Brussels Playbook Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep 156: VP Věra Jourová on disinformation — US troop pullout — China strategy Jun 11, 2020

Show notes

European Commission Vice President Věra Jourová joins us to discuss the EU executive's plan to crack down on disinformation related to the coronavirus. The document specifically accuses China and Russia, as well as home-grown peddlers of disinformation, of using the crisis to spread fake news — and it calls on tech platforms to do more to tackle the problem. Jourová, whose portfolio includes the rule of law, also shares her latest assessments on Hungary and Poland.

Our podcast panel this week comes from Brussels, Paris, Berlin and Warsaw. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, Matthew Karnitschnig and Jan Cienski analyze Donald Trump's plans to slash the number of U.S. troops in Germany and examine whether some of them might end up in Poland. They also debate EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell's assertion that China does not pose a military threat.

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Ep 155: Protests spread — G7 drama — French MEP Manon Aubry Jun 04, 2020

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The killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of police officers sparked protests in the United States, as well as in Europe. POLITICO's Rym Momtaz, Matthew Karnitschnig and David M. Herszenhorn debate the reaction from European leaders, including the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell who called this "an abuse of power." The panel also examines the current state of transatlantic relations, as German Chancellor Angela Merkel declines President Donald Trump's invitation to attend a G7 summit in Washington citing the coronavirus pandemic.

French MEP Manon Aubry (GUE/NGL) is this week's special guest to discuss her first year in the European Parliament as the youngest co-chair of a political group, the Commission's recovery package proposal and to highlight, what she views as, a systemic problem with corporate lobbying's influence on EU lawmakers and ethical violations which erode citizens' trust.

And be sure to subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode: http://listen.politico.eu/_subscribe

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Ep 154: Commission's €750B recovery plan — Battles ahead — Making 'Parlement' funny May 28, 2020

Show notes

The European Commission this week unveiled a sweeping €750 billion proposal to get the EU's economies back on track. POLITICO's budget guru Lili Bayer, along with Andrew Gray, Matthew Karnitschnig and Rym Momtaz break down the plan and preview the battles ahead. We assess the mood in Commission HQ and around the Continent, and ask whether Ursula von der Leyen and her team have emerged strengthened from the skirmishes so far.

Noé Debré, the creator of "Parlement," a TV comedy set in the European Parliament, is our special guest. POLITICO's Cristina Gonzalez and Maïa de La Baume get the behind-the-scenes scoop on how the show came about, how it's been received inside the Parliament and what makes EU lawmaking funny.

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Coronavirus edition #11: Reviewing Europe's response — Challenges ahead — Behind-the-scenes peek May 25, 2020

Show notes

As countries ease lockdowns and try to move toward normality, we take stock of Europe's response to the coronavirus so far. We pick out key themes and moments, offer a behind-the-scenes peek at our coverage and look at the challenges to come.

POLITICO's Andrew Gray reviews the past few months and senior health care reporter Sarah Wheaton adds her insights in the last of our special coronavirus episodes — at least for now. Be sure to continue listening to our regular Thursday editions of EU Confidential, which will also focus largely on the coronavirus crisis in the weeks and months to come.

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Ep 153: Merkel & Macron's Recovery Fund — Economist Lucas Guttenberg May 21, 2020

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It was big and bold and came out of the blue — Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron took Europe by surprise with a plan for a €500 billion EU recovery fund. Was it a historic moment for Europe? How would the scheme work? And can the skeptics be won over? POLITICO's Rym Momtaz, Matthew Karnitschnig and Andrew Gray break down the politics behind the plan and preview the battles ahead.

To add an expert economist's view into the mix, Matt catches up with Lucas Guttenberg, deputy director of the Jacques Delors Centre at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin.

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Coronavirus edition #10: MEP Pascal Canfin on green recovery — Back-to-school questions May 18, 2020

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How green will Europe's economic revival be? Pascal Canfin, the chair of the European Parliament's environment committee, outlines what MEPs want to see from the EU's recovery plan. Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron outlined their vision for that plan this week but how does the Parliament think the money should be raised and spent, particularly to help the EU meet its climate goals?

Children are heading back to school in parts of Europe. But their return to the classroom isn't without concern. POLITICO's U.K. health reporter Ashleigh Furlong walks us through the latest research on how the coronavirus impacts children and examines the political and parental dilemmas over the issue.

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Ep 152: Timothy Garton Ash — Second wave — War on leaks May 14, 2020

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Timothy Garton Ash, professor of European studies in the University of Oxford, doesn't mince words about the challenges — and opportunities — facing the European Union as it tries to navigate its way out of the coronavirus crisis. His Europe’s Stories project is producing some surprising findings about what young people want from the Continent's politicians. Can they rise to the challenge?

The renowned historian also talks about why this is a moment of "existential" danger for the EU, why he calls today's Hungary a dictatorship and how liberals mishandled the aftermath of the Cold War.

Is Europe facing a second wave of the coronavirus? POLITICO's Matthew Karnitschnig and Carmen Paun join EU Editor Andrew Gray to look at possible triggers for a new spike in infections. They also discuss the response to the pandemic in Carmen's home country of Romania.

And we debate the European Commission's new war on leaks. Does the Commission have any justification for threatening charges against those who pass on information about its plans?

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Coronavirus edition #9: Talking Tedros: WHO chief in spotlight — Sweden's light-touch lockdown May 11, 2020

Show notes

We turn the spotlight on World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the man at the center of a global public health crisis and a geopolitical storm. POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton talks about her recent profile of Tedros and the challenges he faces over COVID-19, written together with colleague Simon Marks, who is based in the WHO leader's home country of Ethiopia. Read their article here: https://www.politico.eu/article/coronavirus-tedros-who-doctor-making-donald-trump-queasy/

We also hear from POLITICO's Charlie Duxbury in Sweden on why the Nordic country has taken such a light-touch approach to lockdown. What does it mean for everyday life? And how do officials explain a strategy so different from others around the world and what's been the reaction at home and abroad?

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Ep 151, presented by the Croatian presidency: Coronavirus quandaries — New British Chamber CEO May 07, 2020

Show notes

What standards should we expect from politicians, professors and public health experts as they guide us through this crisis? And where does science end and politics begin? POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Matthew Kartnischnig, Rym Momtaz and Kate Day debate those questions and other coronavirus quandaries.

And the brand new head of the British Chamber of Commerce to the EU and Belgium, Daniel Dalton, talks about what his members want from negotiations between the U.K. and EU as a crunch point looms. The former member of the European Parliament explains why he thinks a win-win outcome is still possible.

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Coronavirus edition #8: Pledge drive ⁠— Getting philosophical ⁠— Brussels post-lockdown plans May 04, 2020

Show notes

Pledges of billions of euros to fight the coronavirus rolled into a conference hosted by the European Commission on Monday — but how much of that money is new and where will it go? POLITICO healthcare reporter Jillian Deutsch breaks down the results of the virtual gathering.

We discuss why Thomas Hobbes is seen as the philosophical father of lockdowns with POLITICO's senior policy editor and resident philosopher, Christian Oliver.

And Elke Van den Brandt, the transport minister of the Brussels region, tells us about her plans to roll out extra bike lanes and make the EU capital more pedestrian-friendly as the lockdown eases. As she tells our mobility reporters, Hanne Cokelaere and Joshua Posaner, the idea is to stop public transport getting too crowded and encourage commuters to consider alternatives to driving into the city.

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