All episodes

Factories that used to manufacture trains or steel are now being used by the arms industry. Companies such as Rheinmetall, Thales and Leonardo are offering workers new jobs. Consulting firms promise an economic boost thanks to investments in rearmament. However, economist Nan Tian of SIPRI is sceptical. From an economic perspective, he argues against these investments. They would be better spent on infrastructure, healthcare or education.

Matteo Bracciali, vice-president of ACLI (the Christian Association of Italian Workers), also criticises the EU's approach to spending. He suggests a unified European army and much less money for military purposes. According to Bracciali...

In a 2025 press conference, EU president Ursula von der Leyen claimed that we are living in an era of rearmament. Consequently, Europe must invest more in defence and security. An EU-wide strategy would be highly effective, according to Annegret Bendiek, a political scientist at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs. However, the EU's strength is also its weakness: its 27 members do not always agree on everything.

Meanwhile, questions are being asked about whether powering the arms industry brings security and peace. Scientists such as Nan Tian of SIPRI advocate a different approach.

Find more on this...

In February 2022, Russia attacked Ukraine. Since then, many people have lost their lives and large parts of the country have been destroyed. The population continues to fight back to this day, while also trying to lead normal lives. Meet Lyudmyla Vysotska, a kindergarten teacher in Lviv, who juggles her work with children with the constant pressure of having family on the front line.

Eleanor Hitchman, a psychologist at the International Committee of the Red Cross, manages her organisation's mental health programmes in Ukraine, but faces structural challenges.

Find more on this topic in the latest issue of the EZA...

Reducing working hours is a phenomenon that started in the 20th century. The third and final episode of this mini-series focuses on science. At the University of Münster, Germany, Julia Backmann and her team research the impact of the four-day-work week. She has conducted an experiment with dozens of organizations that have reduced working hours. Her results are in favor of this model and in line with studies all around the world. Reducing working hours may be a challenge at first, but not only workers but also employers can benefit from it.

For Giorgos Valasis a regular work week consists of 6 days. After his shift as a bus driver in Athens he finds himself constantly exhausted. He’s frightened by the fact that his government passed a law to enable 13 hours per day. While Giorgios and a lot of his working colleges take this fight into the streets of Athens to prevent the liberalisation of working hours, a German CEO changed his company to four-day-working-week. In this second episode, Carsten Graf tells his story of how he has changed the structure of his business and what has changed since then.

Questioning working time has always been a big issue for both workers and employers. In a three-part series of We Work Europe, we take a closer look at different models. The first episode follows the Greek government’s attempt to increase working time. It’s purpose is to fight the shortage of skilled workforce as well as undeclared work. Deputy minister of labour and social security, Konstantinos Karagkounis, explains how changed legislation might bring new opportunities to its country. On the other hand there is Antonis Karras, president of one of Greece’s largest trade unions DAKE, an EZA member. He believes new...

What happens when you wait 25 years for EU membership – and are still told you’re not ready? In this episode, we look at Bosnia and Herzegovina, where hopes for accession remain high but frustrations are growing.
We hear from politicians and experts about stalled reforms, mass emigration, and the risk of losing the country’s future to other powers. Can Bosnia still find its place in the European Union – and what lessons can be drawn from past enlargements?

On his 34th birthday in 1989, Dr. Konstantin Trenchev helped found Bulgaria’s first independent trade union – PODKREPA. What began as a small act of defiance soon turned into a movement that shaped Bulgaria’s path to democracy and EU accession.
In this episode, we revisit the turbulent years around the fall of communism, the struggles of early trade unionists, and the promises and pitfalls of Bulgaria’s journey into the European Union. What lessons remain from this era – and how do they echo in today’s Europe?

What happens when the promise of prosperity in the EU doesn’t match reality?
In this first episode, we start in Sofia, Bulgaria, where strikes and low wages reveal the frustrations of many citizens. We hear from journalists, union leaders, and researchers about the struggles of EU integration, the rising cost of living, and why the expected “convergence” never fully arrived.
Join us as we explore the hopes, challenges, and disappointments of countries that joined the EU in 2004 and 2007 – and ask whether their concerns are justified, and what trade unions and politics can do today.

In the final episode of "Inside Gen Z," we explore how trade unions are working to engage young people in the labor market. Despite a general lack of awareness about unions among youth, initiatives like the CNV's youth department in the Netherlands and Krifa's TikTok presence in Denmark aim to attract younger members. Through real-life examples, including the successful unionization of Starbucks employees, we see the power of social media and grassroots movements. Experts emphasize the importance of listening to Gen Z's demands and collaborating with them to create a better future for all workers.