Who’s in charge? What von der Leyen’s absence reveals about the EU

While the president of the European Commission was secretly in the hospital, the next president of the United States was musing about invading Greenland. Ahead of Donald Trump’s inauguration, EU Confidential host Sarah Wheaton was joined by POLITICO editor-at-large Nicholas Vinocur, defense reporter Laura Kayali and trade reporter Koen Verhelst to analyze why Europe seems to be paralyzed in the face of looming trade wars, Arctic gamesmanship and the rise of populists in countries around the bloc.  Further reading: Trump’s invasion of Greenland would be ‘the shortest war in the world’, by Laura Kayali and Hanne Cokelaere Grabbing Greenland would be a bad deal for Trump, by Koen Verhelst and Jakob Weizman Austria’s Kickl brings Europe’s anti-populist firewall crashing down, by Nicholas Vinocur, Nette Nöstlinger, Oliver Noyan and Max Griera Don’t freak out: Austria tries to reassure Brussels amid far right’s bid for power, by Nicholas Vinocur and Elena Giordano Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices