weapon against authoritarianism. As Ambassador Barbara Karpetová noted, even a small nation like Luxembourg can provide "shared inspiration" by standing together, mirroring the visionary leadership of historical figures like Pierre Werner, former Prime Minister of Luxembourg, whose home she now resides in. The Power of Ordinary People Matviichuk emphasises that "ordinary people can do extraordinary things". Inna cites the 700 Luxembourgish families who offered to host refugees within just three days after the invasion began. Digital Engagement: The Coalition is launching an Advocacy Platform, a digital ecosystem featuring authentic testimonies from diplomats, volunteers, and citizens to humanise the impact of solidarity.
• Irish Minister Jennifer Murnane-O’Connor, 17/03/2026 17.03.2026 49p

  From Graiguecullen to Luxembourg - a visit ahead of Ireland’s EU Presidency, as Carlow is paired with the Grand Duchy. I never thought I’d be able to get Killeshin into an article - my home village in Ireland, where my father grew up, and where he is now buried. 
However, it turns out that Minister Jennifer Murnane O’Connor knew my dad, goes to Killeshin at least once a month and is also a first cousin of Ollie Hennessy - a brilliant musician (who also worked with my dad) whom I’ve had the pleasure of singing with. And I thought Luxembourg was small! Jennifer Murnane O’Connor is a Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow - Kilkenny and Minister of State at Ireland’s Department of Health. Ireland will hold the EU Presidency from July to December 2026, during which time the 26 counties of Ireland will be paired with the other 26 countries of the European Union. Luxembourg will be paired with Carlow. This is not an accident. There is a deep historical connection between Luxembourg and Carlow. Carlow, Echternach and a centuries‑old bridge County Carlow and Echternach are rooted in centuries of history through St Willibrord. These historical, symbolic connections make it somehow easier to open up cultural conversations, generate tourism, deepen civic relationships and even spark new business and educational partnerships. Murnane O’Connor visited Echternach, the basilica and learned more about Saint Willibrord, whose pilgrimage binds Echternach to Carlow and nearby Leighlinbridge where a relic is held in the cathedral. County Pairing: Carlow meets Luxembourg Ireland’s 2026 EU Presidency will include a new “County Pairing” initiative that links each of the 26 Irish counties with one of the 26 other EU member states. Under the programme, ambassadors and ministers will visit their counties for public events about Europe, with a strong emphasis on bringing Brussels beyond capitals and big cities. For TD Murnane O’Connor, success in December 2026 would mean visible, practical links: school and university exchanges, twin‑town projects between local councils, joint cultural festivals and sport. “Community groups, schools, sports clubs, businesses – they all need to be involved so that we build something that lasts.” A growing Irish community, and 'soft ambassadors' abroad Luxembourg is home to more than 2,500 Irish citizens, a number that surprised even the Minister. She met many of them at a reception hosted by Irish Ambassador Jean McDonald, whom she calls “an absolute lady, an excellent ambassador” along with GAA members, Darkness Into Light organisers and the Irish Young Professional Network. For Murnane O’Connor, Irish people abroad are 'soft ambassadors' whose pride in their identity quietly shapes how Ireland is seen in Europe. Her young Carlow intern, Amy, summed up the generational angle: when Irish students think of going abroad, they still imagine the USA, the UK or Australia, “but to think that there’s so many people here working in EU institutions and in financial work in Luxembourg is fantastic.” And many of us never leave. “Most of the people I spoke to came for two or three years,” the Minister noted, “but if you go over three years, you never go home.” A like‑minded partnership in a turbulent world The timing of her visit underlined just how closely aligned Luxembourg and Ireland see themselves in Europe. On the same week, Luxembourg’s Prime Minister Luc Frieden and Finance Minister Gilles Roth were in Dublin meeting the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, as both countries prepared for debates on competitiveness, the single market and financial services. Ireland and Luxembourg are frequently described as “like‑minded” on European competitiveness and financial services, and both host significant financial sectors. Yet they are also pushing back together against Franco‑German efforts to centralise EU financial supervision by expanding the powers of the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) at the expense of national regulators. Luxembourg fears that turning ESMA into a centralised supervisor would “add complexity, bureaucracy and costs” without genuinely strengthening the single market, Finance Minister Gilles Roth argued in Brussels. Ireland’s Finance Minister Simon Harris echoed that view, insisting that “centralising supervision is not necessary” even as he expressed determination to conclude negotiations by year‑end, with Ireland due to hold the rotating EU Presidency in the second half of the year. For Murnane O’Connor, this kind of alignment shows how small states can punch above their weight in EU debates when they work together. Ireland’s EU Presidency: unity, security and everyday impact “Being in Europe is very important for us. It’s about unity: working together to protect jobs, support agriculture, advance education and keep people secure.” Jennifer wants ordinary citizens to feel this Presidency on the ground: in town‑hall debates, farm meetings, cultural events and youth projects funded under the Communicating Europe Initiative. For Ireland, it is also an opportunity to showcase a country that has evolved from its agricultural roots into a global tech and finance hub without losing sight of the land and the farmers who work it. The average farmer in Europe is 54 years old, and younger people are increasingly reluctant to take over family farms. Climate change, volatile fuel and heating costs and the seven‑days‑a‑week nature of the job make it a tough sell. “Farmers are the lifeline of who we are. We need to support them, protect them, and make sure we mind the land.” Public health, wellbeing and a new drugs strategy Beyond Europe, the Minister’s 'day job' is to work on public health, wellbeing and Ireland’s national drugs strategy. In Luxembourg she visited ABRIGADO, a frontline facility that works with some of the most vulnerable people in society, and was struck by its almost 20 years of experience, multi‑disciplinary approach and the kindness of the staff. Back home, she has just launched a public consultation on Ireland’s new national drugs strategy – the first major rethink in a decade, reflecting how drug use has spread beyond cities into rural communities and small towns. She is especially focused on awareness, prevention, family support and tackling stigma. The Minister is also moving fast on one of the most contentious youth‑health issues of the moment: vaping. She has brought legislation to the Dáil to ban disposable vapes and restrict the proliferation of sweet flavours and eye‑catching packaging that clearly target younger people, along with new rules on nicotine pouches and display bans similar to those already applied to cigarettes. “Vaping has become a huge challenge in Ireland. These are the changes you can make as a politician – and they matter to parents and to young people.” Her broader health and wellbeing brief includes everything from walking trails to men’s sheds and emerging women’s sheds, community spaces supported by small government grants where people, often retired or widowed, can meet, learn, volunteer and avoid isolation. There are more than 380 women’s sheds in Ireland already, in addition to a larger network of men’s sheds. “You don’t want anyone feeling alone,” Murnane O’Connor said. “Being involved in your community is one of the best things you can do for your health.” A personal political journey Murnane O’Connor’s political story is interwoven with that of her late father, who served for over 20 years on Carlow’s town and county councils. When he fell ill, he asked her to stand so that “between us” they could continue serving; she became a councillor two and a half years before he died, and has been in politics ever since. “Politics is like a calling. You have to love it. It’s seven days a week, and every election is a new battle, but the rewards are exceptional when you can change someone’s life with something simple.” Happy St. Patrick’s Day “I want to wish everyone a happy St Patrick’s Day. I’m so proud - we’re all so proud - to be Irish. It’s a great day, and we’re delighted to share it with Luxembourg.”
• Luxembourg Teens Become Diplomats for a Day: Empowering Future Female Leaders, 15/03/2026 15.03.2026 53p

  Nine young ladies discuss closing intersectional gaps, crisis management, and why the world needs more female diplomats now. The Future of Diplomacy is Female: A Masterclass in Leadership Lisa's studio was filled with the energy of nine bright young ladies aged 16 to 19. They won the 'Diplomat for a Day' competition, a joint initiative by the British and Canadian embassies designed to encourage girls to become advocates for change in a field where women remain under-represented. The winners: Lisa Betz, Priya Trivedi, Martina Gil Tierno, Aknur Borjakova, Sophie Goettsch, Xamantha Gavadan, Zoe Gaicio, Candice Boutoleau, and Anne Banthrongsakd, were selected for their compelling essays on closing intersectional gaps between men and women. Trial by Fire: Crisis Management The day began with a high-stakes crisis simulation involving an imaginary island and a hotel fire, forcing the students to act as embassy managers under intense media pressure. Candice Boutoleau, who acted as a manager, noted the stress of "critically thinking on the spot," while Aknur Borjakova managed communications to keep the public calm despite "fake news" and information leaks. "I think that whatever you're saying is a clear answer that's going to guide people. And it's okay to not know... but it's better to wait and then tell people correctly inform them rather than just putting out numbers that are incorrect." Priya Trivedi Safety and STEM The conversation shifted to the daily realities of being a young woman. Lisa Betz spoke candidly about the "uncertainty" women feel when going out at night, comparing her experience to that of her brother. "It feels unfair because I know that men don't have to put up with these things and they don't have to be scared to go out. They don't get told all these things." Lisa Betz The disparity extends to the STEM fields. Anne Banthrongsakd, a participant in the Luxembourg Informatics Olympiad, highlighted the "enormous disparity" in computer science, noting there were only three girls compared to 20 boys in the semi-finals. She advocated for the philosophy of 'see it to be it' urging for more female figures in STEM to break biased mindsets. Global Perspectives and New Solutions The winners brought perspectives from the Philippines, Laos, and back to Europe, addressing issues from domestic abuse to healthcare research. Candice Boutoleau proposed a revolutionary concept: an anonymous radio station where victims of domestic abuse could share their stories to build a global community. Xamantha Gavadan emphasized that while western countries have made progress, the global fight must include ending practices like female genital mutilation and restrictive divorce laws. The day included a formal lunch with the Luxembourg Ladies Ambassadors Club, meetings with Minister Obertin and MP Gusty Graas, and a certificate reception to mark their journey as the diplomats of tomorrow.
• President Nadia Calviño, Nikolai Coster-Waldau, Oleksandra Matviichuk, Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski: A Strong Europe in a Changing World: EIB Group Forum 2026, 14/03/2026 14.03.2026 57p

  Insights from the EIB Group Forum 2026: EIB President Nadia Calviño joins global leaders to discuss security, space, and why dignity is our best defence. The EIB Group Forum 2026, held in the heart of Luxembourg, served as a powerful reminder that Europe is no longer taking its security, energy, or democratic values for granted. Under the theme "A Strong Europe in a Changing World," a stellar lineup of speakers and an international audience explored how investment and individual action are shaping a resilient future. In this video you’ll find: 00:00 Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), on the EIB’s mission, European resilience, and the main levers of competitiveness. 16.40 Nikolai Coster-Waldau, Actor and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador on climate optimism, the UNDP’s mission, and the strength of European unity in Greenland. 26.46 Oleksandra Matviichuk, Nobel Peace Prize Winner & Chair of the Center for Civil Liberties; on the resistance in Ukraine, the power of ordinary people, and reclaiming European values. 42.00 Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski, ESA Astronaut from Poland, on the "European story," space as critical infrastructure, and the Space Tech EU funding program. The EIB: Financing the European Success Story Nadia Calviño, President of the European Investment Bank (EIB), describes the institution as one of the EU's greatest success stories. By leveraging capital from Member States, the EIB transforms infrastructure, from highways and hospitals to high-risk innovative startups in the space sector. President Calviño emphasised that 2026 is the ‘year of competitiveness’ focusing on market integration and simplification to help European companies remain resilient against global shocks. An Optimist’s Guide to Humanity Actor and UNDP Goodwill Ambassador Nikolai Coster-Waldau brought a message of hope, urging a shift away from "doom and gloom" climate communication that creates division. Through his project, An Optimist’s Guide to the Planet, he explores human innovation and the common values that connect us. He emphasised that whilst the planet will survive, our focus must remain on protecting one another through unity and solidarity. Dignity as Action: The Frontline of Freedom In a deeply moving speech, Nobel laureate Oleksandra Matviichuk reminded the forum that "ordinary people can change history". Detailing the harrowing reality of the invasion in Ukraine, she argued that the collapse of the international order was preceded by an ethical crisis. For Matviichuk, the fight for Ukraine is a fight for the very idea of freedom, asserting that "dignity is action" and that Europe must move beyond being a "consumer of democracy" to becoming its fierce protector. From Outer Space to Strategic Sovereignty Polish astronaut Sławosz Uznański-Wiśniewski shared his journey as a student in Łódź to the International Space Station: a path only made possible by Poland’s EU accession and the Erasmus programme. He highlighted that space is not just for dreamers; it is "invisible, critical infrastructure" that synchronises power grids and stock markets. Through the €500 million Space Tech EU program, the EIB and ESA are now funding the next generation of European technological champions. https://www.undp.org/goodwill-ambassadors/nikolaj-coster-waldau https://www.esa.int/Science_Exploration/Human_and_Robotic_Exploration/Astronauts/Slawosz_Uznanski-Wisniewski https://www.nobelprize.org/events/nobel-prize-dialogue/brussels2024/panellists/oleksandra-matviichuk/#:~:text=Oleksandra%20Matviichuk%20is%20a%20human,the%202022%20Nobel%20Peace%20Prize.
• Europe’s AI Superstar Slams “Catastrophic” Hiring Rules in Europe, 13/03/2026 13.03.2026 19p

  Mistral AI’s CEO Arthur Mensch calls time on 3‑Month Notice periods and points to the lack of CMOs in Europe, not talented engineering. Europe’s AI Champion With a Warning Arthur Mensch, co‑founder and CEO of Mistral AI, has become one of Europe’s most visible AI leaders, scaling his company from zero to around 800 employees in under three years. Speaking at the EIB Group Forum, he combined optimism about Europe’s AI potential with a blunt diagnosis of what is holding it back. For Mensch, Europe’s problem is no longer a lack of raw engineering talent, but the systems around it: hiring rules, fragmented regulations and shallow scale‑up experience at the executive level. Unless these are fixed, he argues, Europe risks remaining dependent on foreign AI providers for its economic, strategic and cultural future. “Viscosity of Hiring” Why Three Months Is a Catastrophe The most notable part of Mensch’s intervention, talking to a room-full of European executives and bureaucrats, was his attack on Europe’s “viscosity of hiring,” the drag created by long notice periods and HR rules that slow fast‑growing companies to a crawl. “The biggest problem in Europe are the notice periods… The viscosity of hiring is much, much higher than in the US. An employee who wants to leave his company has to give a three‑month notice period. And that’s a full catastrophe.” Mench believes that workers who want to leave should be able to move in about a week, not three months; the current system locks in talent and cripples high‑growth companies that need to assemble teams at startup speed, not bureaucratic speed. This viscosity exists across Europe, with some countries even worse than others, making it systematically harder to build fast‑scaling tech champions than in the US. 
“We should give more right to employees, make sure that if they want to leave their company, they can leave… in like a week.” For founders, investors and policymakers, he is precisely clear: if Europe wants to compete in AI, it cannot afford a labour market calibrated for a different era, and not global competition. The Hidden Talent Crisis: Not Engineers, But Executives Mensch also dismantles a familiar cliché: that Europe’s problem is a shortage of technical people. In his view, Europe is actually very good at producing junior engineers, and Mistral’s strategy is built around that. Mistral hires junior talent from across Europe, with major pools in Paris, Luxembourg, Warsaw, Germany, Greece and a large second office in London. The company deliberately opens local offices so people can stay in or near their hometowns, given the right project and compensation. They also bring back experienced Europeans from the US to inject seniority into teams. The real shortage, he says, is in senior leadership: “The biggest hurdle we find ourselves in is to hire senior people, executives, people that have scaled go‑to‑market teams, people that have scaled marketing teams. The talent shortage is not where you would expect it… Here, there’s basically zero CMO that actually can do what we need to do in Europe.” In Silicon Valley, he notes, he could interview ten strong CMO candidates in a week and hire one the week after. In Europe, he says, there are “basically zero” CMOs who have already done what a company like Mistral needs to do at scale. This is the deeper ecosystem problem: Europe has produced fewer companies that have already gone all the way from start‑up to IPO, so there are fewer seasoned executives who know how to ride that curve. Stock Options, Regulation Nightmares and Fragmented Rules Mensch is pragmatic about compensation and competes with the seven figure plus salaries at US tech giants. He says top recruits can earn similar salaries at Mistral, heavily leveraged with stock options and equity. Given the company’s trajectory, he argues that joining Mistral has already been more attractive financially than joining Google for some. However, he calls Europe’s fragmented stock option regimes “a bit of a nightmare” - there are effectively 27 different systems to navigate. He would welcome more unification, even though he recognises fiscal rules make that hard. This sits on top of broader regulatory friction: country‑by‑country tweaks to EU rules complicate life for fast‑growth companies, from tax and social security to HR processes. Scaling a European company means learning, then re‑learning, the rules in every new market. His core ask is simple: remove easy‑to‑fix blockers such as notice periods and fragmented stock option rules so that European scale‑ups can allocate their energy to technology and markets, not legal contortions. Sovereignty, Strategic Autonomy and Europe’s AI Cloud Despite his criticism, Mensch is in many ways betting on Europe. He founded Mistral after time at Google DeepMind and in French academia because he feared there would be no European champion in generative AI at all. He frames AI sovereignty in three pillars: Economic sovereignty: if Europe remains 80% dependent on US AI providers, value created here will be reinvested in R&D there, widening the gap. Business continuity: if critical processes across utilities, industry and public services run on foreign AI, Europe becomes a “client state” vulnerable to someone else’s off‑switch. Cultural plurality: AI systems are “interaction machines” with built‑in cultural biases; fully centralised control of these systems is, in his view, incompatible with democracy. Mistral’s response: - Build state‑of‑the‑art models that can be deeply customised for enterprises and states, including on‑premises deployment to keep sensitive data in‑house. - Focus on B2B rather than consumer, letting European companies and institutions serve their own end users. - Invest deliberately in multilingual capabilities, accepting slightly lower performance in English to raise performance in European languages such as French and German. 
“You can’t focus on just building domestic technology for Europe, you need to be an exporter.” Mensch is sharply critical of the concentration of consumer AI in a few global players and warns that this will be a major factor in upcoming elections. Open Source, Humanities and Bias: A Broader Vision of AI Mistral’s philosophy is strongly rooted in open source. Mensch insists that open technologies drive the internet and that Europe needs open, sovereign building blocks if it wants a say in how AI evolves. Contrary to stereotype, his teams are not only pure engineers. The research group is dominated by PhDs, but some are humanities‑trained. Journalists and other humanities experts work on “model behaviour”, ensuring outputs are usable, responsible and culturally aware. He cites a project with a humanities‑heavy Molière specialist team that used Mistral models to generate a new Molière play in the playwright’s style. On gender, he offers a snapshot: about a third of Mistral’s research team are women; over half of his leadership team are women; around a quarter of engineers are women. He argues that Europe “exits” women too early from research and scientific tracks and says Mistral actively does more outbound to potential female candidates to compensate for lower application rates. Bias inside the models remains, in his words, a “hard topic”, but one they tackle through specific evaluations and behaviour checks. The Future of AI in Europe, If Viscosity Falls In his closing remarks, Mensch describes AI as an inflection point big enough to redefine Europe’s economic structure. He sees an opportunity to create large‑scale, vertically integrated European AI cloud service providers that reduce dependency on foreign digital services. 
“The new dependency… is a process dependency and a business continuity risk. So we need such actors to emerge.” But his implicit condition is stark: Europe must make it possible to build and scale these actors at speed. That means tackling hiring viscosity, simplifying stock options and making it easier for European founders to assemble world‑class teams in weeks, not quarters. Arthur Mensch and Mistral is so far a success story -he issued a blueprint and a warning. Europe’s AI decade will be decided as much in HR law and fiscal codes as in research labs and data centres.
• Pastor Sally Azar, Ashraf Al-Ajrami: Israel Palestine: Two Voices on Occupation, Identity, and Europe’s Role, 07/03/2026 07.03.2026

  Jerusalem pastor Sally Azar and analyst Ashraf Al-Ajrami on daily life under occupation, peace principles, and what Europe can do now. My guests this week are Rev. Sally Azar, political analyst and former Palestinian Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs Ashraf Al-Ajrami, and Meryem-Lyn Oral, Communications Manager from EPICON. Rev. Sally Azar and Ashraf Al-Ajrami came to Luxembourg with the EU-funded European-Palestinian-Israeli Trilateral Dialogue Initiative (EPICON) to speak honestly about what life feels like to grow up in Israel and Palestine. Jerusalem-born pastor Sally Azar (the first female Palestinian pastor, ordained in 2023) describes a childhood where crisis becomes routine: "You’re always protected… to not really know what’s going on around you.” Azar explains how separation is built into daily movement and also the mindset: “We live next to each other and not really with each other,” as people go to different schools, use different buses, and live in different neighbourhoods. And then there are the literal walls purposely dividing people. This is not shared humanity, and people on each side of the wall do not truly know how people live on the other side. Political analyst and former Palestinian Minister of Prisoners’ Affairs, Ashraf Al-Ajrami, traces how a child’s sense of injustice can harden. “I felt the occupation since my childhood,” he says, describing how the idea of resistance took hold early. Ashraf spent twelve years in Israeli prisons living in inhumane conditions. Both guests return repeatedly to the same tension: the conflict’s engines are political power, rights, and forced inequality, not religious. Sally underlines “we’re not fighting Jews… we’re fighting an Israeli occupation,” knowing the sensitivity around confusing political critique with antisemitism. And yet, in the middle of the bleakest realities, she insists on a moral counterweight: “there’s nothing more powerful than love.” So what, concretely, can Europe do? Al-Ajrami argues that this is not charity but self-interest: “It is a flavour of the values of Europe,” he says, pointing to the economic and security consequences when conflict grinds on. They both urge Europe to act with one, confident voice, and to enforce human rights not hatred and separation. Links (all at the end) EPICON https://linktr.ee/epicon.project Sally Azar https://www.elca.org/people/rev-sally-azar Ashraf Al-Ajrami https://www.all4palestine.org/ModelDetails.aspx?gid=14&mid=88205&lang=en
• Lord Chancellor Chris Smith on AI, Education, Free Speech and the Future, 28/02/2026 28.02.2026 48p

  Cambridge Chancellor joins Lisa Burke to explore AI’s impact on education, free speech, climate challenges and why universities still matter. On this episode of The Lisa Burke Show, Lisa welcomes The Rt Hon the Lord Chris Smith, Baron Smith of Finsbury and the 109th Chancellor of the University of Cambridge. A former Labour Cabinet Minister, culture champion, environmental leader and the first openly gay Cabinet Minister in the world, Lord Smith reflects on a lifetime of public service and the evolving role of universities in a fast‑changing world. He describes a university’s purpose as more than teaching or research: it is a place where “truth is honoured, evidence is sought, and debate happens.” At Cambridge, he reminds new students that they’re not there to become better than others, but to become “the best version of themselves.” Yet he is clear that university is not the right path for everyone, arguing that the UK’s push toward 50% university attendance diluted its value. On AI, Lord Smith recognises the power of large models to analyse vast bodies of knowledge instantly, but stresses the need for human judgment: AI can imitate style, but “it can’t be genuinely creative.” He warns too of our “post‑Trump age,” where misinformation has become normalised, making critical thinking more essential than ever. Lord Smith also reflects on his legacy as Culture Secretary, where he introduced free admission to UK national museums. A moment with a father and daughter at the Science Museum, he says, confirmed that “a career in public life was worth it.” Museums, he argues, are part of a nation’s collective memory and should never be gated by wealth. In discussing climate challenges, Chancellor Smith draws from his years chairing the Environment Agency, emphasising the need to trust scientific experts and to prioritise resources wisely. His lifelong love of the Scottish mountains began in a school expedition to Torridon, a formative experience that shaped his passion for nature and environmental stewardship. As Chancellor, he sees his role as both ambassador and advocate for higher education, calling the UK university fees system “broken” and in urgent need of reform. Above all, he places hope in the next generation: “Whenever I despair, I think about our young people… and that gives me hope.” A conversation spanning education, ethics, environment and the future, this episode is a powerful reminder of why leadership grounded in empathy, curiosity and truth still matters.
• How to Thrive in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, 21/02/2026 21.02.2026 52p

  Where can we retain the human touch, impactfully, in the age of AI? Thomas Scherer, cloud architect & computer scientist working for Google joins Lisa. One Saturday night, Thomas sat down with Gemini and asked, "What will make me the happiest person in the world?" Over the course of the next few hours, he got some fascinating results. All of this is part of the story of AI in our lives today, but there is so much more. This conversation is a small reflection of where we are with AI and why we should embrace its benefits, learning as much as we can with careful curiosity. From Horses to Cars “What do I do with my horse-riding skills now that the car has been invented?” With this statement, Thomas reminds us that mega shifts in our human experience is historically normal, and a reflection of the human mind’s brilliance. The AI Shift is just another technological step change. AI is replacing ‘commodity tasks’ - those which are repetitive, standardised processes, providing us with more time to lean into creativity. We become the navigator whilst the more mundane jobs could be taken over by AI. A new way to Search Traditional search engines try to match words whereas modern AI systems match meaning. When you search for trousers for instance, AI systems can use images and semantic understanding to infer style, intent, and context rather than just scanning for the keyword ‘pants or trousers.’ Large language models (LLMs) such as Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and so on, predict the most likely next word, turning colossal amounts of data into fluent conversation, explanation, and even advice based solely on statistical probability of word patterns. We don’t even need to invent the perfect query as they can also predict this. AI as Your Collaborative Partner Used well, AI is more like a creative collaborator: a brainstorming partner that proposes alternative angles, structures, and prompts. For small businesses, it can become an extra “virtual team,” generating draft podcasts, social posts, or marketing visuals that can then be curated and refined. But all the while, it remains the human who sets the objectives and the required tone. This also lends itself to the possibility of many people becoming autonomous, single-person businesses. Agents: When AIs Start Working Together When you give an AI tools and sub-tasks, it can orchestrate them toward a goal. One agent might create images; another might check whether those images match the brief (e.g. 'sunny landscape, not rain’); together, they negotiate improvements until the output fits what you asked for. Even non-technical people can use early agent-like products. NotebookLM, for instance, lets you upload documents, then: - Ask questions about them in natural language. - Generate personalised podcasts from your own material that you can listen to during a commute. - Work across multiple languages, both in sources and in the audio you generate. A recurring complaint in companies is: “Our data is too messy to do AI.” That is partly true for training bespoke models: bad data in, bad model out, but paradoxically, AI is also very good at cleaning data in the first place. You can literally give such a tool a messy folder of information and ask to make sense of it. Because it understands patterns in addresses, email formats, names, and categories, AI can, for example: - Standardise your contact lists so mailings no longer bounce. - Extract fields from scanned paperwork and fill out forms for you. - Help you perform a “data spring clean” on everything from CRM records to home admin. For an individual drowning in paperwork, this is transformative: scan, upload, and ask the AI to pre-fill or summarise, then you simply review and sign. Everyday Simplifications with AI You do not need to be a computer scientist to get real value from AI. A good starting sequence for a normal day could include: - Identify what you hate doing: repetitive emails, calendar logistics, summarising long documents, or form-filling. - Ask the AI directly: “Show me how to use you to spend less time on this task,” then iterate based on its suggestions. - Start with non-sensitive data and low‑risk tasks, and only move to personal or client material once you understand the provider’s terms and privacy guarantees. People in Luxembourg working across languages can also benefit from live translation and dubbing: tools already exist that let you speak in German and be heard in French or English in your own voice, with a slight delay, in meetings or recorded content. Jobs, Risk, and the Human Edge AI is reshaping the job market. In the UK, one study found that companies using AI had eliminated 11% of previous roles and left another 12% unfilled, while creating 19% new roles, which is a net loss of 4% overall, with the UK faring worse than the US on the balance between jobs lost and created. That reality naturally fuels both excitement and anxiety. What AI targets first are commodity tasks: copy-pasting, routine classification, basic template writing, or standardised analysis. The more your work relies on unique human context, judgment, empathy, and rapport, from live concerts to therapy and even parenting, the harder it is to replace. The opportunity, and pressure, is to climb the value chain: stop being the engine that moves the data and become the navigator who decides where to go. Trust, Safety, and Owning Your Self Image and Voice As AI systems get better at imitating voices and faces, distinguishing fake from real becomes a societal survival skill. Voice scams already exploit cloned speech to convince parents their child is in danger, and manipulated images can travel faster than fact‑checks. Two layers of protection are emerging: - Technical safeguards such as watermarking in generated images or audio, which allow downstream tools to flag AI‑created content. - Legal and ethical frameworks like GDPR in Europe, which treat your appearance and voice as personal data requiring your consent for alteration and reuse. - Providers also increasingly commit to indemnifying users when material generated within the rules is later challenged on copyright grounds, shifting some of the risk back to the platforms that trained the models. Prompting: Talking to AI so It Really Helps You do not need to be a prompt engineer, but a few habits make a big difference. First, describe what you do want rather than only what you do not want: “Keep the face unchanged and brighten the background” works better than “Don’t change the face.” Second, you can use AI to improve your own prompts: - Tell it your goal (“I want a video that shows X for Y audience”). - Ask: “Write a detailed prompt I can paste into a video/image generator.” - Edit the suggested prompt so it fits your tone, context, and constraints. Over time, this becomes a self-teaching loop: the AI drafts the prompt, you tweak and observe the output, and your intuitive sense of what to ask for gets sharper. AI, Emotions, and the Limits of the Machine Some people now confide in chatbots as if they were friends or therapists. In one late-night experiment, Thomas asked Gemini to interview him and figure out what would make him “the happiest person in the world”; the system eventually pointed out contradictions in his answers and nudged him toward deeper reflection. That shows how AI can mirror back patterns in your own thinking and ask probing questions. But it still lacks the embodied empathy, nuanced perception, and ethical responsibility of a trained human therapist, who reads not just words but tone, pauses, posture, and history. AI can supplement support; it should not replace serious care. Why You Should Start Now Paradoxically, Thomas’s biggest fear is not that AI will take over, but that people will be left behind because they are too afraid to try it. Like refusing to learn to drive when everyone else has moved to cars, opting out of AI entirely risks shrinking your options just as the toolset explodes. The most practical stance is curious, critical use: test it, set boundaries, keep the human touch at the centre, and let the machines handle the drudgery.
• Nathan Sneyd, Tony Whiteman, Matthew Dennis-Soto: Rugby culture, community and Oxbridge meets RCL, 20/02/2026 20.02.2026 58p

  Rugby Club Luxembourg hosts Oxbridge this weekend in Stade Josy Barthel. This weekend on The Lisa Burke Show, rugby takes centre stage as Rugby Club Luxembourg (RCL) prepares to welcome a combined Oxford-Cambridge “Oxbridge” team to Stade Josy Barthel for what is believed to be their first ever visit to the Grand Duchy. Seniors player and schools rugby coordinator Matthew Dennis Soto explains that the fixture offers a perfect mid‑season test for RCL, while also reconnecting him with university teammates from his PGCE days at Oxford, in a match he jokes might even mark a “secret retirement” at 80 minutes. The game also plugs Luxembourg directly into one of the sport’s oldest traditions: the varsity rugby culture that has produced generations of international players since the first iconic Oxbridge match in 1872. On the show, Matthew tells us how the Oxford and Cambridge system has historically functioned as an informal England trial, with selectors once taking 15 to 20 players from a single varsity match into national squads. Today, professional academies have taken over much of that role, but the commitment remains close to professional standards: double daily training sessions, gym and pitch work, video analysis and eight hours of study woven through the day. That intensity, he argues, leaves graduates ready for both professional rugby and demanding careers beyond sport, thanks to a culture where “buy‑in” is non‑negotiable and no one can simply skip training because they are tired. RCL’s aim is to build that ethos, with more Luxembourgish now spoken at training than English or French, and a growing number of locally raised players feeding into the national team. Rugby Club Luxembourg: 500 members, 54 nationalities, one “tribe” Vice President Tony Whiteman sketches the remarkable growth of RCL, founded in 1973 and now boasting around 500 active members encompassing players, referees and coaches, making it one of Luxembourg’s largest sporting organisations. The club currently represents 54 nationalities and competes in Germany’s First Division, a notable achievement for a country of Luxembourg’s size and a testament to decades of volunteer‑driven development. Tony’s own story mirrors that journey: arriving from New Zealand “for 18 months” to play rugby, finding community in the legendary Irish pub The Black Stuff, and staying to build a life, a family and a career, helped along by a network of club members who even opened professional doors in finance. And he has done the same for so many more. Belonging, discipline and life skills on and off the pitch A recurring theme of the discussion is rugby’s unique capacity to create belonging across ages, body types and backgrounds. Nathan Sneyd, now a familiar voice from “Let’s Talk Sport” and a long‑standing squash coach in Luxembourg, describes rugby as a “jigsaw of athletes”, where fast and slow, tall and short, heavy and light all fit together in different positions toward a shared objective. That sense of purpose and identity, symbolised by a simple shirt colour, translates into powerful benefits for mental health and social integration, especially for newcomers who might otherwise dismiss Luxembourg as “quiet” if they never join a club or community. Tony highlights rugby’s thread of decency: respect for referees, listening to coaches, learning discipline from adults outside the family, as a life school that employers value, noting that his own first job in Luxembourg came precisely because a manager trusted the work ethic of sportspeople. Women’s rugby and infrastructure: the next frontier Looking ahead, the guests agree that women’s rugby represents one of the biggest growth opportunities, both globally and at RCL. The club has established a women’s section with regular training, and women’s rugby is cited as one of the fastest‑growing areas of the sport, yet limited pitch space in Luxembourg City is now a hard constraint on how far that momentum can go. As Director of Rugby Antoine Alric (who could not join the recording) works across elite competition, 350‑plus youth players and an expanding women’s programme, the club is lobbying for at least half a pitch more in the short term and, eventually, a second ground to match demand. For listeners inspired to get involved, Nathan underlines how approachable Luxembourg’s sporting community is: from elite racer Dylan Pereira inviting Instagram messages from aspiring drivers to RCL’s own open‑door culture, often the first step is as simple as showing up or sending a message, and letting the game, and the community around it, do the rest. https://rcl.lu/