Our guests this week include Austrian socialist MEP Andreas Schieder, Marta Mucznik, EU senior analyst with the International Crisis Group and Riho Terras, Estonian MEP with the European People’s Party. 

The panel reflect on the first visit this week by NATO’s new Secretary General to the European Parliament.

Mark Rutte, who was Dutch Prime Minister for years, is courting EU institutions and political parties as he seeks to improve relations and boost defence investment. Riho Terras, a former army general, applauds his ambition.

“If Putin wins in Ukraine, then we will have 40 million angry Ukrainians against us and pretty soon we will face the same threat”, said Terras, adding that Kyiv is as close to Berlin as it is to Tallinn.

The panel also took a deep dive into Austrian politics, which, five months after elections, are in a mess. After Karl Nehammer resigned earlier this month, far-right firebrand Herbert Kickl, known for his anti-EU, anti-NATO, xenophobic views, looks set to become chancellor, with his party dominating a coalition with the centre-right Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP).

Andreas Schieder, who was involved in the initial coalition negotiations, blamed ÖVP for cosying up to the far right, and that the truth about the dire state of Austrian finances only came out after the elections.

“Conservatives always say the others are guilty, that we have now to accept the extreme right”, Schieder said.

Finally, the panel discussed media trends for 2025 and the dwindling trust in mainstream news sources.

Marta Mucznik said she could never replace her TV or newspaper.

“Social media will never replace traditional, conventional media … It provides no context, it proliferates fake news,” she said. “It’s propaganda, it’s not information.”

Watch ‘Brussels, my love?’ in the player above.

Archaeologists have unearthed a lavish private bath complex in Pompeii, highlighting the wealth and grandeur of the ancient Roman city before it was destroyed by Mount Vesuvius in AD 79, the site said on Friday.

The baths, featuring hot, warm and cold rooms, could host up to 30 guests, allowing them to relax before heading into an adjacent, black-walled banquet hall, decorated with scenes from Greek mythology.

ITALY’S ANCIENT POMPEII PARK CRACKS DOWN ON DAILY VISITORS TO COMBAT OVERTOURISM

The pleasure complex lies inside a grand residence that has been uncovered over the last two years during excavations that have revealed the opulent city’s multifaceted social life before Vesuvius buried it under a thick, suffocating blanket of ash.

A central courtyard with a large basin adds to the splendour of the house, which is believed to have been owned by a member of Pompeii’s elite in its final years.

“This discovery underscores how Roman houses were more than private residences, they were stages for public life and self-promotion,” said Gabriel Zuchtriegel, director of the Pompeii Archaeological Park.

Zuchtriegel said the layout recalled scenes from the Roman novel “The Satyricon”, where banquets and baths were central to displays of wealth and status.

Decorated with frescoes, the complex draws inspiration from Greek culture, emphasizing themes of leisure and erudition.

“The homeowner sought to create a spectacle, transforming their home into a Greek-style palace and gymnasium,” Zuchtriegel said.

The remains of more than 1,000 victims have been found during excavations in Pompeii, including two bodies inside the private residence with the bathhouse – a woman, aged between 35-50, who was clutching jewellery and coins, and a younger man.

The discovery of their bodies was announced last year.