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. 

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Europe faces a growing dilemma: how to protect children online without breaking digital privacy for everyone. 

A new report from the Internet Watch Foundation found that 62 percent of all child sexual abuse material discovered online last year was hosted on EU servers. It’s a shocking statistic that has left Brussels locked in a heated debate over how far new regulations should go — and whether scanning encrypted messages could be justified, even at the cost of privacy and the risk of mass surveillance. 

Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO’s Sam Clark, Eliza Gkritsi and Océane Herrero to unpack Europe’s child safety regulations — and the balance between protecting kids, protecting privacy and policing platforms. The conversation also touches on the latest controversy out of France, involving Shein — the fast-fashion giant caught selling childlike sex dolls online. 

Then, from Europe’s digital dilemmas to Albania’s digital experiment: Gordon Repinski, host of POLITICO's Berlin Playbook podcast, sits down with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has appointed the world’s first artificial intelligence minister — a virtual woman named Diella. Rama explains why he believes Diella could help fight corruption, cut bureaucracy and speed up Albania’s path toward EU membership. 

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Is it enough to come first in an election?
In the Netherlands, you hear that centrist Rob Jetten won big and Geert Wilders’ far right lost a lot — even though either one could still turn out to be No. 1 when all the votes are counted.
Eva Hartog breaks down the results of the Dutch election with host Sarah Wheaton, and Max Griera reflects on what Frans Timmermans’ defeat means for social democrats all over Europe.
Then, our Berlaymont Who’s Who series is back, with an introduction to Vice President of the European Commission Roxana Mînzatu of Romania.
Finally, Shawn Pogatchnik takes us through last week's Irish presidential election, which was, in contrast to the Dutch vote, a bright spot for the political left.

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The EU wants to lend €140 billion in cash from frozen Russian funds to Ukraine; Belgium is afraid it will be the one on the hook for paying it back. That’s just one of the tough topics EU leaders discussed as they gathered in Brussels at a meeting devoted to fighting the external threat from Russian President Vladimir Putin — and the internal threat from the far right. 

POLITICO’s Gregorio Sorgi breaks down why lending Russian frozen assets is so tricky, while host Sarah Wheaton catches up with colleagues Zia Weise, Gabriel Gavin, Nick Vinocur and Tim Ross on the ground at the European Council summit to get a handle on how debates over climate, sanctions and deregulation played out. 

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French President Emmanuel Macron has gone from “Mr. Europe” eight years ago to the solitary man by the Seine. At the same time, ex-German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s legacy is also going through a sudden and sharp downgrade. How did these centrist pillars of Europe tank so quickly? With parties on the far right and far left rising up in their place, are citizens actually becoming more extreme — or are they just fed up?

To discuss these questions, host Sarah Wheaton was joined by John Kampfner — an expert on Germany, Nick Vinocour — our chief foreign affairs correspondent, and Clea Caulcutt — our senior correspondent in Paris. Plus, we dive into the alleged espionage scandal facing Hungary’s Viktor Orbán and Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi.

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While the French government collapses in Paris, Ursula von der Leyen stands unshaken in Strasbourg.
It’s been a week of political tremors — some performative, others seismic. Just three months after facing her first motion of censure, the European Commission president was hit with not one but two new attempts to topple her — and once again held firm.

Host Sarah Wheaton talks with Sophia Russack of the Centre for European Policy Studies about the history of no-confidence votes — and the unlikely scenario in which one might actually succeed. From the buzzing corridors of the European Parliament in Strasbourg she also catches up with Greens MEP Marie Toussaint, Socialist René Repasi, Marc Botenga from The Left, and Anders Vistisen from Patriots for Europe — to unpack the politics behind these censure motions and whether they’re becoming a new ritual.

And in Paris, POLITICO’s Clea Caulcutt breaks down a very real political crisis — the collapse of the French government, an event that further weakened President Emmanuel Macron, bolstered the far-right National Rally and sent shockwaves all the way to Strasbourg.

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What do Donald Trump’s culture war, Moldova’s EU ambitions, and Czechia’s upcoming parliamentary election have in common? They all reveal how Europe is being tested — and sometimes humiliated.

In this episode of EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton speaks with Paweł Zerka, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations, about his new report. It argues that Trump is waging a deliberate culture war against Europe — trying to weaken the continent, polarize its politics, and strip it of its dignity.

We also bring you a dispatch from Moldova, where POLITICO’s Gabriel Gavin reports on last weekend’s election and what it means for the country’s EU path. And we also zoom in on Czechia’s election with political marketing scholar Anna Shavit in Prague, who unpacks Andrej Babiš’ comeback campaign — and his oddly revealing “shovel theory” of leadership.

Further readings:

Reality show: Why Europe must not cave in Trump’s culture war, by Paweł Zerka

EU must unblock Moldova’s membership bid, government urges after historic vote, by Gabriel Gavin

Pro-EU party secures majority in high-stakes Moldovan election, by Gabriel Gavin

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Trump says Ukraine can win — but should Europe believe him?

At a hectic U.N. General Assembly in New York, U.S. President Donald Trump stunned world leaders with a dramatic rhetorical reversal on the war in Ukraine, mocking Russia as a “paper tiger” and urging NATO allies to shoot down Russian aircraft. Host Sarah Wheaton unpacks what this means with POLITICO’s Clea Caulcutt and Nick Vinocur, reporting from Manhattan — and asks whether Europe can trust Trump’s new tune.

Then we turn to a different transatlantic question: Europe’s own defense. Sarah sits down with Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs and Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen for candid reflections on NATO, neutrality and how their countries see the threat from Russia.

It’s a week of motorcade gridlock, geopolitical pivots and presidential soul-searching.

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From rule of law battles to inside stories, Věra Jourová looks back on a decade in the Berlaymont. The former European Commission vice president recalls her clashes and alliances in Brussels — from sparring with Frans Timmermans to discovering that Thierry Breton never laughed at her jokes. Now back in Prague as vice rector of Charles University and adviser to President Petr Pavel, she reflects on Czech politics, Europe’s future, and life after stepping back from frontline politics. She has also published a book with Viktor Daněk: “Bohové, mlíkař a já.”

Plus: Vladimir Putin’s drone incursions over Poland and Romania — cheap plywood craft with costly consequences. Host Sarah Wheaton asks what they revealed about NATO’s readiness, Europe’s unity, and Donald Trump’s hesitation, with Oana Lungescu, distinguished fellow at the Royal United Services Institute and former NATO spokesperson; Jan Cienski, POLITICO’s defense editor; and Eva Hartog, POLITICO’s Russia expert.

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“Europe is in a fight.”

With those words, Ursula von der Leyen set the tone for her State of the European Union speech — framing this as Europe’s “Independence Moment.” She proposed sanctions on extremist Israeli ministers over Gaza; floated using frozen Russian assets for Ukraine; and backed calls for a drone wall to protect the bloc's eastern flank against Russia. She also pledged action on jobs, poverty and housing.

But were those fighting words enough to bridge the gap between promises and reality — or did they simply paper over a fraying coalition?

Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Rym Momtaz, editor-in-chief of Carnegie Europe’s Strategic Europe blog; Carsten Brzeski, ING’s global head of macro research; and Sorcha Edwards, secretary general of Housing Europe, to unpack the geopolitics, economics and social policy in the speech. We’ll also hear from POLITICO’s Max Griera in Strasbourg, with on-the-ground reactions from MEPs — and look across the border to France, where President Emmanuel Macron faces fresh political turmoil after the government of Prime Minister François Bayrou collapsed.

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