Five years ago, Commission President Ursula von der Leyen devoted her first State of the European Union address to her plans to use the Covid pandemic as a catalyst for positive change. Now she says, “Europe must fight.” The Commission president’s speech on Wednesday was marked by a grim read of geopolitical events ― from war and bloodshed in Ukraine and Gaza, to pressure from U.S. president Donald Trump and rising costs, a housing crisis and poverty at home. “Our Union is fundamentally a peace project,” von der Leyen told a divided and at times jeering Parliament. “But the truth is that the world of today is unforgiving.”  Europe “must fight for its place” in a world marked by “imperial ambitions” and dependencies that are “ruthlessly weaponized,” she said. POLITICO’s wordcloud analysis of von der Leyen’s speeches, five years apart, shows the extent to which public opinion and political narrative have shifted since she took the helm of the Commission.

Listen on * Spotify * Apple Music * Amazon Music Zum Start nach der Sommerpause blickt das Update auf gleich zwei große politische Schauplätze: Im Auswärtigen Amt versammeln sich rund 230 Botschafterinnen und Botschafter zur jährlichen Konferenz. Für viele ist es die erste persönliche Begegnung mit Kanzler Friedrich Merz, der in seiner Rede neue außenpolitische Prioritäten setzt – von China bis zu einem nationalen Sicherheitsrat im Kanzleramt.  Gleichzeitig beginnt im Bundestag die Aufarbeitung der Corona-Jahre: Die neue Enquete-Kommission zur Pandemie startet mit ihrer ersten Sitzung. 14 Abgeordnete und 14 Sachverständige sollen bis 2027 klären, was gut lief – und was nicht. Mit dabei: umstrittene Experten wie Stefan Homburg. Das Berlin Playbook als Podcast gibt es morgens um 5 Uhr. Gordon Repinski und das POLITICO-Team bringen euch jeden Morgen auf den neuesten Stand in Sachen Politik — kompakt, europäisch, hintergründig. Und für alle Hauptstadt-Profis: Unser Berlin Playbook-Newsletter liefert jeden Morgen die wichtigsten Themen und Einordnungen. Hier gibt es alle Informationen und das kostenlose Playbook-Abo. Mehr von Berlin Playbook-Host und Executive Editor von POLITICO in Deutschland, Gordon Repinski, gibt es auch hier:   Instagram: @gordon.repinski | X: @GordonRepinski.

Former Polish Health Minister Adam Niedzielski was hospitalized on Wednesday after being assaulted in the eastern city of Siedlce, in what authorities say was an attack linked to his role in shaping the country’s pandemic policies. “A few hours ago, I was the victim of a brutal attack,” Niedzielski said after the assault. “I was beaten by two men shouting: ‘Death to traitors to the homeland.’ I got punched in the face and then kicked while lying on the ground. The whole incident lasted several seconds, and then the perpetrators fled,” he added. Police confirmed late Wednesday that two men in their 30s were detained in connection with the incident. The suspects are expected to be questioned on Thursday. Authorities said more details about the suspects and the circumstances of the attack would be released after questioning concludes. The assault took place outside a restaurant in central Siedlce, the police said. Witnesses reported that the attackers loudly criticized the government’s Covid-era decisions before physically confronting the former health minister. Following the assault, Niedzielski was briefly admitted to the Provincial Hospital in Siedlce and discharged the same day with no serious injuries. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk condemned the attack Wednesday evening, vowing that the perpetrators would go to jail. “No mercy,” he said. Niedzielski, who led the health ministry from 2020 to 2023, was a central figure in implementing restrictions and vaccination campaigns that remain divisive among parts of the public. Commenting on the attack on Wednesday, Niedzielski said it was “the result of tolerating hate speech,” but also of the decision of Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński of depriving him of protection, “despite numerous threats” he had previously received. “I hope that this situation will cause reflections on all sides of the political scene that we are already on a slippery slope. Passivity will only condemn us to further escalation,” Niedzielski said.