The crown slips: How queen Ursula failed her transparency test
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, Europe’s judges have ruled that the European Commission was wrong to hold back von der Leyen’s text exchanges with Pfizer’s CEO during vaccine contract negotiations. POLITICO health reporter Mari Eccles joins host Sarah Wheaton to unpack what the ruling means for Brussels, for von der Leyen’s leadership style, and for how the EU handles power behind the scenes.
Then we turn to Poland, where voters are preparing for a high-stakes presidential election. Calling in from Warsaw is Andrzej Bobiński, managing director at Polityka Insight. Joining Sarah in the studio is Małgorzata Bonikowska, president of the Centre for International Relations, a Polish think tank. Together they break down what’s at stake for Donald Tusk’s government — and why this vote is seen as a bellwether for Europe’s political direction and a potential reshaping of regional alliances.
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30:32
Populist currents and fragile coalitions: Trump’s shadow over Europe
Europe’s political center is wobbling. Again.
In Germany, a dramatic Bundestag vote leaves new Chancellor Friedrich Merz bruised before he’s even begun. In Romania, the first round of the presidential election wipes out the mainstream — and puts a Trump-admiring provocateur on top.
EU Confidential breaks down a week of shaken coalitions, rising populists, and what they all say about the shifting balance of power in Europe.Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Politico’s Nette Nöstlinger in Berlin, our in-house Romanian expert Carmen Paun, and Chief Political Correspondent in Europe and the U.K. Tim Ross to explore what’s driving the backlash against the mainstream — and how Trump’s influence plays out very differently across the map.
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31:53
How Trump transformed Europe in just 100 days
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?
POLITICO trade reporter Camille Gijs, tech reporter Eliza Gkritsi, defense editor Jan Cienski and senior climate correspondent Karl Mathiesen join host Sarah Wheaton to unpack the EU’s response on multiple fronts.
Plus, Max Griera and Aitor Hernández-Morales break down the controversy around the European People’s Party congress in Valencia — and the strange blackout that hit the Iberian Peninsula just as delegates were arriving.
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39:15
A divorce and a birthday: Five years of Brexit, 10 years of POLITICO
With POLITICO turning 10 and Brexit hitting 5 earlier this year, this episode of EU Confidential takes stock of two milestones that shaped Brussels — in very different ways.
Host Sarah Wheaton kicks things off with Zoya Sheftalovich, editor of Global Playbook, reflecting on POLITICO Europe’s early days and its first big scoop: Jean-Claude Juncker’s kidney stones.
Then we head to Maastricht for highlights from a debate organized by Studio Europa Maastricht, where Sarah moderated a conversation on Brexit’s legacy with Joris Luyendijk, Fleur Launspach, Oliver Garner and Ferenc Laczó.
Finally, Sarah checks in with former MEP — and Nigel Farage confidant — Alex Phillips to ask: Did Brexit deliver?
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44:21
Holiday special: Driving toward a trade war with China
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) escalating, we thought it was the perfect moment to revisit a timely episode from our archives.
As Trump’s new trade war heats up, with triple-digit tariffs hitting Chinese goods and Beijing retaliating, the global trade landscape is shifting dramatically. These developments have significant implications for Europe, especially as the EU navigates its own challenges with Chinese electric vehicles (EVs) and has imposed duties to protect its market.
In this episode, we delve into the complexities of the EU's approach to Chinese EVs. Abigaël Vasselier from the Mercator Institute for China Studies joins POLITICO’s Koen Verhelst and Jordyn Dahl to unpack these contradictions, with host Sarah Wheaton guiding the conversation.
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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/
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