EU Confidential

We dive into the aftermath of the German election and take a closer look at Olaf Scholz, the favorite to succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor. We also unpack a new push by the EU and the U.S. to agree a common rulebook on tech and trade.Following Sunday's German election, POLITICO's Andrew Gray and Matthew Karnitschnig get you up to speed on the talks in Berlin about forming the next government. And Brussels Playbook co-author Suzanne Lynch discusses how the outcome is going down with EU policymakers, and what questions they still have about Germany post-Merkel.Olaf Scholz is in pole position to lead the next government after his Social Democrats came first in the election. But just who is he? Our Executive Producer Cristina Gonzalez caught up with Der Spiegel journalist Christiane Hoffmann in Berlin to shed light on the politician and the person.Also, Chief Technology Correspondent Mark Scott, author of POLITICO's weekly Digital Bridge newsletter, has the latest on Wednesday's inaugural meeting of the U.S.-EU Trade and Technology Council in Pittsburgh. Mark explains why the council is such a big deal and breaks down where the two sides stand on the key issues. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a special show from Berlin, the POLITICO team analyzes Germany's cliffhanger election, gauges the mood in the different camps, and explores how coalition talks may play out.POLITICO's Andrew Gray brings you up to speed on the latest projected results, which show the Social Democrats have a narrow lead over the conservative CDU/CSU alliance. But it's still wide open whether the SPD's Olaf Scholz or the CDU/CSU's Armin Laschet will succeed Angela Merkel as chancellor. It will all come down to who can form a coalition, likely with the Greens and Free Democrats.Our reporters in Berlin, including Joshua Posaner, Hans von der Burchard, Laurenz Gehrke and Annette Nöstlinger, take us inside the parties' election-night events and give us a flavor of the mood there.And POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig, Florian Eder and Emily Schultheis analyze the results, exploring what they say about the direction of German politics and the implications for the European Union. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We explore the defining moments of the German election campaign and debate the security-and-submarine deal between Australia, the United States and the United Kingdom that enraged France.POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Matthew Karnitschnig and Emily Schultheis are in Berlin for the big one, Sunday's German general election, which will bring down the curtain on the Angela Merkel era. They're joined by our in-house polling expert Cornelius Hirsch to the tell story of a surprising campaign that's gone down to the wire: The center-left Social Democrats, with their chancellor candidate Olaf Scholz, have a narrow lead over the conservative camp and their standard-bearer Armin Laschet but it's too close to call.Then we turn to AUKUS, the three-way pact that scuppered a multibillion-dollar French submarine deal with Australia, provoking fury in Paris and triggering transatlantic turbulence.POLITICO's Zoya Sheftalovich joins us from Sydney to explain why Australia went from agreeing to buy French diesel-fueled submarines to holding secret talks to replace that deal with a nuclear-powered fleet. Rym Momtaz and David M. Herszenhorn talk through the diplomatic fallout from the move.Finally, set a reminder to join us for a live Twitter audio chat on the German election results this Sunday at 10 p.m. CET. We'll be analyzing the outcome and getting a flavor of the mood among the parties.That discussion will be the basis for a special episode of EU Confidential, which will drop into your feed early Monday morning. Be sure to subscribe wherever you get your podcasts so you don't miss it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ursula von der Leyen's State of the European Union address and the closing stages of the race to succeed Angela Merkel as German chancellor are our two big topics this week.POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz and Matthew Karnitschnig bring us up to speed on the German election, which is now just over a week away. It's turning into a two-man race between Olaf Scholz, the candidate for the Social Democrats (SPD) who is now in the lead, and conservative Armin Laschet. But will talk of the SPD teaming up with more radical left-wing forces give Germans pause when considering their vote for the center-left party?We also take an early look at next spring's French presidential election, with a number of candidates already throwing their hats into the ring.Then we turn to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's State of the Union address to the European Parliament in Strasbourg on Wednesday. The annual set-piece moment gives Commission chiefs the chance to tout their successes and set out priorities for the next year. How did von der Leyen's speech stack up?POLITICO's team has the full analysis, starting with a dispatch from Strasbourg from Maïa de La Baume and Suzanne Lynch. Then David M. Herszenhorn addresses von der Leyen's remarks on Afghanistan and her push for greater European defense capabilities. Sarah Wheaton clarifies where the Commission president rightfully has bragging rights when it comes to the pandemic response and where she fell short. Paola Tamma takes stock of Europe's economic recovery efforts. And Karl Mathiesen and Clothilde Goujard take on two of von der Leyen's biggest legislative priorities: climate and digitization. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The German election campaign's impact on EU policymakers is up for debate this week. And European Council on Foreign Relations director Mark Leonard talks about his new book, "The Age of Unpeace."Suzanne Lynch and Jakob Hanke Vela, the new authors of our flagship Brussels Playbook newsletter, introduce themselves to our podcast audience. They join POLITICO's Andrew Gray and Rym Momtaz to discuss how the Brussels bubble is looking at the German election. And they ask why chancellor candidates Armin Laschet and Olaf Scholz took time off from the campaign trail to visit French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris this week. Be sure to subscribe to our Germany Election Playbook for daily news and analysis from the campaign.Our special guest is Mark Leonard, founder and director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. He discusses his new book, "The Age of Unpeace: How Connectivity Causes Conflict" with our executive producer Cristina Gonzalez. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We debate whether Afghanistan's collapse moves the needle in Europe's long-running dilemma over building up its own military power. Plus, we have a discussion on a new form of loneliness among younger generations in Europe.There's a back-to-school vibe in Brussels, and POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, Matthew Karnitschnig and David M. Herszenhorn break down the main topic still dominating the agenda: the turmoil in Afghanistan and the implications for Europe, particularly in terms of its military power and place in the world.Then we hear from Diana Kinnert, an activist and politician from Germany's center-right Christian Democrats, who speaks to POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton about her book on loneliness. Kinnert, who's 30, contends there's a new type of loneliness plaguing her generation — which can have long-term impacts on public health, business and politics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the wake of the withdrawal of western forces from Afghanistan, the EU is confronting renewed questions about its asylum policy. We also look at the state of the global economy, as well as Europe's coronavirus battle.POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig is joined by Jacopo Barigazzi and Zosia Wanat to discuss the EU's renewed migration debate. The Taliban takeover in Afghanistan, along with Belarus intentionally sending migrants across its borders with EU countries, is forcing European officials to confront the bloc's failure to come up with a coherent migration policy.Matt then speaks with U.S. economist Joseph Stiglitz on the sidelines of the European Forum Alpbach about the state of the global economy and how Europe's recovery efforts stack up.Emer Cooke, executive director of the European Medicines Agency, is also a special guest in this episode. She recently spoke with POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton about Europe's coronavirus battle, vaccines and her own background. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As the Taliban consolidate their hold over Afghanistan, we have reaction from around Europe to the U.S. decision to pull out and debate the policy implications for NATO and the transatlantic alliance.POLITICO's Chief Europe Correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig is joined by Lili Bayer in Brussels, Annabelle Dickson in the U.K. and Saim Saeed, our regional expert, to discuss how Afghanistan's unraveling has been handled by European allies.Matt then speaks to Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, about how this crisis came to pass — and debate the impact on NATO and Europe's relationship with the Biden administration.Kay Bailey Hutchison, the U.S. ambassador to NATO under Donald Trump, is also a guest on the show. She spoke with POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton and David M. Herszenhorn late last week as the Taliban's rapid advance across the country was in full swing. The long-time U.S. senator discusses how she believes President Trump would have handled the situation and America's position on China and its influence on allied members.Matt also gives us a brief update on where things stand in the final stages of campaigning as Germans gear up for their big election on September 26. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We have all the recommendations you need for reading, listening and viewing to make the most of your summer holiday — courtesy of the POLITICO podcast crew, special guests and our listeners.This extended episode of EU Confidential features entertaining, as well as enlightening, recommendations from POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz and Matthew Karnitschnig. Our executive producer Cristina Gonzalez brings us listener recommendations, and we also hear from some of our special guests over the past months.Here's the full list of tips:Reading"Going Dark: The Secret Social Lives of Extremists" by Julia Ebner (as recommended by Rym)(Bonus track: Julia Ebner was a guest on EU Confidential in 2018. Listen to the episode, with former host Ryan Heath, here.)"Dark Towers: Deutsche Bank, Donald Trump, and an Epic Trail of Destruction" by David Enrich (as recommended by Matt)"Summer Before the Dark: Stefan Zweig and Joseph Roth, Ostend 1936" by Volker Weidermann (as recommended by Andrew)"Disenchanted Night: The Industrialization of Light in the Nineteenth Century" by Wolfgang Schivelbusch (as recommended by EU Confidential listener Jed)"The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race" by Walter Isaacson (as recommended by Javier Solana and a listener)"The Lonely Century: A Call to Reconnect" by Noreena Hertz (as recommended by a listener)"What We Owe Each Other: A New Social Contract for a Better Society" by Minouche Shafik (as recommended by a listener)"Trans-Europe Express: Tours of a Lost Continent" by Owen Hatherley (as recommended by listener Aisling)"Soul Tourists" by Bernardine Evaristo (as recommended by listener Andrea)"La grande illusion" by Michel Barnier (as recommended by listener Wolfgang)"Alarums and Excursions" by Luuk Van Middelaar (as recommended by listener Murray)"Hello World: How to be Human in the Age of the Machine" by Hannah Fry (as recommended by listener Agathi)"The Meritocracy Trap: How America's Foundational Myth Feeds Inequality, Dismantles the Middle Class, and Devours the Elite" by Daniel Markovits (as recommended by special guest Hans Vijlbrief)"Machiavelli: His Life and Times" by Alexander Lee (as recommended by special guest Carl Bildt)"Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism" by Anne Applebaum (as recommended by special guest Robert Cooper)"The Count of Monte Cristo" by Alexandre Dumas (as also recommended by special guest Robert Cooper)Viewing"Gomorrah" (as recommended by Matt)"Succession" (as recommended by Rym)"Lupin" (as recommended by Andrew)Listening"Grande Traversée : François Mitterrand, un mythe français" (as recommended by Rym)"The Rest Is History" (as recommended by Matt)"In Our Time" (as recommended by Andrew)"Second Captains" (as also recommended by Andrew)"The Intelligence" (as recommended by a listener)"WorkLife with Adam Grant" (as recommended by a listener)"Because People Count" (as recommended and hosted by listener Andrea)"How To Fail With Elizabeth Day" (as recommended by listener Agathi)"Mothers of Invention" (as recommended and hosted by Mary Robinson, along with Maeve Higgins and Thimali Kodikara)Programming note: EU Confidential will take a summer break for two weeks. We'll be back in your feed on August 19. See you then! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices