EU Confidential

Von der Leyen vs. Trump: Europe answers back

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

He’s not even European — yet Donald Trump has topped POLITICO’s annual P28 ranking of the most powerful people who will shape Europe in 2026. E...

Notes on a scandal — will a fraud probe upend the EU?

05 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Brussels was jolted this week by dawn raids and an alleged fraud probe involving current and former senior EU diplomats. Host Sarah Wheaton speaks wi...

Peace plan panic: Does the EU still have a say in Ukraine’s future?

28 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Washington–Moscow peace maneuvers caught Europe off guard this week — raising questions about the EU’s continued relevance and readiness at a pi...

Inside Europe’s far right — going pro and going strong

21 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Europe’s biggest political family crosses the aisle to vote with the far right, something fundamental shifts in Brussels. In this episode, hos...

Growing pains: Can the EU handle enlargement?

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Russia’s war in Ukraine has given new momentum to EU enlargement — and raised a bigger question: Is the bloc itself ready to grow?  This week, h...

Pornography, children and privacy: Europe's digital dilemma

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Europe faces a growing dilemma: how to protect children online without breaking digital privacy for everyone.  A new report from the Internet Watch ...

How to lose a Dutch election — and still win one

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is it enough to come first in an election? In the Netherlands, you hear that centrist Rob Jetten won big and Geert Wilders’ far right lost a lot —...

How about them assets — making Russia pay for Ukraine

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The EU wants to lend €140 billion in cash from frozen Russian funds to Ukraine; Belgium is afraid it will be the one on the hook for paying it back....

How to go from hero to zero, with Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel 

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

French President Emmanuel Macron has gone from “Mr. Europe” eight years ago to the solitary man by the Seine. At the same time, ex-German Chancell...

How not to fall: Behind von der Leyen’s fightback and Macron’s meltdown

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While the French government collapses in Paris, Ursula von der Leyen stands unshaken in Strasbourg. It’s been a week of political tremors — some p...

Humiliating Europe: Trump’s culture war and the EU’s response

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do Donald Trump’s culture war, Moldova’s EU ambitions, and Czechia’s upcoming parliamentary election have in common? They all reveal how Eu...

Escalating trouble – Trump takes on the UN and Europe

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump says Ukraine can win — but should Europe believe him? At a hectic U.N. General Assembly in New York, U.S. President Donald Trump stunned worl...

Jourová’s secrets and Putin’s drone tests

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From rule of law battles to inside stories, Věra Jourová looks back on a decade in the Berlaymont. The former European Commission vice president rec...

Ursula’s Fight Song — who’s singing along?

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“Europe is in a fight.” With those words, Ursula von der Leyen set the tone for her State of the European Union speech — framing this as Europe...

Tyrants are forever: Has Europe missed its moment?

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Under the jackhammers on Schuman, Brussels is filling back up for the rentrée — and the fault lines are showing. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by c...

Limping through the Trump era: Can Europe lead again?

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From a picturesque mountain resort in Austria, at the European Forum Alpbach, host Sarah Wheaton unpacks fresh threats by the U.S. to hit countries wi...

EU's sweaty summer — what you missed (and what matters)

22 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just when we thought we could get a break for the summer, geopolitics had other plans. This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by ...

Escape the EU Bubble: Expert Summer Book Picks

01 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we’re taking a breath. EU Confidential is stepping away from summits, trade battles, and late-night trilogues — and turning to somethin...

The €2 trillion question: Inside the battle over the EU's budget

18 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trillions of euros, almost as many priorities — and just over two years to agree. The European Commission has unveiled its sweeping new seven-year b...

No-confidence vote: Is the EU Parliament about to break?

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ursula von der Leyen survived a motion of censure — but not without sustaining damage. In Strasbourg, tensions within her pro-European coalition bur...

Boiling in Brussels: Climate fights and Orbán vs. Pride

04 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Europe baked, the Atomium shut early — and Brussels finally unveiled its long-delayed climate target. Host Sarah Wheaton speaks with POLITICO Clima...

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

27 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 gatherin...

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

20 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 m...

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

13 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 cu...

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

06 Jun 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump is finally facing some resistance. Can Europe seize the moment? This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton speaks with Swedish Member of...

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

30 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Slaps were exchanged — some literal, some political — and suddenly Brussels isn’t just watching from the sidelines.This week on EU Confidential,...

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

23 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 scrut...

The crown slips: How queen Ursula failed her transparency test

16 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, Euro...

Populist currents and fragile coalitions: Trump’s shadow over Europe

09 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Europe’s political center is wobbling. Again. In Germany, a dramatic Bundestag vote leaves new Chancellor Friedrich Merz bruised before he’s even...

How Trump transformed Europe in just 100 days

02 May 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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?  PO...

A divorce and a birthday: Five years of Brexit, 10 years of POLITICO

25 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

With POLITICO turning 10 and Brexit hitting 5 earlier this year, this episode of EU Confidential takes stock of two milestones that shaped Brussels —...

Holiday special: Driving toward a trade war with China

18 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

​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) escala...

Trump blinks on tariffs. Can Europe exhale?

11 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

A tariff storm was brewing — and then, just like that, the forecast changed. Donald Trump shocked everyone by pausing his planned tariffs for 90 day...

Beautiful beef: Le Pen, Varoufakis and the horseshoe theory of politics

04 Apr 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do Marine Le Pen, Yanis Varoufakis and Donald Trump have in common? More than you'd think. In this episode of EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton...

Erdoğan, not Trump, is Europe's new best friend on security

28 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul’s mayor and the main political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been arrested. So what is Europe doi...

Dirty games in Brussels and war games in Europe

21 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Eur...

Can EU leaders handle a world on fire?

14 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 j...

The US-EU breakup—what does it mean for Ukraine, and for peace?

07 Mar 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s episode of EU Confidential comes to you from Thursday’s emergency meeting of EU leaders — the political equivalent of sobbing into y...

Can Germany’s next chancellor help Europe deal with Trump?

28 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Eu...

Germany votes, Trump attacks, Europe reacts

21 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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, Eur...

Europe’s future, brought to you by Putin and Trump

14 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 onc...

How political is your pizza? The Mediterranean Diet and Europe's food battles

07 Feb 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Pasta, pizza, and Parmigiano — delicious? Absolutely. But in 2025, they’re also deeply political. This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton...

Your guide to Trump’s Europe envoys

31 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Diplomatic credentials? Optional. Deep pockets and loyalty to Trump? Essential. As Donald Trump rolls out his picks for U.S. ambassador posts in Europ...

In Trump's new era: does Europe still matter?

24 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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 Econo...

Who’s in charge? What von der Leyen’s absence reveals about the EU

17 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While the president of the European Commission was secretly in the hospital, the next president of the United States was musing about invading Greenla...

Elon Musk: Europe’s Bloviator-in-Chief

10 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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. ...

Holiday special: Meet JD Vance’s surprising European support network

03 Jan 2025

Contributed by Lukas

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,...

Holiday special: Brussels vs Moscow — the EU risks losing its eastern neighbors

27 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For the final episode of EU Confidential this year, we revisit a compelling discussion on the European Union’s waning influence in its eastern neigh...

Farewell to the EU’s sharpest in-house critic

20 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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...

Inside the POLITICO 28 gala: Europe’s most powerful players (and hangover)

13 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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. ...

Can Brussels’ new power trio take on Trump?

06 Dec 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Finally. After months of paralysis, the new leadership team in Brussels is up and running. Then again, the power trio of European Commission President...

Romania’s TikTok upset boosts Putin

29 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Romania’s presidential election delivered a TikTok-fueled political shock, with pro-Russia, far-right candidate Călin Georgescu winning the first r...

Scholz on the brink, Rubio in the wings: Europe faces the new Trump era

22 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 wi...

The challenges to energy security in Europe

20 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Europe’s energy system is entering a period of radical change. The net-zero transition will require a significant overhaul of our infrastructure and...

What the Commissioner hearings revealed about the EU

15 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

How Trump is already breaking Europe

08 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After Donald Trump’s election victory, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is breaking out the Champagne. Germany’s government, meanwhile, is b...

Faith, fear and freedom: European eyes are on the US vote 

01 Nov 2024

Contributed by Lukas

For a fresh view of the U.S. election in its final days — and what it means for Europe — this week’s episode of EU Confidential gets a ground-l...

Brussels vs Moscow: The EU risks losing its eastern neighbors

25 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

A vote that was supposed to be a slam dunk in favor of the EU turned into a nail-biter: barely 50 percent of Moldovans backed the country’s accessio...

The world is in crisis and the EU is doing ... nothing?

18 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This week’s episode of EU Confidential is a show about nothing. As in: Brussels’ endless lame-duck inertia. Sure, there’s still lots of yadda ya...

Driving toward a trade war with China

11 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Buckle up. This week on the EU Confidential podcast, we’re talking cars. And a looming trade war. European Union countries are split over whether it...

From 'Fortress Austria' to 'Fortress Europe'?

04 Oct 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this week’s episode of EU Confidential, we tackle the complex forces shaping Europe’s future — where political shifts, migration and escalati...

Ukraine’s 4-month countdown

27 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Volodymyr Zelensky has just four months. That’s the time left until U.S. President Joe Biden leaves office. After that, who knows what’s going to ...

The EU's new power pyramid and migration escalation

20 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Live from Strasbourg… and Paris… and Berlin… and London, it’s EU Confidential. In this week’s episode, we catch you up on a dizzying week of...

Does Europe’s economy need Mountain Dew?

13 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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’ back-to-school blues

06 Sep 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It’s been a particularly chaotic rentrée for Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In this week’s episode of EU Confidential, we talk abou...

Anne Applebaum on dictators big and small

30 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode of EU Confidential, we speak to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anne Applebaum. Her latest book, "Autocracy Inc.," explores how auth...

This burger could kill the EU

23 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ...

Summer special: Who votes for the European far right? And why?

16 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 E...

Summer special: ‘Rent is too damn high!’ Europe’s growing housing crisis

09 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 Europe...

EU Commissioners' power puzzle

02 Aug 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Brussels might seem empty, but high-stakes games are afoot behind the scenes. From air-conditioned government suites (and the occasional vacation vil...

Harris, Vance and what they mean for Europe

26 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 postur...

As it happened: Ursula von der Leyen’s secret ballot triumph

19 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

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 ass...

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

12 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Just days into his country's rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán again stunned other Europe...

French election shocker: reaction and analysis

08 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

France has voted and the results are in — our POLITICO team in Paris discusses the surprising results of the final round of the parliamentary electi...

Panic mode: Biden and Le Pen imperil mainstream politics

05 Jul 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Just days before the final round of France's snap parliamentary elections, we discuss possible scenarios for what could emerge from the messy politica...

EU top jobs deal — French election, round 1

28 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Straight from the European Council summit, we bring you the latest news and analysis on a range of tough issues on the leaders' agenda. Host Sarah Whe...

MEGA shift in the EU's balance of power

21 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Almost two weeks after the EU election, there is still a lot of political manoeuvring going on — both in Brussels and in national capitals. First, P...

Macron challenges French voters and spooks Brussels

14 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As the EU comes to terms with its new (sort of) political reality following last weekend's European Parliament election, France is already back in cam...

EU election results — Europe swings to the right

10 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As election result projections were revealed on Sunday evening, our EU Confidential team recorded a live episode with first reactions and analysis fro...

What the EU election is actually about

07 Jun 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As voting gets underway throughout the EU, we check in on the polls and learn which stories are dominating the headlines in capitals around Europe. Ho...

Key EU policies — how will they change after the vote?

31 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With just a week to go until the European election and the campaign in full gear, we're focusing on how the vote will impact key EU policies such as h...

EU election 101 — your questions answered

24 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

This is your essential (and entertaining!) guide to the upcoming European election — everything you've wanted to know but been too afraid to ask. Wi...

How Russian disinformation could skew EU election — and whether Europe can fight it

17 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Ursula von der Leyen made a promise this week: if she secures another term as president of the European Commission, she will prioritize beefing up the...

Who votes for the European far right? And why?

10 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As recent national elections in several European countries have shown, far-right voters no longer fit the stereotype of the angry, old white man, but ...

Debate time! EU lead candidates go head-to-head

03 May 2024

Contributed by Lukas

It was a rare chance to see all the leading candidates from Europe's main political parties go head-to-head in a presidential-style debate to become t...

European Parliament in review — MEP unAwards 2024

26 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Since the 2019 election this European Parliament has had to deal with various challenges, from Brexit and Covid-19 to the war in Ukraine and scandals ...

Brussels buzzwords of the week: competitiveness and Bolshewokism

19 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we unpack the EU's new buzzword and the main point of discussion at this week's European Council summit: competitiveness. We also brin...

EU election latest: Knives out for Ursula von der Leyen

12 Apr 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With just weeks to go until the European Parliament election, we're bringing you the state of play. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Elisa Braun, POLIT...

'If you want peace, prepare for war': How an old saying is making a comeback in Europe

29 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode, we unpack the growing urgency among EU leaders to defeat Russia's Vladimir Putin. Remember the old Latin saying: si vis pacem, para b...

Farmers lead the EU climate backlash

22 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As EU leaders received a stark warning about the climate risks facing the bloc, the European Commission caved to farmer protests and demands to slash ...

Portuguese voters' anger and what it means for Europe

15 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Portugal's snap election has brought seismic change — the Socialists are now in opposition and the center-right Democratic Alliance, which narrowly ...

Inside the European People's Party Congress 2024

08 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

On this bumper edition of EU Confidential, we take you inside the two-day European People Party's Congress in Bucharest. Host Sarah Wheaton and POLITI...

European Parliament election 2024 — state of play

01 Mar 2024

Contributed by Lukas

With less than 100 days until the European Parliament election, we bring you the state of play. Also, we hear from Georgian President Salome Zourabich...

VDL 2.0 — How Europe and Ukraine have changed, two years into Russia's all-out war

23 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As we mark two years of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we take stock of how the war has changed Europe's political landscape and identity —...

Europe responds to Donald Trump

16 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump has again sent shockwaves across Europe with comments suggesting that he would encourage Russia to invade NATO countries that do not spen...

Can the EU defend Ukraine (and itself)?

09 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

Europe is waking up to the urgent need to strengthen its own defenses — especially as Donald Trump seems poised to capture the Republican nomination...

Europe's angry farmers and EU funds for Ukraine (finally)

02 Feb 2024

Contributed by Lukas

As farmer protests continue around Europe, we unpack their various concerns and analyze their impact on the European election. We also take you to an ...

'Rent is too damn high!' Europe’s growing housing crisis

26 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we look at a crisis that is affecting many Europeans in most EU countries: skyrocketing rents and house prices, a shortage of flats, l...

Can the EU manage migration?

19 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

After seven years of bitter wrangling, the EU has finally reached an agreement on how to handle migration — one of its most challenging and divisive...

EU top jobs kickoff — finding compromise with Viktor Orbán

12 Jan 2024

Contributed by Lukas

In this episode we look at the ongoing tug-of-war between Budapest and Brussels in the context of a rather shocking development that could pave the wa...