Brussels Playbook Podcast

The annual gathering of G20 leaders in Bali, Indonesia was overshadowed by a deadly incident in Poland. A missile struck a village close to the border with Ukraine, killing two people. The origin of the missile was initially unclear, but it prompted crisis meetings among leaders and fears of military escalation. In this week's show, we analyze reactions in Europe and around the world. POLITICO's J...

On this week's episode, host Suzanne Lynch in Brussels speaks with Karl Mathiesen, POLITICO's senior climate correspondent, at the COP27 climate conference in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt. And we discuss whether we are entering a new Cold War with historian and author Professor Mary Sarotte. Karl explains the goals of the ongoing U.N. climate diplomacy jamboree and the impact geopolitics is having on ac...

As Americans head to the polls next week, we dive into transatlantic relations and the impact these elections could have on European policy and relations with Washington. POLITICO's Suzanne Lynch in Brussels and Ryan Heath in Washington break down the upcoming U.S. mid-term elections. They pick out the important races to watch and discuss how a shift in the balance of power in Congress could chang...

This week, Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg discusses how the war in Ukraine has shaped the military alliance. We also dig into the EU's proposed law to protect media freedom and debate the controversy surrounding Germany's relationship with China. Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg sits down with POLITICO's Lili Bayer at NATO headquarters in Brussels to discuss how the war in Ukraine has shaped...

This week's episode comes to you from the heart of the European Quarter in Brussels, where the 27 EU leaders are meeting once again for a European Council. Host Suzanne Lynch and our POLITICO team, Hans von der Burchard and Clea Caulcutt, unpack what's at stake during these discussions, including the latest efforts to quell rising energy costs and address supply challenges as a result of the war i...

In this episode, POLITICO's Suzanne Lynch breaks down the reaction to Russia's recent escalation in Ukraine with an update from NATO headquarters. We also dive into growing concerns about irregular migration into the European Union and get an update on the global food crisis. Vladimir Putin's recent nuclear threats and bombardment of civilian targets in Ukraine are forcing Western leaders to prepa...

This week's EU Confidential comes to you from Prague Castle, where leaders of the EU's 27 countries held a historic meeting with well over a dozen other nearby countries, including the United Kingdom, Turkey and Ukraine, among others. POLITICO's Suzanne Lynch and our team on the ground, Clea Caulcutt and Hans von der Burchard, bring you highlights from this inaugural meeting of the European Politi...

We discuss the implications of Italy's election last weekend and what its probable next prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, could mean for Europe. Our special guest is Stavros Lambrinidis, the EU's ambassador to the United States. POLITICO's Suzanne Lynch and our team covering Italy's election on Sunday, Jacopo Barigazzi in Brussels and Hannah Roberts in Rome, break down all you need to know about Gio...

Coming to you from New York City, this bumper edition of EU Confidential brings you the highlights of the U.N. General Assembly and gets reaction from European leaders on Russia's recent threat of military escalation. POLITICO's Suzanne Lynch sits down with our team in New York covering the world's annual diplomatic jamboree. Nahal Toosi, our senior foreign affairs correspondent, breaks down U.S....

Coming to you from Strasbourg, EU Confidential breaks down this week's big EU moment: the State of the Union address delivered by Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. And we convene a panel of MEPs to debate which policies hit the mark, and where the speech fell short. POLITICO's Suzanne Lynch, chief Brussels correspondent and your new host, is joined by technology reporter Clothilde Goujard...

New host Suzanne Lynch digs into the EU's plans to address its energy crisis. And Canadian Ambassador to the EU Ailish Campbell explains how Europe is turning to her country for solutions to its energy woes and lifts the lid on sexism in European diplomacy. POLITICO's Chief Brussels Correspondent Suzanne Lynch makes her podcast debut as the new host of EU Confidential. She's joined by Brussels Pla...

In this bumper edition before the summer break, we explain the monkeypox outbreak in Europe and the EU's response. We also preview the biggest lobbying battle brewing in Brussels between Big Tech platforms and telecom operators. POLITICO's Samuel Stolton, who covers competition and tech policy, hosts this week's episode, which kicks off with a discussion about the spread of monkeypox in Europe. He...

We debate what the EU and its leaders can do to counter Russian propaganda, particularly in Africa, about the global food crisis. And we tell the story of Umeå, Sweden, which has become a trailblazer in incorporating gender equality into urban design. Aitor Hernández-Morales, author of POLITICO's Living Cities newsletter, is joined by agriculture reporter Eddy Wax to explain the recent U.N.-broker...

We dive into the politics of this week's hot topic — Europe's response to a devastating heat wave and how that impacts current energy troubles. We also look into a debate over crypto currencies and how they should be regulated across the EU. POLITICO's Bjarke Smith-Meyer hosts this week's episode, which kicks off with a heated discussion on this week's devastating heat wave across Europe. Karl Mat...

Our POLITICO mobility team takes over this episode — unpacking the issues facing the travel industry this summer and what European policymakers can do to address them. Joshua Posaner, POLITICO's senior policy reporter based in Berlin, talks to Chief Europe Correspondent Matt Karnitschnig about the EU's aim to phase out the combustion engine by 2035 and whether Germany's Finance Minister Christian...

As drama unfolds across the English Channel, we look at where things stand with the EU's migration policy and examine EU-Australian relations. We also review a revealing new documentary on Emmanuel Macron's international diplomacy efforts and explain why interpreters in the European Parliament are upset with their post-COVID working conditions. Brussels Playbook co-author Suzanne Lynch hosts this...

Coming to you from the NATO summit in Madrid, our POLITICO team analyzes a packed week in international diplomacy and what it means for Europe and its security. We also hear from the prime ministers of Sweden, Norway and Estonia. Sarah Wheaton hosts this week's episode, which kicks off with a discussion with our team at the NATO summit in Madrid — Lili Bayer, David M. Herszenhorn, Paul McLeary and...

Coming to you from the EU leaders' summit in the heart of Brussels, we discuss Ukraine's candidacy to join the club and the lack of progress for EU-hopefuls in the Western Balkans. We hear from Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg and Florence Gaub, foresight adviser to the Council of the European Union. This week's episode, hosted by POLITICO's David M. Hersze...

We explore more repercussions of the war in Ukraine, explain the latest dust-up between the U.K. and the EU and unpack the patois of political panel discussions. Our special guest is retired British diplomat and author John Ramsden, who talks poets, politics and economics. POLITICO's Andrew Gray is joined by Matthew Karnitschnig, who tells us about his recent trip to a remote strip of land along t...

We break down the controversy over a plan to unlock billions of euros in EU funds for Poland and debate Angela Merkel's return to the public arena. Our special guest is Julianne Smith, the U.S. ambassador to NATO. POLITICO's Andrew Gray and Lili Bayer unpack Ursula von der Leyen's plan to give Poland a path to coronavirus recovery funds as the European Commission president faces criticism — some o...

We unpack EU leaders' deal to ban Russian oil imports — with some notable exceptions after Hungary played hardball. And author Tommaso Pavone tells the story of the lawyers who turned "ghostwriters" to make the EU a legal reality. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Matthew Karnitschnig, Lili Bayer and David M. Herszenhorn assess this week's EU summit, where leaders struck a late-night agreement to ban Russia...

This special edition of EU Confidential from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland drills into the question of whether the EU is really ready for a forceful response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s the last of our special episodes from the prestigious ­— or, some would say, notorious — gathering of power players in this Alpine resort town. POLITICO’s Sarah Wheaton, Jamil Anderlini a...

This bumper edition of Davos Confidential includes a debate on the death of globalization, the prospects of more countries joining the European Union and an insider's take on the role of women at the World Economic Forum. POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton, Jamil Anderlini, Ryan Heath and Suzanne Lynch debate an issue they and others have been grappling with all week: is globalization dead? Historian and pr...

We hear exclusively from European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on the chance of clinching a sixth package of EU sanctions, and from experts on Russia and the latest trends in the financial world. POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton is joined by Editor in Chief Jamil Anderlini, Playbook author Suzanne Lynch and Ryan Heath, editorial director of global growth. The team discusses the Tuesday's big...

This episode comes to you from the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland — featuring participants from business, government and the non-profit sectors. POLITICO's Sarah Wheaton is joined by Jamil Anderlini, Suzanne Lynch and Ryan Heath to explain what the WEF seeks to accomplish at a time of tremendous political and economic instability. They discuss Monday's much-anticipated speech by...