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 20: Historian Rolf Falter — Catalonia c...
Ryan Heath interviews Rolf Falter, a historian who has worked across the Belgian and EU political landscapes: from adviser, to journalist, to get-out-the-vote advocate, to author of a new book on Europe.The dangers of absolute identity: Falter argues th
37 min
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Episode 19: Harassment discussion — Hope for ch...
Episode 19 of EU Confidential features a special discussion on the issue of sexual harassment and assault in the EU Brussels bubble. The podcast also includes an interview with European Commission Vice President for Energy Union Maroš Šefčovič, in which
46 min
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Episode 18: EU Commissioner Vĕra Jourová — Reme...
Episode 18 of POLITICO's EU Confidential podcast features an interview with European Commissioner Vĕra Jourová, who leads the EU's work on data protection among her many responsibilities as commissioner for justice, consumer rights and gender equality.W
37 min
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Episode 17, presented by AB InBev: Athens Mayor...
Episode 17 of POLITICO's EU Confidential podcast features back-to-back interviews with Karl-Heinz Lambertz, president of the European Committee of the Regions, and George Kaminis, the center-left mayor Athens.Theresa May — Not dead yet: We start by gett
42 min
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Episode 16: Telia's Johan Dennelind — Global Po...
Host Ryan Heath talks to POLITICO's chief Europe correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig about a homegrown journalism experiment: POLITICO's first Global Policy Lab. We convened labor and economics experts, executives and union representatives, along with regu
42 min
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Episode 15: Catalan independence debate — Germa...
In a special episode this week, we feature interviews from both sides of the Catalan independence debate ahead of the Catalan regional government's referendum, planned for Sunday.Ryan Heath interviews Jorge Toledo Albiñana, Spain's secretary of state fo
46 min
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Episode 14: NationBuilder's Toni Cowan-Brown — ...
Host Ryan Heath interviews Toni Cowan-Brown, a vice president at NationBuilder, the software company that has powered election campaigns for Emmanuel Macron's party, Theresa May, Bernie Sanders and even Belgian communists. Also this week: POLITICO's Flori
44 min
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Episode 13: Tomáš Valášek — Juncker's State of ...
Ryan Heath interviews Tomáš Valášek, the former Slovakian ambassador to NATO who heads the Carnegie Europe think tank. As Russia begins its Zapad war game, the West should be worried about Moscow “downright lying about the size and the type” of military
46 min
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Episode 12: David McAllister MEP - London Playb...
Host Ryan heath talks to David McAllister, head of the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee and a key ally of German Chancellor Angela Merkel.McAllister says the U.K.'s decision to leave the EU is a "historic mistake" and Turkey's authoritari
44 min
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Episode 11: EU rights expert Michael O'Flaherty...
Regular host Ryan Heath is back with an interview with Michael O’Flaherty, the head of the EU Fundamental Rights Agency. The interview, recorded at the European Alpbach Forum in Austria, looks at why human rights defenders have failed to make more headway
38 min
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Episode 10: Brexit & Ireland — John Bruton — Tr...
While regular host Ryan Heath recovers from his holiday jet lag, news editor Andrew Gray presents an interview with former Irish PM John Bruton on Brexit, a roundup of the latest on Britain's departure from the EU, and discussion of stories from across th
37 min
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Episode 9: NATO's Petr Pavel — German election ...
Regular host Ryan Heath is on holiday but the podcast rolls on with news editor Andrew Gray standing in once more.This week, we've dug into the archives again to bring you the highlights of a conversation between Ryan and General Petr Pavel, the head of
35 min
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Episode 8: Emmanuel Macron interview — Commissi...
Europe might be slowing down for the summer but we're still going strong. Regular host Ryan Heath is on holiday so news editor Andrew Gray stands in this week.We've raided the archive to bring you something a bit different — Emmanuel Macron, before he w
41 min
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Episode 7: Anders Fogh Rasmussen — Russia, Ukra...
This week, host Ryan Heath sits down with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, the former NATO secretary-general and now adviser to Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Rasmussen talks defense spending, Trump and how to handle Russia. And he reveals why we should spen
47 min
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Episode 6: Violeta Bulc — Ryanair to Brexit res...
This week Violeta Bulc, the European transport commissioner and a taekwondo black belt, explains why she’d have Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary as a Brexit negotiator to make sure planes can still fly from the U.K. to the EU and vice versa the day after Brexi
42 min
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Episode 5: Taavet Hinrikus — Digital Regulation...
This week Mark Scott, POLITICO Europe's new chief technology correspondent, talks to us about the trends he sees as tech companies deal with the reality that their libertarian early days are coming to an end and regulators confront them in the name of pro
37 min
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Episode 4: Marietje Schaake — Politics of EU-Ja...
This week Christian Oliver, POLITICO Europe's trade editor, talks us through the astonishing speed with which the EU completed its trade deal with Japan, and why future trade deals will not be so easy.Marietje Schaake, a Dutch liberal member of the Euro
36 min
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Episode 3: Victoria Espinel — What Brexit's bro...
Host Ryan Heath, author of POLITICO's Brussels Playbook, talks to journalist Frances Robinson about the things Brexit has already wrecked — before it’s even happened. Frances reveals how it's ruined the British dating scene, and why many of Jeremy Corbyn'
37 min
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Episode 2: Ángel Gurría — EU's Googlewhack — In...
Host Ryan Heath speaks to Ángel Gurría, secretary-general of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), who explains why it will take more than austerity to get the world economy growing faster — and why his organization has to get
37 min
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Episode 1: Cecilia Malmström — Brexit talks
After two pilot shows, host Ryan Heath brings you the first official episode of POLITICO’s new podcast all about the EU and European politics. Ryan talks to European trade commissioner Cecilia Malmström about Trump, Brexit, China and more. Following the s
41 min
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Bonus Episode: Erna Solberg
Host Ryan Heath gets some tips for Brits from Norwegian Prime Minister Erna Solberg about what it's like to be closely linked to the EU but not part of the club. POLITICO Europe news editor Andrew Gray and Brussels reporter Harry Cooper discuss the U.K. g
35 min
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Pilot episode: Pierre Moscovici
In this pilot episode of POLITICO's new podcast, EU Confidential, host Ryan Heath talks to European Commissioner Pierre Moscovici about the future of the euro — and about what he would do if he wasn't a politician. Ryan discusses issues behind the intervi
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EU Confidential Trailer
A sneak preview of the new podcast from Politico Europe. Coming soon.
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