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 Brussels — and explains how they connect to national capitals across Europe.
Clear, conversational and shaped by reporting from the heart of the EU, the Brussels Playbook Podcast brings context to EU politics as your day begins.
On Fridays, the same feed features a longer episode that goes deeper into the week’s biggest themes, offering context and analysis beyond the daily news cycle — with Sarah Wheaton behind the mic.
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Episode 41: Bill Gates — Judging junkets — Gree...
Bill Gates, the Microsoft founder and philanthropist, is this week’s main guest. He talks to Ryan Heath about the work of his foundations, the next EU budget and the Oxfam scandal.And we talk to Politico health reporter Carmen Paun about how Gates has s
36 min
477
Episode 40, presented by Edelman and PAC: Brexi...
With a year to go until Brexit, we take stock of where things stand and what lies ahead.The European Parliament's Brexit Coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, talks to EU Confidential's executive producer, Andrew Gray, about the biggest Brexit challenges and ho
37 min
478
Episode 39: Lithuania's Linas Linkevičius — Art...
Russia, artificial intelligence and MEPs who are famous for the wrong reasons all feature in this week’s episode.Host Ryan Heath talks to the foreign minister of Lithuania, Linas Linkevičius, about how the EU should handle Moscow, following Vladimir Put
30 min
479
Episode 38: President Margvelashvili of Georgia...
On this episode Ryan talks to Giorgi Margvelashvili, the president of Georgia who is a doctor of philosophy and was in town for the German Marshall Fund’s Brussels Forum. Following that Michael O’Leary, the gruff CEO and founder of Ryanair, who's discover
39 min
480
Episode 37, presented by DowDupont: Marianne Th...
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
48 min
481
Ep. 36 : Tony Blair interview — Food bank furor...
Tony Blair came to Brussels this week with a clear message, delivered in this week's interview: I’m trying to stop Brexit, and there’s only one shot left — European immigration controls. If that idea or a second British Brexit referendum fails, Europe wil
37 min
482
Episode 35, presented by Raytheon: Ben Hodges —...
This week's episode features a review of the Munich Security Conference and an interview with Ben Hodges, who recently retired as commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe. Also on the podcast: our panelists give their verdict on the big new job for
37 min
483
Episode 34: Alexander Stubb — Spitzenkandidat —...
This week's special guest is Alexander Stubb, the former Finnish prime minister and ex-MEP who is now vice president of the European Investment Bank (EIB). Stubb talks about how the bank will handle Brexit and how it will play an increasing role as the EU
35 min
484
Episode 33: Nick Clegg — Western Balkans tough ...
EU politics this week was all about shrinkage and enlargement.The shrinkage of course is Brexit, with the U.K. government again failing to set out its negotiating position and Michel Barnier sweeping through London to explain the EU's red lines. EU Conf
32 min
485
Episode 32: Czech politics — Slovenian PM Cerar...
It's a bumper episode this week. We hear from POLITICO's man in Prague, Siegfried Mortkowitz, about the good cop-bad cop Euroskeptic routine coming out of the Czech capital, and we catch up with a prime minister, a bank chief and an MEP that Ryan Heath sp
37 min
486
Episode 31: Direct from Davos — Dutch PM Mark R...
We've got the lowdown from Davos in another special edition from the World Economic Forum. The podcast features interviews with two prime ministers — the Netherlands' Mark Rutte and Poland's Mateusz Morawiecki — as well as U.S. investor Bill McGlashan, a
37 min
487
Davos Confidential 4: Theresa Time — Werner Hoy...
Ryan Heath and Matthew Kaminski look ahead to Theresa May’s appearance in Davos, hot on the heels of speeches by Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron. Also in the daily podcast, they discuss U.S. officials’ reception at the World Economic Forum, ahead of D
17 min
488
Davos Confidential 3: Europe’s back — Post-rage...
Direct from Davos in our daily podcast, POLITICO’s Ryan Heath, Florian Eder and Matthew Kaminski look forward to an unofficial Europe day at the World Economic Forum on Wednesday, when Angela Merkel, Emmanuel Macron and Paolo Gentiloni will all be in acti
19 min
489
Davos Confidential 2: Talking trade — Digital r...
Ryan Heath and Florian Eder bring you the latest from the World Economic Forum in Davos in POLITICO’s special daily pop-up podcast.Ryan talks to Arancha González, executive director of the International Trade Centre, who says the world needs to up its g
20 min
490
Davos Confidential 1: Setting the scene - Advan...
Davos Confidential: In the first of POLITICO’s daily pop-up podcasts from the World Economic Forum, Ryan Heath and Florian Eder preview this year’s gathering of the global elite.From the Crystal Awards to the Panda scale for speeches, Ryan and Florian h
12 min
491
Episode 30: Estonian president Kersti Kaljulaid...
This week's show features an interview with Estonia's President Kersti Kaljulaid, the first head of state to appear on the podcast.Kaljulaid explains why Estonia wants to pay more to the EU, reveals a promise Jean-Claude Juncker made to her about the po
33 min
492
Episode 29: Spotify CEO Daniel Ek - Poland vs B...
Host Ryan Heath interviews Daniel Ek, the CEO of global music pioneer Spotify.The music world was a notorious graveyard for online entrepreneurs: until Spotify. In this episode, Ek explains why he thinks Stockholm-based Spotify is different to Silicon V
47 min
493
Episode 28: Estonia's EU presidency — Bulgaria'...
Kaja Tael, Estonia's ambassador to the EU, reviews her country's six months running the bloc's rotating presidency. Host Ryan Heath also talks to POLITICO's Christian Oliver about the challenges for Bulgaria's 2018 EU presidency, from domestic infighting
37 min
494
Episode 27, presented by Raytheon : 2017 review...
Episode 27 of POLITICO's EU Confidential podcast features a review of the year from POLITICO reporters and an interview with NATO's Deputy Assistant Secretary General Jamie Shea, a Brussels veteran of almost 40 years.With regular host Ryan Heath on holi
42 min
495
Episode 26: Rebooting Brussels — #BrusselsSoWhi...
Episode 26 of POLITICO's EU Confidential podcast has just been released, featuring a deep dive into the EU's capital city. We discuss how to improve Brussels as a city with regional minister Pascal Smet and debate the thorny topic of racial diversity in t
42 min
496
Episode 25: Herman Van Rompuy & Theresa May's M...
Former European Council President Herman Van Rompuy talks to host Ryan Heath about the future of the EU in this week's episode.EU reform and Brexit haiku: Since leaving office, Van Rompuy has been shepherding a major report on the future of the EU, the
39 min
497
Episode 24: Glyphodrama — Health Commissioner ...
This week's show features back-to-back interviews with the European commissioner for health, Vytenis Andriukaitis, who is also a heart surgeon, and Bernhard Uhl, the head of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA).Glyphosate politics: Speaking just af
48 min
498
Episode 23: Olympic committee chief — EMA, EBA ...
Episode 23 of POLITICO's EU Confidential podcast features Thomas Bach, the president of the International Olympic Committee.This week, we've got two feature interviews for you. As well as Bach, there's Adecco Group board member Stephan Howeg. We also ta
43 min
499
Episode 22, presented by Ørsted: Statoil CEO El...
Episode 22 of POLITICO's EU Confidential podcast features Eldar Sætre, the CEO of Norway's oil and gas company Statoil.We spoke to Sætre on November 9, after the COP23 global climate conference had kicked off in Bonn, Germany, but before Norway's $1 tri
39 min
500
Episode 21: Greek opposition leader Kyriakos Mi...
Host Ryan Heath interviews Kyriakos Mitsotakis, the head of Greece's New Democracy party and opposition leader in parliament.The outsider and the Mitsotakis dynasty: The opposition leader is the son of a former Greek prime minister, Konstantinos Mitsota
32 min