Fears of a coronavirus second wave, a campaign for gender equality at the top of the EU, and the U.S. presidential election all feature in this week's episode.

After weeks of intense debate over the economic response to the pandemic, the focus in Europe is shifting back to the worrying health situation. POLITICO's Andrew Gray and Rym Momtaz are joined by Senior Health Reporter Sarah Wheaton to discuss the growing number of cases around the Continent and new restrictions being imposed as a result. They also talk about how the EU is faring in the worldwide race for a vaccine.

Our special guest is Austrian MEP Evelyn Regner, who spoke with POLITICO's Cristina Gonzalez and Maïa de La Baume about her push for gender parity among candidates to run the European Banking Authority. Regner argues that structural changes in how candidates are selected are necessary, and that gender quotas are the only solution to ensure women get a fair shot.

We also check in with POLITICO's Ryan Heath to hear about his new series coming to your EU Confidential feed in August: Campaign Confidential will cover the U.S. elections in November, combining POLITICO's insider knowledge with our global take on an election that is sure to have a big impact on Europe and the world.

EU Confidential is taking a break for the next two weeks, and the podcast team hopes all our listeners are also getting some well-earned rest over the summer. We'll be back on August 18 with the first episode of Campaign Confidential and your regular EU Confidential returns on Thursday, August 20.

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Ep 163: New coronavirus concerns — MEP Evelyn Regner on gender balance — US elections