Žarko Šunderić, Director of the Center for Social Policy (CSP), was a guest in the first episode of the new podcast "Just Europe" produced by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs and Inclusion (DG EMPL) in early March 2025.

The first episode of the new podcast was dedicated to the issue of social and economical inequalities and the concept of left-behindness, examining the challenges faced by public policy makers at all levels – the European, national and local – when attempting to address European citizens’ concerns that they and their communities may not benefit from economic, social and technological change. This complex issue was examined from various perspectives by: Lars Katzmarek, a German policymaker and rapper chronicling the challenges facing his home state of Brandenburg; researchers James Scott and Žarko Šunderić, both participants in research projects looking at the concept of left-behindness from different angles; and Judit Carreras, Director of Spain’s Just Transition Institute, speaking of her country’s pioneering work to ensure that policymaking for the future leaves no-one in the past.

Žarko Šunderić used the opportunity to present the content, goals and main findings produced to date by the EXIT project, European research initiative aimed at investigating the forms, main causes, and implications of social and economic inequalities within and between areas often labelled “left behind”. The EXIT project is being implemented by a consortium of partners from eight countries, including the Center for Social Policy. The project is funded by the European Commission as part of the HORIZON programme. More information on the EXIT project can be found here.

The episode "Left behind: fact or feeling?" can be found on the official page of the “Just Europe” podcast, and the Spotify and Apple Podcasts platforms.