Brussels Playbook Podcast

This episode comes to you from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland — featuring participants from business, government and the non-profit sectors.POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton is joined by Jamil Anderlini, Suzanne Lynch and Ryan Heath to explain what the WEF seeks to accomplish at a time of tremendous political and economic instability. They discuss Monday's much-anticipated speech by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and question why so few G20 leaders have shown up at this year's unusual spring-edition of the forum (the WEF is historically held in January when ski jackets and crampons are a must).Jamil brings us a conversation with Mykhailo Fedorov, vice prime minister of Ukraine and minister of digital transformation, about how technology is aiding his country's battle against Russia. And Julien Vaulpré, founding partner of PR firm Taddeo and ex-advisor to former French President Nicolas Sarkozy, shares his impressions of what the WEF is really all about.We then hear from Richard Edelman, CEO of global communications firm Edelman, about his company's new Trust Barometer, which measures trust levels in government, businesses and the media throughout the world.Our final guest is Oxfam International Executive Director Gabriela Bucher. She unpacks a brand new analysis on the growth of billionaires during the pandemic and the alarming trends in growing economic inequality. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We unpack Sweden and Finland's historic bids to join NATO, provide a POLITICO half-time report on the European Commission's performance so far, and hear from Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly on relations with the EU and more.POLITICO's Andrew Gray is joined by Correspondent Charlie Duxbury in Stockholm, Senior NATO Reporter Lili Bayer and Chief Europe Correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig, who calls in from Warsaw. The team breaks down the strategic thinking behind Finland and Sweden's big shifts on NATO, the implications for the alliance, possible reactions from Russia and Turkey's tough talk on the membership applications.Lili brings us insight from Finland's Minister for Foreign and European Affairs Pekka Haavisto.We also take you inside a POLITICO newsroom-wide effort to assess how the European Commission has performed at the mid-point in its five-year term. Who's been a star player? Who's been relegated to the bench? Senior Policy Reporter Joshua Posaner has some of the answers and you can read the full report here.Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Mélanie Joly is our special guest. On a visit to Brussels this week, she spoke with POLITICO's David M. Herszenhorn about Canada's efforts to help alleviate global food and energy problems caused by Russia's war in Ukraine and relations with the European Union. Joly also sheds light on the challenges she and others face in balancing political responsibility and personal life. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We debate some big ideas for the future of Europe and examine the state of Franco-German ties after recently-reelected French President Emmanuel Macron's trip to Berlin. We also hear from Ukrainian officials and the EU's ambassador in Kyiv.[2:54] POLITICO's Andrew Gray tries to sum up the results of the Conference on the Future of Europe, a year-long series of debates and discussions that culminated in a grand ceremony in Strasbourg earlier this week. Andrew is joined by POLITICO's Maïa de La Baume, who shares her impressions from attending one of the gatherings of EU citizens that fed into the conference.[8:09] French President Emmanuel Macron used the ceremony to propose the creation of a "European political community," which could include countries outside the EU like Ukraine and the U.K. POLITICO's Hans von der Burchard tell us how this and other ideas are going down in Berlin, after Macron's visit earlier this week with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz.Chief Europe Correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig weighs in on the proposals for Europe's future and the politics around Ukraine's EU membership bid.[19:43] Then POLITICO's Lili Bayer brings us voices from officials in Ukraine after her recent trip to Kyiv, including EU Ambassador to Ukraine Matti Maasikas, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko and Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Integration of Ukraine to the EU. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We unpack the EU plan to ban Russian oil and wonder why Germany is so hung up on Ukraine's refusal to let German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visit Kyiv. Our special guest is Cambridge Professor Helen Thompson, who explores the relationship between energy and politics.[2:10] POLITICO's Politics Editor Andrew Gray is joined by Senior Trade Correspondent Barbara Moens to discuss the European Commission's proposal for a sixth round of sanctions on Russia over the war in Ukraine. Barbara breaks down the faultlines within the EU over the headline measure, a ban on Russian oil imports, and looks ahead to what might be coming next on the sanctions front.[10:57] Chief Europe Correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig weighs in on the sanctions from Vienna. He also attempts to explain why German Chancellor Olaf Scholz can't seem to get over the snubbing of Steinmeier, who was declared unwelcome in Kyiv three weeks ago. And Matt gives us insight into his latest piece, "12 Germans who got played by Putin."[17:12] Our special guest is Helen Thompson, professor of political economy at the University of Cambridge and author of a new book, "Disorder: Hard Times in the 21st Century." In conversation with Matt, she discusses the historical reasons for Europe's dependence on Russian oil and gas — and explains why energy will continue to drive political turbulence for years to come, even if the EU can wean itself off supplies from Moscow. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We take the long view on the success of Emmanuel Macron and the rise of Marine Le Pen, unpack an EU move that could cut funds to Hungary for failing to uphold the rule of law and dive into the impact of climate change on Spanish politics.[1:43] POLITICO's Nicholas Vinocur, a longtime follower of French politics, joins Andrew Gray to give his take on Macron's victory in France's presidential election and the gains made by far-right leader Le Pen — and what both may mean for Europe. (Nick mentions this story from our reporters on EU hopes and fears around Macron. And you can read more French election coverage here.)[9:12] POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig and Lili Bayer join the panel to reflect on the defeat of another populist right-wing European leader: Slovenia's Trump-loving Prime Minster Janez Janša. They also discuss the European Commission's unprecedented move to trigger a process that could cut EU funds to Hungary over rule-of-law breaches.[17:50] Our Senior Climate Correspondent Karl Mathiesen takes us on a journey to Andalusia. In conversation with our Executive Producer Cristina Gonzalez, Karl explains how the far-right Vox party is using climate change to woo local farmers, changing the dynamics of Spanish politics in the process. Read Karl's full story, and explore POLITICO's new "Climate, Changed" series here.This episode featured music by Peter Walker with Jack Rose, live dublab "sprout session," and Sunsearcher, "Flamenco Rhythm." Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special edition, we analyze the result of the French presidential election and its implications for France and for Europe.The show features highlights from an election-night discussion with members of our French election crew, broadcast live on Twitter and hosted by POLITICO's Andrew Gray.Politics Reporter Clea Calcutt gives us the big picture, Elisa Braün reports from Emmanuel Macron's victory rally in front of the Eiffel Tower and Giorgio Leali brings us reaction from the Le Pen camp. Chief Europe Correspondent Matt Karnitschnig joins us from Berlin to look at the repercussions for the EU and for transatlantic relations.You can find all our French election coverage here, and if you prefer your French politics en français, you can get our daily Playbook Paris here. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We review the big clash between French presidential contenders Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. And we unpack Germany's struggle over whether to send heavy weapons to Ukraine with military expert and think tanker Gustav Gressel.POLITICO's Andrew Gray is joined by Clea Caulcutt in Paris to analyze Wednesday night's live TV debate between Macron, the centrist incumbent, and far-right challenger Le Pen ahead of the final round of the French presidential election this Sunday. POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig also joins the conversation to give the broader European perspective on the race.Matt then brings us this week's feature interview with Gustav Gressel, a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations in Berlin. They discuss Germany's continued reluctance to supply Ukraine with heavy weaponry and its impact on Berlin's standing within the EU and among other Western allies.Programming note: We'll host a live conversation on the French election on Sunday at 10 p.m. CET on Twitter. Andrew, Matt and Clea will be joined by other members of our French team to analyze the results, hear reaction from the campaign HQs and examine what the outcome means for France and for Europe.And we'll also bring you a special election edition of EU Confidential, which will land early Monday morning in your podcast feed. So please do subscribe or follow, wherever you listen. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We analyze the latest from the French presidential campaign and hear Slovakian Prime Minister Eduard Heger's first-hand account of his visit to Ukraine. We also delve into the problems Europe faces in weaning itself off Russian energy.POLITICO’s Andrew Gray, Matthew Karnitschnig and Maïa de La Baume unpack the strategies of Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen as the gloves come off in round two of the French election. We also discuss Ukraine's rebuff of German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier amid more German angst over arms deliveries. And we ask what Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer thought he could achieve by visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin.Our reporter Lili Bayer talks to Slovakian PM Heger about his visit to Ukraine with top EU officials, including European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. He describes his meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and a harrowing visit to the town of Bucha, the scene of atrocities against Ukrainian civilians widely condemned as Russian war crimes.We also hear from Henning Gloystein, energy director at political risk consultancy Eurasia Group. He sets out the obstacles facing the EU as it tries to move away from Russian oil and gas — and warns of the risks of energy rationing in the winter if the bloc doesn’t play its cards right. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this special edition, we unpack the results of the first round of the French presidential election, which saw Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen qualify for a run-off vote on April 24.The show features highlights from an election-night discussion with members of POLITICO's French election crew, broadcast live on Twitter. French Politics Reporter Clea Calcutt explains how the result represents a transformation of the French political landscape and also analyzes the role that Russia's war in Ukraine played in the campaign.POLITICO's Elisa Braün, Maïa de La Baume, Giorgio Leali and Louise Guillot report directly from the election-night events of Macron, Le Pen, far-right upstart Éric Zemmour and left-winger Jean-Luc Mélenchon.And we look ahead to the all-important second round: What could make the difference between victory and defeat for Macron and Le Pen? And how will voters who backed other candidates in the first round influence the result?You can find all our French election coverage here and sign up for our free French Election Playbook here. And if you prefer your French politics en français, you can get our daily Playbook Paris here.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We preview this Sunday's presidential vote in France, discuss the latest Western responses to Russia's war in Ukraine and reflect on Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's reelection. Our special guest is Transparency International Ukraine's Kateryna Ryzhenko.POLITICO's Elisa Braun in Paris joins Andrew Gray to set up the first round of the French presidential election. She explains the mood in the Macron camp, as the president tries to clinch reelection in the face of headwinds including a lackluster campaign, a strong showing by far-right leader Marine Le Pen and uproar over his government's use of consulting firms to develop policies.POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig in Berlin looks at whether the West is moving closer to energy sanctions on Moscow after condemning Russian forces for war crimes over the killings of Ukrainian civilians in the town of Bucha.And POLITICO's Lili Bayer unpacks how Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his right-wing populist Fidesz party managed to clinch such a decisive victory in last Sunday's election. Lili also explains the EU's subsequent move to trigger a procedure that could cut funds to Hungary over concerns about the rule of law in the country.Kateryna Ryzhenko, deputy secretary-general of the Ukraine branch of anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International, tells us what she's asking EU policymakers to do to help her country — now and after the war.Programming note: Andrew Gray will host a live taping of EU Confidential on Twitter on Sunday at 10 p.m. CET with our team in France to break down the results of the first round of the French presidential election. We will also bring you a special edition of the podcast early Monday morning, so be sure to follow or subscribe to EU Confidential on your podcast app so you never miss an episode. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices