Hosted by Max Bergmann, director of the Stuart Center and the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, and Donatienne Ruy, director of the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy at CSIS, “The Eurofile” looks at Europe through a Washington lens. We will discuss, debate, and dissect the big issues consuming Europe with some of the leading voices from the transatlantic community. We’ll try to make sense of developments in Brussels, break down European elections, and discuss all the issues roiling transatlantic relations. So join us for “The Eurofile” every other Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.
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Hosted by Max Bergmann, director of the Stuart Center and the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, and Donatienne Ruy, director of the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy at CSIS, “The Eurofile” looks at Europe through a Washington lens. We will discuss, debate, and dissect the big issues consuming Europe with some of the leading voices from the transatlantic community. We’ll try to make sense of developments in Brussels, break down European elections, and discuss all the issues roiling transatlantic relations. So join us for “The Eurofile” every other Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.
Max and Donatienne discuss the ongoing negotiations over the EU’s next long-term budget and a recent call from the German government to establish a common European stock market. Then, they turn to a conversation with Jeremy Shapiro, Research Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations, to discuss how European leaders have approached Trump. Have they avoided the worst-case scenario or is appeasement backfiring already?
(00:00) Intro
(00:52) EU Budget Fight
(11:40) Berlin Calls for European Stock Market
(17:11) Interview with Jeremy Shapiro
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Max and Donatienne discuss the recent Czech parliamentary election in which billionaire businessman and former prime minister Andrej Babis and his ANO party roared to a victory (01:00). They also cover last week’s informal European Council summit in Copenhagen, where leaders met to discuss how to bolster the continent’s security (07:33). Finally, they turn to a conversation with Ben McWilliams, affiliate fellow in the field of energy and climate policy with Bruegel, to discuss the European Union’s energy and climate agenda (15:47).
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How Europe Can Defend Itself with Less America
Max and Donatienne answer listener questions (0:44) before talking with Sylvie Kauffmann, editorial director and columnist at Le Monde, about France’s political turmoil (22:40).
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Max and Donatienne are back from summer vacation with a preview of European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen’s State of the Union address to European Parliament this week. Then, Sander Tordoir and Federico Steinberg came back on The Eurofile to break down the EU-Mercosur trade agreement, the latest moves in EU trade, and what progress has been made in the past year to implement the The Draghi Report.
Sander Tordoir is Chief Economist at the Centre for European Reform Senior Associate (non-resident) with the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program. Federico Steinberg is a Visiting Fellow with the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Prince of Asturias Distinguished Visiting Professor at Georgetown University.
Note: this episode was recorded on September 5, 2025.
We want to hear from YOU on The Eurofile! Please submit your questions or feedback to erep@csis.org with “Eurofile Listener Feedback” in the subject line. Or, find us on social media:
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In a special crossover episode with CSIS’s State of Play, Max Bergmann joins Will Todman and Victor Cha to discuss what East Asian and European allies are learning about summits with President Trump and what patterns are emerging about how President Trump engages with autocrats.Learn more:State of Play | CSIS PodcastsStatesmen’s Forum: His Excellency Lee Jae Myung, President of the Republic of Korea | CSISMax and Maria on the Alaska and White House Peace Summits | CSIS Russian Roulette
Max sat down with Matthew Kaminski—co-founder of Politico Europe, former editor-in-chief and current editor-at-large of Politico—to discuss the ethos of Politico Europe, why it’s been successful, and how it fits into the political journalism landscape in Brussels.
Please submit your questions or feedback to erep@csis.org with “Eurofile Listener Feedback” in the subject line.
Learn more:
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Max and Donatienne talk to David Leonhardt, Pulitzer-prize winning journalist and editorial director for The New York Times, about the politics of migration in Europe and the United States.
Please submit your questions or feedback to erep@csis.org with “Eurofile Listener Feedback” in the subject line.
Learn more:
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In an Age of Right-Wing Populism, Why Are Denmark’s Liberals Winning?
Max and Donatienne discuss last week’s EU-US trade deal announcement, where European allies agreed to a 15 percent tariff rate on most U.S. imports. Max talks with Lykke Friis, director of the Copenhagen-based think tank Europa, about Denmark’s presidency of the European Union.
Please submit your questions or feedback to erep@csis.org with “Eurofile Listener Feedback” in the subject line.
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Heart of the matter: How Denmark’s focus on Ukraine and enlargement will define its EU presidency
Max and Otto discuss President Trump’s latest tariff threats and the timid European response. Max talks to Noah Barkin, Senior Advisor with Rhodium Group's China practice, to preview next week’s EU-China summit.
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Watching China in Europe—July 2025
Max and Otto discuss last week’s NATO summit in The Hague, where European allies signed up to a massive new spending pledge. Donatienne talks with Sarah Hall, 1931 Professor of Geography and Fellow of St John’s College, Cambridge University and Deputy Director of UK in a Changing Europe, about the state of the UK economy and Labour’s economic agenda.
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NATO’s “Brain Death” in The Hague
Max and Donatienne discuss this week’s G7 Summit in Canada and the latest round of EU sanctions against Russia. Then, they turn to a conversation with Dr. Daniel Fiott, Head of the Defence and Statecraft Programme at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) of the Brussels School of Governance (BSoG), to discuss the state of European defense and Europe’s rearmament.
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How the European Union and Germany Can Leverage Their Monetary Power
Max and Donatienne discuss the second round of the Polish presidential election and its implications for Europe. Then they discuss Max’s recent Europe trip and his impressions from meetings with European officials and experts.
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The Implications of Poland’s Presidential Election
Max and Donatienne discuss the second round of the Romanian presidential election, Portugal’s parliamentary election, and a new EU-UK deal on post-Brexit relations. Then they turn to a conversation with Jana Puglierin, senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and head of its Berlin office, to discuss the priorities of the new German government.
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On this episode, Max and Donatienne cover the first round of the Romanian presidential election, where George Simion, a hard-right candidate, soared to a first-place finish ahead of the second round on May 18. Since recording this episode on May 5th, major developments, including the resignation and Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu and rapid capital flight, have sparked a political crisis. This story is still developing.
The hosts then break down British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s attempt to reset relations with the European Union ahead of a May 19 Brexit summit, and welcome Abe Newman, professor in the School of Foreign Service and Government Departments at Georgetown University and Director of the BMW Center for German and European Studies, for a conversation about coming collisions in transatlantic tech.
In this week's episode, Max and Donatienne cover Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s visit to Washington and the state of transatlantic relations as we approach the 100-day mark of the second Trump presidency.
Then, they are joined by Janka Oertel, director of the Asia programme and a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), to break down how big changes in US trade policy and rising transatlantic tensions affect the EU-China trade and diplomatic relationship.
Following announcements from President Donald Trump of sweeping new tariffs, Max and Donatienne discuss the fallout from last week’s “Liberation Day” with economist and international trade expert, Federico Steinberg: a Visiting Fellow with the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Prince of Asturias Distinguished Visiting Professor at Georgetown University. This episode dives deeply into the impact of these tariffs and what may come next for Europe.
This week, Max and Donatienne discuss the state of Turkey’s democracy after the jailing of Istanbul’s mayor days before becoming presidential candidate, the latest European Council meeting and a new EU white paper for European defense. Then, our hosts turn to a conversation with Tom Wright, senior fellow at Brookings and former Senior Director for Strategic Planning at the United States National Security Council (NSC) in the Biden administration, to discuss his recent article in Foreign Affairs outlining a U.S. strategy for Russia-Ukraine negotiations.
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The Right U.S. Strategy for Russia-Ukraine Negotiations | Foreign Affairs
In this week's episode, Max and Donatienne discuss the state of Germany’s post-election politics, including the future of the debt brake and upcoming coalition talks, and highlight the latest European Council meeting, European security, and Ukraine. Then, Max shares his key takeaways from a visit to Brussels before turning to a conversation with Phil Luck, director of the CSIS Economics Program and Scholl Chair in International Business, to discuss a looming transatlantic trade fight.
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In a special crossover episode with CSIS's The Truth of the Matter, Max Bergmann joins Andrew Schwartz to debrief his recent trip to meet with European diplomats in Brussels and Paris and discuss a possible United States divorce from our allies in Europe.
Economic disputes, defense spending disagreements, and differing approaches to Russia and China have further widened the gap between the transatlantic allies. This episode dives into new developments as European leaders question the long-term reliability of U.S. commitments to NATO and regional security, as well as the impact on European allies as Washington shifts its strategic focus toward the Indo-Pacific.
Max and Donatienne break down the results of German election and discuss what a new government could mean for the Germany's economic trajectory. They then welcome Sander Tordoir, chief economist at the Centre for European Reform, to discuss Germany’s economic malaise and preview how a new German government may impact the European economy.
Learn more:
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Hosted by Max Bergmann, director of the Stuart Center and the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, and Donatienne Ruy, director of the Abshire-Inamori Leadership Academy at CSIS, “The Eurofile” looks at Europe through a Washington lens. We will discuss, debate, and dissect the big issues consuming Europe with some of the leading voices from the transatlantic community. We’ll try to make sense of developments in Brussels, break down European elections, and discuss all the issues roiling transatlantic relations. So join us for “The Eurofile” every other Thursday, wherever you get your podcasts.
