logo
episode-header-image
Jun 2025
44m 53s

What’s really behind Europe’s 5% defense...

POLITICO
About this episode
As NATO leaders prepare to endorse a dramatic defense spending hike, Europe faces a reckoning: Where will the money come from — and will new tanks mean cuts to pensions? Host Sarah Wheaton speaks with Michelle Haas, a defense analyst at Ghent University and an associate fellow at the Egmont Institute, about how the proposed 5 percent target is landing acros ... Show More
Up next
Today
How Europe survives when there are no rules
For decades, Europeans shared a simple belief: that the world — however messy — ultimately runs on rules. But what if the escalating war in Iran shows that these rules no longer apply? In this episode of EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton speaks to two foreign affairs experts wh ... Show More
28m 55s
Yesterday
Iran war: Europe weighs migration risk
A controversial new idea on EU enlargement is stirring debate in Brussels. Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton unpack a proposal known as “reverse enlargement,” as the European Commission tests how far EU capitals are willing to go to speed up Ukraine’s path toward the bloc. Mean ... Show More
16 m
Mar 4
The making of 'Made in Europe'
“Made in Europe” is finally here. After four delays and fierce internal battles, the European Commission unveils its Industrial Accelerator Act — a plan aimed at challenging China’s dominance in clean tech and tilting public procurement toward EU-made products. Ian Wishart and se ... Show More
13m 42s
Recommended Episodes
Oct 2024
Britain and Germany have a new defence pact. What will it mean for the Ukraine war?
The U.K. and Germany have signed a defense deal to bolster NATO and European security. But will it do anything to meet their immediate needs and alter the course of the war in Ukraine? Host Anne McElvoy talks to John Healey, the U.K. Defence Secretary — one of the most senior job ... Show More
23m 27s
Jul 2024
Is Canada Free-Riding on Defense?
As NATO members up their defense spending to better equip the security alliance in the face of Russian aggression, Canada is coming in from criticism for lagging behind. How is Ottawa planning to rejuvenate its defense sector, and how is it thinking about new threats from the nor ... Show More
22m 22s
Feb 2025
Former British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace
For the past week, Donald Trump has publicly aligned the United States more with America's adversary, Vladimir Putin, than with its allies, Ukraine and the rest of the Europe. With the next German chancellor talking about having to seek security independence from the United State ... Show More
58m 40s
Jul 2024
Why the far right is winning in Europe, with Yanis Varoufakis
In the recent European elections, the far right won unprecedented gains. From the success of the AfD in Germany, to Le Pen’s National Rally in France, the elections saw nationalist and eurosceptic parties sweep up nearly a quarter of the seats in the European parliament. In the U ... Show More
42m 42s
Feb 2025
German elections: Impact and implications for Europe
<p>The final episode of <em>Searching for Deutschland</em>—a special crossover with <em>the World in 30 Minutes</em>—sees experts from Berlin, London, Paris and Warsaw break down the result of Germany’s federal election and discuss what comes next. Coalition negotiations are unde ... Show More
38m 13s
Aug 2025
Takeaways from the Trump-Putin Summit; Netanyahu’s Playbook in Gaza; Implications of Defunding mRNA Research; AI’s Growing Impact on the US Economy
Today on the show, Fareed is joined by President Biden’s former National Security Adviser, Jake Sullivan, for a wide-ranging conversation on the major takeaways from Friday’s Trump-Putin Summit, and why Netanyahu is prolonging Israel’s war in Gaza.Then, Alexander Gabuev, director ... Show More
41m 7s
Mar 2025
Conversation peace: can Europe bargain with Russia?
<p>European leaders met in <a href="https://www.economist.com/europe/2025/03/02/europe-vows-to-defend-ukraine-but-prays-for-trumps-support?utm_campaign=a.io&utm_medium=audio.podcast.np&utm_source=theintelligence&utm_content=discovery.content.anonymous.tr_shownotes_na-na_article&u ... Show More
24m 45s
Feb 2025
Ode to dread: Europe after Trump
<p>This week European leaders have lined up to charm Donald Trump. But the broad smiles belie a bigger fear: what would it mean for the continent’s security if America forsakes its <a href="https://www.economist.com/international/2025/02/25/can-europe-confront-vladimir-putins-rus ... Show More
24m 2s