Brussels Playbook Podcast

EU leaders met virtually to try to forge a path toward economic recovery — and they found a way not to disagree, by deciding in advance not to try to agree. With the European Commission now tasked with producing a plan, what are the main sticking points to getting Europe up and running again? POLITICO's David Herszenhorn and Jacopo Barigazzi take us on a behind-the-scenes tour of the European Council, explaining how things typically work and how that's changed in the coronavirus era. Our podcast panel digs into the battles over the economy and the row over Britain's decision not to take part in an EU effort to procure medical equipment. We also explore some stories that didn't get so much attention because the world has been transfixed by the coronavirus. And we bid a fond farewell — for now — to our U.K. correspondent and panel regular Annabelle Dickson, who shares some joyful news with our listeners. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why is Belgium’s coronavirus death toll so high? And will antibody tests be the panacea to ending lockdowns in Europe? POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton and Barbara Moens answer these questions in the latest edition of our special series on the coronavirus crisis in Europe. Also in this episode, POLITICO's Artificial Intelligence correspondent Janosch Delcker speaks with Nuria Oliver, high commissioner for AI and COVID-19 at the regional government in Valencia, about how she and her team of computer scientists are using AI to tackle the coronavirus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How have the EU and the U.K. handled the coronavirus crisis so far? Our podcast team took your questions on that subject in a live Twitter chat. Listen in to hear what U.K. political correspondent Annabelle Dickson, EU editor Andrew Gray, chief Europe correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig and senior health reporter Sarah Wheaton had to say. Anu Bradford, a professor at Columbia Law School, is our special guest to talk about her new book on "The Brussels Effect" — a term she coined to describe how EU rules end up setting standards in global markets. She talks about the impact of EU power on the Brexit negotiations, artificial intelligence, climate change and globalization. Bradford spoke to producer Cristina Gonzalez on a visit to Brussels before the coronavirus put a stop to travel as we know it. So Cristina also brings us up to date with how Bradford thinks the crisis may impact the EU's power. Our virtual tour of the Brussels bubble continues this week with an insider's guide to the European Parliament. POLITICO's Maïa de La Baume reports on how the Parliament is struggling to do its job in this era of lockdowns and social distancing. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our senior health reporter Sarah Wheaton reviews the key moments of this crisis so far and answers the big questions on how Europe ended up here. You can read the deep dive Sarah co-authored with chief Brussels correspondent David M. Herszenhorn, How Europe failed the coronavirus test, on our website. POLITICO's Joshua Posaner tells us about the impact of the crisis on the auto industry, how it plans to recover and how that may affect regulation. You'll hear the perspectives of Eric-Mark Huitema, director general of the European Automobile Manufacturers' Association (ACEA), and Dutch Green MEP Bas Eickhout, who has long expressed concerns about the industry's efforts to adapt to climate demands. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Who's running Britain? Does anyone have a plan to get us out of lockdowns? And what's behind the battle over corona bonds? We try to answer all these questions and more in this week's episode. POLITICO's Annabelle Dickson paints a portrait of Dominic Raab, the U.K. foreign secretary standing in for Boris Johnson while the PM is in hospital. The podcast panel also discusses the European Commission's midweek U-turn — promising, but then postponing, a roadmap for returning to normality. And we examine the chances of EU countries finding common ground on funding an economic response to the pandemic. Nostalgic for the Brussels bubble, or curious about how it works? We start our virtual tour series with POLITICO's Lili Bayer, who walks us through how journalists usually engage with the European Commission via their press briefings, and how this has changed now that questions can't be asked in person. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

David Alexander, a professor of risk and disaster reduction, explains how governments should prepare for a pandemic and why leaders seem to be in a state of "frantic improvisation" now this one has come along. Governments needed "an immediate, aggressive response" but underestimated the threat posed by the coronavirus as they weighed up the risks of action, Alexander says. He also sets out the case for the EU to "aggressively assert" a greater role for itself in handling major emergencies. POLITICO's health reporter Carmen Paun untangles the confusing advice on whether we should all be wearing masks. She also delves into the troubles governments and individuals are having procuring personal protective equipment. Chief technology correspondent Mark Scott talks about coronavirus apps ⁠— examining concerns about data privacy and looking ahead to the prospect of digital passports to show who's allowed back out into the world. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Nicolas Schmit, the European commissioner for jobs and social rights, is our special guest ⁠— discussing the Commission's plan to help people stay in jobs despite the coronavirus crisis. Our pan-European panel debates how long citizens will tolerate lockdown life before pushing back against their governments. We look at Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's communications troubles, after she triggered anger in Italy by describing corona bonds as a "catchphrase" in the German press. And we ask if Europe will rally round a viable economic response to match the scale of the crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Herman Goossens, a professor of microbiology and coordinator of an EU group studying how to combat the coronavirus, is our special guest. What would he have done differently if he could turn back the clock? And when can we realistically expect a return to normal? Goossens answers those questions and more in conversation with POLITICO's senior health reporter Sarah Wheaton and EU editor Andrew Gray. We also look at coronavirus testing with health reporter Carmen Paun. What are the different types of test and how are authorities deciding who gets them? And POLITICO's Bjarke Smith-Meyer demystifies "corona bonds" and explains the other options at the EU's disposal to manage the economic fallout from the crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

POLITICO's Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli in Rome shares her thoughts on what the rest of Europe can learn from Italy's response to the coronavirus. Our pan-European panel debates the challenges for democracy in the age of social distancing and examines the risks for the European project if countries hit hard by COVID-19 don't feel solidarity from their neighbors. Gayle Smith, CEO of development NGO the ONE Campaign, was in Brussels a few weeks ago and shared her prescient views on the coronavirus, based on her expertise in international development and battling past epidemics. POLITICO's Lili Bayer also talks us through the potential impact of the crisis on the EU's ability to agree its next long-term budget. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hear from someone directly involved in the EU's response to the coronavirus crisis: Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson. The Swedish commissioner talks about the challenges of trying to keep the EU's internal borders open during the crisis — and sets out how her view of why that matters. Johansson, a member of the Commission's coronavirus task force, also voices her concerns about the impact COVID-19 could have on asylum seekers and migrants in camps on the Greek islands. We also check in with POLITICO health reporters Sarah Wheaton, Carmen Paun and Jillian Deutsch. They fact-check statements on the timeline for a potential vaccine, look at whether European solidarity is kicking in when it comes to treating coronavirus patients and highlight the mental health struggles of people for whom COVID-19 is particularly dangerous. Plus, did Belgium's health minister really say the country faces 8 weeks of lockdown? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As COVID-19 paralyzes Europe, our podcast panel describes daily life right now in Paris, Berlin, London and Brussels. We also look at how Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen are leading in this time of crisis. Have they added to the confusion with mixed messages? And we share some ideas on how to survive the suspension of normal life. The coronavirus eclipses everything these days but other big issues haven't gone away forever. Among them is Europe's energy future, and we'll be devoting special segments of our podcast to that topic over the coming months. Earlier this month — in what now seems almost like a different world — the European Commission unveiled its flagship European Climate Law. Our reporters Kalina Oroschakoff and Aitor Hernández break down the five bruising battles that await Brussels in its attempt to slash EU greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

POLITICO brings you a special edition of the EU Confidential podcast focusing on the coronavirus crisis. This is the first in a series of extra episodes looking at the people, politics and policies shaping Europe's response to COVID-19. After we recap a dramatic day of shutdowns and lockdowns, POLITICO health reporters Sarah Wheaton and Jillian Deutsch talk with EU Editor Andrew Gray about how the EU and different European countries are handling the pandemic. They also turn the spotlight on the leaders and organizations who have been handed a central role. And we discuss how to talk about the coronavirus — what's the right tone for a crisis like this? We talk with our aviation expert Saim Saeed about the unprecedented toll the virus is taking on the airline industry. What's been the impact so far? And what do airlines expect from politicians so they can still put planes in the air whenever this crisis comes to an end? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life under lockdown in Italy: This episode of EU Confidential leads off with a conversation with Silvia Sciorilli-Borrelli in Rome about how Italy's attempt to quell the spread of the coronavirus is impacting people's daily lives. European Council President Charles Michel chaired a videoconference of EU leaders on Tuesday to try to get a grip on the coronavirus crisis. But was it too little, too late? POLITICO's Rym Momtaz (in Paris), Andrew Gray (in Brussels), Matt Kartnischnig (in Berlin) and Annabelle Dickson (in London) bring you the latest from their respective capitals. For France, that includes the question of whether local elections will go ahead and, if they do, how the outbreak could affect the result. U.K. MP Tom Tugendhat, chair of foreign affairs committee in the House of Commons, talks to Annabelle about post-Brexit foreign policy, the EU's geopolitical role, Syria and the race to lead Germany's governing Christian Democrats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Brussels, Berlin, Paris and London, we break down responses to the coronavirus across Europe. How are politicians and the general population in each capital reacting? Is there a coherent European response or is everyone doing their own thing? We also analyse how European leaders are responding to the war in Syria and its repercussions at the Continent's borders. Does Europe have a serious plan to ease the suffering and prevent another big migration crisis? And Super Tuesday election results in the U.S. have some European capitals hopeful for a change in presidential leadership — but would a post-Trump America be everything Europe wants it to be? Our feature interview is with Syrian pediatrician Amani Ballour, who worked for six years in an underground hospital in her home country, treating victims of the war. Her story has been captured in an Oscar-nominated documentary called "The Cave." She visited Brussels to share her story and appeal directly to EU policymakers for more humanitarian aid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of EU Confidential explores how Europe is responding to the coronavirus, with POLITICO's senior health reporter, Sarah Wheaton. We also take you to the Belgian city of Aalst, whose carnival celebrations have been widely condemned for anti-Semitism. POLITICO's Eddy Wax gets local reaction. And if you've ever wondered what superpower the European Commission's Valdis Dombrovskis would like to help him bolster "an economy that works for people," POLITICO's Bjarke Smith-Meyer asked him about that — and many other things, including how to square climate ambitions with economic growth. Annabelle Dickson sheds light on the battle between Boris Johnson's top adviser and “the blob.” Rym Momtaz examines why there isn't more Western outrage and political action over attacks on the Syrian province of Idlib. And Matthew Karnitschnig gets us up to speed on the three candidates vying to become the next leader of Germany. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We go inside the special summit on the EU budget as leaders battle over plans likely to be worth more than €1 trillion over seven years. Among those sharing their thoughts with us: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell. Herman Van Rompuy, who negotiated the last long-term EU budget as president of the European Council seven years ago, tells us how these talks play out and shares his recollections of how he managed to strike a deal. The EU wants a chunk of the next budget to be spent on digital policy and the European Commission set out its digital vision for the Continent this week. POLITICO's technology editor, Nicholas Vinocur, joins us to break down those plans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We go inside one of the world's top gatherings of political leaders, military commanders, ambassadors and policy experts — the Munich Security Conference. POLITICO's team of reporters analyzes the big topics to emerge from the conference, including the state of transatlantic relations, deep divisions in the West over China, Emmanuel Macron's worldview and the future of the European Union. The show features interviews with senior German Green party MP Cem Özdemir, former U.S. ambassador to NATO Nicholas Burns, North Macedonia's Foreign Minister Nikola Dimitrov and European Commissioner Thierry Breton. POLITICO's EU Editor Andrew Gray guides you through the corridors and conference rooms of the Hotel Bayerischer Hof, with contributions from colleagues Stephen Brown, Laurens Cerulus, David Herszenhorn, Matthew Karnitschnig and Rym Momtaz. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest EU Confidential, ex-NATO chief Anders Fogh Rasmussen weighs in on the future of European defense and the global artificial intelligence race. We also catch up with the new president of the European Committee of the Regions, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, on the biggest battle in town — over the EU's long-term budget. Our podcast panel discusses the political demise of Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, leader of the ruling Christian Democrats and Angela Merkel's presumed successor as chancellor. Why did it happen and who will now take pole position in the race to replace Merkel? We also debate EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's critical comments on youth climate activists, and look ahead to this week's Munich Security Conference. Look out for a special edition of the podcast on Sunday as the conference of world leaders, military chiefs and policy wonks wraps up. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Margrethe Vestager, the European Commission’s executive vice president for digital, is the main interview guest in this week's EU Confidential podcast. She made a name for herself by taking on tech giants in her last job and her new role gives her even more clout. She tells POLITICO's Chief Technology Correspondent Mark Scott how she plans to use her new powers over the next five years. The podcast panel dives into the new proposal to revamp the way the EU deals with would-be members. POLITICO’s Rym Momtaz takes us behind the scenes of French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to Poland. And in our first post-Brexit episode, we debate how the political plates will shift inside the EU — and who are Britain's best buddies inside the camp? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of EU Confidential bids adieu (or is it au revoir?) to the U.K. as an EU member. You'll hear a lively debate with outgoing British MEPs Jude Kirton-Darling (Labour Party), Alex Phillips (Green Party) and Ann Widdecombe (Brexit Party) during their last days as members of the European Parliament. POLITICO's tech editor Nick Vinocur and U.K. correspondent Annabelle Dickson unpack big moves from Britain and the EU on Chinese company Huawei's role in 5G telecoms networks in the face of U.S. pressure. And Brussels politics reporter Lili Bayer gets us up to speed on one of the biggest battles in the EU — over the next seven-year budget — ahead of a special summit on February 20. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This EU Confidential episode comes to you from Davos, Switzerland where the POLITICO team has been covering the 50th edition of the World Economic Forum. You'll hear an exclusive interview with Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel on the EU's Green Deal. We also talked Trump and Twitter with Mary Beard, professor of classics at the University of Cambridge, and heard from David Miliband about Europe's migration policy challenges. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On episode 3 of POLITICO's Davos Confidential podcast series, our Editor-in-Chief Stephen Brown breaks down Donald Trump's address on Tuesday at the World Economic Forum, and Florian Eder and Rym Momtaz discuss Trump's meeting with EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. POLITICO's Ryan Heath caught up with Ilham Kadri, the CEO of Solvay, a leading Belgian chemical company, about her company's new purpose. We also checked in with Achim Steiner, the head of the United Nations Development Programme. And we discuss quantum computing and its impact on our future with Arvind Krishna, senior vice president of cloud and cognitive software at IBM. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On Day 2 of Davos Confidential, we preview Donald Trump's much-anticipated speech at the World Economic Forum. Who's considered the most "controversial" among this high-powered crowd? POLITICO's Rym Momtaz, Stephen Brown and Florian Eder debate this question, as well as the impact of the climate movement on businesses. POLITICO's Ryan Heath also discusses changes in the workforce and how companies are investing in up-skilling workers with Tim Ryan, senior partner and chairman of PwC U.S. And our producer Cristina Gonzalez checks in with Stu Eizenstat, a former U.S. ambassador to the EU, about U.S.-EU trade challenges, the impact of China on transatlantic relations, and the cloud of impeachment hanging over Trump's WEF appearance. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

POLITICO heads to Davos, Switzerland for the World Economic Forum this week — bringing you a special daily podcast series from the snowy mountains where some of the world's top political, business and civil society leaders gather annually to discuss pressing global challenges. In this episode, POLITICO's Rym Momtaz, Ryan Heath and Cristina Gonzalez give us a taste of what to expect at the forum, where climate change seems to be the issue dominating the agenda. Ryan speaks with Ibrahim AlHusseini, an early Tesla and Uber investor who now heads investment firm FullCycle, who explains why businesses can no longer operate in a vacuum when it comes to the climate: “Even financial winners have to breathe the air. They’ll have to drink water,” AlHusseini said. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of EU Confidential, Europe is on the foreign policy defensive again after Russia and Turkey seized the initiative in Libya. But did Putin and Erdoğan overreach and could the EU step in to seal a deal? Meanwhile, Brussels presented a new fund this week to help Europe go carbon-neutral by 2050. Are the capitals counting on the EU to help them go green? For our feature interview, New Zealand's outgoing ambassador to the EU and NATO, David Taylor, talks to POLITICO's EU Editor Andrew Gray. Taylor has spent years trying to do what Britain will soon try to do too — influence the EU from the outside. He gives us some diplomatic insight into how to advance your own country’s interests on trade, agriculture and other big issues without a seat at the top table. We also look ahead to the World Economic Forum in Davos. POLITICO will be out in force to bring you daily podcasts from the gathering of global power-brokers — look out for the first Davos Confidential on Monday morning. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The podcast welcomes the New Year with a spirited discussion about Europe's response to the U.S. assassination of Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. Will the EU, France or the U.K. emerge as the power broker between Washington and Tehran or are Europe and its leaders mere bystanders? The podcast crew members — Andrew Gray in Brussels, Rym Momtaz in Paris, Matthew Karnitschnig in Berlin and Annabelle Dickson in London — also reveal the issues they expect to dominate the political agenda in 2020, and offer a few New Year's resolutions. POLITICO health reporters Sarah Wheaton and Carmen Paun bring us a special deep-dive investigation into the modern face of a disease that transformed the world and changed the most intimate aspects of our lives. The New AIDS Epidemic is a POLITICO series looking at how the challenges for people living with HIV and AIDS and for medical professionals have mutated since the disease emerged. In this episode, we hear the story of Luís Mendão, 61, who was diagnosed 23 years ago with full-blown AIDS. He now faces a challenge that once would have seemed an unthinkable luxury: growing old with HIV. You can read about his story here: https://politi.co/2t5v6in The full series, under the banner Telescope, is available here: https://www.politico.eu/telescope-hub/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the last episode of 2019, the EU Confidential podcast crew selects their top political moments of the year — from the launch of the Brexit party in the U.K., to the Ibiza affair that toppled the Austrian government, and finally to the sidelines of an EU summit and a rare, livestreamed look at the art of the backroom chat. Our Artificial Intelligence Correspondent Janosch Delcker takes us on a deep dive into deepfakes — as manipulated videos start to cause political turbulence around the world. And POLITICO's Emma Anderson sat down with Catalan Foreign Minister Alfred Bosch on his recent trip to Washington. Our episode airs just as the EU's highest court has ruled that Spain was wrong to keep pro-independence leader Oriol Junqueras behind bars and stop him taking up a seat in the European Parliament. Emma and the minister discussed that case ahead of the verdict. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's podcast comes from the EU summit in Brussels, where new European Council President Charles Michel claimed agreement on the Continent going climate-neutral by 2050 ⁠— but Poland has other ideas. POLITICO's climate reporter Paola Tamma, budget reporter Lili Bayer, chief Brussels correspondent David Herszenhorn and EU editor Andrew Gray break down the big issues behind the summit. They also look at the implications for the EU's ambitions to be the world's climate leader and for another pressing agenda item: the EU's budget. We hear from EU leaders including Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Luxembourg Prime Minister Xavier Bettel and Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenković. We also speak with EU Ministers Helen McEntee of Ireland and Tytti Tuppurainen of Finland. Away from the summit, POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig talks to new European Commissioner for the Economy Paolo Gentiloni about the importance of the Mediterranean region in a geopolitical Commission. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The U.K. general election is the focus for a special edition of POLITICO'S EU Confidential podcast. Our team of journalists looks at the possible outcomes from both U.K. and EU perspectives. What are the most likely scenarios and what would they mean for the U.K., the EU and future relations between the two? Kate Day and Annabelle Dickson of POLITICO's U.K. team are joined by Chief Europe Correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig and EU Editor Andrew Gray. We also have an on-the-ground report from a key marginal constituency, Stirling in central Scotland, where MEP Alyn Smith of the Scottish National Party is locked in a tight battle with Stephen Kerr of the Conservatives. The outcome of that contest will give a good indication of which way both the U.K. and Scotland are heading on election night. And POLITICO's Chief Technology Correspondent Mark Scott talks Cristina Gonzalez, our podcast producer, about the digital campaign. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It wouldn't be a meeting of world leaders these days without a spat or two, and NATO's 70th anniversary celebration near London was no exception. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, David Herszenhorn and Emilio Casalicchio were on the spot to give us the inside scoop on the hot mic moments, the Trump-Macron slugfest and the future of the alliance. To understand more about the Macron mindset, our own Rym spoke on the phone with Gérard Araud, the outspoken former French ambassador to the United States. Araud retired this summer, giving him license to speak even more freely — about Macron, French "romanticism" over Russia, the Franco-German relationship and why it's easier for French diplomats to work with Brits than Germans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new episode of EU Confidential, we talk migration and security with the EU’s outgoing commissioner for home affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos. The Greek politician doesn’t mince words on migration, saying European leaders are quick to blame everyone else even though the issue is a “shared responsibility.” As a senior figure in the European People’s Party, Avramopoulos also discusses Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s place in the EU’s center-right alliance: “Mr. Orbán is doing whatever he can in order to be kicked out from the EPP family.” The podcast panel picks out key figures in Ursula von der Leyen’s incoming European Commission. POLITICO’s Annabelle Dickson demystifies the U.K. general election campaign. And we analyse the state of Franco-German relations as Paris and Berlin attempt to put a rough patch behind them by presenting common ideas on the future of the EU. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The podcast crew debates the EU’s response — or lack thereof — to the wave of protests rocking Iran and Tehran's latest violation of the Iran nuclear deal. POLITICO's chief Brussels correspondent David Herszenhorn joins the panel to report that French President Emmanuel Macron's comments on NATO suffering from "brain death" are still ringing in leaders' ears. The big question, after a meeting of foreign ministers at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels this week, is: Can European countries agree on where they want the alliance to go from here? Our feature interview this week is with European Parliament Vice President Katarina Barley. The MEP opens up to POLITICO’s EU editor Andrew Gray about her unusual career move from a top job in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet to an MEP and vice president in the European Parliament. Barley, a Social Democrat and former justice minister, also explains why she voted with her Social Democrats against Ursula von der Leyen as the next president of the European Commission and why the EU needs to rethink how it protects the rule of law. We also take a deep dive into the Extinction Rebellion movement, which is using acts of civil disobedience to raise awareness and demand political action on climate change. POLITICO's Paola Tamma reports from a protest outside the royal palace in Brussels and discusses the group's tactics with protesters and climate experts. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright talks about the divisions that emerged in Europe after the Cold War — and what the EU can do about them. We also debate a controversial plan to break the EU's deadlock on new members with the man behind the proposal, Gerald Knaus of the European Stability Initiative think tank. The podcast crew takes a closer look at Emmanuel Macron's worldview and the reaction to his big foreign policy interview, in which he declared NATO to be brain dead. And we round up the latest on the incoming European Commission after another batch of confirmation hearings. Is it full steam ahead for President-elect Ursula von der Leyen's team on December 1? Or has she hit the buffers again? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the new EU Confidential podcast, the EU's outgoing budget chief Günther Oettinger opens up on his decade in Brussels. POLITICO's Carmen Paun has the scoop on Romania's new nominee for the European Commission. From London, Annabelle Dickson has a primer on electronic election interference in the U.K. ahead of its December vote. And Matt Karnitschnig sums up the mood in Germany amid celebrations to mark 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, which include a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo amid some transatlantic tension. In our feature interview, Oettinger talks to POLITICO's Hans von der Burchard about his stewardship of the EU budget, his take on how the bloc needs to change and the political dynamics back in his home country of Germany. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the brand new episode of EU Confidential, we talk China, populism and British politics. With Emmanuel Macron heading for China and top German officials in open disagreement over Huawei’s 5G technology, POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz and Matthew Karnitschnig discuss whether Europe has a credible strategy for dealing with Beijing. Following the success of populist parties in German and Italian regional elections, we ask if Europe's political mainstream was too quick to write off the far right. And POLITICO's chief U.K. correspondent, Charlie Cooper, previews the key messages and likely Brexit outcomes from Britain's snap general election campaign. We stay in stay in the U.K. for this week's feature interview ⁠— POLITICO's Annabelle Dickson speaks with Jeffrey Donaldson, one of the Democratic Unionist Party’s key figures in Westminster. As chief whip of the Northern Irish party, he has helped prop up Britain’s Conservative government since Theresa May lost the party’s majority in 2017. But the party is bitterly opposed to Boris Johnson's Brexit deal. Donaldson explains why his party's voters feel "betrayed" by Johnson and predicts the DUP will once again be in a "pivotal position" in the House of Commons after next month's snap election. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the latest episode of EU Confidential, we talk EU enlargement, Jean-Claude Juncker's legacy, Brexit and Syria. And we have an interview with Spain's point man for the EU. The podcast panel tackles the repercussions of the European Council’s controversial decision not to start EU membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania. As Juncker gets ready to bow out as European Commission chief, we ask how he'll be remembered in Brussels and across the Continent. We also discuss the geopolitical implications of the situation in Syria and, of course, a wee bit of Brexit. Matt Kartnitschnig speaks with Spain’s EU minister Marco Aguiriano for our feature interview. They discuss the latest news from Catalonia. We also get Aguiriano’s view on the EU enlargement debate and what we can expect from his compatriot and long-time close colleague Josep Borrell, who will soon become the EU’s foreign policy chief. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This special episode of EU Confidential takes you inside the European Council summit in Brussels which signed off on the brand new Brexit deal. POLITICO’s Annabelle Dickson, Rym Momtaz and Andrew Gray break down the deal and map out what happens next. We also give you a flavor of what it’s like to be inside the summit bubble covering an event like this. We speak to European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen and Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec on the red carpet as they make their way to the meeting. And Brussels Playbook author Florian Eder talks to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis about other items on the summit agenda, including EU enlargement, migration and climate change. It’s a must-listen episode for anyone who wants the scoop on day 1 of the summit or is curious how big political events like these unfold. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Commission drama, impeachment battles, countries struggling to leave and join the EU, and fights over transparency in politics — they’re all here in our latest episode. France's Commission pick Sylvie Goulard is out. It’s a big blow to Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron, who proposed the former MEP to take on a beefed-up internal market portfolio. David Herszenhorn, POLITICO’s chief correspondent, and Andrew Gray, EU editor, look at the stories of score-settling and revenge that lie behind this drama. U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gordan Sondland finds himself at the center of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump. Rym Momtaz, Matt Karnitschnig weigh in on the repercussions for the EU. Will Trump’s man in Brussels still have time to focus on the day job? And Matt gives his colorful take on Boris Johnson’s Brexit phone call with Angela Merkel and the prospect of Albania and North Macedonia joining the EU. Our feature interview is with German MEP Daniel Freund, of the Greens/European Free Alliance group. The activist-turned-politician spent the previous five years at NGO Transparency International, advocating for greater integrity and transparency in EU institutions. Now Freund faces the challenge of turning his ideas into reality inside the European Parliament. Next week it’s the European Council — yay! — and we’ll have a special edition on Friday next week, wrapping up the summit and taking you behind the scenes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the special branded episode of EU Confidential Goes Green by Bayer: The episode focuses on digital tools being used on European farms, and the new technologies that are around the corner. Featuring interviews with Jan Huitema, a Dutch MEP and farmer, Daniel Azevedo, a director with farming association Copa Cogeca, and Philipp-Andreas Schmidt, head of Global Digital Farming Policy & Public Affairs at Bayer, they discuss technology, sustainability and the future of European agriculture. The panelists throw the old image of a bucolic farm disconnected from the modern world out the window. We learn about new tools that are predicting crop yield, tracking livestock and maximizing efficiency. The changes can lead to big improvements in sustainability. Listen to these insights and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On our latest episode of the new EU Confidential, POLITICO's Annabelle Dickson unpacks Boris Johnson's new Brexit plan. Meanwhile in Brussels, confirmation hearings for new European Commissioners are well underway. Incoming Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen has already lost two members of her team. Will more follow? And POLITICO's chief Europe correspondent Matt Karnitschnig calls in from his U.S. tour to report on how the Continent is viewed from the other side of the Atlantic these days. Our feature interview is with Latvia’s Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš. The businessman-turned-politician has been taking on an increasingly prominent role within the European People’s Party (EPP). He was one of two EPP coordinators charged with negotiating who should get the top EU jobs after the European Parliament election. Kariņš tells POLITICO’s Bjarke Smith-Meyer how he envisions change for the EPP. His message in short: Go green or die. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week’s episode takes us to London, New York and around the Continent. We start in Brussels, where members of the European Parliament rejected the Romanian and Hungarian nominees for the next European Commission over concerns about potential conflicts of interest. Just back from the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Rym Momtaz takes us behind the scenes of Emmanuel Macron’s push to defuse tensions between the U.S. and Iran. Matt Karnitschnig is in Vienna to preview this weekend’s general election in Austria. And we hear from Christian Oliver, POLITICO’s senior policy editor, on what landmark tax rulings by the EU General Court mean for Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager. In our feature interview, Keir Starmer, the U.K. Labour party’s shadow Brexit secretary, sat down with POLITICO London Playbook Editor Jack Blanchard moments after a dramatic vote on at the party’s annual conference this week. Starmer talks to Jack about why he thinks Labour would end up backing Remain in a second referendum, despite party leader Jeremy Corbyn’s reticence, and reveals that he’s not nearly as “establishment” as you might think. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In our just-released podcast, we review the week in European politics and speak to the president of a small country with big geopolitical challenges. "Protecting the European way of life” and other curious job titles in the next European Commission are causing ever more consternation and confusion, particularly in the European Parliament. Our quartet of journalists from the EU's key capitals debate those concerns and asks what the kerfuffle tells us about how President-elect Ursula von der Leyen operates. And just when you thought Italian politics had calmed down... Former PM Matteo Renzi and his allies have broken away from the governing Democratic Party. Our correspondent in Rome, Silvia Sciorilli-Borrelli, tells us what it means for Italy and Europe. Our special guest is Georgian President Salomé Zourabichvili, who’s trying to bring her country closer to the EU even as she accepts it won't be joining the bloc — at least not for a long time to come. At the same time, she has to manage a standoff with Russia, which occupies 20 percent of Georgia's territory. POLITICO’s Rym Momtaz caught up with Zourabichvili during a visit to Paris. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special edition of the EU Confidential podcast, U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gordon Sondland speaks with POLITICO’s Ryan Heath about the state of relations between Europe and the United States. Donald Trump’s man in Brussels talks about the prospects of a relationship “reset,” trade tension, digital tax and much more. Sondland has particularly strong words for the EU’s incoming trade commissioner, Phil Hogan. He brands recent comments about Trump by the Irishman “very condescending.” On France’s push for a digital services tax, he pledges a “vigorous” attack and accuses Paris of trying to “dip their dipper into the stream of cashflow” from U.S. companies. Although he spoke before POLITICO broke the news that the World Trade Organisation ruled in favor of the U.S. in a dispute over Airbus subsidies, the ambassador makes clear how he sees that battle playing out. Sondland also talks about his conversations with the EU’s incoming leadership team and about his own European heritage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The new episode of POLITICO's EU Confidential podcast is part of our "goes green" series. And the timing could hardly be better, with Ursula von der Leyen this week unveiling her team for the new European Commission — featuring a vice president for a European Green Deal. Our quartet of journalists from the EU's key capitals — Andrew Gray in Brussels, Rym Momtaz in Paris, Matthew Karnitschnig in Berlin and Annabelle Dickson in London — looks at von der Leyen's lineup (including some strange job titles). We ask: Just how green is Europe going to get under this new Commission? We hear from Swedish Environment Minister and Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lövin on her country’s plan to become climate neutral by 2045. And POLITICO's environment reporter Paola Tamma catches up with Youth for Climate coordinator Adelaïde Charlier. With global protests planned to coincide with the U.N. Climate Summit on September 23, Charlier sets out what her peers want from politicians and answers criticism that their demands carry too high a price. Our financial reporter Bjarke Smith-Meyer explores whether the European Central Bank will assume a green hue under Christine Lagarde. And there's a bit of Brexit too, as our capital quartet stages its own version of prime minister's question time to tackle the latest big mysteries around Britain's delayed departure from the EU. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Our brand new podcast focuses on the Brexit drama in London — but not just from a British perspective. POLITICO journalists Rym Momtaz (based in Paris), Matthew Karnitschnig (Berlin), Annabelle Dickson (London) and Andrew Gray (Brussels) bring you insights from across the Continent. With previous host Ryan Heath now in a new role at POLITICO in the U.S., this quartet from Europe’s key capitals will be your regular guides through European politics. Annabelle tells us what it was like to be in the House of Commons as Boris Johnson was defeated by a rebel alliance — and emotional MPs on both sides of the divide vented their anger. Rym and Matt bring us the French and German views of Brexit: Any chance Macron or Merkel will step in to seal a deal? In this week’s interview, newbie MEPs Caroline Voaden and Judith Bunting of Britain’s Liberal Democrats tell us what it’s like to get to grips with life in the European Parliament — and why they decided to make a podcast about it. “Our MEP Life” is the first and only podcast of its kind, giving listeners — in Bunting’s words — “the slightly unadulterated behind-the-scenes-ness.” Voaden and Bunting also talk about how the uncertainty around Brexit affects their lives and work, and how two former journalists are adjusting to instructions to tow the party line. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode the POLITICO team turns the tables on Ryan Heath, who finishes as host of EU Confidential this episode, and interviews him about the high, lows and changes he has seen in EU politics over the past 12 years. From next week the podcast will be hosted by Annabelle Dickson, Rym Momtaz and Matthew Karnitschnig. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Heath interviews Megan Richards, a Canadian who spent three decades working for the EU, rising to be one of its top officials in digital and later energy policy. It's a short episode this week, all the better to let you enjoy your holidays. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week we’re going Green again: Ryan Heath talks to Kristian Ruby who runs Eurelectric and the Electrification Alliance, as a way to clean our energy systems. After that, POLITICO's Anca Gurzu takes a hydrogen-powered car for a wild test drive. It's all a world a way from where the EU started: as a coal trading community. After the greenest EU election ever, the question in Europe now isn't whether to go green, but how fast we should get there. We have a very special podcast panel this week. With summer holidays approaching and host Ryan Heath moving to POLITICO in the US, it's the last panel featuring the current trio. The podcast takes a brief summer break next week but we'll be back in a fortnight. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Boris Johnson's begins his term as U.K. prime minister on a fast and furious Brexit course, Annabelle Dickson asks the Conservative leader of the House of Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg, and a group of U.K. Parliament staffers, what they think about a seemingly endless list of complaints and two official independent reports of bullying, harassment, and management in the U.K. Parliament, and what can be done to improve the institution's culture. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Best-selling author Peter May talks about his political thriller set in Brussels, The Man With No Face, just republished four decades after he wrote it. Forget the heatwave sweeping the Continent and dive into a dark and wintry world of intrigue and murder as May describes the Brussels bubble of 40 years ago that formed the backdrop for the book. May talks about what has changed in Brussels and European politics since those days — and what has remained remarkably similar. The podcast panel brings things bang up to date with Boris Johnson's Westminster wizardry — he really is very good at that disappearing Cabinet trick — and Martin Selmayr's intriguing career move. Then it's back to the literary theme with some summer reading recommendations from our panelists: "Merde in Europe" by Stephen Clarke, "Freshwater" by Akwaeke Emezi, "Reporter: A Memoir" by Seymour Hersh, and "Uneasy Street: The Anxieties of Affluence" by Rachel Sherman. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices