EU Confidential

Von der Leyen vs. Trump: Europe answers back

He’s not even European — yet Donald Trump has topped POLITICO’s annual P28 ranking of the most powerful people who will shape Europe in 2026. EU Confidential host Sarah Wheaton takes you inside the gala in Brussels — where commissioners, MEPs, diplomats, lobbyists and journalists packed into a glittering room, even as the mood underneath the sparkle felt unusually tense. At the event, Ursula von der Leyen sat down with Carrie Budoff Brown, POLITICO’s executive editor, for an exclusive on-stage conversation — offering one of her first public reactions to Trump’s sharp criticism of EU leaders as "weak," [https://www.politico.com/news/2025/12/09/trump-dasha-burns-interview-europe-immigration-ukraine-00682016?utm_campaign=Trump+thrashes+European+leaders+in+interview:+%E2%80%98I+think+they%E2%80%99re+weak%E2%80%99&utm_medium=alert&utm_source=email] and Washington’s dramatic new security strategy, which seeks to undermine them [https://www.politico.eu/article/donald-trump-national-security-strategy-europe/]. Be sure to check out the full 2026 ranking here [https://www.politico.eu/politico-28-class-of-2026/]. Plus, we bring you Sarah’s conversation with Balázs Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister’s political director, who offers a perspective far outside the Brussels mainstream — on Ukraine, on Europe’s political direction, and on where he believes the EU keeps going wrong. And finally, we have a taste of Anne McElvoy’s interview with Nick Thomas-Symonds, the U.K.’s minister for European relations (for more, head to: Politics at Sam and Anne's [https://www.politico.eu/podcast/politics-at-sam-and-annes/]). And if you haven’t yet, listen to the exclusive interview our colleague Dasha Burns did with Donald Trump on our sister podcast The Conversation [https://www.politico.com/video/2025/12/09/president-donald-trump-the-conversation-1874905]. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Notes on a scandal — will a fraud probe upend the EU?

Brussels was jolted this week by dawn raids and an alleged fraud probe involving current and former senior EU diplomats. Host Sarah Wheaton speaks with Zoya Sheftalovich — a longtime Brussels Playbook editor who has just returned from Australia to begin her new role as POLITICO’s chief EU correspondent — and with Max Griera, our European Parliament reporter, to unpack what we know so far, what’s at stake for Ursula von der Leyen, and where the investigation may head next. Then, with Zoya staying in the studio, we’re joined by Senior Climate Correspondent Karl Mathiesen, Trade and Competition Editor Doug Busvine and Defense Editor Jan Cienski to take stock of the Commission’s first year — marked by this very bumpy week. We look at competitiveness, climate, defense and the fast-shifting global landscape — and our panel delivers its score for von der Leyen’s team. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Peace plan panic: Does the EU still have a say in Ukraine’s future?

Washington–Moscow peace maneuvers caught Europe off guard this week — raising questions about the EU’s continued relevance and readiness at a pivotal moment for Ukraine. Nick Vinocur, one of our regular guests, takes the host seat this time to speak with Veronika Melkozerova in Kyiv about how these peace talks look from inside a country still under attack. Then POLITICO’s finance reporter Bjarke Smith-Meyer and Wouter Verschelden, author of Belgium’s influential political newsletter W16, break down the EU’s internal fight over Russia’s frozen assets — arguably Europe’s strongest political and financial leverage in the peace-talk moment — and examine why Belgium continues to block the reparations loan Ukraine urgently needs. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Inside Europe’s far right — going pro and going strong

When Europe’s biggest political family crosses the aisle to vote with the far right, something fundamental shifts in Brussels. In this episode, host Sarah Wheaton unpacks the vote that cracked the European Parliament’s cordon sanitaire — and what a newly disciplined, image-polished far right means for Ursula von der Leyen’s shaky centrist alliance. POLITICO’s Marianne Gros and Max Griera take us inside the omnibus showdown; Tim Ross demonstrates how the same forces are reshaping politics across Europe — from the English seaside town of Jaywick to Paris, Berlin and beyond. Plus — Aitor Hernández-Morales brings us a surprising counterpoint from Denmark, where voters pushed back against a left-wing government they felt had leaned too far toward the right. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]

Growing pains: Can the EU handle enlargement?

Russia’s war in Ukraine has given new momentum to EU enlargement — and raised a bigger question: Is the bloc itself ready to grow?  This week, host Sarah Wheaton examines the EU’s growing pains — not just the politics and geopolitics of enlargement, but also the cultural and emotional questions of identity and belonging.     She speaks with Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, head of Europa Nostra, about why Europe won’t feel complete until its whole cultural family is reunited; and with Icelandic politics professor Eirikur Bergmann on why his country may be revisiting its European path — more than a decade after freezing its EU bid.    There's also a conversation led by POLITICO’s Gordon Repinski with Kosovo’s president, Vjosa Osmani, who reflects on her country’s long wait for membership.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices [https://megaphone.fm/adchoices]