DYNAMIC EVENTS LIMITED
EU NEWS
PRESENTED BY
GOOD MORNING. I’m Gabriel Gavin, back in the frosty EU capital just as diplomats and officials return to town en masse after a protracted holiday break. Gerardo Fortuna will be holding the pen Wednesday.
WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING: U.S. President Donald Trump said countries still trading with Iran will face a 25 percent tariff. Meanwhile, Axios reports that the White House is erring on the side of conducting strikes against the theocratic regime in response to its killing of protesters. Trump is expected to discuss options with his national security team today.
DRIVING THE DAY
GETTING INTO THE ROOM: The unthinkable is now being thought in the European Union: Should the continent begin peace talks with a war criminal? As Donald Trump intensifies his efforts to end Moscow’s war, the bloc is faced with choosing between opening its own diplomatic channels with Russian President Vladimir Putin, or risk letting the U.S. dictate the terms of an eventual peace deal in Ukraine.
Two-pronged: According to diplomats and officials who spoke to Playbook, a recent push by French President Emmanuel Macron and Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to begin discussions with the Kremlin has gained traction both in Brussels and European capitals. The main goal of the push is to ensure the EU’s red lines aren’t crossed and signal to Washington the continent has leverage of its own.
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What’s the strategy? “Macron has been advocating in the last days that, in view of the bilateral discussions between the Americans and the Russians, it is important to play at least a role in the discussion,” one French official told Zoya Sheftalovich. “Meloni very much supported that … they’re not naive about what can be reached through these discussions, but on the balance between not engaging and engaging, there’s a growing appreciation in some capitals.”
“There are some issues which cannot be discussed with [only] the U.S. when they have direct implications on our security as Europeans,” the official said. “But the message to Washington is as important as [the message] to Moscow.”
Not there yet: Asked about the proposals on Monday, European Commission chief spokesperson Paula Pinho insisted that there was still some way to go before discussions could take place. “Obviously, at some point, there will have to be talks with Putin … Unfortunately, we’re not seeing any signs by President Putin to be engaging … so we’re not there yet, but at some point we would hope indeed there will be such talks.”
Let’s be blunt: “We might soon be in a position where we need to talk to Putin,” said one European diplomat from a Northern European country, granted anonymity to speak frankly. “It’s important that it’s Europeans in that room making it clear to Russia: We will not let you win this war.” Another EU official said the Americans can push their solutions all they like, but “their plans will depend on Europeans,” who will need to be at the table one way or another.
The Mario scenario: Even with no agreement on how to engage with Moscow, the discussion has already moved on to who would be responsible for handling negotiations with a hostile state. Italian senator and government undersecretary Giovanbattista Fazzolari — an influential ally of Meloni whose Ukrainian wifeis credited with having built support for Kyiv in the prime minister’s right-wing coalition — fired the starting gun on the appointments race over the weekend. Fazzolari argued former Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi should take the job of EU special envoy for Ukraine.
There’s competition: Finnish President Alexander Stubb last year pitched the idea of a special envoy and put himself forward for the role. A senior official told Playbook that the creation of the role has already been broadly supported by the Council and senior EU leaders. The bloc’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, has consistently opposed the move and is holding her own discussions in Germany Tuesday. The talks in Berlin will “focus on the renewed diplomatic push for peace in Ukraine and how Europe can further strengthen its defense,” an EU diplomat told POLITICO.
Trump’s growing threats to take over Greenland have also united Europeans — with German Chancellor Friedrich Merz joining the growing chorus warning against the move, alongside Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. “It’s been positive to see countries that have been hesitant to criticize Trump joining forces on this,” said one diplomat. “The message is that this isn’t just about Greenland or Denmark, but about avoiding a return to the pre-WWII era where being able to militarily occupy a territory gives you rights over it” — a message that needs to be hammered home to Russia as well.
Delegation to Denmark: A bipartisan group of American lawmakers from both houses will travel to Denmark for talks on Friday, my U.S. colleagues report.
More to come: The European People’s Party (EPP), Socialists and Democrats (S&D), Renew Europe and Greens will blast Trump for his threats to annex Greenland after a meeting Wednesday. “The European Parliament unequivocally condemns the statements made by the Trump administration regarding Greenland which … are unacceptable and have no place in relations between democratic partners,” according to the statement seen by POLITICO. The leaders urge the EU executive and member governments “to define concrete and tangible support to Greenland and Denmark.”
Falling at the first hurdle: Brussels’ efforts to strengthen strategic autonomy are already bogged down in yet another clash between France and Germany, with the two countries failing to agree on whether Ukraine should be able to spend the EU’s €90 billion loan on American weapons. Gregorio Sorgi and Bjarke Smith-Meyer have the inside story.
TECH TROUBLE
TIME TO THROW THE BOOK AT MUSK? The EU needs to be far more assertive in how it applies its digital rules, including to digital platforms like Elon Musk’s X, former European Commissioner Nicolas Schmit told Max Griera and Nick Vinocur. He warned that Trump won’t respect Brussels if it shows weakness.
Risky business: Even if the U.S. administration reacts furiously to regulatory action by the EU, the European response should not be dictated by fear. “We should take some risk,” said Schmit, a social democrat from Luxembourg who was formerly in charge of jobs and skills. “And I think we should have a more assertive position, yes.”
Pornography pushback: “We should not be impressed” by sharp reactions from the White House when the EU says it will apply laws like the Digital Services Act (DSA) against X and other platforms, Schmit said. “We should react firmly … That’s how Europe can show that it is autonomous to take decisions based on our laws. And on things like pornography [on X], we should really be very tough.” Musk’s Grok AI tool is under fire for generating indecent images of women and children.
Breton solidarity: Schmit, who was the lead candidate for his party in European elections in 2024, also questioned the Commission’s response to the U.S. sanctioning former Digital Commissioner Thierry Breton. “This is the point where we should have showed more solidarity and say no, it’s not one, it’s all of us,” he added, referring to other former commissioners who were also responsible for the bloc’s digital regulations.
You’ve been warned: The EU’s tech chief Henna Virkkunen said late Monday that “X now has to fix its AI tool in the EU — and they have to do it quickly. If not, we will not hesitate to put the DSA [to] its full use to protect EU citizens.”
LEAVE X NOW: Meanwhile, EU institutions are coming under fire for continuing to rely on X to get their message out. “Elon Musk is an enemy of Europe. He despises our democracy, our rule of law, our values, and everything else that stands in the way of his greed,” said German S&D MEP Tiemo Wölken, whose party is a member of Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s governing coalition. “For a long time, I was convinced it was better to engage in dialogue rather than leave the platform to become a far-right circus. But enough is enough.”
Time to walk: “Any organization remaining on X is directly supporting the network effects that keep people on it. When government organizations, politicians and other public figures leave, we take away Elon Musk’s power. This is why the European Commission, the Council and the Parliament should also stop using X,” Wölken said.
While the Commission no longer pays to promote content on the site, it has maintained a presence on Musk’s platform, even as the controversial billionaire likens the EU’s executive arm to Nazi Germany. One official defended the policy, saying it is still important to counter these narratives on forums where the public gets its information.
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PARLIAMENTARY POLITICS
PLAYBOOK INTERVIEW — ACT FAST ON IRAN: European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has banned all Iranian officials and diplomats from the Parliament’s premises amid a ferocious regime crackdown against mass protests in Iran. This is “the least we can do,” Metsola told POLITICO’s Tim Ross via WhatsApp. “Our premises will not be used to aid the legitimization of a regime focused solely on self-preservation and using violence to remain in power.”
Pick up the pace: While the Commission is considering fresh sanctions against the Tehran regime in response to the attacks on protesters, Metsola is demanding a greater sense of urgency: “Europe needs to act — and fast. That is why the Parliament has been calling for new sanctions and decisive EU action,” she said. “We will support any future measures taken at EU level.”
Europe must not fail to act: “Political signals, support and solidarity are important — but we need to show that we are serious.” The EU must demonstrate it is watching and “acting.” “If we do not stand up and call out these injustices, we let [down] all these brave people in Iran, [who] are marching for justice. We cannot let this happen.”
Is it time for regime change? Metsola said it wasn’t for her to say. She has not been in touch with Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last shah, who is a leading voice encouraging the protests and who wants return to lead Iran’s transition to democracy. “Iranians deserve to decide their own future and who takes the reins of their country is not [for] me or anyone else to decide. We should support them in this effort,” Metsola said.
THE FAMILY THAT RAN IRAN: Although the brutality of Pahlavi’s father fueled the Iranian Revolution that toppled the monarchy in 1979, many Iranians now see him as the only alternative to the hardline regime. After a series of interviews, Tim Ross shines a light on the exiled royal’s plans.
FUMING FARMERS: The EU’s flagship trade deal with the South American Mercosur bloc still faces a tough test from critics in France, Poland and the European Parliament, even as von der Leyen prepares to sign it. A legal review and a vote on an accompanying resolution are coming to a head this week, my colleagues report.
ALL POLITICS IS PERSONAL: A poisonous rift between EPP chief Manfred Weber and top S&D lawmaker Iratxe García has seen the pair trade blows very publicly. The feud is making it harder for von der Leyen to keep her fragile governing alliance together, my colleague Max Griera writes in this definitive profile today.
EUROPE’S LEFT LAUNCH GAZA ACTION: The European Left Alliance — the EU-level party bringing together La France Insoumise, Spain’s Podemos and Nordic left parties — will announce at 1 p.m. a European Citizens’ Initiative calling on the Commission to present measures to support Palestine. If the initiative reaches 1 million signatures, the Commission will be required to set out what action it intends to take in response.
IN OTHER NEWS
BALLOT FOCUS: International monitoring missions are increasingly strapped for cash, with countries focusing on domestic priorities instead. But allowing election monitoring to become a casualty of the funding squeeze would be “a grave mistake,” the EU’s former top diplomat Josep Borrell writes for POLITICO.
A BAD WEEK FOR PUTIN: With Venezuela and Iran on the ropes, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine bogged down, Vladimir Putin’s plans to reshape the world with an illiberal alliance of strongmen is floundering. That’s according to the analysis of my colleague Eva Hartog, with Moscow’s war now lasting longer than the Soviet fight in World War II.
AGENDA
— EU High Representative Kaja Kallas is in Berlin, Germany. Meets German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius … meets the country’s Chair of the Parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs Armin Laschet. Joint press conference with Pistorius at 2:40 p.m. Watch it here.
— European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and European Council President António Costa attend a New Year’s reception held by King Philippe of Belgium. Other commissioners, including Teresa Ribera, Andrius Kubilius and Glenn Micallef, also attend.
— Renew Europe Global Forum “Freedom on the Offensive: Fighting for a Safe Europe.” Keynote address by NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte at 3:05 p.m.… Renew Europe President Valérie Hayer, Georgian President Salome Zourabichvili and Justice Commissioner Michael McGrath also speak.
BRUSSELS CORNER
WEATHER:High of 11C, rainy.
REVOLVING DOORS: Belgium’s former Energy Minister Tinne Van der Straeten is leaving politics to lead WindEurope, Brussels’ largest wind lobby, the trade organization made official on Monday. A minister in the country’s previous government, Van der Straeten is currently a Greens MP for Brussels in Belgium’s national parliament.
Greens depleted: It’s the latest in a string of losses for the Flemish Greens. Former MEP and Minister Petra De Sutter quit politics last year to become rector of Ghent University, while party leader Bart Dhondt stepped down last month, less than a year after taking up the role.
BRUSSELS GOVERNMENT TRACKER: 582 days have ticked over since the June 9, 2024, election day in the Brussels-Capital Region, with no government yet established.
Guinness brewing: It’s a key week for centrist MEP Yvan Verougstraete’s attempt to establish a left-leaning coalition government, which he has dubbed the “Guinness” coalition (a reference to the book of records, rather than the dry stout). In a meeting with would-be coalition parties Monday, Verougstraete presented his plan to cobble together majorities in the Dutch and French-language groups; cement a budget for 2026; and start structural reforms “to get Brussels back on the rails.” Parties will study the plans in the coming days, BRUZZ reported.
LAWYER VS. BEDBUG: A high-profile trial against a mafia leader accused of the ruthless murder of Ardit Spahiu in Molenbeek in 2020, was interrupted Monday when a jury member noticed a bedbug had crawled onto his arm, VRT reports. However, the Justice Department announced that it wasn’t sure if the bug in question was indeed of the bed variety.
NOSTRA CULPA: Monday’s Playbook incorrectly reported the location of the signing of the EU-Mercosur trade deal. Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa are flying to Paraguay this Saturday to sign the long-awaited agreement.
BIRTHDAYS: Former MEP Aymeric Chauprade; journalist Anne-Camille Beckelynck; Eddie Brannigan, former head of mission of the Irish Embassy in Finland; author Mario Mariniello; British diplomat Antony Phillipson; World Economic Forum’s Kateryna Gordiychuk.
THANKS TO: Zoya Sheftalovich, Hanne Cokelaere, Nick Vinocur, Max Griera, Jacopo Barigazzi, Tim Ross, Pieter Haeck, Playbook editors Alex Spenceand James Panichi, reporter Ketrin Jochecová and producers Dean Southwell and Hugh Kapernaros.
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Source: POLITICO
Good Friday morning. This is Andrew McDonald.
DRIVING THE DAY
BREXIT, FIVE YEARS ON: It feels now like a distant memory. But on this day five years ago, the slogans, campaigns, meaningful votes, Cooper and Grieve amendments and elaborate Chequers/Malthouse/Super Canada plans that consumed our politics for so long culminated in the U.K. finally leaving the European Union — to the (recorded) bongs of Big Ben. Westminster’s dictionary has moved on now to missions, milestones, steps and foundations. But the Brexit tune is still playing softly in the background, its lasting effect on British life plain to see … even if Keir Starmer doesn’t want to talk about it.
A stroll down memory lane: Cast your mind back to Playbook on the morning of Jan. 31, 2020. Boris Johnson and his Cabinet met in Sunderland for a day of “deliberately muted celebrations” to mark the start of the frenetic 11-month transition period that would culminate in a trade deal. Johnson would later declare the moment a “dawn of a new era” (yep, turned out true) and the beginning of “real national renewal” (debatable).
And in the opposition: Some Labour leadership contender called Keir Starmer responded “yes, of course,” when asked by some Lobby hack whether he would bring back freedom of movement for EU citizens if he ever became prime minister. Whatever happened to that guy?
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But just weeks later … the runaway Brexit train was finally derailed in the news agenda by a Covid-19 pandemic that claimed the lives of millions across the globe. The story never fully got back on the rails since, with Johnson making way for two further (doomed) Conservative prime ministers before Labour swept to power with a landslide … and then discovered how hard the whole government thing is.
Where are they now? Brexit-consumed PMs David Cameron and Theresa May are in the Lords, alongside Vote Leave’s Matthew Elliott and negotiator David Frost … Boris Johnson and Michael Gove are back in the journalism game … Dominic Cummings is angry blogging again, while still fancying another crack at upending British politics … ex-No. 10 Director of Comms Lee Cain runs an advisory firm … former Brexit secretaries David Davis and Steve Barclay are enjoying the opposition life while Dominic Raab advises the, err, “World Gold Council” … “Mr. Brexit” Donald Trump is, well, you know that one … Mark Francois is a shadow defense minister … Steve Baker has gone skydiving … and Vote Leave Chair Gisela Stuart has ended up in charge of the interview process to appoint a sherpa to help renegotiate the Brexit settlement. Funny how these things turn out.
And on the other side: Ex-Chancellor Philip Hammond is in the Lords … David Gauke stood as an independent and is now leading a sentencing review for Labour … Dominic Grieve stood as an independent, too … Anna Soubry backed Labour and is back to criminal law … Our Future Our Choice activists Will Dry and Lara Spirit regenerated into a Tory plotter and top Lobby journo respectively … EU negotiator Michel Barnier managed to last the length of two Liz Truss premierships as French PM until being forced out in December … his sparring partner Olly Robbins is the top civil servant in the Foreign Office … legal warrior Gina Miller runs a very unsuccessful political party … and you probably know what happened to the shadow Brexit secretary who pushed for a second referendum.
It ain’t over till it’s over: Despite all the change, the future of what Britain looks like outside the EU is a very open question. We’ve entered a new phase in which Starmer is seeking a closer relationship with Brussels, and he will meet the 27 EU leaders on Monday as the first British leader to attend the informal gathering since Brexit.
To state the obvious: Starmer — who has nothing public-facing on the agenda today — won’t be saying anything today to mark the anniversary. Which leaves the other prime ministerial contenders and pretenders space to claim a slice of the limelight.
The survivor: Of those most involved in angling for Britain’s departure from the EU, Nigel Farage is one of the few who remains a truly central figure in Westminster. The Reform UK leader will be back on telly screens later with a carefully-timed speech at a rally in Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch’s constituency from 7 p.m. (and lots of interviews). As you might expect, Farage — like many of his fellow Brexiteers — isn’t altogether pleased with how things have turned out. He told his GB News show last night he is “disappointed in the way it’s been delivered.” Just wait ’til you get to the Remainers.
The rally was originally organized … to rub it in Badenoch’s face after she claimed over Christmas that Reform was inflating its membership numbers. A few hundred Reform members mostly drawn from Badenoch’s constituency will gather to hear their leader speak, before posing for a big group pic together. “We’re confident we have more members in North West Essex than the Tories do,” a Reform official quipped.
Also on the Faragenda: The potential cancelation of some local elections due to council reorganization — which Reform centered its latest party broadcast around — and Priti Patel, who earned a swift rebuke from her party leader for offering *that* defense of Tory immigration policy in her Thursday Sun interview. The shadow foreign secretary opted for a Badenoch-ian clarification last night, claiming she actually said she was “not happy” about the high immigration numbers while the Tories were in government.
And it’s true … that Patel said in the interview she was “not fine” with the big rise in immigration. But she also insisted she didn’t mislead voters who were told Brexit would lead to a reduction in immigration (it didn’t), defended her points-based system and said it was “totally distortionary” to suggest the government she served in had thrown open the U.K. borders. Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp has the hospital pass of the morning broadcast round for the Tories — timings below.
Getting in on the act: The Lib Dems are sending out Ed Davey to play football and chat about Brexit. He’ll be having a kickabout with some cops and “at-risk youth” in the southwest, with a pool clip expected at noon. He reiterated his (once arch-Remoaner) party’s call for a new U.K.-EU customs union deal in his overnight comments marking the Brexitversary.
Now grab some overpriced booze and read this: POLITICO’s Sophie Inge has a fun read on how Rishi Sunak’s promise of a Brexit-bonus “radical simplification” of Britain’s alcohol taxes hasn’t quite turned out that way.
And this: Weeks before Germany’s election, the BBC is reporting this morning that opposition CDU leader Friedrich Merz will propose legislation on immigration that is designed to stop the far-right AfD owning the narrative … but could end up passing with its help. Chancellor Olaf Scholz called it an “unforgivable mistake.” It feels like a long time since former CDU leader Angela Merkel held out from letting Britain have more immigration carve-outs ahead of the Brexit vote in 2016.
HOSTILE ENVIRONMENTS
NEVER-ENDING TURBULENCE: The tremors over the government’s push for a third runway at Heathrow continue, with the Telegraph’s Ben Riley-Smith reporting that Climate Secretary Ed Miliband voiced his concerns about the expansion at Cabinet on Tuesday. Spokespeople for Miliband and No. 10 didn’t deny the claim, pointing to the usual no comment on what was discussed in Cabinet — but it’s another awkward story for the government as it looks to present a united front on the push for growth.
Luckily enough: Someone who was in the Cabinet room and will know exactly what Miliband said is on a visit today — and taking questions from environment hacks who’ve spent the last few days thinking about little except Heathrow. Environment Secretary Steve Reed is off on a visit to the Royal Geographical Society this morning, where he’ll speak from 10.30 a.m. to farming groups, landowners and more as he launches a “national conversation” on land use.
Conservation, conversation, consultation: What Reed’s announcement means in practice is a consultation for a new land use framework, aimed at better managing the country’s landscape given climate change and the growing population. Reed will say the highest quality agricultural land will remain protected for food production — but that ministers will also be looking at how and where land can be used for the likes of solar farms and (growth-friendly) reservoirs. The Telegraph splashes on that bit, reporting Reed will say more than 10 percent of farmland will be axed for net zero projects and protecting wildlife.
But I don’t let them tell me what to do: Reed’s allies pushed back on the Telegraph story as a “misrepresentation” last night. To head off even more ill-feeling from farmers toward this government, Reed will insist today that his new framework, when it comes, “will not tell people what to do.”
After that … the environment secretary will take questions from environment hacks, and then sit down with Channel 4 for a lengthy interview. Expect plenty of refusals to talk about private meetings, etc.
Also on the government grid: Policing Minister Diana Johnson is on the morning round for Labour, armed with an announcement and some new funding for neighborhood policing. However, she’ll likely spend a fair bit of time talking about Yvette Cooper’s border security bill (as covered in yesterday’s Playbook PM).
ONE MORE Q FOR JOHNSON AND REED: Is Richard Hermer obstructing government policy? As the persistent briefing against the attorney general continues, the Times’ Geri Scott hears of a backlash from multiple ministers against Hermer’s moves to increase the power of government lawyers. Which isn’t very “cutting the weeds of regulation” of him. Hermer’s allies defend his actions as a necessity to avoid court battles.
TODAY IN WESTMINSTER
PARLIAMENT: Not sitting.
STAY AT HOME, PROTECT THE NHS: The i’s Jane Merrick reports health bosses will soon be told to focus £9 billion of government funding on trying to keep the elderly from being unnecessarily admitted to hospital or care homes, as Health Secretary Wes Streeting tries to ease the bed-blocking that adds to pressure on the health service. The paper splashes on the story.
QUIT THE MAINSTREAM: Political parties will be “left out in the cold” if they do nothing in response to voter dissatisfaction and the rise of populist challengers, according to a report from the Tony Blair Institute. The think tank says parties should “disrupt or be disrupted.” The Guardian has a full write-up.
KERCHING: 68,082 cases of online shopping fraud were reported across the U.K. in the 2023-24 financial year, totaling more than £56 million in losses, according to new stats revealed by a Lib Dem FOI investigation. Read more from PA.
DEMANDING: The BMA wants medical students, private health care staff and GPs to be given the right to strike in Labour’s Employment’s Rights Bill, the Mail’s Martin Beckford reports.
FOR THE FARMERS: 46 Labour MPs have written to the bosses of Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Sainsbury’s and Tesco saying the supermarkets are “failing in [their] moral and commercial obligations to our farmers.” The MPs offered to meet with the executives to discuss how to improve their terms and conditions and “level the playing field.”
BOTTOMS UP! Rachel Reeves’ changes to alcohol duty come into force on Saturday, the Treasury announces overnight. Draught duty will be cut by 1.7 percent — the chancellor said this will equal a penny off a pint — and alcohol duty will rise by 3.6 percent. The Times wrote an explainer of the changes when they were announced.
REPORTS OUT TODAY: Disability benefit claimants received £4.2 billion less than they were entitled to in 2023-24, according to the Public Accounts Committee, which said claimants receive an “unacceptably poor level of service” from DWP … Since 2021, the Home Office has made “little progress” developing measures to prevent violence against women and girls and to deliver long-term change, says the NAO. (The report splashes the Guardian.)
BEYOND THE M25
PLANE CRASH LATEST: U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed there were no survivors in the midair collision near Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Recovery operations continued overnight on the icy Potomac River, with CBS News reporting that at least 40 bodies had been found so far.
New era begins: At a press briefing Thursday, Trump politicized the worst American air disaster in nearly two decades, telling reporters he believes diversity initiatives could have caused the crash, “because I have common sense.” He went on to attack former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for the standards of air traffic controllers. More from POLITICO here.
Politics aside, serious safety questions are emerging: The New York Times reported last night that staffing at the air traffic control tower at Ronald Reagan National Airport was “not normal for the time of day and volume of traffic,” according to a preliminary government report. My colleague Oriana Pawlyk reports that the crash came after years of close calls and warnings about the fragility of the U.S. air safety system.
SERIOUS TRUMP: U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said President Trump’s desire to buy Greenland is “not a joke,” and that controlling the mineral-rich Arctic territory is “in our national interest and it needs to be solved.” Read more on POLITICO.
OMINOUS NEWS KLAXON: Satellite images show China’s military is building a huge complex 30 km southwest of Beijing which experts believe will house bunkers to protect Chinese military leaders during any conflict — including potentially a nuclear war, the FT reports. Is that … fine?
THE STURGEON SHOW: The Scottish Lobby has been having lots of fun picking through the best lines from a series of oddly very revealing Institute for Government interviews with former Holyrood heavyweights. Among many other things — read the full interviews here — former FM Nicola Sturgeon criticized her successor Humza Yousaf for binning her coalition with the Greens, and for failing to “reset” the party after her sudden resignation. The Scottish Sun and the Times have good write-ups.
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MEDIA ROUND
Crime Minister Diana Johnson broadcast round: Times Radio (7.05 a.m.) … GMB (7.15 a.m.) … Today (7.30 a.m.) … LBC (7.50 a.m.) … Sky News (8.15 a.m.). Shadow Home Secretary Chris Philp broadcast round: Sky News (7.20 a.m.) … GB News (7.30 a.m.) … Times Radio (7.45 a.m.).
Also on Nick Ferrari at Breakfast: Former U.K. Border Force at Calais Chief Immigration Officer Kevin Saunders (8.10 a.m.).Also on LBC News: Conservative MP and Public Accounts Committee Chair Geoffrey Clifton-Brown(8.20 a.m.).
TODAY’S FRONT PAGES
POLITICO UK: Brexit turns 5.
Daily Express: ‘We need people who believe in Brexit.’
Daily Mail: Now prove your ‘growth agenda’ isn’t all hot air.
Daily Mirror: Shameful.
Daily Star: Armageddon outta here!
Financial Times: Headwinds and stagnating growth drive ECB to quarter-point rate cut.
i: Treat patients at home to prevent bed blocking, Streeting tells health bosses.
Metro: A nation of shoplifters.
The Daily Telegraph: Tenth of farmland axed for net zero.
The Guardian: Watchdog — women face epidemic of violence.
The Independent: Horror as 67 killed in plane and helicopter crash in Washington.
The Sun: How Vladdy dare you.
The Times: Legal chief ‘is freezing policy.’
TODAY’S NEWS MAGS
The Economist: The revolt against regulation.
THANK POD IT’S FRIDAY
Power Play: Host Anne McElvoy talks to LinkedIn Co-founder Reid Hoffman about his investments in AI startups and his optimistic vision for the future versus the disruptive force of a world powered by AI.
EU Confidential: Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by former U.S. permanent representative to NATO Ivo Daalder, POLITICO’s Global Playbook author Suzanne Lynch and POLITICO’s labor reporter Nick Niedzwiadek, to talk through Trump’s Europe envoys.
Plus six of the other best political podcasts to listen to this weekend:
Chopper’s political podcast: Former Vote Leave CEO Matthew Elliott, former Lib Dem Leader Vince Cable and Daily Mail parliamentary sketchwriter Quentin Letts mark the Brexit anniversary with host Christopher Hope.
The Rundown: Tory peer and former Deputy Prime Minister Michael Heseltine speaks to host Alain Tolhurst about devolution, urban regeneration, the economy and Reform UK.
Encompass: Host Paul Adamson talks to Labour MP and Foreign Affairs Select Committee Chair Emily Thornberry about Britain’s reputation on the international stage.
The Daily T: Former Chief Brexit Negotiator David Frost tells hosts Camilla Tominey and Kamal Ahmed how he thinks Brexit can be “rescued.”
Leading: Uzi Arad, a former national security adviser to Benjamin Netanyahu, joins hosts Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart to discuss intelligence agencies, Netanyahu and confidence in the Gaza cease-fire.
Lord Speaker’s Corner: Broadcaster and Labour peer Ayesha Hazarika discusses how she thought she was going to get canceled (but got a peerage instead), PMQs and retail crime.
LONDON CALLING
WESTMINSTER WEATHER: We’ll start the day with heavy downpours, changing to overcast by lunchtime. High 8C, low 6C.
CALL AN EMERGENCY PODCAST: JD Vance took time out from being U.S. vice president to have a go at podcaster Rory Stewart’s IQ.
AND MANY MORE: Newsnight is celebrating 45 years since it was first broadcast. There’s a fun round-up of big moments over on their X account.
CHEERS TO THAT! POLITICO is joining forces with the Munich Security Conference in an inaugural partnership — and we’re welcoming with it the first POLITICO Pub. Pretzel and schnitzel availability tbc. Join our all-star team at MSC from Thursday, Feb. 13. Full details here.
NOW READ: This blood pressure-raising piece in the Economist on the 12-hour A&E waits and the problems plaguing the NHS.
WRITING PLAYBOOK PM: Emilio Casalicchio.
WRITING PLAYBOOK MONDAY MORNING: Sam Blewett.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO: Former Supreme Court President and crossbench peer Brenda Hale … Tory peer Stewart Jackson … Liberal Democrat peer Elizabeth Barker … LBC presenter Nick Ferrari … crossbench peer Michael Bichard … FCDO’s Director General Europe Deborah Bronnert.
Celebrating over the weekend: East Worthing and Shoreham MP Tom Rutland … Conservative peer Eleanor Laing … former Falkirk MP John McNally … Iceland’s former Prime Minister Katrín Jakobsdóttir … Exeter MP Steve Race … former Redcar MP Jacob Young … former Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam … former Paisley and Renfrewshire North MP Gavin Newlands … former Lord Speaker Norman Fowler … Labour peer John Eatwell.
PLAYBOOK COULDN’T HAPPEN WITHOUT: My editors Dan Bloom and Alex Spence, diary reporter Bethany Dawson and producer Catherine Bouris.
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