Max and Donatienne discuss recent comments by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz declaring the end of ‘Pax Americana’. Then, they preview a high-stakes European Council meeting, where leaders will discuss the Mercosur trade deal and the European Commission’s proposal to leverage frozen Russian assets to provide a crucial loan to Ukraine. Finally, they turn to a conversation with Dr. Thu Nguyen, Acting Co-Director of the Jacques Delors Centre, to discuss the state of democracy in the EU. (00:00) Intro (02:05) Friedrich Merz ‘Pax Americana’ Speech (05:19) Frozen Russian Assets Loan (13:13) Mercosur Trade Deal (19:00) Interview with Thu Nguyen Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts
Max Bergmann sits down with Abraham Newman and Kristine Berzina for a rapid-reaction conversation about the newly released U.S. National Security Strategy (NSS), its implications for the European security landscape, and the key clash at the forefront of transatlantic tech relations. The live video episode was recorded on Monday, December 9, 2025. Abraham Newman is the director of the BMW Center for German and European Studies and John Powers Chair in International Business Diplomacy at Georgetown University. Kristine Berzina is a senior fellow for U.S. Defense and Transatlantic Security at the German Marshall Fund in Washington DC. Watch the live event on demand here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TFS5L81uzfA Reach out to our team with any questions affecting Europe, or to share feedback on the show. We want to hear from you! Email: erep@csis.org X: @csiserep Bluesky: @erep.csis.org
Max and Donatienne discuss the latest peace negotiations to secure an end to the war in Ukraine. They also cover ongoing talks about implementation of the US–EU trade deal, after US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer met with their EU counterparts in Brussels. Then, they turn to a conversation with Cecilia Malmström, former EU Commissioner for Trade and Home Affairs, to discuss the European Union’s trade agenda. (00:00) Intro (00:56) Ukraine Peace Negotiations (11:50) Lutnick and Greer in Brussels (18:50) Interview with Cecilia Malmström Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts
Max speaks with Michael Kimmage about his immediate reactions to the new 28-point peace plan for Ukraine, and the rapid-fire diplomacy taking place in response to its release. This conversation was recorded on November 24, 2025. Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts
Max and Donatienne discuss a recent vote in the European Parliament where the center-right European People’s Party voted with the far right to approve cuts to EU green rules. Then, they turn to a conversation with Federico Steinberg and Nicolas Véron about the euro and Europe's economic future. (00:00) Intro (00:42) European Parliament vote on EU green rules (17:10) Interview with Federico Steinberg and Nicolas Véron Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts Is a New Era Emerging for the Euro? | The Eurofile
Max Bergmann is joined by Federico Steinberg and Nicolas Véron for a conversation about Europe's economic future. The discussion covers the Euro’s evolving international role, the rise of stable coins and the digital Euro, and how Europe can chart a fiscally sustainable future. Federico Steinberg is a visiting fellow with the CSIS Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program, Prince of Asturias distinguished visiting professor at Georgetown University, and senior analyst at the Elcano Royal Institute. Nicolas Véron is senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics. Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts
On the latest episode of The Eurofile, Max and Donatienne discuss the recent Dutch elections, where centrist-liberal party, D66, narrowly secured victory over the far-right Party for Freedom, while EU "big wig," Frans Timmermans, and his GreenLeft-Labor ticket suffered a disappointing defeat. Then, they turn to a conversation with Zsolt Darvas, Senior Fellow at Bruegel, to discuss whether the EU’s long-term budget, also known as the Multiannual Financial Framework, is fit for purpose.
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 Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts
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). Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 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). Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts
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: X: @csiserep Bluesky: erep.csis.org Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts
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 former 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: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts
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: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 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. Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 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. Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 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. Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 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. Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 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. Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts 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. Learn more: Russian Roulette | CSIS Podcasts