Sportswashing, Human Rights and National Identity - What is Happening to the World's Favorite Game?

Europe is navigating a moment of profound economic and geopolitical uncertainty. From global supply chain pressures and rising security demands to debates over fiscal rules and industrial competitiveness, policymakers are being pushed to rethink the continent's economic model. As Finance Minister of Baden-Württemberg, one of Germany's economic powerhouses, Danyal Bayaz sits at the intersection of these challenges. In this episode, we speak with Minister Bayaz about how Germany's fiscal strategy is evolving, we discuss the future of German and European competitiveness, innovation and the political and economic tradeoffs shaping the next decade - and his personal experience as a podcast host. The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pressing issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today. Follow us on Instagram: @theeuropedesk

The European Union is actively working to find its place in the ever changing geopolitical landscape. With the war in Ukraine, a growing China and an unpredictable Washington, the European Investment Bank is working overtime to fund defense and much more throughout the EU. We sat down with the President of the EIB, Nadia Calviño, to discuss the many facets of the EU's investment goals under the current geopolitical environment. From defense to securing supply chains, without forgetting about affordable housing, we analyzed what investments the EU needed to make to bolster its security and competitiveness.

Brussels is pushing to begin formal membership talks with Ukraine and Moldova at the end of June as Hungary continues its oppostition; the newly passed "foreign agent law" in Georgia seems to be stalling the country's EU course. Enlargement has been at the top of the EU agenda since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, but these developments seem to be complicating each member candidate's prospects for a smooth accession. We checked in with Nicholas Lokker, from the Center for a New American Security, to make sense of EU enlargement and the intervening variables in the process, such as Russia's continued aggression, China's Belt and Road Initiative, and European strategic autonomy.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has passed its second year mark, and support from Kyiv is now facing multiple challenges, from a military aid package that is stalled in U.S. Congress, to rifts in the EU's "strategic ambiguity" strategy and shortages in ammunition production. For this episode, we sat down with Max Bergmann, Director of the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program and Stuart Center at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, to discuss how the war in Ukraine may end and how we can maintain support for the country. The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today.

We sat down with Dr. Endre Szentkiralyi, president of the United Hungarian Societies and author, to discuss the role of diaspora communities in shaping the culture and society of the United States, as well as identity and assimilation in these communities. His works include the following: Being Hungarian in Cleveland: Maintaining Language, Culture, and Traditions; Cold War to Warm Cooperation: The Military Service of Cleveland Hungarians; and an oral history project, Do Hungarians Still Live in Cleveland? Collection of Memories. The Europe Desk is a podcast from the BMW Center for German and European Studies at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. It brings together leading experts working on the most pertinent issues facing Europe and transatlantic relations today.