Politico's Eu Confidential

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 f

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 cho

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 Com

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 bi

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.

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,

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 abou

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, de

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

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.

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 t

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 po

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