Europe is navigating a moment of profound economic and geopolitical uncertainty. From global supply chain pressures and rising security demands to debates over fiscal rules and industrial competitiveness, policymakers are being pushed to rethink the continent's economic model. As Finance Minister of Baden-Württemberg, one of Germany's economic powerhouses, Danyal Bayaz sits at the intersection of these challenges.

In this episode, we speak with Minister Bayaz about how Germany's fiscal strategy is evolving, we discuss the future of German and European competitiveness, innovation and the political and economic tradeoffs shaping the next decade - and his personal experience as a podcast host.

The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pressing issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today.

Follow us on Instagram: @theeuropedesk

Host of this episode: Katharina Schindel

Production: Katharina Schindel and Jessica Hofman

Music: Sam Kyzviat and Breakmaster Cylinder

The European Union is actively working to find its place in the ever changing geopolitical landscape. With the war in Ukraine, a growing China and an unpredictable Washington, the European Investment Bank is working overtime to fund defense and much more throughout the EU. We sat down with the President of the EIB, Nadia Calviño, to discuss the many facets of the EU's investment goals under the current geopolitical environment. From defense to securing supply chains, without forgetting about affordable housing, we analyzed what investments the EU needed to make to bolster its security and competitiveness.

The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today.

Music: Sam Kyzviat and Breakmaster Cylinder

Design: Sarah Diebboll

Leadership: Andreea Procopan and Louis Onoratini

Production: Gerek Chmielowski and Louis Onoratini

Communications: Nina Avramowski

Brussels is pushing to begin formal membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova at the end of June as Hungary continues its oppostition; the newly passed "foreign agent law" in Georgia seems to be stalling the country's EU course. Enlargement has been at the top of the EU agenda since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, but these developments seem to be complicating each member candidate's prospects for a smooth accession. We checked in with Nicholas Lokker, from the Center for a New American Security, to make sense of EU enlargement and the intervening variables in the process, such as Russia's continued aggression, China's Belt and Road Initiative, and European strategic autonomy.

The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today.

Music: Sam Kyzviat and Breakmaster Cylinder

Design: Sarah Diebboll

Leadership: Hailey Ordal, Josephine Sylvestre

Production: Louis Onoratini, Andreea Procopan, and Alexandra Long

Communications: Sophie al Mutawaly

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has passed its second year mark, and support from Kyiv is now facing multiple challenges, from a military aid package that is stalled in U.S. Congress, to rifts in the EU's "strategic ambiguity" strategy and shortages in ammunition production. For this episode, we sat down with Max Bergmann, Director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, to discuss how the war in Ukraine may end and how we can maintain support for the country.

The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today.

Music: Sam Kyzviat and Breakmaster Cylinder

Design: Sarah Diebboll

Leadership: Hailey Ordal, Josephine Sylvestre

Production: Andreea Procopan and Sophie al Mutawaly

Communications: Sophie al Mutawaly

We sat down with Dr. Endre Szentkiralyi, president of the United Hungarian Societies and author, to discuss the role of diaspora communities in shaping the culture and society of the United States, as well as identity and assimilation in these communities. His works include the following: Being Hungarian in Cleveland: Maintaining Language, Culture, and Traditions; Cold War to Warm Cooperation: The Military Service of Cleveland Hungarians; and an oral history project, Do Hungarians Still Live in Cleveland? Collection of Memories.

The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today.

Music: Sam Kyzviat and Breakmaster Cylinder

Design: Sarah Diebboll

Leadership: Hailey Ordal, Josephine Sylvestre

Production: Greg Pal

Communications: Sophie al Mutawaly

As discussions on the future of the transatlantic relationship on Earth run hot, the Europe Desk has its head in - or rather above - the clouds: We sat down with Prof. Dr. Hoffman, former NASA astronaut, and current MIT professor, to discuss differing European and US priorities regarding space, the potential for enhanced transatlantic collaboration, and how sustainability is crucial - both in space and on earth.

The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today.

Music: Sam Kyzviat and Breakmaster Cylinder

Design: Sarah Diebboll

Leadership: Hailey Ordal, Josephine Sylvestre

Production: Siv Röhrl, Sophia Winograd and Charlotte Davis

Communication: Sophie al Mutawaly

We sat down with Ana Kozomara of the Advanced Leadership in Politics Institute (ALPI) in Serbia. In this episode, we discuss the current landscape of women's political representation in Serbia and why prioritizing women's political empowerment is essential to democracy building in the country, as well as for trans-regional cooperation.

The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today.

Music: Sam Kyzviat and Breakmaster Cylinder

Design: Sarah Diebboll

Leadership: Hailey Ordal, Josephine Sylvestre

Production: Alexandra Long and Nina Avramovski

Communication: Sophie al Mutawaly

We sat down with Anesa Omanović, Marta Onorato, and Željka Cvejin of the International Republican Institute. In this episode, we cover IRI's efforts to advance and improve women's political representation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, and Serbia, and how such efforts have implications for objectives like trans-regional cooperation and EU accession.

The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today.

Music: Sam Kyzviat and Breakmaster Cylinder

Design: Sarah Diebboll

Leadership: Hailey Ordal, Josephine Sylvestre

Production: Alexandra Long and Nina Avramovski

We sat down with Valerie Dowling, Director of Women's Democracy Network (WDN) and Private Sector Engagement at International Republican Institute (IRI), a nonpartisan, nongovernmental sister organization of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED). In this episode, we discuss the current landscape of women's political representation in Albania and why prioritizing women's political empowerment is essential to democracy building in the country.

The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today.

Music: Sam Kyzviat and Breakmaster Cylinder

Design: Sarah Diebboll

Leadership: Hailey Ordal, Josephine Sylvestre

Production: Alexandra Long and Nina Avramovski

Communication: Sophie al Mutawaly

We sat down with Dr. Andrew Lebovich, a research fellow at the Clingendael Institute focused on Conflict Research. As an expert on security and political issues in the Sahel, we were able to ask Dr. Lebovich about the coup in Niger, the rising influence of China, Turkey and Russia in the region as well as the EU's interests in the Sahel.

The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today.

Music: Sam Kyzviat and Breakmaster Cylinder

Design: Sarah Diebboll

Leadership: Hailey Ordal, Josephine Sylvestre

Production: Siv Röhrl, Yasmine Adrian and Louis Onoratini

Communication: Sophie al Mutawaly