Since the 2019 election this European Parliament has had to deal with various challenges, from Brexit and Covid-19 to the war in Ukraine and scandals such as Qatargate. At the same time it has managed to legislate on key issues such as climate change, AI and migration.In this episode we look back at the highs and lows of the EU legislature's last five years.Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by a roundtable of POLITICO colleagues: data reporter Hanne Cokelaere; sustainability reporter Louise Guillot; editor at large Nicholas Vinocur; policy editor Joanna Roberts; and European Parliament correspondent Eddy Wax. They share their experiences from covering the Parliament and weigh in on which of the bloc's 705 MEPs deserve POLITICO's 2024 unAWARDs.  Further reading:"The MEP unAwards 2024," by Politico staff"MEPs to watch in the next EU Parliament (if they get elected)," by Politico staff"The European Parliament by the numbers," by Hanne Cokelaere Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we unpack the EU's new buzzword and the main point of discussion at this week's European Council summit: competitiveness. We also bring you another new buzzword from Brussels this week: Bolshewokism.Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO's chief Brussels correspondent, Barbara Moens, to recap the leaders' summit and their attempt to make the bloc's economy more competitive with regards China and the United States. We also discuss former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta's newly released report on how to overhaul the EU's single market, and we hear from Letta himself, in conversation with POLITICO's own Giovanna Faggionato.Later, we have a fascinating discussion with Atlantic Council senior fellow and author Elisabeth Braw about her new book "Goodbye Globalization: The Return of a Divided World."And we end our episode explaining how the word "Bolshewokism" came to describe a National Conservatism Conference, featuring Nigel Farage and Viktor Orbán, which was upended by local Brussels mayors.Further Reading:"Time for a European single market ‘with teeth’ to take on China, India, leaders told," by Giovanna Faggionato and and Bjarke Smith-Meyer"A new inconvenient truth: Europe’s global plans all require money no one has," by By Karl Mathiesen, Barbara Moens, Giovanna Faggionato and Giorgio Leali"Europe’s hard-right bags big win after ‘own goal’ by Brussels mayors," by Eddy Wax Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With just weeks to go until the European Parliament election, we're bringing you the state of play.Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Elisa Braun, POLITICO's Brussels correspondent, and Nicholas Vinocur, POLITICO's editor at large, to discuss the many political challenges facing EPP lead candidate Ursula von der Leyen: "Pfizergate," "Piepergate" and the internal rebellion by a group of fellow commissioners.Later, a panel of keen election watchers — Eddy Wax, who covers the European Parliament for POLITICO, technology reporter Clothilde Goujard and Matteo Albania, communications director at Must Consulting — gives us an update on the new rules for online campaigning (aimed at fighting disinformation and AI-generated deepfakes) and takes stock of the campaign so far.Further reading:EU political parties promise to steer clear of deepfakes ahead of election by Clothilde GoujardEurope wields new tech law to protect EU election by Clothilde GoujardMacron ‘loved’ me sniping at von der Leyen, says French commissioner by Elisa Braun and Eddy WaxVon der Leyen struggles to quell revolt over controversial business envoy pick by Giovanna Faggionato, Nicholas Vinocur and Julia Wacket  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we unpack the growing urgency among EU leaders to defeat Russia's Vladimir Putin. Remember the old Latin saying: si vis pacem, para bellum (if you want peace, prepare for war)? We discuss what that might mean today.We also explain what's at stake in presidential runoff elections in Slovakia and round out our episode exploring why chocolate prices in Europe are skyrocketing and what "greedflation" has to do with it.Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Barbara Moens, POLITICO's chief EU correspondent, Milan Nič, senior fellow for Central and Eastern Europe at the German Council on Foreign Relations and Alessandro Ford, agriculture reporter at POLITICO.Have a great spring break! We will be back in your feed on April 12.Further reading:"‘Broadening’ consensus on need to defeat Putin among EU leaders, says Lithuanian president," by Jacopo Barigazzi and Barbara Moens"Slovak president election: Pro-EU diplomat tops coalition stalwart in first round," by Tom Nicholson"Slovakia, the EU’s next rule of law headache," by Ketrin Jochecová and Nicolas Camut"Big Chocolate is conning you this Easter," by Alessandro FordAnd finally ...Have your say on Europe’s future at the third edition of the Maastricht Debate. On April 29 at 7 p.m. CET, Studio Europa Maastricht and POLITICO are organizing the debate that will put the candidates in line to lead Europe onstage and in front of the issues that matter to European youth. Find out more and register to watch the 2024 Maastricht Debate by clicking here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As EU leaders received a stark warning about the climate risks facing the bloc, the European Commission caved to farmer protests and demands to slash environmental requirements.Host Sarah Wheaton talks to POLITICO's climate policy reporter Zia Weise about the recent report on climate risks facing the bloc, the first of its kind from the European Environment Agency. We dive into the sobering findings and the reactions.And then Sarah hosts a conversation with POLITICO's senior climate correspondent Karl Mathiesen and Tom Brookes — the head of the Meloire Foundation and one of Brussels' top green lobbyists. Tom reveals new polling on how European citizens view climate issues heading into the European election in June — and they debate the politics of climate blowback.Additional reading ..."5 things we learned from the EU’s big (and first) climate risk report" by Zia Weise"EU takes the ax to green farming rules" by Bartosz Brzeziński"Bears, cars and angry farmers fuel green backlash" by Karl Mathiesen Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Portugal's snap election has brought seismic change — the Socialists are now in opposition and the center-right Democratic Alliance, which narrowly won the vote, will try to form a minority government. But the biggest shock came when the far-right, ultra-nationalist, anti-immigrant Chega won more than a million votes and became the third-largest party in parliament.In this episode of EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO’s Aitor Hernández-Morales, Barbara Moens and Nicholas Vinocur to break down the results of the vote and discuss what the far-right surge in Portugal could mean for the future of the EU — with the European elections on the horizon and the race for top jobs underway.Later, POLITICO's Stuart Lau interviews Sweden's Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson after his country officially joined NATO.Further readings:Ursula von der Leyen’s reelection campaign gets off to a bumpy start – POLITICOPortugal’s far right comes roaring back – POLITICOPortugal swings right in knife-edge snap election – POLITICO Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this bumper edition of EU Confidential, we take you inside the two-day European People Party's Congress in Bucharest.Host Sarah Wheaton and POLITICO's Eddy Wax reveal what was happening as the center-right EPP sealed the deal on its campaign manifesto and anointed its lead candidate for the European Parliament election: Ursula von der Leyen.They speak exclusively to delegates and key EPP figures including Roberta Metsola, Manfred Weber, Thanasis Bakolas, Leo Varadkar, Michel Barnier, Petteri Orpo, Mariya Gabriel, Peter Liese, Adina Ioana Vălean, Petri Sarvamaa, Dara Murphy and Lídia Pereira. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With less than 100 days until the European Parliament election, we bring you the state of play. Also, we hear from Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili about her country's ambitions to join the EU.Host Sarah Wheaton assembles a panel of astute election watchers to break down the key issues and people shaping the discussions as campaigns get underway for the EU election in June: POLITICO's Parliament reporter Eddy Wax; Francesca Romana D'Antuono, co-president of Volt Europa; and Thomas Thaler, co-lead of APCO's EU election task force. And be sure to subscribe to POLITICO's weekly EU Election Playbook, authored by Eddy.Then later in the podcast, Berlin Playbook author Gordon Repinski sits down with Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili to discuss her country's EU aspirations, domestic political tensions and persistent threats from neighboring Russia. You can sign up to receive POLITICO's new Berlin Playbook here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As we mark two years of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we take stock of how the war has changed Europe's political landscape and identity — as well as life for Ukrainians under siege. Also, we look at Ursula von der Leyen's campaign to remain European Commission chief.Von der Leyen finally announced her intention this week to officially seek another term at the helm following the European Parliament election in June. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO's Hans von der Burchard about the not-so-surprising announcement and what we can expect from von der Leyen's campaign over the coming months. And as mentioned, Hans is part of POLITICO's new Berlin Playbook team — you can subscribe here.Then we turn our focus to Ukraine. Executive Producer Cristina Gonzalez sits down with renowned Bulgarian political scientist Ivan Krastev at the recent Munich Security Conference to unpack how the war in Ukraine has fundamentally changed Europe.And finally, Sarah is joined by our reporter in Kyiv, Veronika Melkozerova, for a poignant personal account of how the war has impacted her and her fellow Ukrainian citizens. You can read Veronika's full story here: "Being Ukrainian in 2024: 'People look at me as if I'm terminally ill'". Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Donald Trump has again sent shockwaves across Europe with comments suggesting that he would encourage Russia to invade NATO countries that do not spend enough on defense.In this episode, we discuss reactions in European capitals. Host Sarah Wheaton and her colleagues — senior Paris correspondent Clea Caulcutt, chief Europe correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig and Stuart Lau who covers China and NATO — check whether Trump's criticism of NATO could effectively prompt EU leaders to enhance the bloc's defense capabilities. They also zoom into Budapest where an unexpected political scandal toppled two of Viktor Orbán's biggest loyalists.Later, to mark Valentine's Day, we also talk love. Our guest is Marjorie Libourel, a professional matchmaker based in Brussels. She discusses the challenges of dating and relationships in the Bubble, as well as making connections in an era of political polarization and changing gender roles.Further reading:"Brussels power couples 2024" by Sarah Wheaton and Eddy Wax"Donald Trump just did Europe a favor" by Matthew Karnitschnig"Hungary President Novak quits under pressure over sex-abuse pardon case" by Aitor Hernández-Morales and Stuart Lau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Europe is waking up to the urgent need to strengthen its own defenses — especially as Donald Trump seems poised to capture the Republican nomination and possibly even the White House in November presidential elections.In this episode, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Florence Gaub, director of research at the NATO Defence College in Rome and a futurist, along with Ivo Daalder, former U.S. ambassador to NATO and president of the Chicago Council on Global Affairs (and a fellow podcaster: World Review with Ivo Daalder). They discuss the "Europeanization of NATO" and other tools that Europe has (or lacks) to support Ukraine and defend itself — with or without Washington.Later, some of POLITICO's in-house defense experts, Laura Kayali and Jan Cienski, discuss the brass-tacks realities of whether Europe can fend off a Russian attack on its own, and outline where it remains most vulnerable.Further reading:"Europe’s Trump challenge: Is it ready to fight Vladimir Putin alone?" by Laura Kayali"What another Trump presidency would mean for NATO" by Ivo Daalder Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As farmer protests continue around Europe, we unpack their various concerns and analyze their impact on the European election. We also take you to an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders in Brussels where crucial cash for Ukraine hung in the balance.Host Sarah Wheaton speaks to POLITICO's Parliament reporter Eddy Wax among the thousands of tractors and angry farmers in the heart of Brussels. Later in the episode, our in-house experts explain what's behind the farmers' uprising and what impact the protests could have on the EU's ambitious green agenda and the upcoming EU election. We're joined by Clea Caulcutt in Paris, Matthew Karnitschnig in Berlin, senior climate correspondent Karl Mathiesen, and agriculture reporter Bartosz Brzezinski. And we hear from a protesting farmer in France, who spoke to our colleague Victor Goury-Laffont about his top concerns.Also in the episode, we head across town to an extraordinary meeting of EU leaders. POLITICO's chief Brussels correspondent Barbara Moens and senior diplomatic correspondent Jacopo Barigazzi explain the successful outcome after weeks of intense negotiations on financial aid for Ukraine. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we look at a crisis that is affecting many Europeans in most EU countries: skyrocketing rents and house prices, a shortage of flats, long waiting lists for social or affordable housing — commonplace problems from Greece to Luxembourg to Portugal. Host Sarah Wheaton talks to POLITICO's Aitor Hernández-Morales and Sorcha Edwards, secretary general of Housing Europe, about the causes of the crisis, its impact across the bloc (including far-right parties using it as an election platform), and solutions at the EU level. Are there any, given that housing is not an EU competence?Then we hear from Dutch Green MEP Kim Van Sparrentak about housing challenges in her native Netherlands and her efforts to get the European Parliament and the Commission to get more involved in tackling the crisis. And Sarah speaks to Ans Persoons, secretary of state for the Brussels-Capital Region, who explains how the EU's defacto capital is struggling to keep up with affordable housing demands.And as mentioned in the show, here's where you can read the article written by our guest Aitor Hernández-Morales, together with colleagues Jacopo Barigazzi, Barbara Moens and Giovanna Coi: How do you stop the rise of the far right? Build houses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After seven years of bitter wrangling, the EU has finally reached an agreement on how to handle migration — one of its most challenging and divisive issues.In this episode of EU Confidential we look at what's in the deal, which has been hailed as a success by Brussels but criticized by NGOs and human rights groups.Host Sarah Wheaton and Jacopo Barigazzi, POLITICO's senior diplomatic correspondent, talk to Catherine Woolard — director of the European Council on Refugees and Exiles — about the details of the new agreement and how effective it might be.Later our guest is Professor Florian Trauner, an expert on migration at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel. He explains how migration has become the central issue ahead of the European election in June, and how far-right parties are co-opting it for political gain. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode we look at the ongoing tug-of-war between Budapest and Brussels in the context of a rather shocking development that could pave the way for Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán — who has won a reputation as the bloc's biggest troublemaker — to chair meetings of EU leaders and set the EU agenda.It follows a surprising decision by European Council President Charles Michel to step down and run for a seat in the European Parliament.Host Sarah Wheaton and colleagues Barbara Moens and Hans von der Burchard delve into the quibbles and clashes Viktor Orbán has had with Brussels over the years, and how the EU has tried to play ball with the Hungarian leader. And yes — they also report on the infamous "toilet break" Viktor Orbán took at the last EU summit in December, which paved the way for accession talks with Ukraine and Moldova.Then Sarah and Nick Vinocur, POLITICO's editor-at-large, talk to Professor Alberto Alemanno, an expert on EU law who has taken a hard line on Hungary, and who has even suggested Budapest be stripped of the EU's rotating presidency. Finally, we bring you a Hungarian perspective from our guest Frank Füredi, executive director of the Brussels office of Hungary's government-backed MCC think tank.We also recommend you listen to the latest episode of our sister podcast, Power Play. Host Anne McElvoy talks to Latvian Foreign Minister Krišjānis Kariņš (a contender for the job of NATO's next secretary-general) and gets his reaction to Michel's shocking decision.Here is the link: Taking on Russia: Krišjānis Kariņš’ pitch to lead NATO and defend Ukraine – POLITICO. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This isn't just any new year — 2024 in the political calendar means mega elections in Europe, the U.S., the U.K. and beyond. Our EU Confidential crew predicts how these elections could impact pressing issues around the European Union.Bringing together the collective knowledge of some of POLITICO's best and brightest reporters — Barbara Moens, Clea Caulcutt and Hans von der Burchard — we discuss the June vote that could see 400 million Europeans take part, the top EU jobs up for grabs, the Belgian presidency of the Council of the EU which started on January 1 and the upcoming Olympic Games in Paris.Later, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO's senior policy editor and defense expert Jan Cienski to talk about the future of the war in Ukraine, Kyiv's fears over the outcome of the U.S. presidential election, the ongoing conflict in Gaza, as well as Prime Minister Donald Tusk's Herculean tasks after Poland's recent elections.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Our last episode of 2023 is a bumper edition, reviewing some of the key stories that drove the conversations in Brussels and throughout Europe this year.Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by a roundtable of POLITICO's policy editors including Joanna Roberts, Aoife White and Jan Cienski to discuss everything from the AI Act to pharmaceutical rules and the EU's bolstered defense capabilities. Also, Opinion Editor Jamie Dettmer brings us up to speed on Europe's response to the Israel-Hamas war and the war in Ukraine — the EU's unity in the face of fatigue, as well as the debate over Ukraine's future in the bloc.Finally, we're joined by Senior France Correspondent Clea Caulcutt who reveals POLITICO's most-read story of 2023.And as mentioned in the show, do be sure to check out our POLITICO Tech podcast, which takes listeners inside the EU’s tense AI negotiations with MEP Dragos Tudorache.That's it from us for this year — the EU Confidential team will be back in your podcast feed on January 5. See you then! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, we revisit the huge corruption scandal which shook the European Parliament and the EU bubble exactly one year ago.Host Sarah Wheaton talks to POLITICO colleagues Elisa Braun and Eddy Wax, who sifted through a massive trove of leaked police documents and, along with Gian Volpicelli, co-wrote an investigative series called The Qatargate Files. They bring us up to date on the key players, including former European Parliament Vice President Eva Kaili who is out of jail and back in the chamber awaiting trial, talk about new and fascinating angles to this hugely intricate scandal and explain why the investigation is dragging its feet.Later, we break down a rare political event: the EU-China summit in Beijing. It was the first face-to-face meeting between EU and Chinese leaders in years. We asked Abigaël Vasselier of the Mercator Institute for China Studies in Berlin and POLITICO's Editor-in-Chief Jamil Anderlini to help us understand the purpose and impact of the talks. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, we take you inside our POLITICO 28 unveiling of Europe's most powerful people and unpack Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's comments on the Israel-Hamas war and her plans to run for the top job again. Also, we reveal new tactics used by successful far-right leaders in Europe and explain why Germany's recent budget woes have sent shockwaves through the political system.Our new host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO's Clea Caulcutt and Nick Vinocur to break down the POLITICO 28 ranking and von der Leyen's interview at the event this week. Von der Leyen — "the queen" herself — came in second on the "doers" list. Be sure to check out the full 2024 ranking here.The crew also discuss new and clever tactics being used by European far-right leaders, including Geert Wilders and Marine Le Pen, to capitalize on their hard-line rhetoric, move toward the political center and attract new voters.And later, our colleague Matt Karnitschnig tries to prove that Germany's budget crisis is a sexy story we should all be interested in. You can read Matt's article here: Germany chokes on its own austerity medicine.Also: Make sure you subscribe to the new newsletter authored by our outgoing EU Confidential host Suzanne Lynch: POLITICO’s Global Playbook. And while you're at it, you can also sign up for our Sarah Wheaton's weekly newsletter, EU Influence. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Far-right leader Geert Wilders came out on top in the Dutch election this week, sending shock waves through Brussels and beyond.In this episode of EU Confidential, host Suzanne Lynch is joined by Eline Schaart and Nicholas Vinocur to break down the results of the vote, and what it potentially means for the EU moving forward.Later, we have a fascinating discussion with David O'Sullivan, the EU's sanctions envoy. His main job is to make it harder for Russia to evade sanctions imposed by the EU over the war in Ukraine.We end the episode with an important announcement about the podcast, so do be sure to stick around for that and to sign up for Suzanne's new newsletter she'll be authoring: POLITICO's Global Playbook, your VIP pass to the world’s most influential gatherings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.