Brussels Playbook Podcast

From the Baltic to the Balkans: Putin is testing European leaders

22 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

There’s an ominous backdrop to this year’s GLOBSEC forum in Prague as the war in Ukraine strays into the skies over NATO’s Eastern flank...

Why are drones suddenly terrifying Europe?

21 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

With drone alerts, emergency shelters and fighter jets over the Baltics, Europe’s security fears suddenly feel much less theoretical at the GLOBSEC ...

Brussels wanted less red tape. It hasn't proved as easy as that.

20 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Brussels is discovering that cutting red tape may be harder without actual experts in the room. As the EU races ahead with its deregulation drive, con...

Budapest and Kyiv break the ice

19 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After years of Hungary’s former Prime Minister Viktor Orbán blocking Ukraine’s path to join the EU, Budapest and Kyiv are talking again. That has...

Why Brussels is getting tougher on China

18 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The European Commission is preparing to take a much tougher line on China, we hear on this episode of the Brussels Playbook Podcast, with Zoya Sheftal...

Two transatlantic power brokers on why Europe should step up on Iran and double down on Ukraine

15 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the very first edition of the Brussels Playbook Week Ender. Anne McElvoy travels to the Copenhagen Democracy Summit, an annual event that b...

The Commission’s next big overhaul?

13 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

One of the Commission’s oldest and most powerful departments may be heading for a dramatic overhaul — or even extinction.  DG REGIO oversees...

Could influencers crash future EU summits?

12 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Ukraine wants Europe more involved in peace efforts with Russia — but who exactly would represent Europe in those talks? After Vladimir Putin floate...

French cinema is spooked by the far right

11 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

When foreign ministers meet in Brussels today, Israel and Russia will likely dominate the agenda. Today on the pod, Zoya and Nick discuss why the blo...

Who’s “European” — and who’s not?

08 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

We’re talking identity this week on EU Confidential — in more ways than one. First, host Sarah Wheaton sits down with Theresa Kuhn, professor of ...

Field trip to Russia, anyone?

07 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Péter Magyar promised a full reset between Hungary and Brussels after Viktor Orbán’s defeat — but the EU may be ready to unlock only part of Hun...

Why the EU is freaked out about a new AI model

06 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The European Commission is unveiling its new anti-poverty strategy today. The only problem is ... it doesn’t include any new cash. On the pod, Zo...

The Parliament’s misspent €1.5 million

05 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Political parties are misspending their cash, while the public is left in the dark about what’s going on. The European Parliament’s department of...

Putin’s ‘window of opportunity’ to test NATO

04 May 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Europe yet again finds itself on the receiving end of Donald Trump’s ire.  On Friday, the U.S. president threatened to raise tariffs on European ...

Why the ECB is in a tricky spot

30 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The European Central Bank will meet today and make a decision that depends heavily on events happening thousands of kilometers away.  That’s ...

The Hungary reset: Magyar in Brussels chasing EU funds

29 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The power shift in Budapest hasn’t happened yet — but Brussels is already engaging with what comes next. Péter Magyar arrives in Brussels as Hun...

The €1.8 trillion standoff

28 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Today on the pod, we’re talking money, money, money. An important vote on the EU’s next long-term budget is happening in the European Parliament....

Berlin turns up the heat

27 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Europe is staring down a familiar and unwelcome set of circumstances: rising energy prices, slowing growth and growing political pressure. As the fal...

Don't aggravate Trump on Iran: Veteran US ambassador to NATO's friendly advice to European leaders

24 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The fragile ceasefire in the Persian Gulf and the uncertainty over peace talks between the U.S. and Iran have cast a long shadow over European capital...

Too many crises for one summit?

23 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On today's show, Ian is in the sunny Mediterranean nation of Cyprus for the biggest gathering of EU leaders on the island for many, many years.  S...

The clock is ticking on the EU’s next budget

22 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Brussels faces a narrowing window to strike a deal on its next long-term budget. EU leaders gather in Cyprus this week for a potential clash over the...

No Orbán, no excuses

21 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

EU foreign ministers are meeting in Luxembourg today to discuss a hefty list of geopolitical crises. But compared with past gatherings, something feel...

Energy, security and the new European risk landscape 

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Europe, in efforts to disentangle itself from Russian gas, has become increasingly aware of the vulnerability of its web of pipelines, subsea ca...

The Board of Peace, EU edition

20 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This week's agenda is brimming with high-level summits and meetings on foreign affairs. The EU's top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, kicks it all off by focusi...

What Orbán’s ouster means for MAGA, Le Pen and Brussels

17 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Election night in Hungary was an emotional and teary one ... but now, the work begins. The winners — Peter Magyar’s Tisza party — have the daun...

Can an ex-fighter-jet pilot run Bulgaria?

16 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Viktor Orbán may be out — but his man in Brussels is not. Today on the pod, Ian and Sarah discuss how the Hungarian Commissioner Olivér Várhelyi...

The rise of the centrist dads

15 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

European ambassadors are gathering to prep for a leaders’ summit taking place in Cyprus next week. And yet again, the agenda will likely be dominate...

Inside Magyar’s grand bargain with the EU

14 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The EU may be saying goodbye to Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, but the system that empowered him and the problems he’s left behind are still very much i...

After 16 years, Viktor Orbán loses

13 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It’s the end of an era: Hungary’s Viktor Orbán is on the way out after suffering a crushing defeat in Hungary’s general election. Péter Magya...

Inside the campaign to unseat Orbán

10 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Hungarians may be the ones voting this Sunday — but all EU citizens have something at stake in the outcome of the election.  After years of...

Hungary’s election enters crucial final days

09 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It’s three days until the Hungarian election, and opposition leader Péter Magyar appears poised to end PM Viktor Orbán’s 16-year rule. If that ...

Europe watches as Trump’s threats escalate

08 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump’s threats to wipe out Iran’s “whole civilization” shocked the world. On the podcast today, host Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishar...

Why EU foreign policy keeps getting stuck

07 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

EU foreign policy runs on unanimity — and it’s starting to break down. Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart unpack growing frustration with how the ...

Can Britain and the EU get a Brexit reset deal over the line?

03 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Despite the war in Iran and its economic consequences preoccupying London and Brussels, much work is going on behind the scenes to strike a closer rel...

How secure are the Commission’s group chats?

02 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Bulgaria is heading towards another tight parliamentary election this month — and it wants the EU to help counter malign foreign interference. ...

Preparing for a Covid-style crisis  

01 Apr 2026

Contributed by Lukas

An energy shock that once felt distant is starting to look very real as the war in Iran spirals ... and the EU is considering a Covid-style crisis res...

Are fuel cuts back on the table?

31 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Europe is facing another potential energy shock — and this time, Brussels is starting to float something politically tricky: using less fuel. Host ...

Why rich countries want to join the EU 

30 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For two decades, aspiring EU members wanted to join the bloc to get richer. Now, that’s changing. With conflicts raging at Europe’s doorstep and ...

A reckoning for Europe’s center left

27 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The far right took some minor hits to its seemingly impenetrable armor this week, as people in Denmark, Italy, France and Slovenia headed to the polls...

The next refugee crisis

26 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Officials are meeting in Brussels today to discuss the brutal civil war in Sudan and the looming refugee crisis that may result.  U.N. officia...

About those energy bills, Commissioner...

25 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Europe is facing another energy shock — so what can it actually do to keep prices down? Zoya Sheftalovich speaks with Energy Commissioner Dan Jørg...

More Russian snooping allegations

24 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After Hungary was accused of leaking sensitive EU discussions to the Kremlin, the spotlight is now shifting to Germany. Zoya Sheftalovich is joined b...

Is Hungary leaking EU secrets? A crisis of trust in Brussels

23 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur unpack Donald Tusk’s accusation that Hungary may have leaked sensitive European Council discussions to Moscow —...

High price to pay: EU and UN wrestle with Middle East war

20 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

This European Council summit was meant to be different — when Europe finally got serious about boosting homegrown industry and driving its own desti...

Time for a tense summit

19 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

EU leaders gather in Brussels for a high-stakes summit — with Viktor Orbán once again at the center of the debate over funding Ukraine. As tensions...

Breaking the Orbán deadlock

18 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Europe is working hard to end the standoff with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán over the €90 billion loan promised to Ukraine. Host Zoya She...

Europe rejects Trump’s Iran demands

17 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

European affairs ministers meet in Brussels to prepare this week’s EU summit — with discussions ranging from Ukraine and the war in Iran to the bl...

The EU's energy dilemma

16 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Energy markets are on edge as Iran tensions disrupt shipping and threaten supply shocks. EU foreign ministers and energy ministers meet in Brussels to...

Europe should back American strikes on Iran, says key Merz ally

13 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The mixed messages by President Trump and his administration about how long the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran will last have unnerved allies and shake...

Zelenskyy vs. Orbán

12 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging Europe to find a way around Hungary. In an interview with POLITICO’s Gordon Repinski, Zelenskyy c...

Europe’s plan to keep Ukraine afloat

11 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Ukraine is running out of money to fight Russia — but Hungary still isn’t budging on its opposition to the EU’s €90 billion loan to Kyiv. On ...

Europe braces for an energy crisis

10 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

European leaders haunted by memories of the 2022 energy crisis are bracing for impact as the war in the Middle East begins to drive up oil and gas pri...

Von der Leyen accused of overreach

09 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Some European governments are arguing Commission President Ursula von der Leyen overstepped her mandate in her response to the U.S.-Israeli war with I...

How Europe survives when there are no rules

06 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

For decades, Europeans shared a simple belief: that the world — however messy — ultimately runs on rules. But what if the escalating war in Iran ...

Iran war: Europe weighs migration risk

05 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A controversial new idea on EU enlargement is stirring debate in Brussels. Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton unpack a proposal known as “reverse e...

The making of 'Made in Europe'

04 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

“Made in Europe” is finally here. After four delays and fierce internal battles, the European Commission unveils its Industrial Accelerator Act —...

Caught between wars

03 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Europe is no longer watching the conflict in the Middle East from a distance — it’s directly entangled. Iranian missiles flying over Cyprus. EU l...

Europe's balancing act on Iran

02 Mar 2026

Contributed by Lukas

After a weekend of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran — and the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — Brussels is moving to coordinate its diplom...

Diplomats or disruptors — when Trump’s ambassadors get ‘rude’

27 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Ambassadors are supposed to smooth tensions, not spark them. But in recent weeks some American envoys in Europe – from Belgium to Poland and France...

Inside EU ambassadors' crisis 'bunker'

26 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Brussels is adjusting to a shifting geopolitical landscape. Coreper meetings — the regular gatherings of EU ambassadors — are becoming more frequ...

Who showed up — and who didn't — for Kyiv's big day

25 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Europe marked four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion with a high-profile show of solidarity in Kyiv on Tuesday. Ursula von der Leyen and Antó...

Four years of war — and Hungary breaks EU unity

24 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European leaders gather in Kyiv to signal unity and solidarity. But back in Br...

Sanctions, tensions — and a birthday at the FAC

23 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

EU foreign ministers are gathering in Brussels with one clear goal: to agree on a 20th sanctions package against Russia. But Hungary is threatening to...

The EU’s envoy to Ukraine on war, resilience — and Nordic walking

20 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

An air raid siren sounded as we were wrapping up our interview with the EU’s ambassador in Kyiv. On this week’s EU Confidential, Sarah Wheaton sp...

Testing Trump’s Board of Peace

19 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The EU is taking a careful seat at Donald Trump’s first meeting of the Board of Peace — sending Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Šuica, but no...

The EU’s plan to revive its frontline regions

18 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

The war in Ukraine is reshaping life well beyond the battlefield. On this episode of the Brussels Playbook Podcast, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart...

Power play in Parliament

17 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

A battle for power in the European Parliament is already underway — though quietly for now — with the midterm reshuffle a year away. Behind the ...

Europe edges toward a multi-speed future

16 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

At this year's Munich Security Conference, the U.S. struck a softer tone — but Europe remains wary. Back in Brussels, as finance ministers gather f...

Omnibusted: The EU’s competitiveness conundrum

13 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

European leaders have spent the week talking about how to make the EU more competitive — first with industry heavyweights in Antwerp, then behind cl...

BONUS EPISODE: "Europe has to be saved from itself" - Sweden's Deputy Prime Minister

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

European leaders and defense ministers gathering at the Munich Security Conference are grappling with how to end the war in Ukraine as it approaches i...

The battle of Alden Biesen

12 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

EU leaders gather at Alden Biesen castle to debate how to revive Europe’s economy — and whether “strategic autonomy” can survive internal divi...

EU talks funding Kyiv and how to boost industry

11 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

It’s another day of high-level talks across Belgium. First, the EU’s defense ministers meet in Brussels. Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart dive i...

Episode 1: The plan to get Ukraine into the EU

10 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Welcome to the first edition of the Brussels Playbook Podcast! In the debut episode, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart break down two big questions f...

Can the EU decouple from Trump's America?

06 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Can the European Union really decouple from Donald Trump’s America — economically, politically, and strategically? In this episode of EU Confiden...

Introducing: the Brussels Playbook Podcast

02 Feb 2026

Contributed by Lukas

POLITICO’s daily audio briefing on what’s moving Brussels — and why it matters. The Brussels Playbook Podcast is the audio extension of the Bru...

The Anxious Continent: Social media bans and boozy trade deals

30 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Europe is testing how far it’s willing to go — at home and abroad. In this episode of EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton talks to Jonathan Haid...

What really happened after Trump blinked

23 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

What a week! Tariff threats, Greenland brinkmanship and a dramatic Trump U-turn in Davos: EU leaders gathered in Brussels for an emergency summit mea...

At Davos, the twist in Trump's Greenland tale. So what does Europe do next? 

22 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Donald Trump loomed large over the World Economic Forum’s annual get-together in the Swiss Alps — even before he touched down for his b...

Trump bites. Europe grasps for an antidote.

16 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

“A little less conversation, a little more action.” That line from an old Elvis Presley song could double as a critique of Europe’s position ri...

Whose world is it now? Trump, power and Europe

09 Jan 2026

Contributed by Lukas

Europe had barely switched off its out-of-office replies before geopolitics came roaring back. In the first days of January, events in Caracas — an...

Von der Leyen vs. Trump: Europe answers back

12 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

He’s not even European — yet Donald Trump has topped POLITICO’s annual P28 ranking of the most powerful people who will shape Europe in 2026. E...

Notes on a scandal — will a fraud probe upend the EU?

05 Dec 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Brussels was jolted this week by dawn raids and an alleged fraud probe involving current and former senior EU diplomats. Host Sarah Wheaton speaks wi...

Peace plan panic: Does the EU still have a say in Ukraine’s future?

28 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Washington–Moscow peace maneuvers caught Europe off guard this week — raising questions about the EU’s continued relevance and readiness at a pi...

Inside Europe’s far right — going pro and going strong

21 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

When Europe’s biggest political family crosses the aisle to vote with the far right, something fundamental shifts in Brussels. In this episode, hos...

Growing pains: Can the EU handle enlargement?

14 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Russia’s war in Ukraine has given new momentum to EU enlargement — and raised a bigger question: Is the bloc itself ready to grow?  This week, h...

Pornography, children and privacy: Europe's digital dilemma

07 Nov 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Europe faces a growing dilemma: how to protect children online without breaking digital privacy for everyone.  A new report from the Internet Watch ...

How to lose a Dutch election — and still win one

31 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Is it enough to come first in an election? In the Netherlands, you hear that centrist Rob Jetten won big and Geert Wilders’ far right lost a lot —...

How about them assets — making Russia pay for Ukraine

24 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

The EU wants to lend €140 billion in cash from frozen Russian funds to Ukraine; Belgium is afraid it will be the one on the hook for paying it back....

How to go from hero to zero, with Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel 

17 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

French President Emmanuel Macron has gone from “Mr. Europe” eight years ago to the solitary man by the Seine. At the same time, ex-German Chancell...

How not to fall: Behind von der Leyen’s fightback and Macron’s meltdown

10 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

While the French government collapses in Paris, Ursula von der Leyen stands unshaken in Strasbourg. It’s been a week of political tremors — some p...

Humiliating Europe: Trump’s culture war and the EU’s response

03 Oct 2025

Contributed by Lukas

What do Donald Trump’s culture war, Moldova’s EU ambitions, and Czechia’s upcoming parliamentary election have in common? They all reveal how Eu...

Escalating trouble – Trump takes on the UN and Europe

26 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trump says Ukraine can win — but should Europe believe him? At a hectic U.N. General Assembly in New York, U.S. President Donald Trump stunned worl...

Jourová’s secrets and Putin’s drone tests

19 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From rule of law battles to inside stories, Věra Jourová looks back on a decade in the Berlaymont. The former European Commission vice president rec...

Ursula’s Fight Song — who’s singing along?

12 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

“Europe is in a fight.” With those words, Ursula von der Leyen set the tone for her State of the European Union speech — framing this as Europe...

Tyrants are forever: Has Europe missed its moment?

05 Sep 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Under the jackhammers on Schuman, Brussels is filling back up for the rentrée — and the fault lines are showing. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by c...

Limping through the Trump era: Can Europe lead again?

29 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

From a picturesque mountain resort in Austria, at the European Forum Alpbach, host Sarah Wheaton unpacks fresh threats by the U.S. to hit countries wi...

EU's sweaty summer — what you missed (and what matters)

22 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Just when we thought we could get a break for the summer, geopolitics had other plans. This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by ...

Escape the EU Bubble: Expert Summer Book Picks

01 Aug 2025

Contributed by Lukas

This week, we’re taking a breath. EU Confidential is stepping away from summits, trade battles, and late-night trilogues — and turning to somethin...

The €2 trillion question: Inside the battle over the EU's budget

18 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Trillions of euros, almost as many priorities — and just over two years to agree. The European Commission has unveiled its sweeping new seven-year b...

No-confidence vote: Is the EU Parliament about to break?

11 Jul 2025

Contributed by Lukas

Ursula von der Leyen survived a motion of censure — but not without sustaining damage. In Strasbourg, tensions within her pro-European coalition bur...