Working at the European Commission is one of the most coveted civil service jobs in Brussels. Yet, officials employed there describe high pressure, bureaucracy and burnout.

Our colleague Seb Starcevic has interviewed dozen officials from different commissioners’ cabinets and directorates-general, varying in age, nationality and seniority. On the podcast, Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton parse through what these insiders had to say about their working conditions.

Next, last week’s Ceuta crisis — when a surge of migrants crossed from Morocco into the Spanish exclave — has revived a basic question: Why does Spain still hold territory in North Africa? With Madrid increasingly isolated from both U.S. and European allies, doubts are also growing over who would support Spain if Morocco moved against Ceuta or its other North African city, Melilla.

Plus: Novo Nordisk, the Danish pharma company of Ozempic fame, is launching a pill version of its weight-loss drug Wegovy in Europe … and transatlantic tensions are already brewing.

Questions? Comments? Get in touch! You can message us or send a voice message to our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.

Europe wants to kick its U.S. tech habit, but it’s struggling to detangle itself from American data analytics firm Palantir. 

The problem is, the company’s tools are already deeply embedded in critical sectors across the bloc like policing, national defense and health systems. A report released today also shows that the tech firm has found ways to pay minimal taxes in Europe. On the show, hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart discuss European alternatives and why detaching is easier said than done.

Next, our colleague Seb Starcevic has interviewed Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Šuica. The role that was originally thought to be low profile has instead thrust the Croatian official into the limelight as various crises hit the Middle East and the Mediterranean.

Plus: Three new foods are being added to the EU’s list of products with geographic indicators. These are the labels given to products that can only be made in a specific region, like Champagne or … yes, you guessed it, halloumi.

Questions? Comments? Get in touch! You can message us or send a voice message to our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.

BRUSSELS — EU interior ministers sought to draw a line under five days of bitter recriminations over the arrival of 72,000 migrants in Ceuta, closing ranks behind Spain and accusing smugglers and foreign actors of exploiting the crisis to divide the bloc.

The show of solidarity marked a sharp shift after EU leaders publicly blamed Madrid’s migration policies for creating a crisis they warned could spill across Europe, prompting Italy to suspend air and sea links with Spain.

Following a three-hour emergency meeting in Brussels on Tuesday, ministers praised Spain’s response, stressed that the passport-free Schengen zone had never been at risk and called for tighter coordination among capitals during future migration emergencies.

The meeting followed days of unusually public anger at Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez. In a letter signed by 22 EU leaders, governments demanded tougher action to stop irregular arrivals, while Italy suspended air and sea transit with Spain over fears that migrants could move onward through the Schengen area. Sánchez hit back by urging his counterparts to show “understanding” rather than turn Spain into a scapegoat for a crisis on the EU’s external border.

By Tuesday, ministers were keen to close ranks. The EU’s Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner said the influx had been “instrumentalized” by smugglers and human traffickers, while French Interior Minister Laurent Nuñez said ministers had condemned efforts to use images of the crossings to divide the bloc.

“The divisions that we have heard over the weekend were not welcome and they were exploited by foreign countries,” Nuñez told reporters. “But what I heard this morning reassured me.”

EU countries that had publicly called out Spain over its migration policies took a more conciliatory tone in the meeting, apparently appeased by the speed and effectiveness of Madrid’s response to the crisis, three EU diplomats with knowledge of the meeting said. They were granted anonymity to discuss the confidential talks.

Matteo Piantedosi, Italy’s interior minister, praised Spain’s efforts to control the unrest, the diplomats said. Rome clashed with Madrid on Friday, calling for Spain to be kicked out of the Schengen zone.

Another diplomat referred to the past 24 hours of diplomacy as EU “couples counseling.”

Brunner declined to speculate about whether Morocco had played a role in the influx. The question is sensitive because Spain relies heavily on Rabat to police departures toward Ceuta, and the episode revived memories of 2021, when thousands entered the exclave after Moroccan forces relaxed controls during a diplomatic dispute with Madrid.

Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska instead praised Morocco’s cooperation in bringing the latest crisis under control and described Tuesday’s meeting as “entirely constructive.”

He said 70,000 of the 72,000 people who entered Ceuta had since returned to Morocco and insisted the Schengen area had never been at risk. Ceuta has special arrangements requiring travelers to show documentation before continuing to mainland Europe.

Grande-Marlaska also called Italy’s transport restrictions unjustified and said he expected them to be lifted. He rejected suggestions that the crisis had made Spain look weak.

“Spain has come out looking like a strong, reliable partner,” he said. “This isn’t a matter that depends on testosterone.”

Ministers also called for better early-warning systems, closer coordination between capitals and stronger cooperation with non-EU countries to prevent departures.

Several pressed for faster work on so-called return hubs outside the bloc. Greece proposed an EU mechanism allowing asylum procedures to be suspended and migrants returned immediately in extreme circumstances, according to a Greek government official.

“The EU’s external borders are our shared responsibility, and migration requires a united European response,” said Ireland’s Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan, who chaired the meeting.

The Commission is expected to consider further measures in September after examining what caused the influx and whether social media helped organize or amplify it. Strengthening the role of the EU border agency Frontex is among the options under discussion.

Max Griera and Nektaria Stamouli contributed to this report. This article has been updated.

Home affairs ministers are meeting this morning as the fallout of the Ceuta crisis continues to roil Europe.

Last week’s sudden influx of migrants into the Spanish exclave — most of whom have since returned — sparked heated exchanges between European leaders. On the show, hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart preview whether today’s emergency meeting can cool tensions, and what measures the Commission may propose to address concerns across the bloc.

Next, a drought in Hungary and Romania could grind nuclear power plants to a halt since the River Danube has fallen too low to cool their reactors. Budapest and Bucharest are on high alert over the risk of an energy crisis in the coming days.

Plus: The Belgium push to encourage young people to sign up for voluntary military service appears to have worked, as the program starting Sept. 1 is already fully booked.

Are you taking part in voluntary military service, in Belgium or elsewhere? We’re intrigued. Get in touch on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.

BRUSSELS — After days of recriminations over the sudden arrival of tens of thousands of migrants in the Spanish exclave of Ceuta last week, the EU’s 27 home affairs ministers are expected to use an emergency meeting Tuesday to express solidarity with Madrid and focus on how to prevent a repeat.

However, Spain will also criticize some governments for turning the crisis into an attack on Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez instead of supporting a fellow EU country facing an emergency, according to an official familiar with Madrid’s plans, granted anonymity to speak freely. Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska will present Madrid’s assessment of the events and make the case for a common European response, the official said.

After initial criticism of Spain, the mood among EU capitals has softened as the immediate crisis eased, according to eight diplomats from different countries who were granted anonymity to speak freely. Almost all the migrants who entered the exclave last week have returned to Morocco, Spanish authorities say, and there has been no reported onward movement into mainland Europe.

The groundwork for Tuesday’s meeting was set on Monday when EU ambassadors held talks that lasted around two and a half hours. The Spanish envoy gave Madrid’s account of the Ceuta crisis, during which more than 70 people died, and reprimanded some capitals for spreading disinformation, according to one of the diplomats. The ambassador was asked for verification of Madrid’s figures on returned migrants and for the situation to be closely monitored, two other diplomats said.

Concerns were also raised that Spanish government policies may have been used by people-smugglers and gangs to encourage the events in Ceuta.

“There’s a concern that … the legalization of a million irregular migrants, that it’s been possible [for people-smugglers] to use that to give the impression that the door was open,” said one diplomat from a country that has been critical of Spain.

Italy called for the EU to immediately establish migrant deportation hubs in non-EU countries, one of the diplomats said. The plans follow the approval of a law granting EU capitals the power to set up centers in non-EU countries for processing migrants who have been denied the right to stay in the bloc — so-called return hubs.

But the Spanish ambassador criticized Italy for amplifying false claims about the migrant regularization program, such as Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani’s suggestion on social media that it automatically grants EU citizenship. The program provides legal residency to eligible migrants but does not confer Spanish nationality.

Rallying to support Spain

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen set the tone of conciliation on Monday by writing to Sánchez to praise Spain and Morocco for their handling of the crisis and calling for a united European response. She said the episode showed the need for stronger controls at the EU’s external borders, closer cooperation with partner countries, better early-warning systems, action against smuggling networks and more effective returns.

The interior ministers are expected to seek further rapprochement. Tuesday’s discussion will focus on lessons learned from Ceuta, ways to beef up controls at the bloc’s external borders and how to respond to potential future episodes of instrumentalized migration, rather than assigning blame for the crisis, three of the diplomats said.

“Everyone is both very willing and very eager to help, and acknowledged this has been a very difficult situation for Spain,” one of the EU diplomats said after the ambassadors’ gathering. The diplomat said Monday’s meeting had been calmer than the weekend’s public exchanges.

Twenty-two national leaders, in a letter initiated by Italy and Denmark, had on Saturday called for tougher external borders and warned against policies that could act as “pull factors” — an apparent reference to Spain’s plan to grant legal status to more than 1 million undocumented migrants. Madrid saw the letter as an attempt to blame the Spanish government for a crisis not of its making.

Tuesday’s videoconference will be chaired by Ireland’s Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan. Officials from EU border agency Frontex, the EU Asylum Agency, Europol, the European External Action Service and Schengen-associated countries will also participate.

The crisis has already pushed migration higher up the EU agenda. The issue was already meant to feature at the October European Council summit, but officials now expect it to play a much more prominent role in the run-up to that meeting, the diplomats said.

The Commission is expected to consider possible new migration measures in September, after examining what caused the sudden influx and whether social media or other actors helped organize or amplify it, three of the diplomats said. Strengthening Frontex is one option, with the Commission indicating to ambassadors Monday that it could propose additional steps to reinforce the agency’s role, according to the diplomats.

Max Griera contributed reporting. This article has been updated.

BRUSSELS — European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen sought to smooth over tensions with Spain after Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez accused many of his fellow EU leaders of exploiting the migration crisis in Ceuta to attack his government.

In a letter sent to Sánchez on Monday, von der Leyen praised Spain’s handling of the influx of migrants from Morocco into its North African exclave. Her response came after Sánchez wrote to her over the weekend, condemning leaders who “have chosen to attack Spain and to call for its temporary exclusion from the Schengen Area.”

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Thursday was the first to propose Spain be suspended from the 29-country Schengen zone in which internal border controls have largely been abolished. Italy and France both imposed restrictions on free movement last week.

Around 50,000 people crossed into Ceuta from Morocco last week, with dozens dying in the attempt. Almost all those who entered have since returned to Morocco.

Von der Leyen on Monday praised the “swift handling” of returns by Spanish and Moroccan authorities, saying they had “successfully prevent[ed] illegal movement onwards to mainland Spain and Europe.”

The exchange followed a joint letter from 22 EU leaders at the weekend calling for an emergency meeting of interior ministers and a tougher, coordinated response to the crisis. That meeting will take place on Tuesday, with EU ambassadors discussing the situation on Monday afternoon.

The intervention by EU leaders opened a new political fight over Spain’s migration policy, including Madrid’s plan to regularize more than 1 million undocumented migrants. Some governments argued that the measure created a “pull factor” by encouraging people to believe that irregular entry could eventually lead to legal residency.

Sánchez rejected that criticism in his letter, accusing some EU countries of responding in a “selfish,” “polarizing” and unlawful manner. He argued that Spain needed European solidarity rather than blame after the deaths and the strain placed on Ceuta’s authorities. The Spanish government refused to comment for this article.

Von der Leyen’s letter offered that solidarity while making clear that the crisis would also have to prompt stronger EU action.

“Migration is a European challenge that requires a European response,” she wrote. “And in this, solidarity is fundamental.” The Commission, she said, had offered Spain financial and operational support, with Frontex, Europol and the EU asylum agency ready to assist.

Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner on Friday told Spanish Interior Minister Fernando Grande-Marlaska that the bloc was willing to “increase support for Spain” to “control the situation,” and to deploy members of Frontex, the EU agency that supports member countries in monitoring and managing the EU’s external borders, to Ceuta. 

Frontex currently has staff deployed in Ceuta, as well as on the Canary Islands and parts of the Andalusian coastline.

Madrid has repeatedly declined to request that the agency’s presence in Spain be increased, insisting that border control falls under the jurisdiction of national authorities. Following a surge in migrant arrivals to Ceuta in 2021, and an increase in arrivals to the Canary Islands in 2024, Spain’s interior ministry rejected calls to ask for Frontex’s support, insisting it had sufficient resources to manage the situation.

‘We must do more’

Von der Leyen said the incident had exposed weaknesses in the bloc’s border management. “It is clear that we must do more to further strengthen our borders at critical points,” the Commission president wrote, including through “vigilant monitoring and the use of physical barriers where needed.”

She outlined five priorities: preventing irregular migration through stronger cooperation with partner countries, reinforcing the EU’s external borders, establishing early-warning systems, dismantling smuggling networks, and improving returns.

Morocco, she said, remained an “important strategic partner” in combating migrant smuggling and irregular migration. The EU should work with Rabat and Madrid to improve early-warning systems around Ceuta and Melilla, as well as technical and financial support for Morocco, she said.

Von der Leyen also endorsed the emergency meeting of the EU’s justice and home affairs ministers on Tuesday, describing it as a first step toward a collective response. The ministers should agree on a way forward before EU leaders assess the measures at their next European Council meeting, she said.

“Spain and its people can count on the enduring support of the Commission,” von der Leyen concluded.

The crisis in the Spanish territory of Ceuta is adding fuel to Europe’s bitter debate over migration.

Following the arrival of more than 50,000 migrants in Ceuta in northern Africa last week, EU leaders ganged up on Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez over his migration policies. Although 48,300 migrants had returned to Morocco by late Friday, the backlash is ongoing. On Tuesday the EU is set to hold an urgent meeting of interior ministers to figure out next steps. Hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart discuss the incident.

Next, European Ombudsman Teresa Anjinho warns that growing global crises can’t become an excuse for secrecy in the EU’s institutions. She says that more than a third of the complaints she receives are about transparency. 

Plus: French President Emmanuel Macron’s team is looking for Saudi funding for a manga theme park near Paris.

Get in touch with us! Send us a message or voice note to our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.