“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’s “Independence Moment.” She proposed sanctions on extremist Israeli ministers over Gaza; floated using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine; and backed calls for a drone wall to protect the bloc's eastern flank against Russia. She also pledged action on jobs, poverty and housing.
But were those fighting words enough to bridge the gap between promises and reality — or did they simply paper over a fraying coalition?
Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Rym Momtaz, editor-in-chief of Carnegie Europe’s Strategic Europe blog; Carsten Brzeski, ING’s global head of macro research; and Sorcha Edwards, secretary general of Housing Europe, to unpack the geopolitics, economics and social policy in the speech. We’ll also hear from POLITICO’s Max Griera in Strasbourg, with on-the-ground reactions from MEPs — and look across the border to France, where President Emmanuel Macron faces fresh political turmoil after the government of Prime Minister François Bayrou collapsed.
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Tyrants are forever: Has Europe missed its moment?
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 colleagues Clea Caulcutt, Nick Vinocur and Paul Dallison to unpack a cliff-edge week: France’s confidence vote on an austerity budget that could topple Prime Minister François Bayrou and push Paris back into chaos; Europe’s next moves on Ukraine; and Ursula von der Leyen’s big address in Strasbourg on the EU’s place in a shifting world. It’s a tough speech to deliver, with few clear wins to trumpet.
Plus, our resident comedian brings von der Leyen bingo back: Place your bets on how many times she will say “competitiveness.”
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Limping through the Trump era: Can Europe lead again?
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 with tariffs over their digital rules — drawing instant reactions from the European Commission’s Sabine Weyand and Nobel laureate Joseph Stiglitz. She then sits down with former Spanish Foreign Minister — now dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po — Arancha González Laya, to ask how Europe can move from “limping along” to setting the pace on trade, tech and alliances.
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EU's sweaty summer — what you missed (and what matters)
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 POLITICO colleagues Jordyn Dahl, Gabriel Gavin and Jan Cienski for a catch-up on what moved while the bubble was at the beach. From Alaska to the White House: Did anything real shift on Ukraine beyond choreography? We break down the EU-U.S. tariff framework and turn to Gaza — where Brussels is grasping for some sort of leverage — and how the politics split across capitals.
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Escape the EU Bubble: Expert Summer Book Picks
This week, we’re taking a breath. EU Confidential is stepping away from summits, trade battles, and late-night trilogues — and turning to something more refreshing: books.
Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by audio producer (and self-confessed book nerd) Dionisios Sturis for this special summer reading edition. From sharp political non-fiction to playful fiction, poetry and literary escapes, we’re sharing what EU insiders are packing in their holiday bags — and what they think you should read this summer.
You’ll hear from:
-Kaja Kallas, the EU’s top diplomat
- Jessica Rosencrantz, Sweden’s minister for EU affairs
- Glenn Micallef, Commissioner for intergenerational fairness, youth, culture and sport
- And from listeners and colleagues with their own smart, silly, brainy and bloody picks
We also speak with Jeroen Reijnen, author of "Big in Brussels" — an insider’s guide to surviving (and thriving) in the EU bubble. So pour yourself something cold, put your phone on silent, and dive in.And here is our summer reading list:
Bonjour Tristesse – Françoise Sagan
Killing Thatcher – Rory Carroll
Do Not Disturb – Michela Wrong
The Great Game – Peter Hopkirk
The Situation Room – George Stephanopoulos
Autocracy, Inc. – Anne Applebaum
I Giorni di Vetro (The Days of Glass) – Nicoletta Verna
Dak li l-Lejl Iħallik Tgħid (What the Night Lets You Say)– Pierre J. Mejlak
The Vegetarian – Han Kang
Human Acts – Han Kang
Tatendrang (Urge for Action) – Theresia Töglhofer
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold – John le Carré
Perfection – Vincenzo Latronico
Prague – Arthur Phillips
Mrs. Dalloway – Virginia Woolf
Common Sense: A Political History – Sophia Rosenfeld
I Want to Go Home But I’m Already There – Róise Lanigan
The Redbreast – Jo Nesbø
The Kingdom – Jo Nesbø
The Kindly Ones – Jonathan Littell
The Empusium – Olga Tokarczuk
Tell Me Everything – Elizabeth Strout
There Lives the Young Girl in Me Who Will Not Die – Tove Ditlevsen
Notes from a Big Country / I’m a Stranger Here Myself – Bill Bryson
H is for Hawk – Helen Macdonald
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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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