Episode 37, presented by DowDupont: Marianne Thyssen — Lulwah Al Khater — Selmayr vs the world

Ryan Heath talks to Marianne Thyssen, the European Commissioner for employment, about how she wants to overhaul EU policies on jobs, education and training to face up to globalization. She also talks about the surprise in the College of Commissioners when Martin Selmayr was nominated as the Commission’s new secretary-general. Lulwah Al Khater, the first female spokesperson for the Qatari ministry of foreign affairs, drops by to tell us about her job and the challenges facing her country. Highlights from the show: Women in the workplace: As we mark International Women’s Day, Thyssen discusses barriers to success for women in the workplace. “If we look into the labor market and in the progress of women, we see that everything is going fine until the moment of children and then … women are penalized in the labor market … [they] don’t have the possibility to reach their full potential in their career,” Thyssen says. Thyssen on Martin Selmayr: The commissioner describes how she felt when she found out about the appointment of the European Commission’s new secretary-general. EU WTF: Our regular Brussels brains trust panelists, Lina Aburous and Ailbhe Finn, talk about the case of a Brussels man convicted for verbal abuse of a female police officer. They also discuss the #MeToo movement. Dear Politico: The panel advises a listener about a housing scam in Brussels. MEP of the week: In this segment, the panelists dive into a box of MEPs’ names and pull out a young farmer and a few unknowns before someone earns the title MEP of the Week. We want to hear from you! Please fill out this survey so we can make EU Confidential better than ever: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/CVD7TDT