EU Confidential

Nicolas Schmit, the European commissioner for jobs and social rights, is our special guest ⁠— discussing the Commission's plan to help people stay in jobs despite the coronavirus crisis.Our pan-European panel debates how long citizens will tolerate lockdown life before pushing back against their governments. We look at Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's communications troubles, after she triggered anger in Italy by describing corona bonds as a "catchphrase" in the German press. And we ask if Europe will rally round a viable economic response to match the scale of the crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Herman Goossens, a professor of microbiology and coordinator of an EU group studying how to combat the coronavirus, is our special guest. What would he have done differently if he could turn back the clock? And when can we realistically expect a return to normal? Goossens answers those questions and more in conversation with POLITICO's senior health reporter Sarah Wheaton and EU editor Andrew Gray.We also look at coronavirus testing with health reporter Carmen Paun. What are the different types of test and how are authorities deciding who gets them? And POLITICO's Bjarke Smith-Meyer demystifies "corona bonds" and explains the other options at the EU's disposal to manage the economic fallout from the crisis. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

POLITICO's Silvia Sciorilli Borrelli in Rome shares her thoughts on what the rest of Europe can learn from Italy's response to the coronavirus. Our pan-European panel debates the challenges for democracy in the age of social distancing and examines the risks for the European project if countries hit hard by COVID-19 don't feel solidarity from their neighbors.Gayle Smith, CEO of development NGO the ONE Campaign, was in Brussels a few weeks ago and shared her prescient views on the coronavirus, based on her expertise in international development and battling past epidemics. POLITICO's Lili Bayer also talks us through the potential impact of the crisis on the EU's ability to agree its next long-term budget. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We hear from someone directly involved in the EU's response to the coronavirus crisis: Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson. The Swedish commissioner talks about the challenges of trying to keep the EU's internal borders open during the crisis — and sets out how her view of why that matters. Johansson, a member of the Commission's coronavirus task force, also voices her concerns about the impact COVID-19 could have on asylum seekers and migrants in camps on the Greek islands.We also check in with POLITICO health reporters Sarah Wheaton, Carmen Paun and Jillian Deutsch. They fact-check statements on the timeline for a potential vaccine, look at whether European solidarity is kicking in when it comes to treating coronavirus patients and highlight the mental health struggles of people for whom COVID-19 is particularly dangerous. Plus, did Belgium's health minister really say the country faces 8 weeks of lockdown? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As COVID-19 paralyzes Europe, our podcast panel describes daily life right now in Paris, Berlin, London and Brussels. We also look at how Emmanuel Macron, Angela Merkel, Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen are leading in this time of crisis. Have they added to the confusion with mixed messages? And we share some ideas on how to survive the suspension of normal life.The coronavirus eclipses everything these days but other big issues haven't gone away forever. Among them is Europe's energy future, and we'll be devoting special segments of our podcast to that topic over the coming months.Earlier this month — in what now seems almost like a different world — the European Commission unveiled its flagship European Climate Law. Our reporters Kalina Oroschakoff and Aitor Hernández break down the five bruising battles that await Brussels in its attempt to slash EU greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

POLITICO brings you a special edition of the EU Confidential podcast focusing on the coronavirus crisis. This is the first in a series of extra episodes looking at the people, politics and policies shaping Europe's response to COVID-19.After we recap a dramatic day of shutdowns and lockdowns, POLITICO health reporters Sarah Wheaton and Jillian Deutsch talk with EU Editor Andrew Gray about how the EU and different European countries are handling the pandemic. They also turn the spotlight on the leaders and organizations who have been handed a central role. And we discuss how to talk about the coronavirus — what's the right tone for a crisis like this?We talk with our aviation expert Saim Saeed about the unprecedented toll the virus is taking on the airline industry. What's been the impact so far? And what do airlines expect from politicians so they can still put planes in the air whenever this crisis comes to an end? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life under lockdown in Italy: This episode of EU Confidential leads off with a conversation with Silvia Sciorilli-Borrelli in Rome about how Italy's attempt to quell the spread of the coronavirus is impacting people's daily lives.European Council President Charles Michel chaired a videoconference of EU leaders on Tuesday to try to get a grip on the coronavirus crisis. But was it too little, too late? POLITICO's Rym Momtaz (in Paris), Andrew Gray (in Brussels), Matt Kartnischnig (in Berlin) and Annabelle Dickson (in London) bring you the latest from their respective capitals. For France, that includes the question of whether local elections will go ahead and, if they do, how the outbreak could affect the result.U.K. MP Tom Tugendhat, chair of foreign affairs committee in the House of Commons, talks to Annabelle about post-Brexit foreign policy, the EU's geopolitical role, Syria and the race to lead Germany's governing Christian Democrats. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

From Brussels, Berlin, Paris and London, we break down responses to the coronavirus across Europe. How are politicians and the general population in each capital reacting? Is there a coherent European response or is everyone doing their own thing?We also analyse how European leaders are responding to the war in Syria and its repercussions at the Continent's borders. Does Europe have a serious plan to ease the suffering and prevent another big migration crisis?And Super Tuesday election results in the U.S. have some European capitals hopeful for a change in presidential leadership — but would a post-Trump America be everything Europe wants it to be?Our feature interview is with Syrian pediatrician Amani Ballour, who worked for six years in an underground hospital in her home country, treating victims of the war. Her story has been captured in an Oscar-nominated documentary called "The Cave." She visited Brussels to share her story and appeal directly to EU policymakers for more humanitarian aid. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode of EU Confidential explores how Europe is responding to the coronavirus, with POLITICO's senior health reporter, Sarah Wheaton. We also take you to the Belgian city of Aalst, whose carnival celebrations have been widely condemned for anti-Semitism. POLITICO's Eddy Wax gets local reaction. And if you've ever wondered what superpower the European Commission's Valdis Dombrovskis would like to help him bolster "an economy that works for people," POLITICO's Bjarke Smith-Meyer asked him about that — and many other things, including how to square climate ambitions with economic growth.Annabelle Dickson sheds light on the battle between Boris Johnson's top adviser and “the blob.” Rym Momtaz examines why there isn't more Western outrage and political action over attacks on the Syrian province of Idlib. And Matthew Karnitschnig gets us up to speed on the three candidates vying to become the next leader of Germany. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

We go inside the special summit on the EU budget as leaders battle over plans likely to be worth more than €1 trillion over seven years. Among those sharing their thoughts with us: Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte, Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Latvian Prime Minister Krišjānis Kariņš, Luxembourg's Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, Estonian Prime Minister Jüri Ratas and the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.Herman Van Rompuy, who negotiated the last long-term EU budget as president of the European Council seven years ago, tells us how these talks play out and shares his recollections of how he managed to strike a deal.The EU wants a chunk of the next budget to be spent on digital policy and the European Commission set out its digital vision for the Continent this week. POLITICO's technology editor, Nicholas Vinocur, joins us to break down those plans. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices