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.
101
From 'Fortress Austria' to 'Fortress Europe'?
In this week’s episode of EU Confidential, we tackle the complex forces shaping Europe’s future — where political shifts, migration and escalating conflict in neighboring regions are all colliding.
36 min
102
Ukraine’s 4-month countdown
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 happen. And that means uncomfortable questions for the EU, too.
35 min
103
The EU's new power pyramid and migration escala...
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 news.
39 min
104
Does Europe’s economy need Mountain Dew?
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 is so besotted. (Spoiler alert: It's because Europe’s economy is broken.)
34 min
105
Brussels’ back-to-school blues
It’s been a particularly chaotic rentrée for Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. In this week’s episode of EU Confidential, we talk about the mad dash to name the new slate of commissioners, while getting the right balance of politics, geography, gender and expertise.
31 min
106
Anne Applebaum on dictators big and small
In this episode of EU Confidential, we speak to Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anne Applebaum. Her latest book, "Autocracy Inc.," explores how authoritarian regimes are banding together against democracies, including EU countries.
32 min
107
This burger could kill the EU
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 riled up Europe’s farmers.
18 min
108
Summer special: Who votes for the European far ...
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 Europe.
36 min
109
Summer special: ‘Rent is too damn high!’ Europe...
On our summer break, we're bringing this episode back into your feed by popular demand, looking at a crisis that is affecting many Europeans in most EU countries.
38 min
110
EU Commissioners' power puzzle
Brussels might seem empty, but high-stakes games are afoot behind the scenes. Leaders are working the phones, trying to convince European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to give their country the most prestigious posts in the EU executive.
30 min
111
Harris, Vance and what they mean for Europe
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 postures of Vice President Kamala Harris and JD Vance.
36 min
112
As it happened: Ursula von der Leyen’s secret b...
Join host Sarah Wheaton for a romp through the Strasbourg seat of the European Parliament, and relive a week that was so crucial for Europe's direction over the next five years.
33 min
113
Viktor Orbán's rogue “peace missions” to Kyiv, ...
Just days into his country's rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union, Hungary Prime Minister Viktor Orbán again stunned other European leaders by setting off on a series of visits to Kyiv, Moscow and Beijing.
31 min
114
French election shocker: reaction and analysis
France has voted and the results are in — our POLITICO team in Paris discusses the surprising results of the final round of the parliamentary election in this special episode of EU Confidential.
20 min
115
Panic mode: Biden and Le Pen imperil mainstream...
Just days before the final round of France's snap parliamentary elections, we discuss possible scenarios for what could emerge from the messy political situation in Paris: shiny new leaders, a shaky new government, rocky cohabitation — or even more chaos.
30 min
116
EU top jobs deal — French election, round 1
Straight from the European Council summit, we bring you the latest news and analysis on a range of tough issues on the leaders' agenda.
29 min
117
MEGA shift in the EU's balance of power
Almost two weeks after the EU election, there is still a lot of political manoeuvring going on — both in Brussels and in national capitals.
34 min
118
Macron challenges French voters and spooks Brus...
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 campaign mode — preparing for snap elections called unexpectedly by President Emmanuel Macron.
24 min
119
EU election results — Europe swings to the right
As election result projections were revealed on Sunday evening, our EU Confidential team recorded a live episode with first reactions and analysis from our POLITICO newsroom.
39 min
120
What the EU election is actually about
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.
32 min
121
Key EU policies — how will they change after th...
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 health, energy, climate, technology and defense.
33 min
122
EU election 101 — your questions answered
This is your essential (and entertaining!) guide to the upcoming European election — everything you've wanted to know but been too afraid to ask.
36 min
123
How Russian disinformation could skew EU electi...
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 EU's defenses against malicious disinformation from Moscow.
31 min
124
Who votes for the European far right? And why?
In this episode we unpack what drives voters to abandon the mainstream and more traditional party loyalties for the far right.
35 min
125
Debate time! EU lead candidates go head-to-head
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 the next head of the European Commission.
35 min