Politico's Eu Confidential

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 megaph

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. POLITI

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/a

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 c

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.

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 meg

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 choic

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 mo

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

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 choic

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. Visi

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