Brussels Playbook Podcast

They like America's traditional allies! They talk about multilateralism! Some of them even speak French! U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's foreign policy team has drawn rave reviews in Europe. We debate how much the hype is justified. And we look at the intense lobbying around two cornerstone pieces of tech legislation to be presented in Brussels soon. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz and Matthew...

Hungary and Poland's block on the EU's budget and recovery package and a Franco-German clash over European strategy autonomy are up for debate in this episode. And we take a deep dive into climate diplomacy, looking at some new pledges and the impact of the postponement of the COP26 conference. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, Matthew Karnitschnig and Lili Bayer examine Hungary and Poland's fre...

The prospect of a coronavirus vaccine, European reaction to Joe Biden's victory in the US presidential race and a breakthrough on the EU's €1.8 trillion budget — it's all up for debate in this episode, featuring renowned virus expert Peter Piot. With Joe Biden declared the winner of the U.S. presidential race but Donald Trump yet to concede, European leaders are in an awkward place. How have they...

In the final episode of our pop-up series on the US elections, we share the key takeaways, looking at what we heard over the past 3 months and how it explains where we ended up. We also look ahead to looming Senate runoff races in Georgia, with the balance of power in Washington at stake. Ryan Heath picks over the result of the U.S. elections and looks back at the campaign to see which moments tur...

In this special extended episode, we debate and dissect the U.S. presidential vote, looking at its implications for America, transatlantic ties and European politics. Even as the final outcome remains uncertain, the election has already told us plenty about America. It has exposed the extent of the country's polarization and made clear that Trumpism isn't going away — even if the U.S gets a new pr...

In this episode of our pop-up series on the US elections, hosted by Ryan Heath, we give you all the details you need to follow the big night like a seasoned DC insider  — including what to look out for, where to keep a close eye on and what the polls are saying. POLITICO Intelligence Analyst Cornelius Hirsch and Cameron Easley, senior editor at data intelligence firm Morning Consult, explain how t...

Trouble in French President Emmanuel Macron's inner circle, the European Commission's move to boost minimum wages, and the battle to lead the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development all feature in this episode. POLITICO's Rym Momtaz gives us the inside scoop from the halls of the Elysée Palace, where top foreign policy advisers face accusations of fostering a hostile and dysfunction...

In this episode of our pop-up series on the U.S. elections, hosted by Ryan Heath, we dive into the top debate moments of this campaign season — and explain how they've impacted the election. POLITICO White House reporter Gabby Orr explains the dramatic impact the first presidential debate had on Trump's campaign strategy, and whether he did enough to recover in the recent and final match up with J...

Political activity in a pandemic, transatlantic turbulence, the EU's farming future and what the hospitality industry wants from politicians to weather the coronavirus crisis are all up for debate in this episode of EU Confidential. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz and Matthew Karnitschnig ask whether politics as usual is possible in a pandemic, as more politicians go into protective quarantine...

In this episode of our pop-up series on the U.S. elections, hosted by Ryan Heath, we explain what is happening in America's suburbs — a crucial voting block for Donald Trump in 2016 — and particularly, suburban women. POLITICO's Zack Stanton, who's been looking into the changing nature of America's suburbs, argues that the story of suburban women is the story of the 2020 election. President and CE...

The coronavirus is top of mind as we dig into the state of the pandemic in the EU, and ask whether leaders' handling of its resurgence threatens the bond of trust between governments and citizens. Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid is our special guest to discuss her bid to be the next secretary-general of the OECD and other topics. On the coronavirus, POLITICO health reporter Jillian Deutsch get...

In this episode of our pop-up series on the U.S. elections, hosted by Ryan Heath, we dive into the myriad of lawsuits and legal issues surrounding November's elections. Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold explains how her state has successfully handled mail-in voting, and the additional challenges she's facing as a result of the pandemic and President Trump's rhetoric on voting. POLITICO cam...

Rule of law in the EU, mounting coronavirus concerns and Brexit brinksmanship are all up for debate on the latest episode of EU Confidential. Justice Commissioner Didier Reynders is our special guest to discuss the Commission's new rule-of-law audit of all 27 member countries. POLITICO's Rym Momtaz, Matthew Karnitschnig and Barbara Moens break down the state-of-play in Brexit negotiations ahead of...

In this episode of our pop-up series on the U.S. elections, guest hosted by David M. Herszenhorn, we look at what's at stake for Europe and the impact on transatlantic relations. Former German ambassador to the U.S. Wolfgang Ischinger and Radosław Sikorski, Polish member of the European Parliament and former defense minister and foreign minister, discuss how the election is bound to impact Europe...

As EU leaders meet in Brussels, we hold our own mini-summit to debate issues on the table in the European Council building — including tension in the Eastern Mediterranean and the EU's relations with Russia. Our special guest is Norbert Röttgen, who's campaigning to lead Germany's Christian Democrats and succeed Chancellor Angela Merkel. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz and Matt Karnitschnig dis...

In this episode of our pop-up series on the U.S. elections, hosted by Ryan Heath, we talk about America's battle for racial justice and how it's translating into political action. POLITICO's Brooke Minters and Eugene Daniels break down the key issues for Black voters in 2020, as well as their top concerns, and share their personal experiences — emphasizing the importance of honest dialogue and edu...

The EU's new plan to handle migration is in the spotlight — Home Affairs Commissioner Ylva Johansson lays out the package and our podcast panel breaks it down. You'll also hear from Clément Beaune, France's minister of state for European affairs, on Turkey, European hard power and why the EU needs a software update. Ylva Johansson sat down with POLITICO's Andrew Gray on the day she revealed the ne...

In this episode of our pop-up series on the U.S. elections, hosted by Ryan Heath, we talk about how conspiracy theories have moved from the fringes of American political rhetoric to the mainstream. POLITICO reporter Sabrina Rodríguez sheds light on conspiracy theories targeted at Spanish speakers in the crucial swing state of Florida. You can read her full piece: "'This is f---ing crazy': Florida...

We analyze Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's first State of the European Union speech. And Ronald Gidwitz, the U.S. ambassador to Belgium who's also the acting Representative to the EU, gives us his take on the issues that unite and divide his country and the European Union right now. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz and David M. Herszenhorn debate this week's set-piece event in Brusse...

In this episode of our pop-up series on the U.S. elections, hosted by Ryan Heath, we talk money — diving into why American elections are so expensive, and how 2020 is stacking up. You'll hear from Elena Schneider, a national political reporter at POLITICO; Democratic strategist Tim Lim; and from Ellen Weintraub, a commissioner on the Federal Election Commission charged with enforcing campaign fina...

A European Commission reshuffle, the European Parliament's decision to skip Strasbourg and new uproar over Brexit all feature in this episode — alongside our interview guest Nick Pickles, Twitter's global policy strategist. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, Matt Karnitschnig and Bjarke Smith-Meyer unpack Ursula von der Leyen's rejig of her top team. The Commission president selected Valdis Dombr...

On this episode of our pop-up series on the U.S. elections, hosted by Ryan Heath, we explore the polarization of American politics and ask one simple question: Why has this happened? You'll hear from Kristen Soltis Anderson, political pollster and co-founder of research firm Echelon Insights, as well as POLITICO's Tim Alberta, who's been covering the Republican Party for over a decade — we talk ab...

A firsthand account of French President Emmanuel Macron's latest diplomatic push in Lebanon; the poisoning of opposition activist Alexei Navalny; and McMafia author Misha Glenny on the political leaders he calls "iron men" — it's a packed episode of EU Confidential to welcome you back from summer holidays. POLITICO's Rym Momtaz sat down with Macron on his plane as they headed to Beirut earlier thi...

Our third episode dedicated to the U.S. election, hosted by Ryan Heath, breaks down the 'perfect storm' of issues — a pandemic, voting troubles and foreign interference — that have experts on edge. The last presidential election campaign in 2016 involved huge debates about issues like immigration, power plays over the future direction of the Supreme Court and ethics — remember Hillary Clinton’s em...

EU Trade Commissioner Phil Hogan's resignation, the "golfgate" controversy surrounding his decision and what this means for the European Commission is the hot topic of this week's episode. POLITICO's Rym Momtaz, Matthew Karnitschnig and Christian Oliver walk us through the twists and turns and reveal the real driving forces behind Hogan's decision to bow out. Our featured guest is transatlantic ex...