NewsNews CommentaryPolitics

Brussels Playbook Podcast

POLITICO

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.

Play

Open in

676 episodes
daily
Avg 30 min
English

Episodes 676

Newest Oldest Longest

All20 Unplayed20 In progress0 Played0

Counted on this page — what you have heard stays on this device, so it is not something the list can be paged by.

#144
Today · 18 min
How to find a job in the age of AI
AI is reshaping Europe’s job market. Brussels wants to do something about that.
#143
Yesterday · 20 min
Europe wakes up to a blue tsunami in the US midterms
Democrats have won big in the U.S. midterms. Europe is now bracing for what happens next.
#142
Tuesday · 17 min
Poland's court fight boils over
Poland's long-simmering rule-of-law issue reached boiling point this weekend. So, what now?
#141
Monday · 18 min
Canada, coffins and confessionals
Brussels is grappling with what its new relationship with Canada could actually look like.
#141
Saturday · 33 min
Special episode: An exclusive interview with Canadian PM Mark Carney
In this special edition, Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney sits down with POLITICO's chief EU correspondent Zoya and Ottawa bureau chief Nick Taylor-Vaisey for an exclusive interview.
#25
Friday · 46 min
Inside America's midterm election battle
America is heading to the polls for the midterm elections — and Europe is watching closely.
#140
October 29 · 17 min
The great EU-Canada lovefest
European leaders are descending on Montreal in a bid to forge closer ties with Canada.
#139
October 28 · 18 min
The Putin call dividing EU leaders
Europe's united front on Ukraine is showing cracks.
#138
October 27 · 17 min
Inside von der Leyen's Commission shake-up
VDL’s plan to slim down the European Commission moves one step closer.
#137
October 26 · 17 min
It’s complicated: The status of EU-Canada relations
Canada and the EU want a much closer relationship — but they still disagree over what that relationship actually is.
#24
October 23 · 29 min
Can Europe save the world's war crimes court from Trump?
Donald Trump has the International Criminal Court in his crosshairs.
#136
October 22 · 16 min
Who speaks for Europe in the Ukraine peace talks?
As the U.S. pushes to revive Ukraine peace talks, who actually speaks for the EU?
#135
October 21 · 17 min
Brussels goes looking for billions to fund Ukraine
Brussels is looking to its allies to help keep Ukraine afloat.
#134
October 20 · 17 min
Macron and Merz edge closer to a budget deal
The Arctic is becoming a geopolitical battleground.
#133
October 19 · 17 min
Trump's Russia rethink — and Europe's response
Donald Trump's latest moves on Russia and Ukraine have alarmed Kyiv and European capitals alike.
October 16 · 23 min
EU summit runs out of gas
It's been a packed agenda at the European Council summit, with little sign of progress on key issues. EU leaders continued to argue over the bloc's long-term budget, with energy supply and security taking up much of the discussion ... including questions over strategic gas reserves and the future of the Emissions Trading System. The war in Ukraine looms large over the summit. Earlier this week, President Trump alarmed European leaders and horrified Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy by announcing a deal to release Russian diesel onto the U.S. market, apparently in an attempt to lower fuel costs for American consumers. Host Sarah Wheaton unpacks developments late into the night with colleagues who have been reporting on the summit. She's joined by Chief EU Correspondent Zoya Sheftalovich, Chief Political Correspondent in Europe and the U.K. Tim Ross and Gregorio Sorgi, financial services reporter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
#132
October 15 · 17 min
EU leaders face off over the budget
EU leaders meet today for their first chance to beef about the budget face to face.
#131
October 14 · 17 min
Europe's development aid dilemma
The Commission is grappling with two goals that may be counterproductive.
#130
October 13 · 17 min
The Ceuta fears shaping Spain’s election
58% of Spaniards fear tensions with Morocco could spiral into an armed conflict.
#129
October 12 · 18 min
The EU budget battle just got nastier
Germany has rejected Ireland's proposal for the EU's next seven-year budget, despite €159 billion in cuts.

Showing 1–20 of 676 episodes