Brussels Playbook Podcast20 Apr 2023

Ukraine grain strain — Von der Leyen 2.0 — EU diplomacy in review

We're back from a break and straight into tackling the geopolitical tensions that underlie a sudden ban on Ukraine's grain exports by neighboring Poland, Hungary and Slovakia. We also discuss Ursula von der Leyen's recent visit to Germany where she has been assured of the support of her Christian Democrat party, should she try for a second term as Commission president. And we hear from the EU's first high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Catherine Ashton, as she looks back on the highs and the lows of her time in office. A compromise has now been reached between Poland and Ukraine on the transit of grain through Poland and on to the Baltic Sea ports. Our host, Suzanne Lynch, is joined by POLITICO's Senior Policy Editor for Energy & Environment, Jan Cienski, to explore how this stand-off has affected already frayed relations between Brussels and the Polish government and potentially undermined its close connection with Ukraine. We are also joined by POLITICO's Senior Politics Reporter in Germany, Hans von der Burchard, who dives into the tricky terrain of the spitzenkandidaten process — how it went wrong in the 2019 elections and whether it will help or hinder von der Leyen should she go for another term as Commission president. Finally, we hear from Catherine Ashton, about her new book: "And then what?: Inside Stories of 21st Century Diplomacy." She talks with Suzanne about negotiating the Iran nuclear deal, Russia's war in Ukraine and proving her critics wrong. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Denne episoden er hentet fra en åpen RSS-feed og er ikke publisert av Podme. Den kan derfor inneholde annonser.

Episoder(661)

EU summit runs out of gas

It's been a packed agenda at the European Council summit, with little sign of progress on key issues. EU leaders continued to argue over the bloc's long-term budget, with energy supply and security ta...

16 Okt 23min

EU leaders face off over the budget

EU leaders meet today for their first chance to beef about the budget face to face. On the show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton dive deeper into why leaders look increasingly unlikely to reach a...

15 Okt 17min

Europe's development aid dilemma

The Commission is grappling with two goals that may be counterproductive: cutting migration and slashing development aid. The EU executive’s argument is that a slash in development funding will likel...

14 Okt 17min

The Ceuta fears shaping Spain’s election

As the United States looks towards Russia for diesel, European leaders are doubling down on their support for Ukraine. On the show, hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart unpack all the ways the EU ...

13 Okt 17min

The EU budget battle just got nastier

Germany has rejected Ireland's proposal for the EU's next seven-year budget, despite €159 billion in cuts. And it's not alone: Governments are divided over where the cuts should fall, while the Europe...

12 Okt 18min

Is the EU ready for the next pandemic?

Five years after the height of the Covid pandemic, how much better prepared is the EU for the next health crisis? Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO health reporter Helen Collis and global heal...

9 Okt 33min

Can Europe finally get tough on China?

Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is kicking off his visit to China today — and the stakes are high. On today’s show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton discuss the most important topic on the agend...

8 Okt 16min

Behind closed doors, Europe braces for a deadly attack

Russia’s hybrid attacks across Europe — cyberattacks, sabotage, drone incursions — have been ramping up in recent months. But European governments are quietly preparing for something much worse. On t...

7 Okt 19min