The devastating floods in Western Europe are our top story this week: We hear from our reporter in the German flood zone and debate the political consequences of the catastrophe. We also discuss a big spyware scandal and Western accusations of Chinese cyberattacks. And we hear from Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.POLITICO's Laurenz Gehrke calls in from Hagen, Germany to describe the devastation he's witnessed in towns and villages across the flood zone and recount what he's heard from people most affected. Weighing in on the political ramifications for Germany's general election campaign is Chief Europe Correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig.Senior France Correspondent Rym Momtaz joins Andrew Gray to discuss the reaction to reports that a mobile phone number used by French President Emmanuel Macron was selected for possible targeting with Pegasus spyware by a Moroccan intelligence service.EU-China Correspondent Stuart Lau digs into this week's joint condemnation by the U.S., the EU, the U.K. and NATO of cyberattacks on Microsoft servers, attributed to hackers based in China.Our special guest is Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya. Speaking to POLITICO's David M. Herszenhorn from her office in Vilnius, Lithuania, Tikhanovskaya discusses the latest round of sanctions against the Lukashenko regime and the forced landing of Ryanair Flight 4978. She also explains what the EU can do to put pressure on the Belarusian government to hold new elections this year.

POLITICO's EU Confidential

German floods — Spyware scandal — Svetlana Tikhanovskaya

The political repercussions of Euro 2020, a massive package of European climate laws, and the first economic recovery plans approved for EU cash all feature this week.POLITICO's Rym Momtaz joins Andrew Gray to fill us in on French President Emmanuel Macron's efforts to give people a big "nudge" to get vaccinated.We get into the politics of Euro 2020 with POLITICO's resident sports expert Ali Walker, along with Annabelle Dickson in London and Hannah Roberts in Rome. The team looks at the aftermath of the final in Italy, where victory played into a bigger surge in the national mood, and England, where fan violence and racist online abuse have dominated the conversation.Here's Hannah's write-up from Rome on Italy's wave of euphoria. This is Annabelle's coverage of the U.K.'s attempt to curb online abuse. And here's Ali's A-Z review of the tournament.Then Kalina Oroschakoff, POLITICO's climate reporter, joins Andrew to break down the big news announced in Brussels this week: a mammoth package of climate laws aiming to cut carbon emissions by 55 percent by 2030. All of POLITICO's coverage of the package — known in Brussels-speak as Fit for 55 — can be found here.Finally, POLITICO's Paola Tamma gets us up to speed on efforts to get EU funds flowing to member countries to finance their post-pandemic recoveries. Paola speaks with Hans Vijlbrief, secretary of state for finance from the Netherlands, who attended a crucial Council meeting this week in Brussels to approve the first 12 recovery plans.

Political football — EU's big climate combo — Recovery cash

Slovenia's awkward start to its EU presidency and a look at why Russia has France fizzing over Champagne feature this week. And our special guest is former MEP Marietje Schaake on transatlantic tech regulation.POLITICO's David M. Herszenhorn tells Andrew Gray about his recent trip to Slovenia for the start of the country's six-month stint as president of the Council of the EU and analyzes European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's terse warning for Slovenia's controversial prime minister, Janez Janša, about the importance of upholding EU values.POLITICO's Rym Momtaz brings us up to speed on a bubbling geopolitical brouhaha between Russia and France after Vladimir Putin signed a law banning foreign sparkling wine producers from using the term "Champagne" — even those produced in France's famed, wine-growing region that gives the drink its name.Former Dutch MEP and digital expert Marietje Schaake is our special guest. In conversation with POLITICO's Laurens Cerulus, Schaake reveals why she left the European Parliament in 2019 to move to Stanford University in Silicon Valley as the international policy director at the Cyber Policy Center. After working for years to regulate tech from within the European Union, Schaake reflects on these efforts from her new transatlantic perspective.Laurens has more from the conversation in this week’s Digital Bridge newsletter.

Slovenian EU presidency — Champagne spat — Digital expert Marietje Schaake

We unpack last week's extraordinary summit of EU leaders, take stock of the coronavirus situation in Europe and bring you inside the EU's "engine room." Our special guest is former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt.POLITICO's Andrew Gray is joined by Chief Brussels Correspondent David M. Herszenhorn to unpack last week's remarkable European Council, where emotions ran high over Hungary's new anti-LGBTQ+ measures. Leaders also held a heated discussion on relations with Russia, with Eastern Europeans blasting a last-minute proposal from Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron to hold a summit with Vladimir Putin.We also take stock of Europe's coronavirus situation with Chief Policy Correspondent Sarah Wheaton, as questions mount about the Delta variant and whether digital passes will allow for normality to resume soon.Then we lift the lid on the most important EU body most Europeans have never heard of: Coreper. The committee of 27 EU ambassadors is credited with keeping the bloc's political machinery going while much of Europe went into lockdown. POLITICO's Jacopo Barigazzi joins the podcast to break down his article, "How ambassadors took over the EU."Our special guest is former Swedish Prime Minister Carl Bildt. The veteran statesman spoke to Sarah on the sidelines of the Globesec security conference in Bratislava about his current gig as the World Health Organization's special envoy for the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator, as well as Europe's relations with Russia, the situation in Belarus and EU enlargement prospects in the Balkan region.

Stunning summit — EU's engine room — Ex-Swedish PM Carl Bildt

Hungary's anti-LGBTQ+ legislation, France's regional elections and U.K.-EU relations are all up for debate. And we hear from European Commission VP Maroš Šefčovič's on the U.K.-EU "sausage wars" and more.POLITICO's Andrew Gray is joined by Brussels politics reporter Lili Bayer to explain why the anti-LGBTQ+ bill passed by the Hungarian parliament has the Continent in uproar — and even caused consternation in the sporting arena.Rym Momtaz in Paris has analysis of regional and local elections in France, which could signal trouble for President Emmanuel Macron and his party ahead of next spring's presidential poll. And our U.K. colleague Annabelle Dickson joins the panel to mark five years since the Brexit vote and break down the key battles still playing out between the U.K. and the EU.Our special guest is Commission Vice President Maroš Šefčovič. The Slovakian diplomat is currently responsible for interinstitutional relations and foresight — and has a key role for the EU in navigating the U.K.'s withdrawal from the bloc. On the sidelines of the Globesec conference in his hometown of Bratislava, he talks to POLITICO's Joshua Posaner about being dubbed "the sausage king" by his U.K. counterpart, his personal connection to the U.K. and what he's hoping for as negotiations drag on.

Hungary's anti-LGBTQ+ law — Sausage wars — Commission VP Maroš Šefčovič

We take stock of Joe Biden's visit to Europe and what it means for EU allies. And our special guest is European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde, discussing the uphill battle for gender equality in finance.Kicking off our special 4th birthday edition, POLITICO's Andrew Gray and Rym Momtaz welcome Ryan Heath — the original host of EU Confidential — to the podcast panel. Rym gives us the inside scoop on her coverage of the G7 and NATO summits, while Ryan has the perspective from Washington on those gatherings, as well as the EU-U.S. summit that took place in Brussels this week.Then David M. Herszenhorn, POLITICO's chief Brussels correspondent, joins Andrew from the Geneva airport to break down the much-anticipated meeting between Biden and Vladimir Putin. (Check out our coverage of Biden's visit to Europe here.)In our feature interview, ECB President Lagarde talks to POLITICO's Johanna Treeck and Florian Eder about encouraging gender equality at the bank and across the world of finance. (You can read more coverage of that exclusive interview here.)And to celebrate EU Confidential's 4th birthday, our Executive Producer Cristina Gonzalez will be taking over the POLITICO Europe Twitter account (@POLITICOEurope) on Friday, June 18. It's your chance to ask any questions about our audio offerings and reminisce about some of our favorite — and most controversial — episodes.

Biden's European summit spree — ECB President Christine Lagarde — Birthday bonanza

Joe Biden's trip to Europe, an interview with Germany's transatlantic coordinator, the European Parliament's strange return to Strasbourg, and a brewing Brussels brouhaha over the French language all feature in this episode.As Biden makes his first overseas presidential trip for a series of summits — with the G7, NATO, the EU and Vladimir Putin — POLITICO's Andrew Gray gets a preview from colleagues Rym Momtaz, David M. Herszenhorn and Anna Isaac, who are all headed to Cornwall for the first of those powwows.Peter Beyer, the German government's transatlantic point man, talks to POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig about what's changed now that Donald Trump no longer occupies the White House, how the West's approach to China is evolving and how the controversial Nord Stream 2 pipeline impacts relations with Washington.Meanwhile, a debate is heating up in Brussels over plans by Paris to use only French when conducting business during its upcoming presidency of the Council of the EU, starting in January 2022. POLITICO's Maïa de La Baume has the inside scoop on that, and on the European Parliament's strange return to Strasbourg after more than a year of pandemic-enforced absence.

Biden in Europe — Back to Strasbourg — Transatlantic talk

Claims that Denmark helped the U.S. spy on European leaders, demands for the EU to step up on defense and bellwether state elections in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt all feature in this episode. Mary Robinson is our special guest.POLITICO's Rym Momtaz and David M. Herszenhorn analyze new revelations by Danish media that the country's intelligence service reportedly helped the NSA spy on European leaders during the Obama administration, and how the news could impact U.S. President Joe Biden's visit to Europe later next week. They also debate the implications of this report by the Center for American Progress, a Washington think tank with close ties to the Biden administration, calling for the EU to become a global military power.Rym is then joined by POLITICO's Laurenz Gehrke to break down state elections this Sunday in Germany's Saxony-Anhalt, and what the result could indicate about the way the political winds are blowing heading into the country's federal elections in September.We're also joined by Mary Robinson, the former president of Ireland and currently chair of The Elders, a group of distinguished figures formed by South Africa's former President Nelson Mandela in 2007. In a conversation with POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton, they cover everything from coronavirus vaccines and climate change, to the geopolitical "rift" between the United States and China, and where Europe should fit in. Finally, Robinson recommends her own podcast — which she hosts, along with comedian-writer, Maeve Higgins, and series producer, Thimali Kodikara — to our listeners, Mothers of Invention.

Spy affair — Laschet litmus — Former Irish President Mary Robinson

The Belarus airliner drama and EU leaders' response, as well as a big bunfight over farm subsidies, are up for debate this week. And longtime EU diplomat Robert Cooper talks about his new book "The Ambassadors."POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, David M. Herszenhorn and Jan Cienski analyze the repercussions of what has been branded a state-sponsored hijack — Belarus forcing a Ryanair flight from Athens to Vilnius to land in Minsk, where an opposition activist and his partner were detained. The team also asks: Did EU leaders step up to the challenge?POLITICO's Eddy Wax sheds light on a big Brussels battle coming to a head this week: the fight over the EU's Common Agricultural Policy. With billions of euros at stake, Eddy has the inside scoop on how the reforms are taking shape, and who's trying to influence them. Read more here.Robert Cooper — a former British diplomat who played a key role in building up the EU's foreign policy apparatus — is our special guest to discuss his new book, "The Ambassadors: Thinking about Diplomacy from Machiavelli to Modern Times." He has a frank assessment of EU foreign policy today when it comes to China — he's not a fan of "pinprick" sanctions over human rights abuses. He also has some recommended reading for listeners, including a book on democracy under threat and some lighter fare, which he enjoys en français.The podcast panel also has a few recommended reads. Jan's tip is a profound book about how life on Earth arose. Rym's recommendation may have you rethinking how you view relationships. And David previews this tome by a recently-retired NATO bigwig.

Belarusian 'hijack' — Brussels food fight — Art of diplomacy

European attitudes toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the foreign policy of Germany's conservative candidate for chancellor, and a chat with former EU High Representative Javier Solana all feature in this week's episode.POLITICO's Rym Momtaz, David M. Herszenhorn and Andrew Gray unpack the divisions within the EU over the upsurge in violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. They also explore whether Europe would have much of a role to play in efforts to resolve the conflict, even if could speak with one voice.Armin Laschet, Angela Merkel's would-be successor, set out his foreign policy vision in a big speech this week. POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig sums up the key points and looks at the main dividing lines between Laschet and the Greens, the conservatives' biggest rivals in the polls.Javier Solana has quite the political CV — former Spanish foreign minister, NATO secretary-general and EU foreign policy chief. These days he's still very plugged into international affairs, as president of the Spanish-based Center for Global Economy and Geopolitics (EsadeGeo). He spoke to Andrew about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, his disagreement with his old friend Joe Biden on China, and the future of European defense. He also had a book recommendation for EU Confidential listeners.

Ep 201, presented by Equinor: Israeli-Palestinian conflict — Laschet's foreign foray — Javier Solana

European leaders' cool reaction to a U.S. proposal to waive patents for coronavirus vaccines is up for debate this week. We also discuss big issues facing Facebook with the company's public affairs chief Nick Clegg, and get an alternative take on those hot topics from a media executive.The surprise U.S. proposal to waive intellectual property rights for COVID-19 vaccines became the talk of an EU summit in Porto. POLITICO's Rym Momtaz takes us behind the scenes and breaks down Emmanuel Macron's emotional response. POLITICO's Andrew Gray and Matthew Karnitschnig join Rym to analyze the reasons behind Joe Biden's move and why it's put EU leaders on the back foot.Then we hear from Nick Clegg, the former deputy prime minister in the U.K. who is now vice president for global affairs and communications at Facebook. POLITICO's Nicholas Vinocur talks to Clegg about the Facebook Oversight Board's decision to back Donald Trump's suspension from the platform, the data scrape that grabbed the information of roughly 500 million Facebook users, changes to the platform's news algorithm and the impact of Apple's new iPhone privacy settings.Then we hear from Guillaume de Posch, president of the Association of Commercial Television in Europe, who makes the case for regulating Facebook and other tech platforms more like publishers and broadcasters when it comes to political speech.The podcast panel returns with recommendations for reading, watching and listening. Matt's tip is a new documentary on the fate of a Saudi dissident. Rym recommends a new book on the political intricacies of Lebanon. Andrew says a colorful tale about allegations of Russian spying in the United States is well worth adding to your podcast feed.And we have one final recommendation: If you want to dive deep into Germany's general election campaign, we have a shiny new web hub just for you.

Ep 200, presented by Shell: Vaccine patent waivers — Macron gets mad — Facebook's Nick Clegg

Is media freedom in Europe under threat? Is the Continent ready to open up as the coronavirus abates? And how much of a social union should the EU be? We tackle all of these questions in this week's episode.In the week of World Press Freedom Day, POLITICO's Lili Bayer lays out the EU countries that give cause for concern, according to Reporters Without Borders. Matthew Karnitschnig explains how the government exerts influence over the media in a Western European country not usually seen as a press freedom blackspot. Lili and Matt, along with POLITICO's Andrew Gray, also discuss how seriously EU leaders take this issue and whether there's anything Brussels can do to protect media freedom around the bloc.Then it's time to talk travel with our mobility reporter Mari Eccles — with details about the European Commission's proposal to open up the EU to travelers from outside the bloc who have been vaccinated or come from countries on an expanded "green list" of approved nations.And finally, we preview the EU's Social Summit in Porto this weekend. Piotr Sadowski and Heather Roy from Social Platform — an alliance of European NGO networks advocating for social justice — explain what they want leaders to do to help protect the most vulnerable in society.

Ep 199, presented by SQM: Media freedom — European travel — Social summit

Recovery fund masterplans, a power struggle among EU presidents and a deep dive into next week's Scottish Parliament election all feature in this episode.Seeking approval for their share of the EU's €750 billion pandemic recovery package, governments are presenting spending and reform plans to the European Commission this week. POLITICO's Paola Tamma lays out the political battles that lie ahead.POLITICO's David Herszenhorn, Rym Momtaz and Andrew Gray discuss the inside scoop on lingering tensions between European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Council President Charles Michel. They also debate von der Leyen's declaration in the European Parliament this week that the recent Sofagate scandal happened because she's a woman.Then we take a deep dive into Scottish politics, ahead of the parliamentary election on May 6. Andrew takes us to his hometown of Lanark, where SNP candidate Màiri McAllan and former Labour candidate Andrew Hilland discuss the huge political shift that's taken place there and across Scotland in recent years. We also hear from Kirsty Hughes, founder and director of the Scottish Centre on European Relations, about what would happen if an independent Scotland applied to join the EU.There's more on Scotland and the rise of the independence movement in the new episode of our Westminster Insider podcast, out early Friday morning.

Ep 198, presented by Equinor: Recovery recipes — Presidential problems — Scottish election

The candidates vying to be Germany's next chancellor, Europe's Super League football flop and battles over people's personal data all feature in this week's episode.A resurgent Green party in Germany chose Annalena Baerbock as their candidate to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor. POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig has everything you need to know about her, and the conservative coalition's decision to finally pick CDU leader Armin Laschet as its standard-bearer, after more than a week of bitter public feuding.On the not-so-Super League, POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, Ali Walker and Simon Van Dorpe discuss the fierce popular and political backlash against the project, which soon fell apart. They look at some of the big questions about sports, power and politics raised by the controversy.And finally, recent data leaks from social media platforms Facebook, LinkedIn and Clubhouse collectively revealed the information of around a billion users. But the platforms have played down the revelations. Here's Facebook's response, insisting its systems were not hacked. Data regulators around Europe, however, are not so sure everything is shipshape and have launched investigations.What does the controversy say about Europe's efforts to protect its citizens' personal information and the EU's flagship General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)? POLITICO's Vincent Manancourt explains.

Ep 197: Germany's candidates — Super League shambles — data breach battles

POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig has been following this week's dramatic battle to become the conservative nominee to replace German Chancellor Angela Merkel in September's general election. Regardless of whether CDU leader Armin Laschet or CSU boss Markus Söder ultimately prevails, how much damage has the open warfare done to their chances at the polls?We explore why alarm bells are ringing over Ukraine once again, as Russia ramps up its military presence nearby. POLITICO correspondent Dan Peleschuk gives Andrew Gray a sense of the mood in Kyiv, while the U.S. secretaries of State and Defense voiced their concerns in Brussels this week. And Rym Momtaz explains why tensions over Iran's nuclear program have skyrocketed once again.Finally, POLITICO's Eline Schaart introduces us to French MEP Catherine Chabaud. Her journey to the European Parliament began with a personal voyage three decades ago, when she became the first woman to sail solo around the world. Along the way, she discovered something that she's now working as a European lawmaker to tackle: the waste threatening our oceans and the creatures that live in them.

Ep 196: Ukraine tension — Merkel succession battle — Marine litter

From Brussels, Berlin, Paris and London — Europe’s premier political podcast.

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POLITICO's EU Confidential

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