Brussels Playbook Podcast

EU leaders gather at Alden Biesen castle to debate how to revive Europe’s economy — and whether “strategic autonomy” can survive internal divisions. POLITICO's Chief EU Correspondent Zoya Sheftalovich is joined by policy editor Sarah Wheaton to unpack the competitiveness retreat.

Plus: The Hungary funds case nears a turning point in Luxembourg, as the Court of Justice of the European Union issues a key opinion in the Parliament’s lawsuit against the Commission — with political stakes ahead of Hungary’s April parliamentary election.

And finally: Why are EU leaders so fond of castles?Zoya and Sarah also share listeners’ karaoke picks sent to our WhatsApp number: +32 491 05 06 29

With Valentine’s Day approaching, send us a shoutout to your loved one — or maybe a missed connection.That person you exchanged a glance with in the Berlaymont lift.The policy wonk you queued behind for coffee at Schuman.The brunette who walked into the Commission building before you could say hello.Send us a voice note — we might help Brussels’ most bureaucratic love stories find a happy landing.

**A message from Amazon: Across Europe, businesses are growing with the AWS Cloud to build innovative, scalable products. From Europe’s largest enterprises and government agencies to the continent’s fastest growing startups, learn more about how AWS Cloud is helping businesses across Europe grow at AWS.eu.**
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

It’s another day of high-level talks across Belgium.

First, the EU’s defense ministers meet in Brussels. Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart dive into the Foreign Affairs Council hosted by the EU’s top diplomat Kaja Kallas — with Ukraine’s new defense minister, Mykhailo Fedorov, also at the table. On the agenda: signing off on eight national plans under the EU’s flagship defense program, SAFE, and discussions around the €90 billion loan for Ukraine.

Then we head to Antwerp for the European Industry Summit, where Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever meet industrial heavyweights to talk ideas for boosting Europe’s competitiveness.

Plus, De Wever casts himself as a miracle-maker for the Brussels region as long-stalled coalition talks shift into a higher gear.

And finally, Ian and Zoya share listeners’ tips on where to go for a drink as Irish pubs disappear from Brussels.

Send us your go-to karaoke song for a night out — and sing it for us in a voice note. We might play some in a future episode. Messages can be anonymous.

Our WhatsApp number is: +32 491 05 06 29

**A message from Amazon: Across Europe, businesses are growing with the AWS Cloud to build innovative, scalable products. From Europe’s largest enterprises and government agencies to the continent’s fastest growing startups, learn more about how AWS Cloud is helping businesses across Europe grow at AWS.eu.**
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the first edition of the Brussels Playbook Podcast!

In the debut episode, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart break down two big questions facing Brussels: How far is the EU willing to go to bring Ukraine into its fold? And can Europe finally get serious about fixing its economy?

First, Ukraine and enlargement. EU officials are quietly exploring unconventional options to move Kyiv closer to the bloc — potentially as early as next year — as talk of a possible peace deal grows and uncertainty around the U.S. deepens.

Then, competitiveness. Ahead of a closed-door leaders’ retreat later this week, EU capitals are under pressure to revive Europe’s sluggish economy and cut internal barriers that have held growth back for years.

Ian and Zoya also ask what the recent closure of Irish pubs Kitty O’Shea’s and De Valera’s — two key Brussels institutions for talking shop over a beer — means for the informal spaces where EU politics has long been done.

And we’d love to hear from you — where are people now going instead?

Send us your pub tips, memories or voice notes. We may play some of them in a future episode. Messages can be anonymous.

Our WhatsApp number is: +32 491 05 06 29

**A message from Amazon: Across Europe, businesses are growing with the AWS Cloud to build innovative, scalable products. From Europe’s largest enterprises and government agencies to the continent’s fastest growing startups, learn more about how AWS Cloud is helping businesses across Europe grow at AWS.eu.**
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Can the European Union really decouple from Donald Trump’s America — economically, politically, and strategically?

In this episode of EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton speaks with Mateusz Morawiecki, former Polish prime minister and president of the European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR) party about his call for an “Economic NATO,” an even stronger economic and political alliance between the EU, the U.S. and others as counterbalance to China and Russia. His vision goes against a mainstream trend we’re observing across European capitals as they seek to decouple from Trump’s America.

To explain what this EU-U.S. divorce looks like in practice, Sarah is joined by Zoya Sheftalovich, POLITICO’s Chief EU correspondent.

Plus, some exciting news, we introduce the Brussels Playbook Podcast, our new daily show launching next week.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

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 the 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. 

**A message from Amazon: Across Europe, businesses are growing with the AWS Cloud to build innovative, scalable products. From Europe’s largest enterprises and government agencies to the continent’s fastest growing startups, learn more about how AWS Cloud is helping businesses across Europe grow at AWS.eu.**
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices