Ep 118, presented by BP: Georgian President Salomé Zourabichvili

Will Europe warm to Britain's new Prime Minister?

He’s the seventh British prime minister to walk through the famous black door of Number 10 Downing Street since the Brexit vote 10 years ago. Can Andy Burnham refresh relations with Europe and rescue a reset with Brussels that feels like it has been kicked into the long grass?  Host Anne McElvoy talks to two guests who know the knotty relationship between Britain and the European Union. Sylvie Boulard was France’s defense minister in 2017. She was previously an MEP who joined Emmanuel Macron’s En Marche party and advised him on the fallout from Brexit. Sir Simon Fraser led Britain’s Foreign Office between 2010 and 2015. He knows his way around Brussels, having served as Peter Mandelson’s chef du Cabinet when he was EU trade commissioner  and held a senior position at the British Embassy in Paris.  Now he leads the business consultancy Flint Global, where he worked with James Purnell — who’s just become Andy Burnham’s chief of staff.     Send us a voice note or message us on WhatsApp here [https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=32491050629&text=Hey+Zoya+and+crew%21+&type=phone_number&app_absent=0], or at +32 491 05 06 29. You can also email us at podcast@politico.eu [podcast@politico.eu]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Brussels is coming for Google — and the bill could be huge

Google could be hit with the largest fine yet under the EU’s Digital Markets Act. Zoya Sheftalovich and Kathryn Carlson explain why Brussels believes the tech giant is unfairly pushing its own services in Google Search and limiting what app developers can tell customers — and why the case is becoming another source of tension with Washington. Then, the EU’s startups commissioner, Ekaterina Zaharieva, heads to Sofia for an unusual visit to Bulgaria’s new leaders. We look at the government’s mixed signals on Ukraine, the billions in EU recovery money still at stake, and why Zaharieva’s former job as Bulgaria’s foreign minister may serve her well. And finally, Portugal’s new digital exam-marking system leaves thousands of would-be university students waiting to find out whether their grades are correct. Are students where you live also having trouble with exam results or university applications? Let us know what’s happening. Send us a message or voice note to our WhatsApp here [https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=32491050629&text=Hey+Zoya+and+crew%21+&type=phone_number&app_absent=0] or at +32 491 05 06 29 [tel:+32491050629]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

The EU’s Russia sanctions crunch

Today is a make-or-break moment for the EU’s 21st sanctions package targeting Russia. After EU countries failed to agree on the ins and outs of the deal last week, ambassadors are meeting again today in Brussels to finally clinch the deal. But can they hash out the remaining thorny issues? Next: European Parliament is trying to reengage with China after a seven-year diplomatic freeze. But despite the defrosting of relations, it’s clear lawmakers are unsure of what their stance towards Beijing should be. And finally, as Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” hits cinemas, a Hollywood culture war hits Greece.  Do you have a Hollywood trope about a specific European country that grinds your gears? Let us know! Send us a message or voice note to our WhatsApp here [https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=32491050629&text=Hey+Zoya+and+crew%21+&type=phone_number&app_absent=0] or at +32 491 05 06 29 [tel:+32491050629]. And for those intrigued about the new monkey species with Ian Wishart’s hairstyle found hiding in the DR Congo’s forests, you can read more here [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c15y5wgj4x8o]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Zoya and the crew answer your questions

July 21 is a national holiday in Belgium, so we decided to do things a bit differently on this long weekend. We recently celebrated our 100th episode with a live recording in front of an audience. Those in the room were lucky enough also to see an exclusive Q&A with Zoya and all the hosts. We’re now bringing that segment to our wider audience. In this episode we answer your questions on everything from technology to how the show gets made ... and all the spicy bits that get left on the cutting room floor. Do you have a question for Zoya and the gang? Don’t hesitate to send a message or voice note to our WhatsApp here [https://api.whatsapp.com/send/?phone=32491050629&text=Hey+Zoya+and+crew%21+&type=phone_number&app_absent=0] or at +32 491 05 06 29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Week Ender: Did Europe dodge a summer travel crisis?

Europeans are traveling in huge numbers this summer — but the conflict in the Middle East, volatile fuel prices linked to disruption in the Strait of Hormuz, and a troubled new border system are making journeys more complicated. Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO reporters Ben Munster, Tommaso Lecca and Jordyn Dahl to unpack how Europe avoided the jet fuel crisis that many had feared; whether flight ticket prices could still rise in the coming months; what passengers are owed when things go wrong; and why the EU’s new Entry/Exit System is producing such long queues. Plus, we’d love to hear your summer reading recommendations. Anything goes: politics, crime, romance, non-fiction, poetry and more. We’ll feature some of your suggestions in a future episode. Send us a voice note or message us on WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29. You can also email us at podcast@politico.eu [podcast@politico.eu]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]