Brussels Playbook Podcast
Episodes
Boiling in Brussels: Climate fights and Orbán vs. Pride
04 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Europe baked, the Atomium shut early — and Brussels finally unveiled its long-delayed climate target. Host Sarah Wheaton speaks with POLITICO Clima...
Of Daddies and Queens — from Trump to von der Leyen — and who’s really in charge in Europe
27 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode of EU Confidential comes to you from the Europa building in Brussels. We’ve been covering not one but two high-stakes gatherin...
What’s really behind Europe’s 5% defense push
20 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As NATO leaders prepare to endorse a dramatic defense spending hike, Europe faces a reckoning: Where will the money come from — and will new tanks m...
All about the €€€: How Bulgaria’s euro dreams could become a nightmare
13 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Bulgaria’s big step toward using the euro is a victory for European unity — but the country itself isn’t united on whether joining the common cu...
Can Europe’s Trump counterpunch work? Sanctions, tariffs and a MAGA twist.
06 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Trump is finally facing some resistance. Can Europe seize the moment? This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton speaks with Swedish Member of...
Between a smack and a hard place — Poland votes, Orbán provokes, and Brussels shows its teeth
30 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Slaps were exchanged — some literal, some political — and suddenly Brussels isn’t just watching from the sidelines.This week on EU Confidential,...
Leo Varadkar on Donald Trump, and the EU’s Israel dilemma
23 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The EU-Israel relationship is at a tipping point. This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton breaks down how EU leaders are calling for scrut...
The crown slips: How queen Ursula failed her transparency test
16 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Those text messages Ursula von der Leyen didn’t want to share? The EU’s top court says that’s not OK. In a win for transparency advocates, Euro...
Populist currents and fragile coalitions: Trump’s shadow over Europe
09 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Europe’s political center is wobbling. Again. In Germany, a dramatic Bundestag vote leaves new Chancellor Friedrich Merz bruised before he’s even...
How Trump transformed Europe in just 100 days
02 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
After 100 days of U.S. President Donald Trump’s shock and awe, is the EU still stuck in stunned paralysis — or does it finally have a plan? PO...
A divorce and a birthday: Five years of Brexit, 10 years of POLITICO
25 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
With POLITICO turning 10 and Brexit hitting 5 earlier this year, this episode of EU Confidential takes stock of two milestones that shaped Brussels —...
Holiday special: Driving toward a trade war with China
18 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week, EU Confidential is on a spring break — but with trade tensions between the U.S. and the rest of the world (China in particular) escala...
Trump blinks on tariffs. Can Europe exhale?
11 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A tariff storm was brewing — and then, just like that, the forecast changed. Donald Trump shocked everyone by pausing his planned tariffs for 90 day...
Beautiful beef: Le Pen, Varoufakis and the horseshoe theory of politics
04 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What do Marine Le Pen, Yanis Varoufakis and Donald Trump have in common? More than you'd think. In this episode of EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton...
Erdoğan, not Trump, is Europe's new best friend on security
28 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul’s mayor and the main political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been arrested. So what is Europe doi...
Dirty games in Brussels and war games in Europe
21 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A lobbying frenzy, secret perks, and now police raids. Huawei’s cozy ties in Brussels have exploded into a full-blown corruption scandal. As the Eur...
Can EU leaders handle a world on fire?
14 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
100 days in, Europe’s top leaders are facing a reality check. Ursula von der Leyen talks about a new sense of urgency — but is she leading, or j...
The US-EU breakup—what does it mean for Ukraine, and for peace?
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode of EU Confidential comes to you from Thursday’s emergency meeting of EU leaders — the political equivalent of sobbing into y...
Can Germany’s next chancellor help Europe deal with Trump?
28 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Germany has voted, and Friedrich Merz is now the chancellor-in-waiting. But can he rise to the occasion? With Donald Trump signaling a retreat from Eu...
Germany votes, Trump attacks, Europe reacts
21 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Europe suddenly has to do it all — all alone, all at once. Still in shock after U.S. President Donald Trump’s unequivocal pivot toward Moscow, Eur...
Europe’s future, brought to you by Putin and Trump
14 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve gotta hand it to Donald Trump — even when you’re expecting him to surprise you, he still surprises you. The Unites States president onc...
How political is your pizza? The Mediterranean Diet and Europe's food battles
07 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pasta, pizza, and Parmigiano — delicious? Absolutely. But in 2025, they’re also deeply political. This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton...
Your guide to Trump’s Europe envoys
31 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Diplomatic credentials? Optional. Deep pockets and loyalty to Trump? Essential. As Donald Trump rolls out his picks for U.S. ambassador posts in Europ...
In Trump's new era: does Europe still matter?
24 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
As Donald Trump settles back into the White House, all eyes—even in snowy Davos—are on Washington. Host Sarah Wheaton reports from the World Econo...
Who’s in charge? What von der Leyen’s absence reveals about the EU
17 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
While the president of the European Commission was secretly in the hospital, the next president of the United States was musing about invading Greenla...
Elon Musk: Europe’s Bloviator-in-Chief
10 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The world’s richest man has a lot to say, a vast platform, and the ear of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Now he has turned his focus to Europe. ...
Holiday special: Meet JD Vance’s surprising European support network
03 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
To kick off the new year, we’re sharing a standout episode from our sister podcast, Power Play. EU Confidential will be back next week, but for now,...
Holiday special: Brussels vs Moscow — the EU risks losing its eastern neighbors
27 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For the final episode of EU Confidential this year, we revisit a compelling discussion on the European Union’s waning influence in its eastern neigh...
Farewell to the EU’s sharpest in-house critic
20 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Politics are driving a growing culture of secrecy at the European Commission, warns European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly in this week’s episode of EU...
Inside the POLITICO 28 gala: Europe’s most powerful players (and hangover)
13 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week's episode of EU Confidential takes you inside the POLITICO 28 gala, where we revealed our list of the people who will drive the year ahead. ...
Can Brussels’ new power trio take on Trump?
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Finally. After months of paralysis, the new leadership team in Brussels is up and running. Then again, the power trio of European Commission President...
Romania’s TikTok upset boosts Putin
29 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Romania’s presidential election delivered a TikTok-fueled political shock, with pro-Russia, far-right candidate Călin Georgescu winning the first r...
Scholz on the brink, Rubio in the wings: Europe faces the new Trump era
22 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While Donald Trump is filling out his top team, the EU faces a leadership vacuum. Thank Germany, where Chancellor Olaf Scholz has been on the phone wi...
The challenges to energy security in Europe
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Europe’s energy system is entering a period of radical change. The net-zero transition will require a significant overhaul of our infrastructure and...
What the Commissioner hearings revealed about the EU
15 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
There were 26 hearings and 72 hours of questions, answers and non-answers — and in the end, none of it mattered. Politics clearly trumped policy as ...
How Trump is already breaking Europe
08 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After Donald Trump’s election victory, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is breaking out the Champagne. Germany’s government, meanwhile, is b...
Faith, fear and freedom: European eyes are on the US vote
01 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
For a fresh view of the U.S. election in its final days — and what it means for Europe — this week’s episode of EU Confidential gets a ground-l...
Brussels vs Moscow: The EU risks losing its eastern neighbors
25 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A vote that was supposed to be a slam dunk in favor of the EU turned into a nail-biter: barely 50 percent of Moldovans backed the country’s accessio...
The world is in crisis and the EU is doing ... nothing?
18 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode of EU Confidential is a show about nothing. As in: Brussels’ endless lame-duck inertia. Sure, there’s still lots of yadda ya...
Driving toward a trade war with China
11 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Buckle up. This week on the EU Confidential podcast, we’re talking cars. And a looming trade war. European Union countries are split over whether it...
From 'Fortress Austria' to 'Fortress Europe'?
04 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode of EU Confidential, we tackle the complex forces shaping Europe’s future — where political shifts, migration and escalati...
Ukraine’s 4-month countdown
27 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Volodymyr Zelensky has just four months. That’s the time left until U.S. President Joe Biden leaves office. After that, who knows what’s going to ...
The EU's new power pyramid and migration escalation
20 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Live from Strasbourg… and Paris… and Berlin… and London, it’s EU Confidential. In this week’s episode, we catch you up on a dizzying week of...
Does Europe’s economy need Mountain Dew?
13 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While Brussels has been obsessed recently with the “Draghi report,” that’s NOT the topic of this week’s episode. We will, however, discuss WHY...
Brussels’ back-to-school blues
06 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been a particularly chaotic rentrée for Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In this week’s episode of EU Confidential, we talk abou...
Anne Applebaum on dictators big and small
30 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of EU Confidential, we speak to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anne Applebaum. Her latest book, "Autocracy Inc.," explores how auth...
This burger could kill the EU
23 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Alessandro Ford, POLITICO’s agriculture reporter, to unpack how the prospect of lab-grown meat has ...
Summer special: Who votes for the European far right? And why?
16 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
While the podcast takes a little break, we bring this insightful episode back into your feed — unpacking details of who votes for the far right in E...
Summer special: ‘Rent is too damn high!’ Europe’s growing housing crisis
09 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On our summer break, we're bringing this episode from January back into your feed by popular demand, looking at a crisis that is affecting many Europe...
EU Commissioners' power puzzle
02 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Brussels might seem empty, but high-stakes games are afoot behind the scenes. From air-conditioned government suites (and the occasional vacation vil...
Harris, Vance and what they mean for Europe
26 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Is American politics giving you whiplash? This week’s episode of EU Confidential has all you need to cope, with primers on the foreign policy postur...
As it happened: Ursula von der Leyen’s secret ballot triumph
19 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Big decisions awaited the new class of MEPs this week: Whether to back Ursula von der Leyen for a second term atop the Commission; which committee ass...
Viktor Orbán's rogue “peace missions” to Kyiv, Moscow, Beijing and Washington
12 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Just days into his country's rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán again stunned other Europe...
French election shocker: reaction and analysis
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
France has voted and the results are in — our POLITICO team in Paris discusses the surprising results of the final round of the parliamentary electi...
Panic mode: Biden and Le Pen imperil mainstream politics
05 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Just days before the final round of France's snap parliamentary elections, we discuss possible scenarios for what could emerge from the messy politica...
EU top jobs deal — French election, round 1
28 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Straight from the European Council summit, we bring you the latest news and analysis on a range of tough issues on the leaders' agenda. Host Sarah Whe...
MEGA shift in the EU's balance of power
21 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Almost two weeks after the EU election, there is still a lot of political manoeuvring going on — both in Brussels and in national capitals. First, P...
Macron challenges French voters and spooks Brussels
14 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As the EU comes to terms with its new (sort of) political reality following last weekend's European Parliament election, France is already back in cam...
EU election results — Europe swings to the right
10 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As election result projections were revealed on Sunday evening, our EU Confidential team recorded a live episode with first reactions and analysis fro...
What the EU election is actually about
07 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As voting gets underway throughout the EU, we check in on the polls and learn which stories are dominating the headlines in capitals around Europe. Ho...
Key EU policies — how will they change after the vote?
31 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With just a week to go until the European election and the campaign in full gear, we're focusing on how the vote will impact key EU policies such as h...
EU election 101 — your questions answered
24 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This is your essential (and entertaining!) guide to the upcoming European election — everything you've wanted to know but been too afraid to ask. Wi...
How Russian disinformation could skew EU election — and whether Europe can fight it
17 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Ursula von der Leyen made a promise this week: if she secures another term as president of the European Commission, she will prioritize beefing up the...
Who votes for the European far right? And why?
10 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As recent national elections in several European countries have shown, far-right voters no longer fit the stereotype of the angry, old white man, but ...
Debate time! EU lead candidates go head-to-head
03 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was a rare chance to see all the leading candidates from Europe's main political parties go head-to-head in a presidential-style debate to become t...
European Parliament in review — MEP unAwards 2024
26 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Since the 2019 election this European Parliament has had to deal with various challenges, from Brexit and Covid-19 to the war in Ukraine and scandals ...
Brussels buzzwords of the week: competitiveness and Bolshewokism
19 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we unpack the EU's new buzzword and the main point of discussion at this week's European Council summit: competitiveness. We also brin...
EU election latest: Knives out for Ursula von der Leyen
12 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With just weeks to go until the European Parliament election, we're bringing you the state of play. Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Elisa Braun, POLIT...
'If you want peace, prepare for war': How an old saying is making a comeback in Europe
29 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we unpack the growing urgency among EU leaders to defeat Russia's Vladimir Putin. Remember the old Latin saying: si vis pacem, para b...
Farmers lead the EU climate backlash
22 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As EU leaders received a stark warning about the climate risks facing the bloc, the European Commission caved to farmer protests and demands to slash ...
Portuguese voters' anger and what it means for Europe
15 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Portugal's snap election has brought seismic change — the Socialists are now in opposition and the center-right Democratic Alliance, which narrowly ...
Inside the European People's Party Congress 2024
08 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
On this bumper edition of EU Confidential, we take you inside the two-day European People Party's Congress in Bucharest. Host Sarah Wheaton and POLITI...
European Parliament election 2024 — state of play
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With less than 100 days until the European Parliament election, we bring you the state of play. Also, we hear from Georgian President Salome Zourabich...
VDL 2.0 — How Europe and Ukraine have changed, two years into Russia's all-out war
23 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As we mark two years of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we take stock of how the war has changed Europe's political landscape and identity —...
Europe responds to Donald Trump
16 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump has again sent shockwaves across Europe with comments suggesting that he would encourage Russia to invade NATO countries that do not spen...
Can the EU defend Ukraine (and itself)?
09 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Europe is waking up to the urgent need to strengthen its own defenses — especially as Donald Trump seems poised to capture the Republican nomination...
Europe's angry farmers and EU funds for Ukraine (finally)
02 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
As farmer protests continue around Europe, we unpack their various concerns and analyze their impact on the European election. We also take you to an ...
'Rent is too damn high!' Europe’s growing housing crisis
26 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we look at a crisis that is affecting many Europeans in most EU countries: skyrocketing rents and house prices, a shortage of flats, l...
Can the EU manage migration?
19 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After seven years of bitter wrangling, the EU has finally reached an agreement on how to handle migration — one of its most challenging and divisive...
EU top jobs kickoff — finding compromise with Viktor Orbán
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode we look at the ongoing tug-of-war between Budapest and Brussels in the context of a rather shocking development that could pave the wa...
What's in store for Europe in 2024?
05 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
This isn't just any new year — 2024 in the political calendar means mega elections in Europe, the U.S., the U.K. and beyond. Our EU Confidential cre...
Top EU stories of 2023 — POLITICO's guide
15 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Our last episode of 2023 is a bumper edition, reviewing some of the key stories that drove the conversations in Brussels and throughout Europe this ye...
Qatargate: Where do we stand a year after the corruption scandal erupted?
08 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we revisit the huge corruption scandal which shook the European Parliament and the EU bubble exactly one year ago. Host Sarah Wheaton...
The most powerful people in Europe (for better or worse)
01 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week, we take you inside our POLITICO 28 unveiling of Europe's most powerful people and unpack Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's commen...
Geert Wilders stuns with far-right election victory in the Netherlands
24 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Far-right leader Geert Wilders came out on top in the Dutch election this week, sending shock waves through Brussels and beyond. In this episode of EU...
SPONSORED CONTENT: Carbon capture and storage to reach net zero
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Oil, gas and coal still made up 81.5 percent of the global energy mix in 2022 — down just 3 percent from 2015, when the Paris climate agreement was ...
Spain's Pedro Sánchez to form new government as prime minister
17 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Ending months of political paralysis, we bring you up to speed on the turmoil in Spain that has left Pedro Sánchez clinging to power. The Socialist l...
The EU's report card: Ukraine, Moldova and other aspiring members
10 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The EU made important steps this week toward bringing new members into the bloc — our POLITICO team explains in this episode of EU Confidential. Hos...
The race to regulate AI before it's too late
03 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It has been a big week for the world's key players in the race to regulate AI development and make it safe. In this episode of EU Confidential, we bri...
EU leaders meet amid Israel-Hamas war
27 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Coming to you directly from the European Council summit, our POLITICO team brings you the very latest on a range of difficult subjects facing EU leade...
Welcome back, Donald: Seismic shift in Poland after general election
20 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we analyze what Poland's recent election means for its political future and EU relations — in conversation with journalist and hist...
Deadly attacks on Israel and a bitter Polish election
13 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of EU Confidential, POLITICO's Barbara Moens joins us to discuss the EU’s muddled response to the heinous attack on Israel in which ...
Donald Trump 2.0 — is Europe ready?
06 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of the EU Confidential, we entertain the idea of Donald Trump returning to the White House in 2024 and what that would mean: for the E...
Visa-for-bribes scandal rocks Poland — reaction and analysis
29 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of EU Confidential, we discuss an alleged bribery scheme to hand out Polish visas, which is rocking the country just weeks before gene...
From the UN General Assembly — world leaders gather in NY
22 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
EU Confidential is in New York for the U.N. General Assembly, where leaders from around the globe are gathering to hash out some of the most pressing ...
State of the European Union — the big annual speech and MEPs debate
15 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this bumper episode, we bring you the main takeaways from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's annual State of the European Union a...
It's back to school in Brussels — Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani
08 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
It's “back to school” week here in Brussels, so we're looking ahead to what policies will dominate the news in the coming months. Also, our speci...
Austrian Foreign Minister Schallenberg: EU needs to rethink its enlargement approach
01 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
EU Confidential returns from its summer break, bringing you this episode from the European Forum Alpbach in Austria where the theme of a "bold Europe"...
Brussels summer survival guide
03 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode, we unpack what to expect in Brussels this August as EU decision making grinds to a halt. Also, we explore how extreme weather in Euro...
Spanish election aftermath and the watering down of the EU's anti-SLAPPs law
27 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We analyze the outcome of the recent elections in Spain and what it means for the country and the EU going forward. Also, we discuss the EU's proposal...