Far-right leader Geert Wilders came out on top in the Dutch election this week, sending shock waves through Brussels and beyond. In this episode of EU Confidential, host Suzanne Lynch is joined by Eline Schaart and Nicholas Vinocur to break down the results of the vote, and what it potentially means for the EU moving forward. Later, we have a fascinating discussion with David O'Sullivan, the EU's sanctions envoy. His main job is to make it harder for Russia to evade sanctions imposed by the EU over the war in Ukraine. We end the episode with an important announcement about the podcast, so do be sure to stick around for that and to sign up for Suzanne's new newsletter she'll be authoring: POLITICO's Global Playbook, your VIP pass to the world’s most influential gatherings. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Geert Wilders stuns with far-right election victory in the Netherlands

EU Confidential is a weekly European news and politics podcast published every Friday by POLITICO Europe. Each 30-minute episode features POLITICO’s analysis of the top stories driving EU politics, as well as notable guests shaping European policy and deep-dive stories from around the Continent. It’s hosted by Sarah Wheaton, POLITICO’s chief policy correspondent, who is joined by reporters from around Europe. Discover our show notes for EU Confidential here: https://www.politico.eu/eu-confidential-podcast/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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This is your essential (and entertaining!) guide to the upcoming European election — everything you've wanted to know but been too afraid to ask. With the crucial vote just two weeks away, we reached out to you, our European and American listeners, on social media and collected the most pressing election-related questions. Both veterans of the Brussels bubble and political novices seem to be wondering about everything from: can you vote online to does it even matter? Host Sarah Wheaton and her panel of POLITICO's election experts delve into the nitty-gritty of voting and what happens next. Sarah's joined by politics reporter Eddy Wax, chief EU correspondent Barbara Moens and cybersecurity editor Laurens Cerulus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EU election 101 — your questions answered

Ursula von der Leyen made a promise this week: if she secures another term as president of the European Commission, she will prioritize beefing up the EU's defenses against malicious disinformation from Moscow. It's a top-of-agenda issue for many in Brussels and across the bloc, with less than a month until the European election and hostile actors using sophisticated tools such as generative AI. In this episode, host Sarah Wheaton and her guests unpack some of the latest examples of interference from the Kremlin, such as sharing AI-generated deepfake videos of politicians or cloning the voices of public figures to impersonate them. Sarah is joined by Mark Scott, POLITICO's chief technology correspondent, and Jakub Kalensky, deputy director of the European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats in Helsinki. They also discuss what's behind Europe's modest successes in countering Russian disinformation campaigns. Further reading: Moldova fights to free itself from Russia’s AI-powered disinformation machine by Mark Scott Deepfakes, distrust and disinformation: Welcome to the AI election by Mark Scott Spot the deepfake: The AI tools undermining our own eyes and ears by Mark Scott Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How Russian disinformation could skew EU election — and whether Europe can fight it

As recent national elections in several European countries have shown, far-right voters no longer fit the stereotype of the angry, old white man, but now often include women, young people and even migrants. In this episode we unpack what drives voters to abandon the mainstream and more traditional party loyalties for the far right, and how poverty, or fear of it, motivates typical supporters of the AfD in Germany, Geert Wilder's PVV in the Netherlands, or Chega in Portugal. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO reporters Hanne Cokelaere, James Angelos and Aitor Hernandez-Morales, who were recently dispatched to countries where far-right parties are gaining ground ahead of June's European election. Later on we have a fascinating conversation with Catherine de Vries, professor of political science and dean of international affairs at Bocconi University in Milan. Her research focuses on how economic hardship and problems with public services such as schools, health care or transport can fuel the far right. Further reading: Germany’s far-right believers blame spy claims on ‘witch hunt’ by James Angelos Portugal’s far-right vaccine stops working in the Algarve by Victor Jack Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who votes for the European far right? And why?

It was a rare chance to see all the leading candidates from Europe's main political parties go head-to-head in a presidential-style debate to become the next head of the European Commission. With just over a month to go until the European Parliament election, eight politicians met in the Dutch city of Maastricht and spent an hour and a half answering questions on key issues such as climate change, defense and European democracy. If you missed it, don't worry — we've picked out the key moments and some of the more heated exchanges. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by colleagues POLITICO's editor at large Nicholas Vinocur and Barbara Moens, chief EU correspondent and co-moderator of the debate. They give us their take on who won, who lost, and how it all went down. Did anyone manage to impress a room full of university students and over a quarter of a million people watching the debate online? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Debate time! EU lead candidates go head-to-head

Since the 2019 election this European Parliament has had to deal with various challenges, from Brexit and Covid-19 to the war in Ukraine and scandals such as Qatargate. At the same time it has managed to legislate on key issues such as climate change, AI and migration. In this episode we look back at the highs and lows of the EU legislature's last five years. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by a roundtable of POLITICO colleagues: data reporter Hanne Cokelaere; sustainability reporter Louise Guillot; editor at large Nicholas Vinocur; policy editor Joanna Roberts; and European Parliament correspondent Eddy Wax. They share their experiences from covering the Parliament and weigh in on which of the bloc's 705 MEPs deserve POLITICO's 2024 unAWARDs.   Further reading: "The MEP unAwards 2024," by Politico staff "MEPs to watch in the next EU Parliament (if they get elected)," by Politico staff "The European Parliament by the numbers," by Hanne Cokelaere Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Geert Wilders stuns with far-right election victory in the Netherlands

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