A podcast by Debating Europe, the citizen engagement unit of Friends of Europe

July 2025

Overcoming Polarisation: Paths to Common Ground

As Europe faces rising polarisation – on politics, climate, technology, and trust in public institutions – decision-makers are under growing pressure to respond with solutions that are effective, inclusive, and forward-looking.

Overcoming Polarisation: Paths to Common Ground is a podcast series that cuts through the noise to explore the drivers of division and the pathways to unity. Produced by Debating Europe, part of Friends of Europe, this series brings together a wide range of voices – policymakers, civil society leaders, business innovators – highlighting findings from our latest research project, Voices for Choices.

Each episode focuses on core issues like economic inequality, digital disruption, and climate anxiety, offering actionable insights and policy-relevant perspectives. The aim? To move beyond analysis and spotlight scalable solutions that strengthen democratic resilience and rebuild trust across European societies.

If you’re a policymaker, funder, or stakeholder committed to bridging divides and shaping Europe’s future, this is the podcast for you.

Listen now. Engage with the voices shaping tomorrow’s common ground.

(Re)building fairness: What does a better tomorrow look like?

This is the first episode of Overcoming Polarisaton: Paths to Common Ground, a new podcast series from Debating Europe, Friends of Europe’s citizen engagement unit.

Europe is feeling fractured. Whether it’s politics, climate, tech, or trust in institutions, more and more people are feeling left out, unheard, and uncertain about the future. But what if we could flip the script? What if instead of fuelling division, we looked for common ground? In this series, we’re diving into the real issues behind polarisation. Economic inequality, climate anxiety, digital disruption, and bringing together voices from across the spectrum. From policymakers, activists, business leaders, and most importantly, citizens’ voices via our latest study Voices for Choices.

In today’s show, host Catarina Vila Nova is speaking with Miriam Gonzalez, who founded Espana Mejor, a non-for-profit organization providing new non-partisan ways for Spanish citizens to contribute to policy making, and Giles Merritt, the founder of Friends of Europe who has written extensively about Europe’s demographic challenges.

If you want to comment on this episode you can send us an e-mail: press@friendsofeurope.org or info@debatingeurope.eu.

Co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.