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.
151
Of Daddies and Queens — from Trump to von der L...
This week’s episode of EU Confidential comes to you from the Europa building in Brussels. We’ve been covering not one but two high-stakes gatherings, starting with NATO’s June 24-25 summit in The Hague
32 min
152
What’s really behind Europe’s 5% defense push
As NATO leaders prepare to endorse a dramatic defense spending hike, Europe faces a reckoning: Where will the money come from — and will new tanks mean cuts to pensions?
42 min
153
All about the €€€: How Bulgaria’s euro dreams c...
Bulgaria’s big step toward using the euro is a victory for European unity — but the country itself isn’t united on whether joining the common currency is a good idea.
39 min
154
Can Europe’s Trump counterpunch work? Sanctions...
Trump is finally facing some resistance. Can Europe seize the moment?
37 min
155
Between a smack and a hard place — Poland votes...
Slaps were exchanged — some literal, some political — and suddenly Brussels isn’t just watching from the sidelines.
30 min
156
Leo Varadkar on Donald Trump, and the EU’s Isra...
The EU-Israel relationship is at a tipping point.
36 min
157
The crown slips: How queen Ursula failed her tr...
Those text messages Ursula von der Leyen didn’t want to share? The EU’s top court says that’s not OK.
27 min
158
Populist currents and fragile coalitions: Trump...
Europe’s political center is wobbling. Again.
28 min
159
How Trump transformed Europe in just 100 days
After 100 days of U.S. President Donald Trump’s shock and awe, is the EU still stuck in stunned paralysis — or does it finally have a plan?
35 min
160
A divorce and a birthday: Five years of Brexit,...
With POLITICO turning 10 and Brexit hitting 5 earlier this year, this episode of EU Confidential takes stock of two milestones that shaped Brussels — in very different ways.
40 min
161
Holiday special: Driving toward a trade war wit...
This week, EU Confidential is on a spring break — but with trade tensions between the U.S. and the rest of the world (China in particular) escalating, we thought it was the perfect moment to revisit a timely episode from our archives.
28 min
162
Trump blinks on tariffs. Can Europe exhale?
A tariff storm was brewing — and then, just like that, the forecast changed. Donald Trump shocked everyone by pausing his planned tariffs for 90 days (for all countries except China), throwing global markets a lifeline and leaving the EU wondering what game he’s playing.
26 min
163
Beautiful beef: Le Pen, Varoufakis and the hors...
What do Marine Le Pen, Yanis Varoufakis and Donald Trump have in common? More than you'd think.
39 min
164
Erdoğan, not Trump, is Europe's new best friend...
Ekrem İmamoğlu, Istanbul’s mayor and the main political rival of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has been arrested. So what is Europe doing about it? Staying pretty quiet, it seems.
33 min
165
Dirty games in Brussels and war games in Europe
A lobbying frenzy, secret perks, and now police raids. Huawei’s cozy ties in Brussels have exploded into a full-blown corruption scandal.
29 min
166
Can EU leaders handle a world on fire?
100 days in, Europe’s top leaders are facing a reality check.
35 min
167
The US-EU breakup—what does it mean for Ukraine...
This week’s episode of EU Confidential comes to you from Thursday’s emergency meeting of EU leaders — the political equivalent of sobbing into your pillow on a sleepless night.
36 min
168
Can Germany’s next chancellor help Europe deal ...
Germany has voted, and Friedrich Merz is now the chancellor-in-waiting. But can he rise to the occasion?
37 min
169
Germany votes, Trump attacks, Europe reacts
Europe suddenly has to do it all — all alone, all at once.
35 min
170
Europe’s future, brought to you by Putin and Trump
You’ve gotta hand it to Donald Trump — even when you’re expecting him to surprise you, he still surprises you.
35 min
171
How political is your pizza? The Mediterranean ...
Pasta, pizza, and Parmigiano — delicious? Absolutely. But in 2025, they’re also deeply political.
27 min
172
Your guide to Trump’s Europe envoys
Diplomatic credentials? Optional. Deep pockets and loyalty to Trump? Essential. As Donald Trump rolls out his picks for U.S. ambassador posts in Europe — think fast-food executives, Broadway producers, billionaire donors and family insiders — one thing is clear: this isn’t traditional statecraft.
31 min
173
In Trump's new era: does Europe still matter?
As Donald Trump settles back into the White House, all eyes—even in snowy Davos—are on Washington.
38 min
174
Who’s in charge? What von der Leyen’s absence r...
While the president of the European Commission was secretly in the hospital, the next president of the United States was musing about invading Greenland.
27 min
175
Elon Musk: Europe’s Bloviator-in-Chief
The world’s richest man has a lot to say, a vast platform, and the ear of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Now he has turned his focus to Europe.
30 min