Can the EU's climate strategy survive election season?
The EU wants to play a leading role at U.N. climate summits, but upcoming elections in member states could undermine those efforts. Meanwhile, the European Commission president is visiting Bulgaria and Romania after deadly Black Sea attacks.
The European Union wants to be a heavyweight at U.N. climate summits, but elections coming up across the bloc could derail those plans. With the COP31 U.N. climate conference starting this week, the rise of populist parties across the continent raises questions about whether the EU can take a stronger leadership role in climate negotiations. That is the conclusion of Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart, hosts of the Brussels Playbook podcast from Politico Europe.
They look at how domestic politics in France and Spain could become an obstacle to the bloc's climate ambitions. Politico has also published an article suggesting COP31 may be the EU's last great climate success, as well as a piece reporting that Spain's election favorites say Madrid must avoid an "impossible" climate timeline.
European Commission president visits the Black Sea region
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is visiting Bulgaria and Romania to show solidarity after deadly attacks in the Black Sea that have been attributed to Russia. The podcast asks whether the EU can actually make a difference in the region. Politico has also run an article on her visit amid talk of a shipping deal.
Cyberattacks on supermarket fridges
The third topic is cyberattacks that targeted supermarket fridges. While cyber experts were looking toward Russia last week, the French government is now blaming Iran.
The episode also references a Politico piece on who's who for Europe at the Ukraine talks in Abu Dhabi.
