EU Confidential

Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder and philanthropist, is this week’s main guest. He talks to Ryan Heath about the work of his foundations, the next EU budget and the Oxfam scandal.And we talk to Politico health reporter Carmen Paun about how Gates has shaken up the world of public health — not without criticism.In our Dear Politico advice session, we hear from an assistant to a member of the European Parliament, who says their MEP is using their job to get trips to exotic locations at taxpayers’ expense.We also say EU WTF! about an Italian mayor’s plan to host a Nazi re-enactment and a Greek airline’s special stopover for MEPs — and give a big EU Thumbs Up to the Iberian lynx. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With a year to go until Brexit, we take stock of where things stand and what lies ahead.The European Parliament's Brexit Coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, talks to EU Confidential's executive producer, Andrew Gray, about the biggest Brexit challenges and how the Parliament is dealing with them.Verhofstadt talks about his plan to avoid a "Swiss nightmare" of too many post-Brexit agreements with the U.K. and warns the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland may still prove the toughest issue to solve.We also take a peek into Brussels' British expat community to get a sense of their feelings about Brexit, expressed on-stage through the skits, songs and gags of the Brussels Press Revue. The annual show, performed mainly by Brits, has been called the "EU nerd-prom."And the "Dear Politico" advice section helps a listener facing discrimination in the Brussels bubble. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russia, artificial intelligence and MEPs who are famous for the wrong reasons all feature in this week’s episode.Host Ryan Heath talks to the foreign minister of Lithuania, Linas Linkevičius, about how the EU should handle Moscow, following Vladimir Putin’s re-election and the Salisbury nerve agent attack.Ryan also chats with Janosch Delcker, POLITICO’s recently appointed AI correspondent. The first such correspondent at a major media outlet, Janosch talks about POLITICO’s AI Summit and how artificial intelligence and big data will change the world.Which Members of the European Parliament have made our naughty list? Ryan discusses some of his choices with regular panelists Lina Aburous and Ailbhe Finn, who choose their own favorites. They also talk over some EU WTF moments from the week.Thanks so much to the many listeners who took part in our recent survey. We’re always keen to hear your feedback — you can reach us at podcast@politico.eu. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode Ryan talks to Giorgi Margvelashvili, the president of Georgia who is a doctor of philosophy and was in town for the German Marshall Fund’s Brussels Forum. Following that Michael O’Leary, the gruff CEO and founder of Ryanair, who's discovering his softer side explains why Brexit makes him disappointed and how to solve holiday delays due to air traffic control strikes. Then we’ve got a fun panel with the Brussels brains trust, covering everything from Marine Le Pen’s missteps to our MEP of the Week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ryan Heath talks to Marianne Thyssen, the European Commissioner for employment, about how she wants to overhaul EU policies on jobs, education and training to face up to globalization. She also talks about the surprise in the College of Commissioners when Martin Selmayr was nominated as the Commission’s new secretary-general.Lulwah Al Khater, the first female spokesperson for the Qatari ministry of foreign affairs, drops by to tell us about her job and the challenges facing her country.Highlights from the show:Women in the workplace: As we mark International Women’s Day, Thyssen discusses barriers to success for women in the workplace. “If we look into the labor market and in the progress of women, we see that everything is going fine until the moment of children and then … women are penalized in the labor market … [they] don’t have the possibility to reach their full potential in their career,” Thyssen says.Thyssen on Martin Selmayr: The commissioner describes how she felt when she found out about the appointment of the European Commission’s new secretary-general.EU WTF: Our regular Brussels brains trust panelists, Lina Aburous and Ailbhe Finn, talk about the case of a Brussels man convicted for verbal abuse of a female police officer. They also discuss the #MeToo movement.Dear Politico: The panel advises a listener about a housing scam in Brussels.MEP of the week: In this segment, the panelists dive into a box of MEPs’ names and pull out a young farmer and a few unknowns before someone earns the title MEP of the Week.We want to hear from you! Please fill out this survey so we can make EU Confidential better than ever: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CVD7TDT Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Tony Blair came to Brussels this week with a clear message, delivered in this week's interview: I’m trying to stop Brexit, and there’s only one shot left — European immigration controls. If that idea or a second British Brexit referendum fails, Europe will be left with an angrier bigger version of Singapore undercutting its business and social model on its doorstep.Highlights from the show:Hard Brexit will mean big, angry European version of Singapore: If Brexit continues on its current course, Blair predicts there will be "a long and difficult period of economic restructuring" in Britain. As part of that process, the U.K. will become "a competitor to Europe, not an ally" and will "attract investment basically by pointing the finger at Europe and saying 'we're not like them,'" he said. "That's the future and that has massive implications for your welfare system, your pension system, your health care system.”Immigration fears: Blair admits he could have done more within EU freedom of movement rules to preemptively tackle immigration fears. "I think that frankly what I didn't really understand fully is how different countries in Europe deal with the existing freedom rules in Europe. If you take for example what the French do or how the Belgians deal with them, they just apply these rules in a much tougher way. In Belgium you're given two months to find a job and if you don’t, you're out."Tories would be crazy to hold an election rather than a second Brexit referendum: Blair explains why he thinks one of those options is inevitable.U.K. government handling of Northern Ireland: "It makes me very angry, I think it's totally irresponsible."What Blair thinks is wrong with Jeremy Corbyn's Brexit policy: Being satisfied with a bespoke customs union with the EU would mean the Labour Party "pulled up its anchor … without actually getting to the truly safe harbour which is to turn the fire on the whole Tory strategy."EU's reform problem: "Every time it wants to reform it sees this in terms of institutional power … (instead of) expending your energy in a way that the citizens of Europe will find useful."On his failed tilt at European Council president: "I would have done it if I was asked. I wasn't and there were lots of different reasons for that,” who was in town to give a speech at an event organized by the European Policy Centre.Blair on Blair: The former prime minister tells us about his worst EU summit moment, his European political hero, what he thinks about retirement, and what keeps him grounded.EU WTF: Our podcast panel discusses the decision of a German food bank to turn away foreigners.MEP of the week: Panel members delve once again into our big box of names to test their knowledge of members of the European Parliament. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's episode features a review of the Munich Security Conference and an interview with Ben Hodges, who recently retired as commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe.Also on the podcast: our panelists give their verdict on the big new job for Martin Selmayr, European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker's powerful chief of staff, look forward to the Italian election and once again test their knowledge of members of the European Parliament.The Munich Security Conference, the premier gathering of security and defense experts and policymakers, has been called "a poor man's Davos, but one where work actually gets done." POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig gives host Ryan Heath the lowdown on this year's event and introduces his interview from the conference with Hodges, who discusses transatlantic ties, Russia, the Balkans and how Europe can deter potential threats.Highlights from the show:Hodges on Russia: "In all the governments of Europe, people recognize that the environment really has changed, that this is not somebody sabre-rattling toward Russia or you know somebody hoping that the Cold War will come back, this is a real change in security environment."Germany's miserable military: A report for the German parliament found the country's army ill-prepared for combat. Hodges says "Germany absolutely can and should do more" to contribute to NATO but he has some novel ideas about how Berlin's contribution could be measured. Hear more in the podcast.Eye off the Balkans: "I think we did sort of take our eye off the Balkans ... we've plateaued there and probably need to put some more energy into the institutions in the Balkans, otherwise they do become vulnerable to ... Chinese influence or Russian influence."EU WTF — Martin Selmayr: The panel reacts to Martin Selmayr's new job, and what it will mean for how the Commission is run. They also discuss the Italian election and respond to a reporter's challenge to name the movie that best fits the Brexit storyline.MEP of the week: Our panelists delve once again into a big box filled with the names of members of the European Parliament to see if they can find someone they know. We also hear more about the people behind the names picked out in previous weeks. And we talk to last week's MEP of the week, Eva Kaili of Greece, from the Socialists & Democrats group. She talks about her growing interest in technology and artificial intelligence — and her proposal to revamp one of the Parliament's committees. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week's special guest is Alexander Stubb, the former Finnish prime minister and ex-MEP who is now vice president of the European Investment Bank (EIB). Stubb talks about how the bank will handle Brexit and how it will play an increasing role as the EU tries to do "more with less" in its next long-term budget.The podcast panel discusses the Oxfam sex scandal, the controversial Spitzenkandidat system for picking the Commission president and the intriguing backstory of a notable MEP.Highlights from the show:Stubb on the EU budget after Brexit: "The basic idea is that you have to be realistic. That the EU budget is not going to grow, especially after Brexit, so then you're going to have to come up with different types of ideas of leveraging or getting more bang for the buck or for doing more with less."Stubb on the impact of Brexit on the EIB: "We will have less money to invest as the U.K. leaves the EU... but then again we'll also have less population and we'll have less member states in the EU. At the end of the day, these things balance out, and you must remember the EIB is a rather flexible bank in the sense that during difficult times we are able to increase our firepower."Will Stubb run for Commission or Council president? He’s open to it, but POLITICO’s Finnish sources suggest Stubb will not try to elbow his compatriot and party colleague Jyrki Katainen out of the way. "It's always a big hypothetical ... if someone was asking if I'll go back to national politics, the answer is no. But European politics is always an appealing affair to me,” Stubb says.EU WTF — Oxfam sex scandal: The Brussels brains trust talks about the Oxfam sex scandal over the behavior of its staff in countries including Haiti and asks how the EU, as a major aid donor, will react.EU Thumbs Up — One Brussels, One Vote: A group of Brussels residents has urged the Belgian government to change the law — and potentially the constitution — to allow more than 300,000 non-Belgian citizens to participate in regional elections.Feud of the Week — Spitzenkandidat: The podcast panel debates the pros and cons of a feud that will last more than a week — and tries to outdo the Commission and the Council with some blue-sky thinking of its own on how to make the EU more democratic.MEP of the Week: Panelist Ailbhe Finn did her homework on an MEP we picked out of our big box of parliamentarians two weeks ago — France's Marc Joulaud. She tells us why Joulaud was at the center of a recent big French political scandal.Listen to the podcast to find out more — and discover our new MEP of the week, a former TV journalist. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

EU politics this week was all about shrinkage and enlargement.The shrinkage of course is Brexit, with the U.K. government again failing to set out its negotiating position and Michel Barnier sweeping through London to explain the EU's red lines. EU Confidential's featured guest this week is former U.K. Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.The enlargement — or potential enlargement — comes from the Western Balkans. The European Commission Tuesday issued a strategy that opens the way for top-performing countries in the region to join the EU in 2025. There's a catch: the Commission all but said none of the Western Balkans countries will be ready by then, because of endemic corruption, organized crime and fragile democratic institutions.Highlights from the show:Nick Clegg says U.K. government is "a bunch of muppets": "I think it is impossible to exaggerate the level of a cluelessness and incompetence now at the heart of British government." He said the current government has torn up the U.K.'s reputation for competence and "to all extents and purposes the British government now looks like a bunch of muppets."Looming constitutional crisis: Clegg warned of — and encouraged — a constitutional crisis later in 2018, caused by a standoff between the U.K. parliament and Theresa May's government as MPs warm to the idea of rejecting whatever Brexit deal emerges. "I don't think MPs should feel remotely duty bound to vote for this (Brexit deal),” he said.Jacob Rees-Mogg = Don Quixote in pinstripes: Clegg said the leading Brexiteers are "like Maoist revolutionaries. They don't care how many bodies they sacrifice along the way" to their "promised land."MEP of the Week — Lambert van Nistelrooij (Netherlands): Lambert, a Christian Democrat with a passion for connecting generations and communities to the digital revolution, talks about his latest efforts to make online shopping easier outside your home country.You can contact the podcast team at podcast@politico.eu. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It's a bumper episode this week. We hear from POLITICO's man in Prague, Siegfried Mortkowitz, about the good cop-bad cop Euroskeptic routine coming out of the Czech capital, and we catch up with a prime minister, a bank chief and an MEP that Ryan Heath spoke to at the World Economic Forum in Davos.Slovenian Prime Minister Miro Cerar tells us why he wants his country to be a home for progressive innovation. European Bank for Reconstruction and Development chief Suma Chakrabarti pitched the EBRD as "the most extreme pro-private sector business model there is" among public banks, and one that is able to cut through the EU's political baggage because it is independent from the Union.Marietje Schaake, MEP and a WEF Young Global Leader, wowed those who wanted to learn if "Europe is back," via a series of dinners, panels and reports. Schaake advocated "showing by doing" as a way to transfer that diversity to the broader Davos delegates list, which is 80 percent men. The best part of the WEF, in her opinion: The world's A-list is "very approachable."Czechs seeking asylum in New Zealand, monkeys and more on our podcast panel: Just what was the German auto industry thinking with its gas experiments on animals and humans? Why was a Czech family granted asylum in New Zealand? And where in the world is Pervenche Berès, our very first "MEP of the Week?"You can contact the podcast team at podcast@politico.eu. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices