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2 weeks ago | 
politico.eu | Sarah Wheaton |Dionisios Sturis |Anne Mcelvoy |Peter Snowdon
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music 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,...
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3 weeks ago | 
politico.eu | Sarah Wheaton |Dionisios Sturis |Anne Mcelvoy
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music 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...
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4 weeks ago | 
politico.eu | Sarah Wheaton |Dionisios Sturis |Anne Mcelvoy
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music 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...
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1 month ago | 
politico.eu | Sarah Wheaton |Dionisios Sturis |Anne Mcelvoy
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music 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 —...
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1 month ago | 
politico.eu | Sarah Wheaton |Dionisios Sturis |Anne Mcelvoy
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music 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...
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1 month ago | 
politico.eu | Sarah Wheaton |Dionisios Sturis |Anne Mcelvoy
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music Europe’s political center is wobbling. Again. In Germany, a dramatic Bundestag vote leaves new Chancellor Friedrich Merz bruised before he’s even begun. In Romania, the first round of the presidential election wipes out the mainstream — and puts a Trump-admiring provocateur on top. EU Confidential breaks down a week of shaken coalitions, rising populists, and what they all say about the shifting balance of power in Europe. Host Sarah Wheaton is...
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1 month ago | 
politico.eu | Sarah Wheaton |Dionisios Sturis |Anne Mcelvoy
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music After 100 days of U.S. President Donald Trump’s shock and awe, is the EU still stuck in stunned paralysis — or does it finally have a plan? POLITICO trade reporter Camille Gijs, tech reporter Eliza Gkritsi, defense editor Jan Cienski and senior climate correspondent Karl Mathiesen join host Sarah Wheaton to unpack the EU’s response on multiple fronts. Plus, Max Griera and Aitor Hernández-Morales break down the controversy around the European People’s...
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2 months ago | 
politico.eu | Sarah Wheaton |Dionisios Sturis |Anne Mcelvoy
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music With POLITICO turning 10 and Brexit hitting 5 earlier this year, this episode of EU Confidential takes stock of two milestones that shaped Brussels — in very different ways. Host Sarah Wheaton kicks things off with Zoya Sheftalovich, editor of Global Playbook, reflecting on POLITICO Europe’s early days and its first big scoop: Jean-Claude Juncker’s kidney stones. Then we head to Maastricht for highlights from a debate organized by Studio Europa...
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2 months ago | 
politico.eu | Sarah Wheaton |Dionisios Sturis |Anne Mcelvoy
Listen on Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music This week, EU Confidential is on a spring break — but with trade tensions between the U.S. and the rest of the world (China in particular) escalating, we thought it was the perfect moment to revisit a timely episode from our archives. As Trump’s new trade war heats up, with triple-digit tariffs hitting Chinese goods and Beijing retaliating, the global trade landscape is shifting dramatically. These developments have significant implications for...
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2 months ago | 
politico.eu | Sarah Wheaton |Dionisios Sturis |Anne Mcelvoy
A tariff storm was brewing — and then, just like that, the forecast changed. Donald Trump shocked everyone by pausing his planned tariffs for 90 days (for all countries except China), throwing global markets a lifeline and leaving the EU wondering what game he’s playing.
