The most powerful people in Europe (for better or worse)

This week, we take you inside our POLITICO 28 unveiling of Europe's most powerful people and unpack Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's comments on the Israel-Hamas war and her plans to run for the top job again. Also, we reveal new tactics used by successful far-right leaders in Europe and explain why Germany's recent budget woes have sent shockwaves through the political system.

Our new host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO's Clea Caulcutt and Nick Vinocur to break down the POLITICO 28 ranking and von der Leyen's interview at the event this week. Von der Leyen — "the queen" herself — came in second on the "doers" list. Be sure to check out the full 2024 ranking here.

The crew also discuss new and clever tactics being used by European far-right leaders, including Geert Wilders and Marine Le Pen, to capitalize on their hard-line rhetoric, move toward the political center and attract new voters.

And later, our colleague Matt Karnitschnig tries to prove that Germany's budget crisis is a sexy story we should all be interested in. You can read Matt's article here: Germany chokes on its own austerity medicine.

Also: Make sure you subscribe to the new newsletter authored by our outgoing EU Confidential host Suzanne Lynch: POLITICO’s Global Playbook. And while you're at it, you can also sign up for our Sarah Wheaton's weekly newsletter, EU Influence.

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