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Dear readers,
Ten years ago next week, POLITICO arrived in Brussels.
As my father likes to remind me, we have lived through some sort of permacrisis ever since. That first summer Greece defaulted on debt repayment to the IMF and a few weeks later eurozone leaders agreed on a third bailout program, preventing a Greek exit from the eurozone; by September, then German Chancellor Angela Merkel was under pressure for her decision to take in hundreds of thousands of migrants; terrorist attacks in Paris and then Brussels followed soon afterwards; the Brits, of course, voted to leave the EU in 2016 and then spent many years arguing about how best to do it; America voted for Trump — twice — and on neither occasion did he hide his distain for Brussels; in between, a global pandemic and now war.
The EU’s status as global regulator-in-chief has been diminished. Our coverage is filled this week with familiar — and important — tales of gridlock and division. Trust is in short supply — just last week five lawmakers from the European Parliament’s civil liberties committee were offered special pouches to protect digital devices from espionage and tampering for a visit to Hungary.
And yet for all the turbulence, the EU holds it together. Delays and malaise haven’t yet proved fatal — or really come close. And maybe in these dizzying times when the orthodoxies of the old guard are turned on their head, there’s something to be said for being predictable.
You, dear readers, have never been boring. As predicted by our founding editor, Matt Kaminski, it turns out that reporting about the EU doesn’t have to taste like oatmeal porridge and you have all made living up to that aspiration pretty easy.
When I first met Matt and his team in the autumn of 2015 I was captivated by their conviction that political journalism could be crisper, smarter, and better reflect conversations the best-informed insiders really have over drinks. I couldn’t be prouder of the journalism we have produced over the past decade — and extend my warmest thanks to you all for joining us in bringing that original idea to life in such a vivid way.
Please enjoy the selection below — and here’s to the next decade!
All best wishes,
Kate Day
EDITOR’S CHOICE
The untold story of how Trump shocked Europe in a few short days
POLITICO pieced together what happened behind the scenes across European capitals over the course of a few days in February when leaders began to whisper the unthinkable: had America become a threat? Read the story.
Revealed: NATO downplays climate and gender language to appease Trump
NATO is purging DEI language from its documents to avoid a backlash from the Trump administration. Read the story.
Shootings, debt and political paralysis show Brussels is falling apart
How have things gotten so bad in Brussels? This deeply-reported story revealed why Belgium’s capital is broken — and, sadly, why it is unlikely to get fixed any time soon. Read the story.
‘Parkinson’s is a man-made disease’
Gripping read about Dutch neurologist Bas Bloem’s campaign to raise awareness of the link he is convinced exists between herbicides like glyphosate and Parkinson’s, a degenerative neurological disorder which has doubled worldwide over the last 20 years. What is so striking is that the EU’s top food safety official broadly shares Bloem’s conclusions — yet his ability to take meaningful action is constrained by a restrictive mandate. Read the story.
How a billionaire Russian ‘sugar daddy’ took over an iconic Olympic sport
Terrific investigation that reveals just how deep Russian influence extends into the sport of fencing. Read the story.
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Why von der Leyen’s Big Tech tax plan is bluster
Most national capitals are publicly backing European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen’s bid to strengthen the EU’s hand in negotiations with Washington by threating to tax the advertising revenues of digital services. But countries including Germany and Ireland are already balking at the Commission’s threats, and behind the scenes others are growing queasy. Read the story.
Spain and Lithuania to challenge Ireland for head of eurozone club
We revealed finance ministers from Spain and Lithuania plan to challenge Ireland’s Paschal Donohoe’s attempt to secure a third term as the leader of the powerful group of eurozone countries. Read the story.
YOUR WEEKEND PLAYLIST
EU Confidential
EU Confidential is on a short break this week — but there’s a timely rerun on trade tensions and tariffs in your feed. We’ll be back soon with fresh episodes on the stories and power shifts shaping Brussels and beyond. Follow EU Confidential on your favorite podcast app!
Westminster Insider
Westminster Insider is on a break, but our episodes are not time-sensitive: Have a listen to our catalog here or via the links below.
Power Play
Power Play is on a break this week, but do be sure to check out our catalogue of recent episodes including Senator Mark Kelly, Congressman Dan Crenshaw, Jason Furman, Kurt Volker, Sanna Marin, John Bolton and many more. Follow Power Play on your favourite podcast app!
DECLASSIFIED
Read this week’s Declassified column.
Caption competition
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“It’s ‘bring your grandpa to work’ day.“
Can you do better? Email us at [email protected] or get in touch on X @POLITICOEurope.
Last week, we gave you this photo:
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Thanks for all the entries. Here’s the best from our postbag — there’s no prize except for the gift of laughter, which I think we can all agree is far more valuable than cash or booze.
“No no, this is not ‘exactly’ what Elon did!“ by Patrice-Emmanuel Schmitz.
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