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PODCAST

Brussels Playbook Podcast

POLITICO’s daily audio briefing on what’s moving Brussels — and why it matters. The Brussels Playbook Podcast is the audio extension of the Brussels Playbook newsletter. Hosted by POLITICO"s chief EU correspondent, Zoya Sheftalovich, the podcast runs Monday through Thursday, offering a clear, reporting-driven guide to EU politics in under 15 minutes. It’s a perfect companion for your morning coffee. Each episode takes listeners inside the decisions, power shifts and debates shaping the day in

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All Episodes

18:21

The EU budget battle just got nastier

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/10/12

Germany has rejected Ireland's proposal for the EU's next seven-year budget, despite €159 billion in cuts. And it's not alone: Governments are divided over where the cuts should fall, while the European Parliament is threatening to block the deal. Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur unpack the backlash and what it means for this week's EU leaders' summit. Plus, Zoya interviews Migration Commissioner Magnus Brunner about Europe's efforts to curb irregular migration and plans to tighten restrictions on

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33:26

Is the EU ready for the next pandemic?

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/10/09

Five years after the height of the Covid pandemic, how much better prepared is the EU for the next health crisis?Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO health reporter Helen Collis and global health expert Michel Kazatchkine to discuss the mysterious death of a worker at a Russian anti-plague institute, and what it tells us about international health cooperation and transparency. They look at what became of Brussels’ post-Covid ambitions — from the EU’s HERA health-emergency authority to better

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16:20

Can Europe finally get tough on China?

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/10/08

Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič is kicking off his visit to China today — and the stakes are high.On today’s show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton discuss the most important topic on the agenda: Europe’s trade deficit with China. France and Germany are finally on the same page and want Brussels to get tougher on unfair trade. So can we expect results from the meeting? Next, EU development ministers are meeting in Dublin to discuss the future of Europe’s development policy.But the timing is

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19:37

Behind closed doors, Europe braces for a deadly attack

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/10/07

Russia’s hybrid attacks across Europe — cyberattacks, sabotage, drone incursions — have been ramping up in recent months. But European governments are quietly preparing for something much worse.On today’s show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart discuss how EU ambassadors have been meeting in recent weeks to discuss what to do if a potential Russian hybrid attack were to result in mass casualties. Next, Britain’s minister in charge of relations with Europe, Hamish Falconer, is making his first

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16:32

How Spain's snap election could blow up Brussels

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/10/06

Spain’s snap election is poised to upend not just domestic politics ... but EU politics, too.On today’s show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart break down all the far-reaching impact the tumult in Madrid could have for the bloc — from effects on the EU long-term budget to the potential puncturing of Ursula von der Leyen’s fragile majority in Parliament. Next, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar is reviewing a huge nuclear deal agreed between ex-leader Viktor Orban and Russian president

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16:42

The race for the EU’s plum diplomatic jobs begins

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/10/05

The race for some of the EU’s most coveted diplomatic jobs is under way.Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur unpack why this year’s routine EEAS rotation is attracting unusually strong interest from senior Commission officials — and what it says about the mood in Brussels. Then, we head to France, where a wave of student protests is spilling into the presidential campaign, sharpening the contrast between Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Marine Le Pen and adding to what one government adviser called a “maxi

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34:21

Russia's not-quite-war on Europe

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/10/02

Europe’s gray-zone war with Russia is getting harder to ignore.Sarah Wheaton speaks to security expert and author Elisabeth Braw about how Europe should respond as sabotage, arson, cyberattacks and attacks on critical infrastructure become more frequent and more dangerous, who pays when businesses are targeted, and what happens when one of them turns deadly. They also discuss Braw’s new book, The Undersea War: The International Battle for Supremacy at the Bottom of the World, and the

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16:18

The €865 billion brainstorming session

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/10/01

Ukraine’s prime minister is warning of a $20 billion defense funding gap as Russia intensifies its attacks and Kyiv struggles to protect its skies and keep the country running. Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton look at just how much pressure Ukraine is under — from its military finances to farmers struggling to get their grain out. They also unpack the Commission and EU governments’ two-day brainstorming session on how a huge chunk of the next EU budget should work — and who may end up controling

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16:19

Is Bardella too toxic for Le Pen’s campaign?

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/09/30

Ursula von der Leyen is heading on her annual tour of the Western Balkans to visit some of the countries in line to join the EU. But Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia, two accession hopefuls, are not on the itinerary.On the show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart discuss why EU membership talks are speeding ahead with certain Balkan countries, and stalling with others. Next, investigative outlet Mediapart has uncovered antisemitic remarks allegedly made by French far-right politician Jordan

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15:40

Trump, diesel and Europe's new energy squeeze

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/09/29

Another surge in energy prices risks making life even more expensive for Europeans — especially once winter rolls around.So when EU energy ministers meet in Dublin today, affordability will be at the top of their agenda. On the show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart discuss just how bad the price spike is and how the cost of gas could play out at ballot boxes across Europe. Next, what does it take to ensure people who want to live in the countryside can stay in the countryside? We discuss the

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11:01

SPONSORED EPISODE: What is polyester worth?

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/09/28

As ultra-fast fashion has gotten cheaper, textiles have become disposable to many Europeans. The average EU consumer purchased 95 articles of textiles last year — an increase of 12 percent since 2019. Europe now discards about 9 million tons of polyester textiles annually. That’s the weight of roughly 900 Eiffel Towers. Those unwanted clothes could be put to better use. Technology has advanced to the point where textile-to-textile recycling is in reach,but it requires coordination across the

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18:03

A new era for European defense?

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/09/28

Europe’s defense ministers are meeting today to discuss whether the EU needs its own version of NATO’s article 4. This so-called Emergency Security Protocol would allow capitals to bring together all EU countries in the event of a security crisis. But the idea is controversial.On the show, hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur discuss whether there is appetite among capitals to set up the protocol, or whether the move will be seen as encroaching on NATO’s turf. Next, the European

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35:20

The Pope is fretting about frontier AI — what’s the...

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/09/25

European lawmakers this week called for the EU’s artificial intelligence regulations to hold American tech companies liable for the risks their most advanced models pose to humanity. But how much sway does Europe have in an arms race dominated by the U.S. and China?Host Anne McElvoy has been in Berlin attending WELT’s AI Summit, which brings together the AI and tech business leaders from across Europe with other interested parties. They include Cardinal Michael Czerny, who Pope Leo recently

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15:17

Russia's untouchable tycoons

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/09/24

Europe breathed a sigh of relief after finally agreeing on a new Russia sanctions list. But attention is turning to the compromise that got it over the line: dropping two Russian billionaires.On the show, hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton discuss reactions from around the EU to the deal, plus revelations about why France might have wanted billionaire Alisher Usmanov removed from the list in the first place. Next, the U.K. is planning to release prisoners in an attempt to relieve some of

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21:12

A power struggle in Brussels — and our big reveal

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/09/23

Today’s episode was recorded in front of an audience at our Brussels Playbook Live event. On the show, hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart spotlight Cristina Lobillo Borrero, Ursula von der Leyen’s new senior adviser for the Clean Transition. They discuss what her appointment says about the Commission president’s approach to energy — and her relationship with Commissioner Teresa Ribera. Next, Norway is concerned that it is lobbying the EU too late to have a real effect on policy. And that’s a

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17:13

Is this how the Greenland crisis ends?

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/09/22

The U.N. General Assembly is in full swing over in New York, and the agenda is packed.But perhaps the most pressing item will take place on the sidelines of the gathering, as Denmark, the U.S. and Greenland prepare to sign a security deal. What does the agreement mean for the EU’s big Arctic strategy? And will it be enough to ease months of tension between Donald Trump and the Danish territory? Hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart discuss. Then, we’re heading back to Germany where the fallout

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16:58

Merz’s election nightmare continues

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/09/21

Two state elections pile more pressure on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — raising fresh questions about his leadership and what a weaker Germany could mean for the rest of Europe. Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur also look at the growing fear over Russian hybrid attacks, as EU foreign ministers meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to discuss how Europe should respond if one of those attacks turns deadly. And back in Brussels, some EU officials are being

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31:14

Week Ender: Can Europe patch up the world in disorder?

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/09/18

The old global order is breaking down. Ursula von der Leyen thinks Europe may have to start building something new around it.In her State of the European Union speech, she floated closer ties with Canada — even “associate membership” — and a new European Security Council, as Europe looks for new ways to work with like-minded powers in an increasingly chaotic world. But both ideas immediately raised questions about whether von der Leyen was getting ahead of her own allies. Host Sarah Wheaton is

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17:11

Von der Leyen makes it awkward with Canada

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/09/17

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney takes the stage in Strasbourg after Commission President Ursula von der Leyen surprised EU capitals by floating “associate membership” for Canada — a status that doesn’t actually exist, and that Ottawa itself seems reluctant to define.Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton ask whether von der Leyen got ahead of both member countries and the Canadians, and what Carney’s speech could tell us about how close the two sides really want to get. Then, Germany’s

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12:52

Special episode: State of the EU 2026 — promises vs...

Brussels Playbook Podcast ·

2026/09/16

In this special episode from Strasbourg, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart give their first take on the State of the European Union speech delivered by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. They look at the push for a more independent Europe — from competitiveness to AI, climate, defense and Ukraine — as well as the ideas that could shape what comes next, including a European Security Council and a deeper partnership with Canada.Ouraudience surveyis still live — we’d love to hear what you

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