Politico's Eu Confidential

In this episode, POLITICO's Suzanne Lynch breaks down the reaction to Russia's recent escalation in Ukraine with an update from NATO headquarters. We also dive into growing concerns about irregular migration into the European Union and get an update on the global food crisis. Vladimir Putin's recent nuclear threats and bombardment of civilian targets in Ukraine are forcing Western leaders to prepare for a grueling new phase of the war. POLITICO's Lili Bayer brings us NATO's reaction from a defense ministers’ meeting in Brussels. Then, Suzanne and POLITICO's Jacopo Barigazzi dive into the EU’s fresh refugee flow challenges. We hear from European Commission Vice President Margaritis Schinas about the concerning number of irregular migrants making their way to the EU through the Western Balkans. And EU Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson speaks to POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig about the security concerns regarding Russians coming into the bloc. And finally, we return to global food security and how the wa

This week's EU Confidential comes to you from Prague Castle, where leaders of the EU's 27 countries held a historic meeting with well over a dozen other nearby countries, including the United Kingdom, Turkey and Ukraine, among others. POLITICO's Suzanne Lynch and our team on the ground, Clea Caulcutt and Hans von der Burchard, bring you highlights from this inaugural meeting of the European Political Community. They debate the future aims of this multi-national grouping and what it means for Europe. We hear directly from European leaders from France, Finland, Ireland and more. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We discuss the implications of Italy's election last weekend and what its probable next prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, could mean for Europe. Our special guest is Stavros Lambrinidis, the EU's ambassador to the United States. POLITICO's Suzanne Lynch and our team covering Italy's election on Sunday, Jacopo Barigazzi in Brussels and Hannah Roberts in Rome, break down all you need to know about Giorgia Meloni, leader of the far-right Brothers of Italy party and presumed next prime minister. We also dig into how Brussels and other European capitals are reacting to the election of Italy's most right-wing government since World War II. Jacopo also shares the reaction in Brussels to the damage to the Nord Stream gas pipelines and what might be the EU's next move. And our special guest is Stavros Lambrinidis, the EU's ambassador to the United States. He speaks to POLITICO's Lili Bayer in Washington, about Russia's war in Ukraine, Europe's energy crisis, the U.S. mid-term elections and relations between Washington a

Coming to you from New York City, this bumper edition of EU Confidential brings you the highlights of the U.N. General Assembly and gets reaction from European leaders on Russia's recent threat of military escalation. POLITICO's Suzanne Lynch sits down with our team in New York covering the world's annual diplomatic jamboree. Nahal Toosi, our senior foreign affairs correspondent, breaks down U.S. President Joe Biden's speech and discusses the chances of a breakthrough on Iran this week. U.N. Playbook co-author Ryan Heath speaks to Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez about the EU's energy crisis. And we hear from our team traveling with European leaders. Clea Caulcutt, POLITICO's senior France correspondent, speaks to President Emmanuel Macron about President Vladimir Putin's move to mobilize more Russian troops to bolster his forces in Ukraine. And Esther Webber, senior U.K. correspondent, gives us a flavor of Liz Truss' first big international foray as prime minister. Suzanne speaks exclusively to EU Foreig

Coming to you from Strasbourg, EU Confidential breaks down this week's big EU moment: the State of the Union address delivered by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. And we convene a panel of MEPs to debate which policies hit the mark, and where the speech fell short. POLITICO's Suzanne Lynch, chief Brussels correspondent and your new host, is joined by technology reporter Clothilde Goujard in Strasbourg and energy reporter Victor Jack in Brussels to bring you the highlights from the speech and analyze what big policies were announced and which ones didn't make the cut. Then, members of the European Parliament Anna-Michelle Asimakopoulou (EPP), Katalin Cseh (Renew) and Niels Fuglsang (S&D) weigh in on von der Leyen's plan for the year ahead. For more State of the Union analysis, you can join our Pro Briefing call on Friday, September 16 at 10:00 a.m. CET to learn from our POLITICO experts Esther King, Karl Mathiesen, America Hernandez, Pieter Haeck and Joshua Posaner. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/pr

New host Suzanne Lynch digs into the EU's plans to address its energy crisis. And Canadian Ambassador to the EU Ailish Campbell explains how Europe is turning to her country for solutions to its energy woes and lifts the lid on sexism in European diplomacy. POLITICO's Chief Brussels Correspondent Suzanne Lynch makes her podcast debut as the new host of EU Confidential. She's joined by Brussels Playbook author Jakob Hanke Vela, who explains the EU's emergency plans being debated this week to address soaring energy and electricity costs. And Chief Europe Correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig explains what Europe and its leaders can expect to face over the long-term. Ailish Campbell, Canada's ambassador to the EU, sits down with Suzanne and Senior Trade Correspondent Barbara Moens to discuss how Canada could potentially help the EU with its energy troubles and lifts the lid on her viral tweet calling out sexism she's experienced in her daily diplomatic interactions in Brussels. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/priva

Europe's #1 politics podcast returns on Thursday, September 8 with our new host, Chief Brussels Correspondent Suzanne Lynch.  Every week, POLITICO journalists in Brussels and across the Continent give their unvarnished takes on the week’s big stories and interview the key players shaping EU policy. Follow EU Confidential on any major podcast platform, sign up to receive our email alerts when new episodes are published every Thursday, and be sure to check out our show notes on POLITICO’s website. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this bumper edition before the summer break, we explain the monkeypox outbreak in Europe and the EU's response. We also preview the biggest lobbying battle brewing in Brussels between Big Tech platforms and telecom operators. POLITICO's Samuel Stolton, who covers competition and tech policy, hosts this week's episode, which kicks off with a discussion about the spread of monkeypox in Europe. Health care reporter Helen Collis explains which countries are seeing a rise in infections, and the race to secure vaccines. Helen reveals that the European Commission is re-thinking how it buys vaccines and drugs for the bloc — thus far failing to come through with adequate monkeypox shots to fill demand. Then we preview one of the biggest Brussels lobbying battles you can expect to witness over the coming months. Our lobbying guru Sarah Wheaton and chief technology correspondent Mark Scott set the stage for this debate between Big Tech platforms and telecoms operators over whether platforms should have to pay the tel

We debate what the EU and its leaders can do to counter Russian propaganda, particularly in Africa, about the global food crisis. And we tell the story of Umeå, Sweden, which has become a trailblazer in incorporating gender equality into urban design. Aitor Hernández-Morales, author of POLITICO's Living Cities newsletter, is joined by agriculture reporter Eddy Wax to explain the recent U.N.-brokered deal struck in Turkey between Ukraine and Russia to allow for exports of millions of tons of grain through the Black Sea. Clea Calcutt in Paris breaks down French President Emmanuel Macron's trip to Africa this week, and Brussels politics reporter Ilya Gridneff addresses Russian propaganda about the EU's role in the food crisis and why the bloc is struggling to combat it. Then POLITICO's Giovanna Coi takes us on her recent trip to Sweden to explain how the city of Umeå has become a test case for other European cities — tackling both climate change and urban equality by re-designing itself for women. The story is p

We dive into the politics of this week's hot topic — Europe's response to a devastating heat wave and how that impacts current energy troubles. We also look into a debate over crypto currencies and how they should be regulated across the EU. POLITICO's Bjarke Smith-Meyer hosts this week's episode, which kicks off with a heated discussion on this week's devastating heat wave across Europe. Karl Mathiesen, our senior climate correspondent, explains why natural disasters like this can be expected more often and shines a light on the disparity between Europe's efforts to cope with climate change compared to other parts of the world. Aitor Hernández-Morales, author of POLITICO's Living Cities newsletter, tells us which cities in Europe have been most effective at helping their residents deal with the heat — and why Southern Europeans feel left behind by Brussels' policies to address the issue. And Zia Weise, our reporter covering climate policy, explains how policymakers are trying to balance climate policies with

Our POLITICO mobility team takes over this episode — unpacking the issues facing the travel industry this summer and what European policymakers can do to address them. Joshua Posaner, POLITICO's senior policy reporter based in Berlin, talks to Chief Europe Correspondent Matt Karnitschnig about the EU's aim to phase out the combustion engine by 2035 and whether Germany's Finance Minister Christian Lindner can do anything to stop it. And Matt recommends this timely beach read for our listeners. The rest of POLITICO's mobility team, Hanne Cokelaere and Mari Eccles, join Josh to explain why Europe's summer travel season has been so chaotic — and whether there's any hope for a reprieve soon. We then speak with Wizz Air CEO József Váradi to better understand why so many flights are currently being canceled around Europe. And the team brings us a debate over staff shortages and strikes at airports with Olivier Jankovec, director general of the European Region of the Airports Council International, and Livia Spera, g

As drama unfolds across the English Channel, we look at where things stand with the EU's migration policy and examine EU-Australian relations. We also review a revealing new documentary on Emmanuel Macron's international diplomacy efforts and explain why interpreters in the European Parliament are upset with their post-COVID working conditions. Brussels Playbook co-author Suzanne Lynch hosts this episode, which begins with our French politics reporter Clea Caulcutt giving us the skinny on a new behind-the-scenes documentary on Macron’s diplomatic efforts to stop the war in Ukraine. Clea also explains the political calculus behind Macron's recent Cabinet reshuffle and what it means for Brussels. And POLITICO's Maïa de La Baume joins the discussion to explain the latest tangle between the EU and its all-important interpreters. Ylva Johansson, European Commissioner for Home Affairs, joins Suzanne on the podcast to discuss the EU's migration policy — what progress has been made since unveiling its plan in Septemb

Coming to you from the NATO summit in Madrid, our POLITICO team analyzes a packed week in international diplomacy and what it means for Europe and its security. We also hear from the prime ministers of Sweden, Norway and Estonia. Sarah Wheaton hosts this week's episode, which kicks off with a discussion with our team at the NATO summit in Madrid — Lili Bayer, David M. Herszenhorn, Paul McLeary and Hans von der Burchard. They analyze what was behind the main decisions and point to some of the uncertainties that remain. They also discuss the missed opportunities at the G7 summit in Germany earlier in the week, and how German Chancellor Olaf Scholz performed as host of his first major international gathering. Our special guests in this episode include Swedish Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson on her country's path to joining NATO and Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre on changes to his region's security situation. We also talk to Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, who shares her view on the summit's ou

Coming to you from the EU leaders' summit in the heart of Brussels, we discuss Ukraine's candidacy to join the club and the lack of progress for EU-hopefuls in the Western Balkans. We hear from Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Florence Gaub, foresight adviser to the Council of the European Union. This week's episode, hosted by POLITICO's David M. Herszenhorn, comes to you from the European Council where the EU's 27 heads of state and government decided to designate Ukraine and Moldova as candidates for EU membership. POLITICO's Lili Bayer, Giorgio Leali and Hans von der Burchard join David to unpack how the decision was made and where the discussion on EU accession goes from here. Giorgio also explains how French President Emmanuel Macron's gravitas around the Council table may have been diminished by his centrist alliance's disappointing showing in parliamentary elections last weekend. We also discuss how the French president's idea for a "European political commu

We explore more repercussions of the war in Ukraine, explain the latest dust-up between the U.K. and the EU and unpack the patois of political panel discussions. Our special guest is retired British diplomat and author John Ramsden, who talks poets, politics and economics. POLITICO's Andrew Gray is joined by Matthew Karnitschnig, who tells us about his recent trip to a remote strip of land along the border between Lithuania and Poland that's the focus of renewed attention due to Russia's war on Ukraine. POLITICO's Eddy Wax catches us up on the food crisis triggered by the war, while Suzanne Lynch explains the latest tussle between the U.K. and the EU over Northern Ireland. For some light relief on Andrew's last show as host, the podcast crew goes meta by holding a panel discussion on panel discussions — a big feature of Brussels and other political bubbles. Why are they so popular, what do people get out of them and what are the pitfalls? We play a game of "duo-panelo" to reveal the true meaning of classic pa

We break down the controversy over a plan to unlock billions of euros in EU funds for Poland and debate Angela Merkel's return to the public arena. Our special guest is Julianne Smith, the U.S. ambassador to NATO. POLITICO's Andrew Gray and Lili Bayer unpack Ursula von der Leyen's plan to give Poland a path to coronavirus recovery funds as the European Commission president faces criticism — some of it from senior members of her own team — that she's letting Warsaw off the hook on rule-of-law standards. And Matthew Karnitschnig joins the panel to debate Angela Merkel's decision to return to the stage — literally — after six months of silence since stepping down as German chancellor. In an extensive interview in front of an audience in a Berlin theater, Merkel addressed whether her own policies played a role in emboldening Russia to attack Ukraine. Lili interviews our special guest Julianne Smith, the U.S. ambassador to NATO. Smith discusses how the alliance may reinforce its eastern flank in light of the war i

We unpack EU leaders' deal to ban Russian oil imports — with some notable exceptions after Hungary played hardball. And author Tommaso Pavone tells the story of the lawyers who turned "ghostwriters" to make the EU a legal reality. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Matthew Karnitschnig, Lili Bayer and David M. Herszenhorn assess this week's EU summit, where leaders struck a late-night agreement to ban Russian oil — but only after making more concessions to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. The crew also discusses what's next for the EU in terms of sanctions after the bruising battle over this package. You'll hear what Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, French President Emmanuel Macron and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told POLITICO about the summit — and about whether the EU’s sanctions are having an impact on Vladimir Putin. Our special guest is Tommaso Pavone, assistant professor of law and politics at the University of Arizona and visiting researcher at the ARENA Center for European Studies at the Univer

This special edition of EU Confidential from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland drills into the question of whether the EU is really ready for a forceful response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s the last of our special episodes from the prestigious ­— or, some would say, notorious — gathering of power players in this Alpine resort town. POLITICO’s Sarah Wheaton, Jamil Anderlini and Suzanne Lynch analyze German Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s speech on the forum’s closing day. They also reflect on how the discussion in Davos will extend beyond this conference — and recap some less-than-classy moments at exclusive parties featuring acts like the Black Eyed Peas and The Chainsmokers. Paul Grod, president of the Ukrainian World Congress, speaks to Sarah about how the Ukrainian diaspora is keeping up the pressure on Europe. Then we catch up with Wellcome Trust Director Jeremy Farrar for a quick check-in on the coronavirus pandemic. Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nadia Murad joins us for a conversation about

This bumper edition of Davos Confidential includes a debate on the death of globalization, the prospects of more countries joining the European Union and an insider's take on the role of women at the World Economic Forum. POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton, Jamil Anderlini, Ryan Heath and Suzanne Lynch debate an issue they and others have been grappling with all week: is globalization dead? Historian and professor Adam Tooze also shares his thoughts on the subject. Roberta Metsola, president of the European Parliament, speaks to Suzanne about the EU's role on the global stage, Russian sanctions and the prospects of Ukraine joining the bloc. Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilița also wants her country of Moldova to join the EU and shares her thoughts on the issue. Meanwhile, Ireland's Taoiseach Micheál Martin says he's open to changing the EU treaties to potentially pave the way for other countries to join without facing some of the existing hurdles. Journalist Anya Schiffrin, a professor at Colombia University in New York a

We hear exclusively from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the chance of clinching a sixth package of EU sanctions, and from experts on Russia and the latest trends in the financial world. POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton is joined by Editor in Chief Jamil Anderlini, Playbook author Suzanne Lynch and Ryan Heath, editorial director of global growth. The team discusses the Tuesday's big speeches by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and von der Leyen, who spoke to Suzanne about after the chances of EU leaders agreeing on the latest package of proposed Russian sanctions during next week's summit in Brussels. With Russia's war in Ukraine top of mind, former Finnish Prime Minister Alexander Stubb shares his views on the wider impact of the conflict and the prospect of Finland joining NATO. Jamil also sat down with Bill Browder to discuss his new book, "Freezing Order: A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath." There's also an interview with Karen Karniol-Tambo