Brussels Playbook Podcast

Spain’s snap election is poised to upend not just domestic politics ... but EU politics, too.

On today’s show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart break down all the far-reaching impact the tumult in Madrid could have for the bloc — from effects on the EU long-term budget to the potential puncturing of Ursula von der Leyen’s fragile majority in Parliament.

Next, Hungarian Prime Minister Peter Magyar is reviewing a huge nuclear deal agreed between ex-leader Viktor Orban and Russian president Vladimir Putin. Our reporting has found that there could be some serious problems behind the scenes of the project.

Finally, more than 3,000 temporary contract agents have taken an exam in the hopes of becoming permanent officials. But the early results are pretty dismal.

If you like this show, why not check out our new sister podcast, Decoded by POLITICO? The podcast brings you daily updates on how rapid developments in AI are shifting global policy. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

Questions? Comments? Let us know on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.

This episode was produced by Dionis Sturis and Saga Ringmar.
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The race for some of the EU’s most coveted diplomatic jobs is under way.

Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur unpack why this year’s routine EEAS rotation is attracting unusually strong interest from senior Commission officials — and what it says about the mood in Brussels.

Then, we head to France, where a wave of student protests is spilling into the presidential campaign, sharpening the contrast between Jean-Luc Mélenchon and Marine Le Pen and adding to what one government adviser called a “maxi merde” moment for French politics.

Plus, Brussels’ revamped Schuman roundabout is becoming a new protest hotspot — close enough for the noise to reach the upper floors of the Berlaymont.

Questions? Comments? Let us know on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
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Europe’s gray-zone war with Russia is getting harder to ignore.

Sarah Wheaton speaks to security expert and author Elisabeth Braw about how Europe should respond as sabotage, arson, cyberattacks and attacks on critical infrastructure become more frequent and more dangerous, who pays when businesses are targeted, and what happens when one of them turns deadly.

They also discuss Braw’s new book, The Undersea War: The International Battle for Supremacy at the Bottom of the World, and the increasingly contested cables, pipelines and infrastructure hidden beneath the seabed — another target in this growing gray-zone conflict.

You can read Elisabeth’s most recent column for POLITICO about how European businesses are paying the cost for Russias hybrid war here.

Questions? Comments? Let us know on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.

This episode was produced by Dionis Sturis and Saga Ringmar.
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Ukraine’s prime minister is warning of a $20 billion defense funding gap as Russia intensifies its attacks and Kyiv struggles to protect its skies and keep the country running. Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton look at just how much pressure Ukraine is under — from its military finances to farmers struggling to get their grain out. They also unpack the Commission and EU governments’ two-day brainstorming session on how a huge chunk of the next EU budget should work — and who may end up controling it. Plus, the Commission’s attempt to build a sovereign alternative to Microsoft Teams is not exactly winning rave reviews. Questions? Comments? Let us know on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.

This episode was produced by Dionis Sturis and Saga Ringmar.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ursula von der Leyen is heading on her annual tour of the Western Balkans to visit some of the countries in line to join the EU. But Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia, two accession hopefuls, are not on the itinerary.

On the show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Ian Wishart discuss why EU membership talks are speeding ahead with certain Balkan countries, and stalling with others.

Next, investigative outlet Mediapart has uncovered antisemitic remarks allegedly made by French far-right politician Jordan Bardella in a private chat back in 2013. But is this news enough to make a dent in Marine Le Pen’s presidential campaign?

And finally, we take you inside Brussels’ surprisingly political sauna circuit.

Questions? Comments? Let us know on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.

This episode was produced by Dionis Sturis and Saga Ringmar.
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices