The Mediterranean Diet: Roots and Controversies

Pasta, pizza, and Parmigiano — delicious? Absolutely. But in 2025, they’re also deeply political.

This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton digs into how food has become a battleground, with POLITICO agriculture reporter Alessandro Ford explaining how Italy’s far-right — and politicians across Europe — are using the Mediterranean diet to push back against Brussels. From Nutri-Score to climate policies, we unpack the rise of gastro-nationalism and how a diet once rooted in simplicity is now fueling a political fight.

We also have another installment of our Berlaymont Who’s Who series: Sarah sits down with POLITICO tech reporter Pieter Haeck to discuss Henna Virkkunen, the European Commissioner for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy.

With online election meddling on the rise and Elon Musk challenging EU regulations, Virkkunen is in charge of enforcing the Digital Services Act — but does Brussels have the resolve to keep Big Tech in check?

Further reading: The Mediterranean diet is a lie, by Alessandro Ford.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices