Bulgaria’s big step toward using the euro is a victory for European unity — but the country itself isn’t united on whether joining the common currency is a good idea. And if Sofia is actually jumping the gun, the risks to the whole eurozone are dire.
Izabella Kaminska, POLITICO senior editor and finance expert, joins host Sarah Wheaton to unpack the pros an ... Show More
Yesterday
EU's sweaty summer — what you missed (and what matters)
Just when we thought we could get a break for the summer, geopolitics had other plans. This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO colleagues Jordyn Dahl, Gabriel Gavin and Jan Cienski for a catch-up on what moved while the bubble was at the beach. From ... Show More
33m 18s
Aug 1
Escape the EU Bubble: Expert Summer Book Picks
This week, we’re taking a breath. EU Confidential is stepping away from summits, trade battles, and late-night trilogues — and turning to something more refreshing: books. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by audio producer (and self-confessed book nerd) Dionisios Sturis for this spec ... Show More
35m 28s
Dec 2024
Forging peace: Europe’s role in Ukraine’s future
As Donald Trump’s return to the presidency looms, European leaders are intensifying their diplomatic efforts. Emmanuel Macron has met with Donald Tusk to discuss European troop deployments, while a high-stakes meeting in Brussels with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, NATO ... Show More
36m 57s
Aug 18
European leaders to join Trump-Zelensky meeting
Several European leaders are to join the Ukrainian President, Volodymyr Zelensky, in Washington on Monday, where he's due to hold talks with Donald Trump at the White House. During a virtual meeting in Brussels, the "coalition of the willing" said they would seek robust security ... Show More
28m 41s
Jul 2024
Finland’s President Alexander Stubb on NATO, Europe’s Security and its Relations with the Rest of the World
In this episode of Hold Your Fire!, Richard is joined by Finnish President and former Crisis Group trustee Alexander Stubb to talk about next week’s NATO summit, European security and the war in Ukraine. They assess Finland’s role as one of NATO’s newest members, Europe’s defence ... Show More
47m 5s
Feb 2025
Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orban on USAID, Trump, Immigration, NATO, and the Russia/Ukraine War
Hungary’s Viktor Orban is by far the longest serving head of state in Europe, and by this point has been vindicated on pretty much everything. So when he says that going forward it’s Ukraine, not Russia, that may be the biggest threat to the west, it’s worth paying attention.
(00 ... Show More
1h 4m