Brussels Playbook Podcast

Europe is facing another energy shock — so what can it actually do to keep prices down? Zoya Sheftalovich speaks with Energy Commissioner Dan Jørgensen in a conversation recorded live at POLITICO’s Competitive Europe summit, on how the EU is responding to rising costs linked to the war in Iran — and what happens if the crisis drags on. Then, back in the studio, Zoya and Ian Wishart look at the con...

After Hungary was accused of leaking sensitive EU discussions to the Kremlin, the spotlight is now shifting to Germany. Zoya Sheftalovich is joined by Ian Wishart to unpack mounting concerns in Brussels over the far-right AfD’s access to confidential EU documents — and whether Europe’s open systems are creating new vulnerabilities. The duo also discuss Denmark’s election, where Mette Frederiksen i...

Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur unpack Donald Tusk’s accusation that Hungary may have leaked sensitive European Council discussions to Moscow — and what that means for trust, decision-making and Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán’s position in Brussels. Plus: Europe’s balancing act as Donald Trump turns up the pressure over Iran — and a breakdown of the weekend’s voting in France and Germany. Questions?...

This European Council summit was meant to be different — when Europe finally got serious about boosting homegrown industry and driving its own destiny without reacting to Donald Trump. But it was not to be. POLITICO’s Zoya Sheftalovich, Nick Vinocur and Zia Weise join EU Confidential host Sarah Wheaton for late-night analysis of the response to high energy prices fueled by the war in Iran and the...

EU leaders gather in Brussels for a high-stakes summit — with Viktor Orbán once again at the center of the debate over funding Ukraine. As tensions rise, the big question is whether the Hungarian prime minister will hold the line or shift under pressure from fellow leaders. At the same time, divisions are emerging over how Europe should respond to the war in Iran — from ways to tackle rising energ...

Europe is working hard to end the standoff with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán over the €90 billion loan promised to Ukraine. Host Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart, senior EU politics editor, discuss how likely it is for the deadlock to be resolved before tomorrow’s meeting of EU leaders now that Kyiv has agreed to work with the bloc to repair the Druzhba pipeline. Orbán has held off on gr...

European affairs ministers meet in Brussels to prepare this week’s EU summit — with discussions ranging from Ukraine and the war in Iran to the bloc’s next long-term budget and competitiveness. But there is also motion on enlargement. Ukraine and Moldova are receiving the remaining negotiating clusters in their EU accession talks, while Montenegro is set to provisionally close another chapter. Mea...

Energy markets are on edge as Iran tensions disrupt shipping and threaten supply shocks. EU foreign ministers and energy ministers meet in Brussels to discuss what the bloc can actually do to protect global energy flows — and whether it has the tools to act. Meanwhile, Norway is positioning itself as a reliable energy lifeline as the geopolitical turmoil puts security of supply back in focus. And...

The mixed messages by President Trump and his administration about how long the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran will last have unnerved allies and shaken European markets. Two weeks into the conflict, EU capitals are asking when it will end and how they can influence what comes next — none more so than Berlin. In this week's episode, host Anne McElvoy talks to a key ally of Chancellor Friedrich Merz...

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging Europe to find a way around Hungary. In an interview with POLITICO’s Gordon Repinski, Zelenskyy called on EU leaders to come up with a “Plan B” to secure Ukraine’s long-term funding — and to work around what he described as the “blackmail” of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is holding up a promised €90 billion EU loan (listen to full int...

Ukraine is running out of money to fight Russia — but Hungary still isn’t budging on its opposition to the EU’s €90 billion loan to Kyiv. On today’s episode, host Zoya Sheftalovich and Kathryn Carlson, senior finance reporter, outline some of the contingency plans European countries have up their sleeves to get Ukraine the funding it needs before it’s too late. Also on the podcast, POLITICO’s Karl...

European leaders haunted by memories of the 2022 energy crisis are bracing for impact as the war in the Middle East begins to drive up oil and gas prices. Today on the podcast, host Zoya Sheftalovich and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Nicholas Vinocur discuss what tools the EU has at its disposal to soften the blow for consumers — is the bloc better prepared than it was four years ago? Later...

Some European governments are arguing Commission President Ursula von der Leyen overstepped her mandate in her response to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. On today’s episode, host Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur, POLITICO's chief foreign affairs correspondent, unpack the frustration they’re hearing from national diplomats who argue the latest Middle East crisis has seen von der Leyen wading ont...

For decades, Europeans shared a simple belief: that the world — however messy — ultimately runs on rules. But what if the escalating war in Iran shows that these rules no longer apply? In this episode of EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton speaks to two foreign affairs experts who help unpack how the ongoing crisis in the Middle East impacts Europe. Mark Leonard, director of the European Council o...

A controversial new idea on EU enlargement is stirring debate in Brussels. Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton unpack a proposal known as “reverse enlargement,” as the European Commission tests how far EU capitals are willing to go to speed up Ukraine’s path toward the bloc. Meanwhile, the war in Iran looms over two meetings in Brussels: EU foreign ministers hold talks with their Gulf counterparts...

“Made in Europe” is finally here. After four delays and fierce internal battles, the European Commission unveils its Industrial Accelerator Act — a plan aimed at challenging China’s dominance in clean tech and tilting public procurement toward EU-made products. Ian Wishart and senior finance reporter Kathryn Carlson break down what the push really means: Who stands to benefit, who fears creeping p...

Europe is no longer watching the conflict in the Middle East from a distance — it’s directly entangled. Iranian missiles flying over Cyprus. EU leaders divided over messaging. Von der Leyen and Kallas on parallel tracks. And Germany’s chancellor in Washington trying to shape the transatlantic line. Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart break down the EU’s crisis response, the battle over who speaks fo...

After a weekend of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran — and the killing of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei — Brussels is moving to coordinate its diplomatic response. EU ambassadors convened, foreign ministers met online and Ursula von der Leyen called the Defense College. But as tensions escalate across the region, is Europe shaping events — or reacting to them? Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur unpac...

Ambassadors are supposed to smooth tensions, not spark them. But in recent weeks some American envoys in Europe – from Belgium to Poland and France — have found themselves at the center of very public political clashes, accusing allies of antisemitism, cutting ties with senior lawmakers, and even losing their access to government ministers. Is this simply a more combative tone? Or does it reflect...

Brussels is adjusting to a shifting geopolitical landscape. Coreper meetings — the regular gatherings of EU ambassadors — are becoming more frequent and a clear evidence of how the bloc is adapting. What was once largely preparatory now plays a central role in shaping negotiations before leaders ever sit down. Then, the energy saga continues. The European Commission, responding to Hungary’s warnin...

Europe marked four years since Russia’s full-scale invasion with a high-profile show of solidarity in Kyiv on Tuesday. Ursula von der Leyen and António Costa stood alongside Volodymyr Zelenskyy — but the absence of some key leaders raised quiet questions in Ukraine about who showed up, and who didn’t. Zoya Sheftalovich was on the ground in Kyiv for the anniversary events. She joins Ian Wishart to...

On the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, European leaders gather in Kyiv to signal unity and solidarity. But back in Brussels, Hungary blocks a new sanctions package against the Kremlin and a €90 billion loan to Ukraine. Host Ian Wishart is joined by senior finance reporter Kathryn Carlson. We also hear from Zoya Sheftalovich on the train to Kyiv with Ursula von der Le...

EU foreign ministers are gathering in Brussels with one clear goal: to agree on a 20th sanctions package against Russia. But Hungary is threatening to block it — linking its support to a growing energy standoff with Ukraine over disrupted oil flows through the Druzhba pipeline. Host Zoya Sheftalovich is joined by POLITICO’s chief foreign affairs correspondent Nick Vinocur to unpack what’s at stake...

An air raid siren sounded as we were wrapping up our interview with the EU’s ambassador in Kyiv. On this week’s EU Confidential, Sarah Wheaton speaks with Katarína Mathernová about what it means to live — and work — in a city under near-constant Russian threat. From bombardments, freezing temperatures and winter blackouts to EU accession hopes, we ask how Ukraine is holding up as another February...

The EU is taking a careful seat at Donald Trump’s first meeting of the Board of Peace — sending Mediterranean Commissioner Dubravka Šuica, but not signing up to the initiative. What does that say about Brussels’ strategy toward Washington? POLITICO has also obtained a letter from nine EU countries urging the European Commission to explore the possibility of an EU fund to support cross-border abort...