The Flint Podcast

Following a crushing defeat at the European election on 9 June, President Macron called a snap parliamentary election that will take place in two rounds on 30 June and 7 July.

The result is uncertain but is likely to represent a watershed moment for French and European politics, with the far-right set to become the biggest party in the National Assembly.

The election raises big questions for business on matters such as the political and economic stability in France and in the Eurozone, and on France’s influence at the EU level and internationally.

The discussion is chaired by Flint Director Francois-Joseph Schichan, and joined by:

• Anne-Juliette Rohrbach, Flint Partner and Managing Director of Flint France
• David Wright, Flint Specialist Partner and former deputy director general of DG FISMA at the European Commission
• Thomas Barros-Tastets, Flint Partner and COO for Europe

Last week, the UK’s three major parties launched their manifestos, setting out their policy pitch to voters. With the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives both a significant way behind in the polls, Labour’s was closely watched. Firstly, for the indications, it gives of what a Labour Government would do in power, and second, for any signs of unforced errors as the finish line nears. 

Our expert panel covers what they mean for the remainder of the campaign, what businesses need to be ready for in the early days of the next government, and what we should expect over the next parliament.
 
Hosted by Flint Partner, Katie Waring, former Special Adviser to the Liberal Democrat Leader Ed Davey, and joined by:

• Former Labour Home Secretary Jacqui Smith
• Former Labour minister Siôn Simon
• Former Conservative Special Adviser James Hedgeland

With Labour’s Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves indicating she would wait for new fiscal forecasts before a post-election Budget eyes now turn to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR). Their take on the UK’s economic prospects and what different party’s plans will mean for growth will play a critical role in determining the decisions the next Chancellor can take. As manifestos are finalised - each party’s expectations for the fiscal room for manoeuvre they will have will also impact their overall ambition.

To explore what this likely means, Flint Partner, Jon Sell, a former senior civil servant in the Treasury is joined by Andy King, former member of the OBR’s executive ‘Budget Responsibility Committee’, and Giles Wilkes, former government Special Adviser on economic policy.

As part of our coverage of the EU’s 2024 transition, this episode will discuss the EU’s external actions in an increasingly fragmented geopolitical environment.

In recent years, the war in Ukraine, global supply chain disruptions and growing trade tensions with both China and the US have profoundly shaken the EU’s belief in a multilateral, rules-based international order. As the continent approaches the June 2024 European Parliament elections and the start of a new Commission mandate, a growing number of voices are calling on the EU to fundamentally review its approach by putting issues such as defence, economic security and enlargement at the top of its post-2024 agenda. Yet these new ambitions also face obstacles inherent to the EU system, from diverging national interests to limited competencies in e.g. defence and budgetary spending.

To explore these debates and shed light on their potential impact on business, Flint Director Julia Quintella will host:

• Sir Julian King, Specialist Partner, former British Ambassador and former EU Commissioner for security
• Bruno Maçães, Senior Adviser, former Portuguese Secretary of State for European Affairs and author of several books on geopolitics, China, Russia and technology

Rishi Sunak’s unexpected decision to call an election in July raises many immediate questions for business on matters such as the process from here, the fate of legislation, government decision-making, and engagement with politicians and civil servants. In this episode, our experts shed light on this.

The discussion is chaired by Flint Partner, Kiran Horwich, and joined by Jacqui Smith, former Labour Home Secretary, Dame Sue Owen, former Permanent Secretary for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport and Nikki da Costa, former No10 Director of Legislative Affairs.

Russian forces are on the offensive again. Putin has made significant changes to his defence and security team and is strengthening Russia’s relationship with China.  

In the West, US support has resumed after months of delays, but upcoming US and EU elections mean that long-term support will remain a challenge. Switzerland will host a peace conference next month, although it still seems unlikely that the war will end quickly. 

This episode examines these developments, what they mean for Ukraine and the geopolitical environment businesses operate.

Director Francois-Joseph Schichan, former French diplomat, will chair a discussion with:

• Sir Julian King, Specialist Partner, former British Ambassador and former EU Commissioner for security
• Alex White, Partner, former Chief Political Analyst at JP Morgan  
• Katie Whitting, Partner, former Australian diplomat 

Welcome to the latest Flint podcast episode. In this call experts assess the fallout from last week’s UK local elections, the last major electoral test before the general election.  

Flint Specialist Partners Sion Simon and Nikki Da Costa, join Partners Kiran Horwich and Matthew Hanney to examine the key results from the local and mayoral elections, the implications for the party leaders, and what all of this means for this year’s general election. 

A recent decision to water down key climate targets has led to the collapse of the governing agreement between the SNP and the Scottish Greens that was struck in 2021. This leaves the SNP as a minority administration, posing significant challenges over what can be achieved in Parliament. It also raises questions on the future direction of policy, particularly on areas that are already politically challenging for the SNP, such as oil and gas. The travails facing the SNP bolster the Scottish Labour Party’s chances of making significant inroads in Scotland, making a Labour majority government ever more likely.

In this latest episode, Flint experts analyse how the current situation has evolved and what it all means for the business community both North and South of the border.
 
This podcast is chaired by Flint Partner, Josh Buckland previously a senior adviser in the UK government, and joined by Liz Lloyd, former Chief of Staff to Nicola Sturgeon and Sam White, former Chief of Staff to Keir Starmer.

As part of our coverage of the EU’s 2024 transition, our latest episode features Flint experts discussing energy priorities and challenges, in the context of the upcoming elections in the EU and the UK.

The European single market withstood an unprecedented energy crisis after Russia invaded Ukraine. While some parts of the Green Deal have been accelerated, it has also faced a strong backlash. Europe’s industry is under pressure due to the worsening security, geopolitical and economic context. Many are wondering what the EU elections in June and the next mandate will mean for the sustainability and energy agenda. The key question will be how to adapt the EU industry to the EU’s decarbonisation objectives in a volatile geopolitical environment while preserving its competitiveness.  

In the UK, energy and climate policy remain a key political issue, something that is unlikely to change whatever the electoral outcome. Although the pace of the transition will come under further scrutiny, a potential Labour government would inject further momentum in the agenda, including on the wider sustainability side. 

To shed light on the key debates that will define the future policy and regulatory agenda on energy in the EU and the UK, Flint Manager Ivana Bartolac will host a discussion between Flint’s experts:   

• Gregor Kreuzhuber, Partner and Managing Director for Europe, formerly a European Commission official
• Josh Buckland, Partner supporting clients on energy, climate and sustainability issues, based in London, formerly an Energy Advisor in the UK Government
• Sir Julian King, Specialist Partner, formerly UK’s EU Commissioner, responsible for EU policy on security, cyber and other important aspects of tech and data.