Eurovision is “apolitical” but “is so big an event that it has a political impact,” a top official at the annual song contest’s organizer told POLITICO, adding that event managers are “prepared” for more disruptions during Saturday night’s final.

I’m skeptical.

It’s Thursday morning so the latest edition of our Opinion Brief podcast is out! We discuss the public’s views of Starmer’s premiership & what should happen next, and answer your questions about the locals AND would Brits press the red button or blue. Listen below tr.ee/KasOq-wGy2

In our first Westminster VI after the local elections, Reform’s lead increases to 9pts over Labour ➡️ REF UK 30% (+2) 🌹 LAB 21% (nc) 🌳 CON 19% (-1) 🌍 GREEN 11% (-1) 🔶 LIB DEM 14% (+2) ❓OTH 2% (-3) 🟡 SNP 3% (+1) N = 3,070 | Fieldwork 9-12 May | Changes w/ 4 May

Buckingham Palace: Are we really still doing the State Opening? Downing St: Yes please 👍 Buckingham Palace: Ok. Please could we try to keep the King out of this leadership mess? Downing St: 💯. The king’s speech will show the PM is still the man with the plan. 🙌💪 www.politico.eu/article/king...

A guess a lot people will be spending a lot of today checking some slowly changing numbers on a BBC webpage. If you enjoy that sort of thing and want it to be a more than annual occurrence - can I recommend getting into county cricket?

Remember...

Grim read on the seafarers caught up in this. www.bloomberg.com/graphics/202...

[Analysis] #Trump’s FAFO moment: #America needs #Europe after all, by @timross1.bsky.social & @elistokols.bsky.social | Politico www.politico.eu/article/dona...

The centrist establishment is dying in British politics & may be dead already. Labour’s collapse happened in entirely predictable ways. In fact @rewearmouth.bsky.social & I warned Starmer would face this in our 2024 book, Landslide. It’s happening in France, US, Germany. Gorton is just the start.

My interview with Swedish PM Ulf Kristersson: Trump has damaged trust in America, and should keep MAGA out of European politics… (and Europe should work harder for NATO, too). www.politico.eu/article/ulf-...

2024: can Europe defend itself ALONGSIDE America? 2025: can Europe defend itself WITHOUT America? 2026: can Europe defend itself AGAINST America?

BREAKING: Europeans finally get seats at Trump’s negotiations on Ukraine peace deal, starting tomorrow. www.politico.eu/article/ukra...

I did a lecture on the impact of Brexit on British politics. Watch it here if you're really bored www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztqL...

It’s a 2-minute drive from the Council and the Commission to Bart De Wever’s office. They are on the same Brussels street. Did anyone bother to go to ask him what he really felt about raiding Russian assets? www.politico.eu/article/eu-l...

EU Confidential was at the EUCO summit until the wee hours yesterday. Host @swheatonjourno.bsky.social spoke to @gregsorgi.bsky.social @ziaweise.bsky.social @nicholasvinocur.bsky.social and @timross1.bsky.social on what leaders plan to do about the threat from Putin — and the far right:

The EU wants influence as well as invoices when it comes to rebuilding Gaza. And European officials are not yet ready to take the pressure off Israel. For one thing, Israel must be held accountable for the civilian deaths, they say. My latest with @politico.eu team: www.politico.eu/article/isra...

Israel wants to reset relations with the EU, the country’s new ambassador in Brussels told me. Now the Trump peace initiative is underway, “there is no reason” for the EU to keep restrictions on cooperation in place or threaten more sanctions, Avi Nir-Feldklein said. www.politico.eu/article/eu-m...

Happy Friday everyone (except Google AI obviously)

After Ursula von der Leyen calls Israel’s Gaza operation “abhorrent”, the Israeli ambassador to the E.U. tells me Brussels should stop wielding the “stick” if it wants to be “a player” in the Middle East. Interview in Playbook here: www.politico.eu/newsletter/b...

What did Nicușor Dan’s 9-year old daughter tell him when he said he would run for President of Romania? find out in this @politico.com portrait of the common sense candidate who bucked the trend of populism. @timross1.bsky.social @andreipopoviciu.bsky.social www.politico.eu/article/nicu...

For Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Victory Day and Europe Day provide a joint lesson for the Age of Trump: Europeans must join forces so they can stand up for themselves. Today's Brussels Playbook has more: ow.ly/E5J750VP14o

This seagull will be the first living creature to know there's a new Pope outside of the Conclave.

Why Romania really matters, and one man’s mission to save it from the cynicism that Putin exploits. Interview with Bucharest mayor and presidential candidate Nicusor Dan. By @andreipopoviciu.bsky.social and me www.politico.eu/article/roma...

The brilliant @timross1.bsky.social has an interview with Sweden's Europe minister on how fish and security interact www.politico.eu/article/uk-e...

Trump keeps calm as Putin carries on: Ukraine is trapped in a phoney peace (and the EU is stuck too). www.politico.eu/article/ukra...

ANALYSIS: It was the least he could get away with. After a phone call with Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin gave the smallest possible concession to easing Russia’s war against Ukraine with a promise to swap some prisoners and stop attacking power plants and other “infrastructure” for 30 days.

Starmer is a “diplomatic power player,” one US source says. Here’s the story of how Britain’s PM and his NSA Jonathan Powell saved the ceasefire and overcame Trump and Zelenskyy’s feud. www.politico.eu/article/keir...

🚨 BREAKING: European leaders rallied to defend Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy after U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance subjected him to a tirade of withering and infantilizing abuse in the Oval Office. Full story:

If Trump can go from being Starmer’s buddy to Zelenskyy’s enemy in 24 hours, how reliable would any security “guarantee” from this US administration ever be? Today’s Oval Office beating isn’t a surprise. It was clear enough where things stood 10 days ago: www.politico.eu/article/dona...

Trump vindicated long-standing French warnings — dating back to the legendary Charles de Gaulle — about the risks and strings attached to US dominance. @laukaya.bsky.social & I take you back to WWII, Suez and more. Macron's I told you so moment www.politico.eu/article/emma...

Fun to join @samcoatessky.bsky.social this morning on the Politics at Jack and Sam’s podcast, filling in for Anne. Obvious big talking point today is Starmer in the US, even if American media (ahem) don’t much care, as Sam brutally revealed… www.politico.eu/podcast/poli...

We are all Emmanuel Macron

The rise of the AfD over the past decade has triggered deep soul-searching in the political establishment in a country still wracked with guilt over its Nazi past. Could German history repeat itself? Here is what three leading historians had to say 👇

Does Europe need its own nukes, because Trump is so flaky on NATO? Politicians in Germany, France and the U.K. are interested in expanding their nuclear cooperation. Latest on the Trumpnado: www.politico.eu/article/euro...

The Cold War never felt more like history www.politico.eu/article/dona...

Trump likes to make deals. But like Putin, he’s finding Ukraine to be tougher opponents than maybe he expected. Great story here by my Politico colleagues at Munich Security Conference www.politico.eu/article/us-d...

NEW STORY: Big street demo in Bucharest amid fears that Romania’s presidential election could see an EU and NATO member slip back towards dictatorship... Thanks to a massive interference op by Russia, the U.S. says. www.politico.eu/article/buch...

Bucharest tonight. Big pro-European rally, “Romania Hopes”. Thousands have turned out in the cold in University Square, with EU & Romanian flags. A lot is riding on Sunday’s 2nd round presidential election, with far-right EU & NATO critic Calin Georgescu the favourite to win.

The Ukraine war could be over in 7 weeks. My latest here for POLITICO on how Trump 2 is focusing minds on both sides and why that could get dangerous. www.politico.eu/article/seve...

Congratulations to @timross1.bsky.social and @rewearmouth.bsky.social Just finished reading this from cover to cover. I've trawled through a lot of election books in my time (and have even contributed to a few myself). This was one of the best, I thought - hence all my little stickies!

🎧Starmer’s Farmer Drama @rewearmouth.bsky.social & Tim Ross discuss their new book Landslide + Farmers, John Prescott, Trump, quangos & more with @cathhaddon.bsky.social @gilesyb.bsky.social @drmatthewgill.bsky.social on @instituteforgov.bsky.social podcast podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/i...