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EU Confidential

Elon Musk: Europe’s Bloviator-in-Chief

Jan 10, 2025
33:56

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. As Elon Musk weighs in on European politics, often supporting extreme candidates and promoting conspiracies, Brussels tech regs appear no match for the algorithmic onslaught. For former MEP Marietje Schaake, now International Policy Director at Stanford University’s Cyber Policy Center, it’s just a small part of Europe’s subordination to Silicon Valley, as described in her book “The Tech Coup.” She joins Rasmus Kleis Nielsen, professor at the University of Copenhagen and co-author of “The Power of Platforms,” and host Sarah Wheaton to discuss the political trade-offs of free speech.

And in case you need extra motivation to fulfill those New Year’s resolutions, we introduce you to “sweatworking.” POLITICO’s Kathryn Carlson explains the art of schmoozing and schvitzing at Brussels’ high-end gyms. 

Further reading:

Sweatworking: How the gym became Brussels’ elite new lobbying spot, by Kathryn Carlson and Federica Di Sario

‘Nobody was tricked into voting for Trump’: Why the disinformation panic is over, by Laurie Clarke

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