Why What's up EU?

The initial idea of Thomas and Agnes was to explain the European Union through current events. As an institutional object, the EU is sometimes difficult to grasp, and the challenge was to bring rather technocratic debates to life while keeping a sufficient level of precision for the content to be useful for specialists and interesting for non-specialists.

The team was structured around a core of volunteer contributors, both students and young professionals. 

What is What's up EU?

What's up EU is a newsletter taking the form of a weekly bulletin that can be read in 7-8 minutes. It dissects the most important EU news. We have decided to cover EU news in a horizontal way, so as not to become a sectoral publication. Every week, we choose a main topic and write a briefing of 800-1000 words on it. We also include shorter briefs summarizing important news in all areas, and a selection of reading material.

Our newsletter is read by 3500 readers each week, including MEPs and MPs, parliamentary assistants, EU officials, diplomats in permanent representations, lobbyists, EU affairs managers in large companies, and students.

What are the ambitions for What's up EU?

The main objective is to help more people each week to understand what is happening at EU level. The growth of our subscriber base is achieved mainly through word of mouth. This explains the high level of engagement of our readers, with whom we are often in contact — we do not hesitate to meet with them over a coffee.

In the long term, we want to make What's up EU an advertising-financed medium while keeping most of our content free. We are in contact with advertisers for whom a targeted readership has commercial value, and which would allow us to grow and hire.

What are your personal career goals?

I am currently completing my studies at the London School of Economics, as part of a double degree's master with Sciences Po. I will then seek to combine European affairs with his interest in public policy related to the energy transition.

As for Thomas and Agnès, they both work in international law firms specializing in European competition law, in Paris for Agnès and in Brussels for Thomas.

Find out more about What's up EU

• Contact Augustin Bourleaud
• Follow What's up EU on Linkedin or Twitter.