Brussels Playbook Podcast

As ultra-fast fashion has gotten cheaper, textiles have become disposable to many Europeans. The average EU consumer purchased 95 articles of textiles last year — an increase of 12 percent since 2019. Europe now discards about 9 million tons of polyester textiles annually. That’s the weight of roughly 900 Eiffel Towers.  Those unwanted clothes could be put to better use. Technology has advanc...

Europe’s defense ministers are meeting today to discuss whether the EU needs its own version of NATO’s article 4. This so-called Emergency Security Protocol would allow capitals to bring together all EU countries in the event of a security crisis. But the idea is controversial. On the show, hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur discuss whether there is appetite among capitals to set up the prot...

European lawmakers this week called for the EU’s artificial intelligence regulations to hold American tech companies liable for the risks their most advanced models pose to humanity. But how much sway does Europe have in an arms race dominated by the U.S. and China? Host Anne McElvoy has been in Berlin attending WELT’s AI Summit, which brings together the AI and tech business leaders from across E...

Europe breathed a sigh of relief after finally agreeing on a new Russia sanctions list. But attention is turning to the compromise that got it over the line: dropping two Russian billionaires. On the show, hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton discuss reactions from around the EU to the deal, plus revelations about why France might have wanted billionaire Alisher Usmanov removed from the list...

Today’s episode was recorded in front of an audience at our Brussels Playbook Live event. On the show, hosts Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart spotlight Cristina Lobillo Borrero, Ursula von der Leyen’s new senior adviser for the Clean Transition. They discuss what her appointment says about the Commission president’s approach to energy — and her relationship with Commissioner Teresa Ribera. Next,...

The U.N. General Assembly is in full swing over in New York, and the agenda is packed. But perhaps the most pressing item will take place on the sidelines of the gathering, as Denmark, the U.S. and Greenland prepare to sign a security deal. What does the agreement mean for the EU’s big Arctic strategy? And will it be enough to ease months of tension between Donald Trump and the Danish territory? H...

Two state elections pile more pressure on German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — raising fresh questions about his leadership and what a weaker Germany could mean for the rest of Europe. Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur also look at the growing fear over Russian hybrid attacks, as EU foreign ministers meet on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to discuss how Europe shou...

The old global order is breaking down. Ursula von der Leyen thinks Europe may have to start building something new around it. In her State of the European Union speech, she floated closer ties with Canada — even “associate membership” — and a new European Security Council, as Europe looks for new ways to work with like-minded powers in an increasingly chaotic world. But both ideas immediately rais...

Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney takes the stage in Strasbourg after Commission President Ursula von der Leyen surprised EU capitals by floating “associate membership” for Canada — a status that doesn’t actually exist, and that Ottawa itself seems reluctant to define. Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton ask whether von der Leyen got ahead of both member countries and the Canadians, and what Car...

In this special episode from Strasbourg, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart give their first take on the State of the European Union speech delivered by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. They look at the push for a more independent Europe — from competitiveness to AI, climate, defense and Ukraine — as well as the ideas that could shape what comes next, including a European Security Council...

Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is giving her State of the European Union address this morning ... her biggest set-piece speech of the year.  Host Zoya Sheftalovich is at the European Parliament in Strasbourg with her ears to the ground, trying to figure out which hot-button issues we can expect to hear about. Two of the biggest topics we’re almost sure she is going to talk about ar...

Why is it easier for a jar of peanut butter to cross EU borders than it is for a European worker? According to the Commission, varying social security systems and professional qualifications make it hard for Europeans to work outside their home country in the bloc. The EU executive’s Fair Labour Mobility Package — unveiled today — aims to fix that. On today’s show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinoc...

When Commission President Ursula von der Leyen gives her big State of the European Union speech on Wednesday, the topic of migration is likely to feature heavily. On today’s show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur discuss the EU executive’s proposed new tool to counter “weaponized” migration — like we saw in Ceuta this summer. Plus, what do the results of the Swedish general election mean for the...

When Commission President Ursula von der Leyen delivered her State of the European Union speech last year, the backdrop was chaotic. Russian drones had just crossed into Polish airspace, Donald Trump was casting doubt on America’s commitment to NATO, and the Commission president herself was facing votes of no confidence. Her answer to this disarray? Europe, she said, was in a fight — and this was...

The U.S. is on a public campaign to dismantle the International Criminal Court. Now, it wants help from its NATO allies.  During a closed-door meeting back in July, U.S. envoy to NATO Matthew Whitaker asked allied countries for help in disassembling the international court that addresses genocide and crimes against humanity.  On the show, Sarah Wheaton and Kathryn Carlson...

Relations between the EU and Israel have been deeply strained over the war in Gaza. But the bloc is struggling to withstand the allure of Israel’s tech and missile defense prowess. On today’s show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart discuss how EU capitals are looking again to Israel for cooperation on things like air defense, space and artificial intelligence. Our hosts explain why...

The EU’s top diplomat, Kaja Kallas, wanted a group of heavyweight former leaders to come up with fresh ideas to address Europe’s defense gaps. Instead, the initiative was killed before it even launched. Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart look at why some capitals pushed back — and what the episode says about Kallas’ authority and the battle over who drives European defense policy. Then, European Co...

After a sweeping victory in the regional elections in Saxony-Anhalt, Ulrich Siegmund's Alternative for Germany (AfD) could be in a position to govern the state — putting a far-right party in power in part of Germany for the first time since World War II.  As Europe wakes up to the AfD win, Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur talk to Head of Playbook Germany Hans von der Burchard about what it...

The Spanish exclave of Ceuta on the North African coast is struggling to deal with a surge of unauthorized migrants. Over 70,000 arrived in a mass crossing from Morocco at the end of July, and although the numbers have fallen since then, police and the authorities are struggling with outbreaks of violence and criminality. Spain's Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has faced protests in cities across the...

At the informal General Affairs Council in Dublin today, the EU’s next 7-year budget is set to dominate the agenda. The talks are still in deadlock over the size of the money pot ... but the red lines of various capitals are starting to take shape. On today’s episode, host Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart explain why — counterintuitively — that’s actually a step forward for the negotiations. Next...

The political center in the European Parliament is looking increasingly fragile. Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart look at a proposal from two senior German MEPs for the center-right EPP and the Social Democrats to strike a much more formal deal — as relations between the two groups deteriorate and the far right gains influence. Then: Europe says it needs giant data centers if it wants to compete...

Brussels is getting increasingly worried about its economic relationship with Beijing ... but the bloc doesn’t want to bring out the big guns just yet. While the EU already has the infamous 'trade bazooka' at its disposal, the Commission is considering a new tool to address Chinese overcapacity and dangerous dependencies. Our colleague Camille Gijs has spoken with EU Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčo...

Iceland has voted no to restarting membership talks with the EU in a referendum held over the weekend. While the yes camp had hoped rising global geopolitical tensions might sway voters, the fear of losing control over Icelandic fishing quotas proved decisive. So what does this result mean for the EU’s enlargement ambitions? Nick and Zoya discuss. Next, defense and foreign mini...

For 16 years, Viktor Orbán exerted an iron grip on Hungarian politics and society. Now it’s being dismantled. Has Hungary finally turned a page on the Orbán era, or could he make one final return?  It’s only a few days before Péter Magyar’s government, which succeeded Orbán, learns whether his anti-corruption reforms have done enough to persuade the European Commission to release €10.4 b...

Canada is taking a much harder line against Donald Trump — and Brussels is watching closely. As the U.S.-Canada trade war escalates, Zoya Sheftalovich and Kathryn Carlson look at Mark Carney’s gamble, his call for the world’s “middle powers” to band together, and whether Europe is ready to follow his lead or would rather keep Washington onside. Then, France’s 2027 presidential race gets its first...