Viktor Orbán's rogue “peace missions” to Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing and Washington

While Brussels has been obsessed recently with the “Draghi report,” that’s NOT the topic of this week’s episode. We will, however, discuss WHY Brussels is so besotted. (Spoiler alert: It's because Europe’s economy is broken.) Host Sarah Wheaton talks to POLITICO’s Carlo Martuscelli and Carsten Brzeski, global head of macro at ING Think, about why the EU is falling so far behind big competitors like the U.S. and China; as well as about the political factors that got us here — and are keeping us stuck.  We also check in with POLITICO’s chief EU correspondent, Barbara Moens, about the bottlenecks impeding the new Commission leadership; and with senior correspondent Clea Caulcutt in Paris about French Prime Minister Michel Barnier’s biggest challenge since Brexit. Further readings: Mario Draghi’s plan to fix a broken Europe already looks impossible, by Carlo Martuscelli Europe’s new normal: High energy bills, fading industry and one chance to fix it, by Carlo Martuscelli and Victor Jack Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s been a particularly chaotic rentrée for Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In this week’s episode of EU Confidential, we talk about the mad dash to name the new slate of commissioners, while getting the right balance of politics, geography, gender and expertise. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO’s Chief EU Correspondent Barbara Moens and Policy Editor Joanna Roberts to look at the hot button issues on the agenda and consider how European voters’ call for a rightward shift in June could be reflected in policy — or not.  Also, from the Berlin bureau, Nette Nöstlinger shares the top takeaways from Alternative for Germany’s historic victory in regional elections. And Tech Reporter Pieter Haeck looks at the trend of banning smartphones in the classroom and what Brussels can do to boost kids’ mental health. Further readings: 5 takeaways from Germany’s eastern elections, by Nette Nöstlinger Belgian schools launch crackdown on smartphones, by Pieter Haeck Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of EU Confidential, we speak to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anne Applebaum. Her latest book, "Autocracy Inc.," explores how authoritarian regimes are banding together against democracies, including EU countries. But first, we look ahead to local elections in three eastern German states, where extreme parties on both the right and the left are poised to make historic gains as migration dominates the headlines.  Host Sarah Wheaton and POLITICO’s Berlin news editor, James Angelos, dive into Germany’s “left conservatism” standard-bearer Sahra Wagenknecht and how her party is reshaping the political landscape, alongside surging support for the far-right Alternative for Germany. Further reading: Is Germany’s rising superstar so far left she’s far right?, by James Angelos Migration smashes into German elections after deadly knife attack, by Nette Nöstlinger Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Alessandro Ford, POLITICO’s agriculture reporter, to unpack how the prospect of lab-grown meat has riled up Europe’s farmers — threatening to upend the EU’s agriculture policy and lucrative subsidy program. Read Alessandro’s full story here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

While the podcast takes a little break, we bring this insightful episode back into your feed — unpacking details of who votes for the far right in Europe. We unpack what drives voters to abandon the mainstream and more traditional party loyalties for the far right, and how poverty, or fear of it, motivates typical supporters of the AfD in Germany, Geert Wilders’ PVV in the Netherlands, or Chega in Portugal. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO reporters Hanne Cokelaere, James Angelos and Aitor Hernández-Morales, who were recently dispatched to countries where far-right parties are gaining ground ahead of the recent European election. Later on we have a fascinating conversation with Catherine de Vries, professor of political science and dean of international affairs at Bocconi University in Milan. Her research focuses on how economic hardship and problems with public services such as schools, health care or transport can fuel the far right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On our summer break, we're bringing this episode from January back into your feed by popular demand, looking at a crisis that is affecting many Europeans in most EU countries: skyrocketing rents and house prices, a shortage of flats, long waiting lists for social or affordable housing — commonplace problems from Greece to Luxembourg to Portugal.  Host Sarah Wheaton talks to POLITICO’s Aitor Hernández-Morales and Sorcha Edwards, secretary general of Housing Europe, about the causes of the crisis, its impact across the bloc (including far-right parties using it as an election platform), and solutions at the EU level. Are there any, given that housing is not an EU competence? Then we hear from Dutch Green MEP Kim Van Sparrentak about housing challenges in her native Netherlands and her efforts to get the European Parliament and the Commission to get more involved in tackling the crisis. And Sarah speaks to Ans Persoons, secretary of state for the Brussels-Capital Region, who explains how the EU’s defacto capital is struggling to keep up with affordable housing demands. And as mentioned in the show, here’s where you can read the article written by our guest Aitor Hernández-Morales, together with colleagues Jacopo Barigazzi, Barbara Moens and Giovanna Coi: How do you stop the rise of the far right? Build houses. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Brussels might seem empty, but high-stakes games are afoot behind the scenes. From air-conditioned government suites (and the occasional vacation villa), leaders are working the phones, trying to convince European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to give their country the most prestigious posts in the EU executive. In this week’s edition of EU Confidential podcast, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Barbara Moens, POLITICO’s chief EU correspondent, to talk about how this complex political puzzle might be solved. Next, we head to Paris, where senior correspondent Clea Caulcutt breaks down how the Olympics are affecting France’s chaotic politics — and the inside dish about why France’s rightwing was so angry about the edgy opening ceremony. If you want more on von der Leyen's ways of operating, listen to the latest episode of our sister podcast "Power Play," hosted by Anne McElvoy: "Queen of Europe: The surprising side to Ursula von der Leyen" Programming note: EU Confidential is on a break for the next two weeks, but we'll be bringing you some of our favorite episodes in your feed to get you through the summer lull.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is American politics giving you whiplash? This week’s episode of EU Confidential has all you need to cope, with primers on the foreign policy postures of Vice President Kamala Harris and JD Vance. Dialling in from Washington, POLITICO National Security Reporter Eric Bazail-Eimil helps us understand who Harris will lean on when it comes to Europe, while Global Playbook author Suzanne Lynch recounts her interview with Vance on U.S. support for Ukraine.  Next, a literal trigger warning: We take you inside a training camp in Germany where Ukrainian soldiers are learning how to build trenches and raid buildings for urban warfare. With mysterious drones flying overhead and gunfire ringing in their ears, Senior Defense Reporter Josh Posaner joins Executive Producer for Audio Cristina Gonzalez for an immersive audio tour of this undisclosed location.  Further readings: ‘Invisible’ Kamala Harris struggles to win over Europe, by Suzanne Lynch and Ben Munster Trump’s VP pick spells ‘disaster’ for Europe and Ukraine, by Suzanne Lynch What a Kamala Harris foreign policy could look like, by Eric Bazail-Eimil, Joe Gould, Miles J. Herszenhorn and Phelim Kine Mysterious drones keep watch as Ukrainians train in Germany, by Joshua Posaner and Cristina Gonzalez Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big decisions awaited the new class of MEPs this week: Whether to back Ursula von der Leyen for a second term atop the Commission; which committee assignments to pursue; and, most urgently, which Parliament bar to visit to get away from it all. Join host Sarah Wheaton for a romp through the Strasbourg seat of the European Parliament, and relive a week that was so crucial for Europe's direction over the next five years. Sarah is joined by POLITICO's Eddy Wax, who takes us behind the scenes of all the horse-trading and political maneuvers during the week, in which the parliament's key leadership positions were decided and the legislature's support for von der Leyen was confirmed. She also speaks to several MEPs including Hannah Neumann, a Green MEP from Germany who was reelected, and outgoing MEP Jan Zahradil — the long-serving (and sometimes controversial) Czech MEP, who reflects on his 20+ years in the Parliament and describes what has changed for Euroskeptic politicians in the hemicycle. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Just days into his country's rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán again stunned other European leaders by setting off on a series of visits to Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing, styling himself as a peace negotiator with a mandate from Brussels. Host Sarah Wheaton and POLITICO's chief EU correspondent Barbara Moens discuss Orbán's rough-and-tumble diplomacy tour and reactions it has provoked among the bloc's politicians and diplomats. But beyond angry tweets and statements clarifying that Orbán represents only his own country and not the bloc as a whole, are there other, more effective ways to rein in a leader whom is viewed as out of line? Then we zoom in on Washington, where NATO leaders have gathered for their annual summit to celebrate the alliance's 75th anniversary and pledge continued support for Ukraine. Joining us from Washington is Stuart Lau, POLITICO's NATO correspondent. Finally, we have a conversation with José Manuel Barroso, who previously led the European Commission for 10 years. He reflects on the results of the European elections and offers advice to Ursula von der Leyen and other European leaders on what can be done to boost people's support for EU integration. Further reading and listening: French election shocker: reaction and analysis, by Nicholas Vinocur, Marion Solletty and our Paris team EU fumes at rogue Orbán, but struggles to rein him in, by Barbara Moens Orbán parrots Putin’s lines on Ukraine in leaked letter to EU chief, by Csongor Körömi and Barbara Moens Divided, reshuffled and politically bruised: Europe’s leaders head to the NATO summit by Stuart Lau and Laura Kayali NATO backs Ukraine’s ‘irreversible path’, names China a ‘decisive enabler’ in Russia’s war, by Stuart Lau Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices