EU Confidential

POLITICO
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EU Confidential

EU Confidential is a weekly European news and politics podcast published every Friday by POLITICO Europe. Each 30-minute episode features POLITICO’s analysis of the top stories driving EU politics, as well as notable guests shaping European policy and deep-dive stories from around the Continent. It’s hosted by Sarah Wheaton, POLITICO’s chief policy correspondent, who is joined by reporters from around Europe. Discover our show notes for EU Confidential here: https://www.politico.eu/eu-confidential-podcast/

  1. Boiling in Brussels: Climate fights and Orbán vs. Pride

    6 DAYS AGO

    Boiling in Brussels: Climate fights and Orbán vs. Pride

    Europe baked, the Atomium shut early — and Brussels finally unveiled its long-delayed climate target. Host Sarah Wheaton speaks with POLITICO Climate Reporter Louise Guillot, Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Nick Vinocur and EU Politics Reporter Max Griera about the EU’s new 2040 goal: What a 90 percent emissions cut really means, why critics say it’s already being softened, and how Denmark’s presidency of the Council of the EU plans to juggle climate, migration and more amid stormy politics. We also pull back the curtain on Ursula von der Leyen’s powerful gatekeeper, Bjoern Seibert — and on Viktor Orbán’s crackdown on Budapest Pride. Later, POLITICO’s Cities Correspondent Aitor Hernández-Morales joins to explore how Europe’s cities are navigating the heat — both political and literal — and why so many mayors are now turning to Brussels for help with urgent issues like housing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    39 min
  2. Of Daddies and Queens — from Trump to von der Leyen — and who’s really in charge in Europe

    27 JUN

    Of Daddies and Queens — from Trump to von der Leyen — and who’s really in charge in Europe

    This week’s episode of EU Confidential comes to you from the Europa building in Brussels. We’ve been covering not one but two high-stakes gatherings, starting with NATO’s June 24-25 summit in The Hague, where Donald Trump got the royal treatment. June 26 brought the EUCO summit in Brussels, where the real work began of figuring out how to fund the new 5 percent defense spending pledge that countries had taken on. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO’s Clea Caulcutt and Nick Vinocur to unpack what went down at both meetings. Later we head into the real palace intrigue: The European Commission’s threat to pull a minor Green Deal law triggered a revolt among centrist lawmakers and is now raising big questions about Ursula von der Leyen’s political future. We break it down with POLITICO’s sustainability reporter Marianne Gros, senior climate correspondent Karl Mathiesen, and politics reporter Max Griera. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    36 min
  3. What’s really behind Europe’s 5% defense push

    20 JUN

    What’s really behind Europe’s 5% defense push

    As NATO leaders prepare to endorse a dramatic defense spending hike, Europe faces a reckoning: Where will the money come from — and will new tanks mean cuts to pensions? Host Sarah Wheaton speaks with Michelle Haas, a defense analyst at Ghent University and an associate fellow at the Egmont Institute, about how the proposed 5 percent target is landing across the continent — and how countries are planning to fund the military buildup (or pretend to in order to placate Donald Trump). Then, two politicians, one from the center right and the other from the center left, explain why they think the push goes too far. Sammy Mahdi — leader of Belgium’s Flemish Christian Democrats (CD&V), a party in the country’s governing coalition — calls the 5 percent goal “crazy.” Ralf Stegner, a senior German Social Democrat, co-authored a provocative manifesto urging Chancellor Friedrich Merz to invest in diplomacy, not militarization. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    46 min
  4. All about the €€€: How Bulgaria’s euro dreams could become a nightmare

    13 JUN

    All about the €€€: How Bulgaria’s euro dreams could become a nightmare

    Bulgaria’s big step toward using the euro is a victory for European unity — but the country itself isn’t united on whether joining the common currency is a good idea. And if Sofia is actually jumping the gun, the risks to the whole eurozone are dire. Izabella Kaminska, POLITICO senior editor and finance expert, joins host Sarah Wheaton to unpack the pros and cons of ditching the lev for both Sofia and Brussels Then, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Lithuania’s former foreign minister and one of Europe’s most hawkish voices on Ukraine and defense, stops by with a blunt message ahead of the June 24-25 NATO summit. He warns of EU complacency, calls for tougher action to support Kyiv, and offers a glimpse of his life after politics — including a forthcoming memoir and whether a return to the spotlight might be in the cards. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    43 min
  5. Can Europe’s Trump counterpunch work? Sanctions, tariffs and a MAGA twist.

    6 JUN

    Can Europe’s Trump counterpunch work? Sanctions, tariffs and a MAGA twist.

    Trump is finally facing some resistance. Can Europe seize the moment? This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton speaks with Swedish Member of the European Parliament Karin Karlsbro, just back from Washington, about how Brussels is reading the room in D.C. — and whether there’s any real appetite for a “beautiful trade deal” before Trump’s July tariff deadline. We also hear from POLITICO’s news editor Josh Berlinger in Paris and national security reporter Amy Mackinnon in Washington, as they unpack a rare burst of old-school transatlantic coordination — with U.S. Senators Lindsey Graham and Richard Blumenthal crisscrossing Europe to rally support for sweeping new sanctions on Russia. Plus: What Poland’s surprise presidential result — and a MAGA-adjacent win — could mean for Donald Tusk and the EU. And do start eyeing your bookshelf as we call for summer reading tips. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    41 min
  6. Between a smack and a hard place — Poland votes, Orbán provokes, and Brussels shows its teeth

    30 MAY

    Between a smack and a hard place — Poland votes, Orbán provokes, and Brussels shows its teeth

    Slaps were exchanged — some literal, some political — and suddenly Brussels isn’t just watching from the sidelines.This week on EU Confidential, we dive into a whirlwind of action across the continent: a presidential toss-up coming up this Sunday in Poland; Brussels turning up the pressure on Hungary over LGBTQ+ rights; and the EU’s rare public rebuke of Israel’s Gaza offensive. Meanwhile, Donald Trump calls Putin “crazy” — but Europe is left wondering whether that means anything at all.Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO’s Jan Cienski, Clea Caulcutt and Nick Vinocur to break it all down. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    34 min
  7. Leo Varadkar on Donald Trump, and the EU’s Israel dilemma

    23 MAY

    Leo Varadkar on Donald Trump, and the EU’s Israel dilemma

    The EU-Israel relationship is at a tipping point.  This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton breaks down how EU leaders are calling for scrutiny of a long-standing trade agreement between Brussels and Israel, as Gaza faces famine amid an ongoing Israeli military offensive. Rym Momtaz, editor-in-chief of the Strategic Europe blog at Carnegie Europe and an expert on European and Middle Eastern politics, joins to explain what’s driving the shift — and whether it could lead to real consequences. Later, former Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar drops into the studio to strategize on how to handle Trump 2.0, the rise of “identity politics” globally and the EU-U.K. rapprochement.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    40 min
  8. The crown slips: How queen Ursula failed her transparency test

    16 MAY

    The crown slips: How queen Ursula failed her transparency test

    Those text messages Ursula von der Leyen didn’t want to share? The EU’s top court says that’s not OK. In a win for transparency advocates, Europe’s judges have ruled that the European Commission was wrong to hold back von der Leyen’s text exchanges with Pfizer’s CEO during vaccine contract negotiations. POLITICO health reporter Mari Eccles joins host Sarah Wheaton to unpack what the ruling means for Brussels, for von der Leyen’s leadership style, and for how the EU handles power behind the scenes. Then we turn to Poland, where voters are preparing for a high-stakes presidential election. Calling in from Warsaw is Andrzej Bobiński, managing director at Polityka Insight. Joining Sarah in the studio is Małgorzata Bonikowska, president of the Centre for International Relations, a Polish think tank. Together they break down what’s at stake for Donald Tusk’s government — and why this vote is seen as a bellwether for Europe’s political direction and a potential reshaping of regional alliances. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    31 min
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About

EU Confidential is a weekly European news and politics podcast published every Friday by POLITICO Europe. Each 30-minute episode features POLITICO’s analysis of the top stories driving EU politics, as well as notable guests shaping European policy and deep-dive stories from around the Continent. It’s hosted by Sarah Wheaton, POLITICO’s chief policy correspondent, who is joined by reporters from around Europe. Discover our show notes for EU Confidential here: https://www.politico.eu/eu-confidential-podcast/

Information

  • Channel
    POLITICO
  • Creator
    POLITICO
  • Years Active
    2017 - 2025
  • Episodes
    464
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © POLITICO
  • Show Website
    EU Confidential

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