Politico's Eu Confidential

We explore the defining moments of the German election campaign and debate the security-and-submarine deal between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom that enraged France. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Matthew Karnitschnig and Emily Schultheis are in Berlin for the big one, Sunday's German general election, which will bring down the curtain on the Angela Merkel era. They're joined by our in-house polling expert Cornelius Hirsch to the tell story of a surprising campaign that's gone down to the wire: The center-left Social Democrats, with their chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz, have a narrow lead over the conservative camp and their standard-bearer Armin Laschet but it's too close to call. Then we turn to AUKUS, the three-way pact that scuppered a multibillion-dollar French submarine deal with Australia, provoking fury in Paris and triggering transatlantic turbulence. POLITICO's Zoya Sheftalovich joins us from Sydney to explain why Australia went from agreeing to buy French diesel-fueled submarines t

Ursula von der Leyen's State of the European Union address and the closing stages of the race to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor are our two big topics this week. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz and Matthew Karnitschnig bring us up to speed on the German election, which is now just over a week away. It's turning into a two-man race between Olaf Scholz, the candidate for the Social Democrats (SPD) who is now in the lead, and conservative Armin Laschet. But will talk of the SPD teaming up with more radical left-wing forces give Germans pause when considering their vote for the center-left party? We also take an early look at next spring's French presidential election, with a number of candidates already throwing their hats into the ring. Then we turn to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday. The annual set-piece moment gives Commission chiefs the chance to tout their successes and set out priorities for

The German election campaign's impact on EU policymakers is up for debate this week. And European Council on Foreign Relations director Mark Leonard talks about his new book, "The Age of Unpeace." Suzanne Lynch and Jakob Hanke Vela, the new authors of our flagship Brussels Playbook newsletter, introduce themselves to our podcast audience. They join POLITICO's Andrew Gray and Rym Momtaz to discuss how the Brussels bubble is looking at the German election. And they ask why chancellor candidates Armin Laschet and Olaf Scholz took time off from the campaign trail to visit French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris this week. Be sure to subscribe to our Germany Election Playbook for daily news and analysis from the campaign. Our special guest is Mark Leonard, founder and director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. He discusses his new book, "The Age of Unpeace: How Connectivity Causes Conflict" with our executive producer Cristina Gonzalez. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Le

We debate whether Afghanistan's collapse moves the needle in Europe's long-running dilemma over building up its own military power. Plus, we have a discussion on a new form of loneliness among younger generations in Europe. There's a back-to-school vibe in Brussels, and POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, Matthew Karnitschnig and David M. Herszenhorn break down the main topic still dominating the agenda: the turmoil in Afghanistan and the implications for Europe, particularly in terms of its military power and place in the world. Then we hear from Diana Kinnert, an activist and politician from Germany's center-right Christian Democrats, who speaks to POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton about her book on loneliness. Kinnert, who's 30, contends there's a new type of loneliness plaguing her generation — which can have long-term impacts on public health, business and politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of the withdrawal of western forces from Afghanistan, the EU is confronting renewed questions about its asylum policy. We also look at the state of the global economy, as well as Europe's coronavirus battle. POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig is joined by Jacopo Barigazzi and Zosia Wanat to discuss the EU's renewed migration debate. The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, along with Belarus intentionally sending migrants across its borders with EU countries, is forcing European officials to confront the bloc's failure to come up with a coherent migration policy. Matt then speaks with U.S. economist Joseph Stiglitz on the sidelines of the European Forum Alpbach about the state of the global economy and how Europe's recovery efforts stack up. Emer Cooke, executive director of the European Medicines Agency, is also a special guest in this episode. She recently spoke with POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton about Europe's coronavirus battle, vaccines and her own background. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for

As the Taliban consolidate their hold over Afghanistan, we have reaction from around Europe to the U.S. decision to pull out and debate the policy implications for NATO and the transatlantic alliance. POLITICO's Chief Europe Correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig is joined by Lili Bayer in Brussels, Annabelle Dickson in the U.K. and Saim Saeed, our regional expert, to discuss how Afghanistan's unraveling has been handled by European allies. Matt then speaks to Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, about how this crisis came to pass — and debate the impact on NATO and Europe's relationship with the Biden administration. Kay Bailey Hutchison, the U.S. ambassador to NATO under Donald Trump, is also a guest on the show. She spoke with POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton and David M. Herszenhorn late last week as the Taliban's rapid advance across the country was in full swing. The long-time U.S. senator discusses how she believes President Trump would have handled the situation and America's position on China and its influen

We have all the recommendations you need for reading, listening and viewing to make the most of your summer holiday — courtesy of the POLITICO podcast crew, special guests and our listeners. This extended episode of EU Confidential features entertaining, as well as enlightening, recommendations from POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz and Matthew Karnitschnig. Our executive producer Cristina Gonzalez brings us listener recommendations, and we also hear from some of our special guests over the past months. Here's the full list of tips: Reading "Going Dark: The Secret Social Lives of Extremists" by Julia Ebner (as recommended by Rym) (Bonus track: Julia Ebner was a guest on EU Confidential in 2018. Listen to the episode, with former host Ryan Heath, here.) "Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and an Epic Trail of Destruction" by David Enrich (as recommended by Matt) "Summer Before the Dark: Stefan Zweig and Joseph Roth, Ostend 1936" by Volker Weidermann (as recommended by Andrew) "Disenchanted Night: The I

The devastating floods in Western Europe are our top story this week: We hear from our reporter in the German flood zone and debate the political consequences of the catastrophe. We also discuss a big spyware scandal and Western accusations of Chinese cyberattacks. And we hear from Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. POLITICO's Laurenz Gehrke calls in from Hagen, Germany to describe the devastation he's witnessed in towns and villages across the flood zone and recount what he's heard from people most affected. Weighing in on the political ramifications for Germany's general election campaign is Chief Europe Correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig. Senior France Correspondent Rym Momtaz joins Andrew Gray to discuss the reaction to reports that a mobile phone number used by French President Emmanuel Macron was selected for possible targeting with Pegasus spyware by a Moroccan intelligence service. EU-China Correspondent Stuart Lau digs into this week's joint condemnation by the U.S., the EU, the U.K

The political repercussions of Euro 2020, a massive package of European climate laws, and the first economic recovery plans approved for EU cash all feature this week. POLITICO's Rym Momtaz joins Andrew Gray to fill us in on French President Emmanuel Macron's efforts to give people a big "nudge" to get vaccinated. We get into the politics of Euro 2020 with POLITICO's resident sports expert Ali Walker, along with Annabelle Dickson in London and Hannah Roberts in Rome. The team looks at the aftermath of the final in Italy, where victory played into a bigger surge in the national mood, and England, where fan violence and racist online abuse have dominated the conversation. Here's Hannah's write-up from Rome on Italy's wave of euphoria. This is Annabelle's coverage of the U.K.'s attempt to curb online abuse. And here's Ali's A-Z review of the tournament. Then Kalina Oroschakoff, POLITICO's climate reporter, joins Andrew to break down the big news announced in Brussels this week: a mammoth package of climate laws

Slovenia's awkward start to its EU presidency and a look at why Russia has France fizzing over Champagne feature this week. And our special guest is former MEP Marietje Schaake on transatlantic tech regulation. POLITICO's David M. Herszenhorn tells Andrew Gray about his recent trip to Slovenia for the start of the country's six-month stint as president of the Council of the EU and analyzes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's terse warning for Slovenia's controversial prime minister, Janez Janša, about the importance of upholding EU values. POLITICO's Rym Momtaz brings us up to speed on a bubbling geopolitical brouhaha between Russia and France after Vladimir Putin signed a law banning foreign sparkling wine producers from using the term "Champagne" — even those produced in France's famed, wine-growing region that gives the drink its name. Former Dutch MEP and digital expert Marietje Schaake is our special guest. In conversation with POLITICO's Laurens Cerulus, Schaake reveals why she left the

We unpack last week's extraordinary summit of EU leaders, take stock of the coronavirus situation in Europe and bring you inside the EU's "engine room." Our special guest is former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt. POLITICO's Andrew Gray is joined by Chief Brussels Correspondent David M. Herszenhorn to unpack last week's remarkable European Council, where emotions ran high over Hungary's new anti-LGBTQ+ measures. Leaders also held a heated discussion on relations with Russia, with Eastern Europeans blasting a last-minute proposal from Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron to hold a summit with Vladimir Putin. We also take stock of Europe's coronavirus situation with Chief Policy Correspondent Sarah Wheaton, as questions mount about the Delta variant and whether digital passes will allow for normality to resume soon. Then we lift the lid on the most important EU body most Europeans have never heard of: Coreper. The committee of 27 EU ambassadors is credited with keeping the bloc's political machinery going while

Hungary's anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, France's regional elections and U.K.-EU relations are all up for debate. And we hear from European Commission VP Maroš Šefčovič's on the U.K.-EU "sausage wars" and more. POLITICO's Andrew Gray is joined by Brussels politics reporter Lili Bayer to explain why the anti-LGBTQ+ bill passed by the Hungarian parliament has the Continent in uproar — and even caused consternation in the sporting arena. Rym Momtaz in Paris has analysis of regional and local elections in France, which could signal trouble for President Emmanuel Macron and his party ahead of next spring's presidential poll. And our U.K. colleague Annabelle Dickson joins the panel to mark five years since the Brexit vote and break down the key battles still playing out between the U.K. and the EU. Our special guest is Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič. The Slovakian diplomat is currently responsible for interinstitutional relations and foresight — and has a key role for the EU in navigating the U.K.'s withdrawal

We take stock of Joe Biden's visit to Europe and what it means for EU allies. And our special guest is European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, discussing the uphill battle for gender equality in finance. Kicking off our special 4th birthday edition, POLITICO's Andrew Gray and Rym Momtaz welcome Ryan Heath — the original host of EU Confidential — to the podcast panel. Rym gives us the inside scoop on her coverage of the G7 and NATO summits, while Ryan has the perspective from Washington on those gatherings, as well as the EU-U.S. summit that took place in Brussels this week. Then David M. Herszenhorn, POLITICO's chief Brussels correspondent, joins Andrew from the Geneva airport to break down the much-anticipated meeting between Biden and Vladimir Putin. (Check out our coverage of Biden's visit to Europe here.) In our feature interview, ECB President Lagarde talks to POLITICO's Johanna Treeck and Florian Eder about encouraging gender equality at the bank and across the world of finance. (You can read

Joe Biden's trip to Europe, an interview with Germany's transatlantic coordinator, the European Parliament's strange return to Strasbourg, and a brewing Brussels brouhaha over the French language all feature in this episode. As Biden makes his first overseas presidential trip for a series of summits — with the G7, NATO, the EU and Vladimir Putin — POLITICO's Andrew Gray gets a preview from colleagues Rym Momtaz, David M. Herszenhorn and Anna Isaac, who are all headed to Cornwall for the first of those powwows. Peter Beyer, the German government's transatlantic point man, talks to POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig about what's changed now that Donald Trump no longer occupies the White House, how the West's approach to China is evolving and how the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline impacts relations with Washington. Meanwhile, a debate is heating up in Brussels over plans by Paris to use only French when conducting business during its upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU, starting in January 2022. POLI

Claims that Denmark helped the U.S. spy on European leaders, demands for the EU to step up on defense and bellwether state elections in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt all feature in this episode. Mary Robinson is our special guest. POLITICO's Rym Momtaz and David M. Herszenhorn analyze new revelations by Danish media that the country's intelligence service reportedly helped the NSA spy on European leaders during the Obama administration, and how the news could impact U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Europe later next week. They also debate the implications of this report by the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank with close ties to the Biden administration, calling for the EU to become a global military power. Rym is then joined by POLITICO's Laurenz Gehrke to break down state elections this Sunday in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt, and what the result could indicate about the way the political winds are blowing heading into the country's federal elections in September. We're also joined by Mary Robins

The Belarus airliner drama and EU leaders' response, as well as a big bunfight over farm subsidies, are up for debate this week. And longtime EU diplomat Robert Cooper talks about his new book "The Ambassadors." POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, David M. Herszenhorn and Jan Cienski analyze the repercussions of what has been branded a state-sponsored hijack — Belarus forcing a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius to land in Minsk, where an opposition activist and his partner were detained. The team also asks: Did EU leaders step up to the challenge? POLITICO's Eddy Wax sheds light on a big Brussels battle coming to a head this week: the fight over the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. With billions of euros at stake, Eddy has the inside scoop on how the reforms are taking shape, and who's trying to influence them. Read more here. Robert Cooper — a former British diplomat who played a key role in building up the EU's foreign policy apparatus — is our special guest to discuss his new book, "The Ambassadors: Th

European attitudes toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the foreign policy of Germany's conservative candidate for chancellor, and a chat with former EU High Representative Javier Solana all feature in this week's episode. POLITICO's Rym Momtaz, David M. Herszenhorn and Andrew Gray unpack the divisions within the EU over the upsurge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They also explore whether Europe would have much of a role to play in efforts to resolve the conflict, even if it could speak with one voice. Armin Laschet, Angela Merkel's would-be successor, set out his foreign policy vision in a big speech this week. POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig sums up the key points and looks at the main dividing lines between Laschet and the Greens, the conservatives' biggest rivals in the polls. Javier Solana has quite the political CV — former Spanish foreign minister, NATO secretary-general and EU foreign policy chief. These days he's still very plugged into international affairs, as president of the

European leaders' cool reaction to a U.S. proposal to waive patents for coronavirus vaccines is up for debate this week. We also discuss big issues facing Facebook with the company's public affairs chief Nick Clegg, and get an alternative take on those hot topics from a media executive. The surprise U.S. proposal to waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines became the talk of an EU summit in Porto. POLITICO's Rym Momtaz takes us behind the scenes and breaks down Emmanuel Macron's emotional response. POLITICO's Andrew Gray and Matthew Karnitschnig join Rym to analyze the reasons behind Joe Biden's move and why it's put EU leaders on the back foot. Then we hear from Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister in the U.K. who is now vice president for global affairs and communications at Facebook. POLITICO's Nicholas Vinocur talks to Clegg about the Facebook Oversight Board's decision to back Donald Trump's suspension from the platform, the data scrape that grabbed the information of roughly 500

Is media freedom in Europe under threat? Is the Continent ready to open up as the coronavirus abates? And how much of a social union should the EU be? We tackle all of these questions in this week's episode. In the week of World Press Freedom Day, POLITICO's Lili Bayer lays out the EU countries that give cause for concern, according to Reporters Without Borders. Matthew Karnitschnig explains how the government exerts influence over the media in a Western European country not usually seen as a press freedom blackspot. Lili and Matt, along with POLITICO's Andrew Gray, also discuss how seriously EU leaders take this issue and whether there's anything Brussels can do to protect media freedom around the bloc. Then it's time to talk travel with our mobility reporter Mari Eccles — with details about the European Commission's proposal to open up the EU to travelers from outside the bloc who have been vaccinated or come from countries on an expanded "green list" of approved nations. And finally, we preview the EU's So

Recovery fund masterplans, a power struggle among EU presidents and a deep dive into next week's Scottish Parliament election all feature in this episode. Seeking approval for their share of the EU's €750 billion pandemic recovery package, governments are presenting spending and reform plans to the European Commission this week. POLITICO's Paola Tamma lays out the political battles that lie ahead. POLITICO's David Herszenhorn, Rym Momtaz and Andrew Gray discuss the inside scoop on lingering tensions between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel. They also debate von der Leyen's declaration in the European Parliament this week that the recent Sofagate scandal happened because she's a woman. Then we take a deep dive into Scottish politics, ahead of the parliamentary election on May 6. Andrew takes us to his hometown of Lanark, where SNP candidate Màiri McAllan and former Labour candidate Andrew Hilland discuss the huge political shift that's taken place there an