Why politics is never just a game

The best of POLITICO’s coverage selected by Deputy Editor-in-Chief Kate Day.
By KATE DAY
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Dear readers,
A snap election followed by paralyzing political deadlock sounds rather familiar to this Brit. Now the characters, or at least one of the leading roles from the latest season of French politics, is a very recognizable face too. 
Thursday’s brilliant Paris Playbook broke the news that Michel Barnier, the EU’s former Brexit negotiator, had made a late-night visit to the Élysée Palace and was the front-runner to be appointed French prime minister. President Emmanuel Macron duly made the appointment Thursday morning, ending the longest government transition period in French political history. Maybe his old foe Theresa May could give Barnier tips on managing the right in order to hang on to power, not that that ended so well for her. 
Barnier, of course, proved a devastatingly polite yet formidable adversary during Brexit negotiations. His efforts to engage with all the many stakeholders on the EU side — frequently highlighted in briefings to journalists about the number of flights he’d taken each week — was particularly effective, defying Brexiteer expectations that eventually European unity would crack.
It always seemed to me that the economic and political interests of the vast majority of the 27 remaining EU countries were naturally reasonably well-aligned — those much-discussed German carmakers never did ride to the rescue by breaking with the interests of the rest of the bloc. But with tricky French budget talks looming, Barnier may have a tougher job finding common ground this time round. 
Berlin, too, was consumed by talk of the right this week, following the stunning victory by the Alternative for Germany (AfD) on Sunday in an eastern German state election. I highly recommend this analysis of the result.
Shameful news from Britain with the publication of conclusions of a long-running independent investigation into the deadliest fire in the U.K. since the Second World War. The report was damning about almost every imaginable corner of the British system which could, and should, have prevented the deaths of 72 people, including a baby who was stillborn in hospital after his parents fled the Grenfell tower block blaze.
Successive governments “ignored, delayed or disregarded” concerns about safety; Britain’s housing ministry was “poorly run” with “inadequate oversight;” manufacturers of cladding that had been attached to the outside of the building were guilty of “systematic dishonesty;” the local council was persistently indifferent to fire safety, particularly safety of vulnerable people.
Politics so often focuses on ideological tussles and personal score-settling. We must never lose sight of the fact that at its heart lies the primary duty of nation states to keep citizens safe and the terrible consequences when government fails.  
Wishing you all a good weekend,
Kate
Zelenskyy suffers huge backlash as reshuffle triggers power-grab accusations
This report from Kyiv, built on deep sourcing and great contacts, takes a nuanced look at President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s reshuffle as Ukraine nears its 1,000th day of Russia’s full-scale invasion. It taps into many themes relevant for readers: concerns over corruption, transparency and power concentration, what the battle-fatigued Kyiv government’s priorities are now as it heads into fall, and the challenges to functional democracy in wartime. Read the story. 
The secretive €6M EU lobby group paying for lawmakers to stay in fancy hotels
This excellent exposé of the EU’s most secretive lobby group with a €6 million budget was more than a year in the making. With dogged reporting and insightful analysis our report has already created waves in the industry, the lobbying community and among EU officials. Read the story. 
France’s hunt for Telegram CEO Pavel Durov: The inside story 
Required reading for those wishing to understand the fraught topic of regulating social platforms. This story, which pulled in reporting from Brussels, Paris and Berlin, walks readers through how Telegram CEO Pavel Durov’s arrest played out. Read the story. 
David Cameron’s barefoot warrior bids for glory in California
Steve Hilton burst onto the U.S. political scene when POLITICO reported that he aims to take the California governor’s mansion for the Republicans. But while Americans may see him as simply another Trumpy commentator, Hilton is infamous in the U.K. for his maverick approach to modernizing the Conservative Party, immortalized as the unbearably pretentious spin doctor Stewart Pearson in hit satire “The Thick of It.” Read the story. 
Putin, cash and guns prompt ‘explosive’ rethink of Swiss neutrality
Switzerland’s 500-year history of neutrality is being put to the test as it comes up against the one thing the country loves more than its policy of non-alliance: money. As arms exports plunge, a bombshell report has recommended the country work more closely with the EU and NATO. This article expertly puts the debate in context as the war in Ukraine continues to redraw the European security landscape. Read the story. 
Electric toothbrushes and light-up sneakers are setting France on fire 
We’ve all thrown something into the wrong waste bin. But when that thing contains a lithium battery and it gets crushed in the garbage truck instead of being disposed of separately, then it can ignite and set fire to everything around it — a situation that’s causing a recurring headache for Europe’s waste management services. This excellent piece takes an anecdote heard on the ground, digs into the data and turns it into a relatable story that highlights a little-known but potentially catastrophic problem. Read the story. 
EU Confidential: Brussels’ back-to-school blues
It’s been a particularly chaotic rentrée for Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In this week’s episode of EU Confidential, we talk about the mad dash to name the new slate of commissioners, while getting the right balance of politics, geography, gender and expertise. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO’s Chief EU Correspondent Barbara Moens and Policy Editor Joanna Roberts to look at the hot button issues on the agenda and consider how European voters’ call for a rightward shift in June could be reflected in policy — or not. Listen to the episode.

Westminster Insider: Can Labour make the trains run on time?
As the new Labour government introduces its landmark legislation to nationalize the railways, host Emilio Casalicchio asks: How do we get the trains to run on time? He travels to Japan, where privatized high speed trains whizz passengers between cities at 300mph and delays are measured in seconds not minutes (or hours).
And he examines the nationalized rail system in Switzerland, home to a joined-up transport network with passenger experience at the heart of the business. Listen to the episode.

Power Play: Starmer’s wasted opportunity to influence Netanyahu on Gaza
Ehud Olmert, the prime minister of Israel between 2006 and 2009, believes Britain’s suspension of some of its arms exports is a “mistake” that won’t affect the country’s military campaign in Gaza and may prove a wasted opportunity for Prime Minister Keir Starmer to influence events in the Middle East.
Talking to host Anne McElvoy, Olmert criticizes Britain’s decision and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s conduct in the war. They also discuss whether the race for the White House will impact the Middle East.  Listen to the episode.

A new axis of evil spoils birthday celebrations. Read this week’s Declassified column.
Caption competition
“Putin’s visiting, so these talks will be intense.”“Did you just say ‘in tents’?”
 Can you do better? Email [email protected] or on Twitter @pdallisonesque
Last week we gave you this photo:
 Thanks for all the entries. Here’s the best from our postbag — there’s no prize except for the gift of laughter, which I think we can all agree is far more valuable than cash or booze.
“We are quite the Liam and Noel, ja?” by Michael McLoughlin
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