POLITICO
500 episodes listed below
Brussels politics before the coffee cools.
Brussels Playbook Podcast tracks the political mood inside EU institutions and the national capitals tugging at them. It turns elections, summits, vetoes, sanctions, border systems, and diplomatic shocks into sharp newsroom conversation.
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Brussels Playbook Podcast is a compact daily briefing for people who want EU politics explained while the story is still moving. It is brisk and conversational. The show’s recent run is dominated by Hungary: Viktor Orbán’s defeat, Peter Magyar’s landslide, the fate of Fidesz, and the hope in Brussels that blocked decisions on Ukraine and Russia might finally move. But it does not treat Hungary as a local drama. It keeps asking what the result means for the EU’s machinery, for far-right parties across Europe, for MAGA-aligned politics, and for a foreign-policy system where one country can still hold up everyone else. That is the show’s natural territory. It follows the consequences. One episode can move from an election night in Budapest to Ursula von der Leyen’s reaction, then to questions about Ukraine loans, sanctions, democratic backsliding, and whether a new leader can actually repair relations with Brussels. Another turns to Bulgaria’s eighth election in five years, using the country’s instability to explain why some member states can feel permanently difficult to read from outside. The tone is informed but loose. Reporters trade questions, correct one another, make dry jokes about summits, pronunciation, cheese, travel delays, and the odd absurdity of political life. The banter never replaces the reporting. It gives the policy detail a pulse. Episodes also look beyond Brussels when outside events force their way onto the EU agenda, including Trump’s threats over Iran, the Strait of Hormuz, and Europe’s muted attempts to respond. The show is especially good at making institutional consequences feel concrete: funding that may unlock, summits that may shift, border systems that may slow travelers, enlargement debates that leaders fear voters will punish. It is not a grand theory show. It is a daily map of who is blocking what, who just lost leverage, and why the Brussels mood changed overnight.
Made for: For listeners who follow European politics, diplomacy, elections, and institutional power but want the moving parts translated quickly. It works especially well for Brussels watchers, policy professionals, journalists, and politics obsessives outside the EU bubble.
What sets it apart: The show pairs POLITICO-style reporting with the rhythm of a newsroom handoff, so dense EU mechanics become practical stakes. It is strongest when connecting national political shocks to Brussels consequences in real time.
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 P...
Based on 4 episodes we listened to · September 2026
A lively EU briefing that connects elections and institutional mechanics to the geopolitical pressures shaping Brussels.
Brussels Playbook Podcast turns EU affairs into a conversational briefing, with Zoya Sheftalovich and her colleagues moving between elections, security disputes and the machinery of European institutions.
Brussels wakes up distrustful, electric, and acronym-heavy; you get the politics before the institutional fog rolls in.
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Short reviews from the PlayNext desk, based on the episodes we processed.
Hungary's election upset is framed as a warning for Brussels, far-right allies, and the MAGA echo.
The episode treats Hungary's shock election result as more than a local power shift. It moves from Budapest to Brussels and into the MAGA orbit, using Orban's defeat to talk through democratic backsliding, repair, and the strain on far-right allies across Europe.
Energy-crisis warning, Bucha accountability, and Brussels banter that mostly earns its keep.
This Brussels Playbook episode keeps its focus where it should be: on a fresh energy-crisis message aimed at Europeans, and on the fourth anniversary of the Bucha massacre, where the foreign ministers and the special tribunal talk give the legal response some shape.
A brisk Brussels rundown on how EU enlargement is shifting from prosperity to security.
The episode treats Brussels less as a prosperity story than a security one. It follows the old logic of EU membership, where candidates wanted in to get richer, then shows how that logic has flipped toward safety.
A sharp look at distrust, elections, and the paperwork behind the pressure.
Brussels Playbook opens on distrust and keeps the pressure close to the surface. It shifts from Hungary to Germany's AfD and its access to confidential EU documents, then moves on to Denmark's election and Slovenia's still-open race.
Czech politics with culture still in the room.
Left politics with history under the floorboards.
Fast briefings on authoritarian politics worldwide.
Brussels Playbook Podcast examines Ceuta’s late-July migrant surge, where the official figure reached 70,000 arrivals but Tim Rohn says authorities could not establish the real number.
After Peter Magyar's TISA party defeated Viktor Orbán's Fidesz in Hungary's parliamentary election, Brussels Playbook host Sarah Wheaton convened Politico's Eli Stokols, Claire Kalkut, and Budapest consultant Balazs Kosh to assess the fallout across Washington, Paris, and Brussels.
This episode discusses the political fallout from Hungary's election, focusing on Commissioner Oliver Vaheli's position, and previews Bulgaria's upcoming election and EU border travel issues.
This episode discusses the rise of centrist dads in politics, featuring Alexander Stubb's liberal intellectualism, the impact of world events on the European Council, and humorous political excuses.
This episode analyzes the implications of Hungary's political shift for EU policies on Ukraine aid and sanctions against Russia, following Viktor Orban's departure.
This episode analyzes Viktor Orbán's historic election defeat in Hungary after 16 years in power, discussing the implications for Hungary, Europe, and the world with on-the-ground reporters.
This episode covers the upcoming Hungarian election and its implications for EU politics, including potential shifts in foreign policy.
A daily news briefing covering EU political developments, including the Hungarian election, a Trump-Iran deal, and a free train travel initiative for 18-year-olds.
A daily news podcast covering EU politics, including Trump's threat to Iran, Hungary's election, and Australia's social media policy.
A daily EU politics briefing discussing the logjam in EU foreign policy due to unanimity rules and Hungary's veto power.
This episode discusses the UK's efforts to reset its relationship with the EU post-Brexit, featuring an interview with a key UK government minister.
A daily EU politics briefing covering Bulgaria's election concerns over Russian disinformation, Commission security fears, and Italy's World Cup failure.
A daily EU politics briefing covering the escalating energy crisis, Hungary's election, and MEPs' concerns over FIFA World Cup ticket prices.
Brussels starts the day warning Europeans that a new energy crisis may be closer than it looks, and that people may need to travel less if it hits.
The show opens with a sharp shift in the logic of EU enlargement.
Analysis of recent European elections and the decline of center-left parties.
Brussels starts the morning on edge.
The episode covers a trust crisis in the EU after Poland accuses Hungary of leaking to Russia, plus managing Trump's ego and European election results.
This episode examines how the EU's planned focus on competitiveness was derailed by the Middle East war, featuring UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres discussing potential war crimes by Israel and Iran.
A daily EU politics briefing covering the EU's offer to Viktor Orban, startup regulation, and a Parliament exhibition.
This episode covers the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran and its impact on European allies, particularly Germany.
A daily EU politics briefing covering Zelensky's call for a loan, AI notification app ban, and alternate Eurovision.
Daily briefing on EU politics, covering Hungary's block on Ukraine loan and EU climate report.
A daily briefing on EU politics covering the energy crisis from the war in Iran, political tensions between European party leaders, and a surprising happiness ranking of Belgian cities.
Discussion on the collapse of the rules-based order and Europe's role in a chaotic geopolitical landscape, featuring expert guests.
Analysis of the shift in American diplomatic style in Europe under Trump, featuring interviews with experts.
The episode covers Hungary blocking EU sanctions on Russia and threatening a loan to Ukraine, with analysis from reporters.
A daily briefing on EU politics covering Hungary's threat to block sanctions on Russia and EU leaders' visit to Ukraine.
A daily briefing on EU politics, featuring an interview with the EU's ambassador to Ukraine about daily life and resilience during the war.
A daily briefing on EU politics, covering the Munich Security Conference and other key developments in Brussels.
This episode analyzes the EU's ongoing competitiveness crisis, exploring divisions among member states on solutions like joint borrowing and protectionism while questioning whether Europe can boost growth without sacrificing green goals.
This episode features an interview with Sweden's Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Bush about European security challenges, Russia's threat to Ukraine, and the need for stronger European action at the Munich Security Conference.
This episode discusses EU defense ministers meeting in Brussels, focusing on Ukraine's new defense minister and the EU's 90 billion euro loan to Ukraine, while also touching on European industry developments.
This episode explores the shifting European perspective on decoupling from the United States under Donald Trump, presenting two contrasting visions for the future of the transatlantic relationship.