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 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
527
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
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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
529
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
530
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
531
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
532
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
533
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
534
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
535
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
536
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
538
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
539
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
540
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
542
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
543
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
544
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
545
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
546
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
549
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