EU Confidential

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/

Episodes

Dirty games in Brussels and war games in Europe

March 20, 2025 • 33 mins
A lobbying frenzy, secret perks, and now police raids. Huawei’s cozy ties in Brussels have exploded into a full-blown corruption scandal. As the European Parliament tries to rehabilitate its image post Qatargate, lawmakers are once again at the center of allegations. With offices sealed and arrests made, there are serious questions about how deep Beijing’s influence really runs. Host Sarah Wheaton breaks it all down with POLITICO'...
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Can EU leaders handle a world on fire?

March 13, 2025 • 39 mins
100 days in, Europe’s top leaders are facing a reality check.  Ursula von der Leyen talks about a new sense of urgency — but is she leading, or just firefighting? António Costa wants to unify the bloc — but can he keep Europe together on defense? Kaja Kallas vowed to sharpen EU foreign policy — but after a snub in Washington, is anyone listening? With transatlantic ties fraying, host Sarah Wheaton sits down with Brussels top policy...
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The US-EU breakup—what does it mean for Ukraine, and for peace?

March 6, 2025 • 39 mins
This week’s episode of EU Confidential comes to you from Thursday’s emergency meeting of EU leaders — the political equivalent of sobbing into your pillow on a sleepless night. The reason for those tears: America and Europe just broke up.  POLITICO’s Clea Caulcutt gives us a quick update on European Council talks on how to bolster defense spending and further support Ukraine. We then step back for a more nuanced discussion: What do...
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Can Germany’s next chancellor help Europe deal with Trump?

February 27, 2025 • 41 mins
Germany has voted, and Friedrich Merz is now the chancellor-in-waiting. But can he rise to the occasion? With Donald Trump signaling a retreat from Europe and cozying up to Vladimir Putin, the continent faces its biggest security challenge in decades. Will Merz shake off Germany’s long-standing hesitation and step up? Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by James Angelos, POLITICO’s news editor in Berlin; Jana Puglierin, senior policy fell...
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Germany votes, Trump attacks, Europe reacts

February 20, 2025 • 38 mins
Europe suddenly has to do it all — all alone, all at once. Still in shock after U.S. President Donald Trump’s unequivocal pivot toward Moscow, European leaders are grappling with the real possibility that they won’t be able to count on NATO — and the reality that the EU might not offer much of an alternative format. That said, companies and capitals are looking to Brussels for a way to prop up struggling industries while not abando...
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Europe’s future, brought to you by Putin and Trump

February 13, 2025 • 39 mins
You’ve gotta hand it to Donald Trump — even when you’re expecting him to surprise you, he still surprises you.  The Unites States president once again caught Europe off guard with his plan to start Ukraine peace talks — after a call with Vladimir Putin. As the post-World War II order veers toward collapse, how many more surprises will it take before European leaders actually do something? POLITICO’s Veronika Melkozerova, Clea Caulc...
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How political is your pizza? The Mediterranean Diet and Europe's food battles

February 6, 2025 • 31 mins
Pasta, pizza, and Parmigiano — delicious? Absolutely. But in 2025, they’re also deeply political. This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton digs into how food has become a battleground, with POLITICO agriculture reporter Alessandro Ford explaining how Italy’s far-right — and politicians across Europe — are using the Mediterranean diet to push back against Brussels. From Nutri-Score to climate policies, we unpack the rise of ...
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Your guide to Trump’s Europe envoys

January 30, 2025 • 34 mins
Diplomatic credentials? Optional. Deep pockets and loyalty to Trump? Essential. As Donald Trump rolls out his picks for U.S. ambassador posts in Europe — think fast-food executives, Broadway producers, billionaire donors and family insiders — one thing is clear: this isn’t traditional statecraft. Take Andrew Puzder, the former fast-food CEO and future U.S. ambassador to the EU (pending Senate confirmation). Like many of Trump’s nom...
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In Trump's new era: does Europe still matter?

January 23, 2025 • 41 mins
As Donald Trump settles back into the White House, all eyes—even in snowy Davos—are on Washington. Host Sarah Wheaton reports from the World Economic Forum, joined by Josh Lipsky, Senior Director at the Atlantic Council’s GeoEconomics Center, and MEP Eva Maydell, to discuss Europe’s weakening relevance amid tariff threats, tech battles, and shifting power dynamics. Plus, a special Davos update from our sister podcast Power Play— ho...
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Who’s in charge? What von der Leyen’s absence reveals about the EU

January 16, 2025 • 31 mins
While the president of the European Commission was secretly in the hospital, the next president of the United States was musing about invading Greenland. Ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, EU Confidential host Sarah Wheaton was joined by POLITICO editor-at-large Nicholas Vinocur, defense reporter Laura Kayali and trade reporter Koen Verhelst to analyze why Europe seems to be paralyzed in the face of looming trade wars, Arctic ga...
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Elon Musk: Europe’s Bloviator-in-Chief

January 9, 2025 • 33 mins
The world’s richest man has a lot to say, a vast platform, and the ear of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Now he has turned his focus to Europe. As Elon Musk weighs in on European politics, often supporting extreme candidates and promoting conspiracies, Brussels tech regs appear no match for the algorithmic onslaught. For former MEP Marietje Schaake, now International Policy Director at Stanford University’s Cyber Policy Center,...
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Holiday special: Meet JD Vance’s surprising European support network

January 2, 2025 • 37 mins
To kick off the new year, we’re sharing a standout episode from our sister podcast, Power Play. EU Confidential will be back next week, but for now, join us for this deep dive into the rise of JD Vance. From Hillbilly Elegy to vice-presidential candidate, JD Vance has come far since his  hardscrabble roots in Ohio to shape the Trump doctrine for the millennial generation. He’s also gained notoriety for upping the temperature of Ame...
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Holiday special: Brussels vs Moscow — the EU risks losing its eastern neighbors

December 26, 2024 • 40 mins
For the final episode of EU Confidential this year, we revisit a compelling discussion on the European Union’s waning influence in its eastern neighborhood, originally recorded in October. With a fresh wave of pro-EU and anti-government protests erupting in Georgia, this conversation is more relevant than ever and well worth another listen. The episode examines the EU’s struggle to maintain its foothold in Moldova and Georgia, and ...
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Farewell to the EU’s sharpest in-house critic

December 19, 2024 • 34 mins
Politics are driving a growing culture of secrecy at the European Commission, warns European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly in this week’s episode of EU Confidential. In an exclusive exit interview with host Sarah Wheaton, O’Reilly shares her frustrations over obtaining documents and holding European Union institutions to account. From Pfizergate to investigations into deadly migrant shipwrecks, the former journalist reflects on how her ...
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Inside the POLITICO 28 gala: Europe’s most powerful players (and hangover)

December 12, 2024 • 41 mins
This week's episode of EU Confidential takes you inside the POLITICO 28 gala, where we revealed our list of the people who will drive the year ahead. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO Editor-in-Chief Jamil Anderlini and senior reporter Aitor Hernández-Morales to discuss how a vacuum in the EU's traditional power centers and growing disillusionment with traditional parties is giving rise to a new class of influential Doers, D...
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Can Brussels’ new power trio take on Trump?

December 5, 2024 • 35 mins
Finally. After months of paralysis, the new leadership team in Brussels is up and running. Then again, the power trio of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, European Council President António Costa and foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas might already be out of date, reflecting centrist majorities that don’t really exist anymore and pushing for support for Ukraine that’s already on the wane in the age of Donald Trump. ...
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Romania’s TikTok upset boosts Putin

November 28, 2024 • 37 mins
Romania’s presidential election delivered a TikTok-fueled political shock, with pro-Russia, far-right candidate Călin Georgescu winning the first round. His unexpected rise has stunned the establishment and raised serious questions about NATO, Ukraine, and Europe’s future. EU Confidential host Sarah Wheaton speaks with former NATO spokesperson and Romanian native Oana Lungescu to unpack what Georgescu’s victory means for European s...
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Scholz on the brink, Rubio in the wings: Europe faces the new Trump era

November 21, 2024 • 33 mins
While Donald Trump is filling out his top team, the EU faces a leadership vacuum. Thank Germany, where Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been on the phone with Vladimir Putin and faces gloomy prospects in likely snap elections. EU Confidential host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Gordon Repinski, POLITICO’s executive editor for Germany and host of the Berlin Playbook podcast, and Liana Fix, Europe fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, to...
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The challenges to energy security in Europe

November 19, 2024 • 18 mins
Europe’s energy system is entering a period of radical change. The net-zero transition will require a significant overhaul of our infrastructure and our supply chains, right when geopolitical tensions are forcing the continent to find new sources of oil and gas and develop new networks of energy collaboration with allies. In this special podcast episode produced by POLITICO Studio for Equinor, we explore these changes and their imp...
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What the Commissioner hearings revealed about the EU

November 14, 2024 • 34 mins
There were 26 hearings and 72 hours of questions, answers and non-answers — and in the end, none of it mattered. Politics clearly trumped policy as MEPs grilled the aspiring new commissioners, with partisanship reaching new heights. EU Confidential host Sarah Wheaton unpacks the Commission confirmation hearings with some of POLITICO’s top policy journalists: Senior Reporter for Iberian Affairs Aitor Hernández-Morales; Senior Defens...
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