Brussels Playbook Podcast

As the EU prepares to target Russia’s shadow fleet in the 21st sanctions package, we’re looking at the system that keeps these ships in business.

Every one of these Russian vessels carrying sanctioned goods requires port access, crews, financial services and more to stay operational. On today’s episode, Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton pinpoint insurance in particular. They explain how, even though European insurers pulled away from Russian-linked business after the invasion of Ukraine, some financial institutions are still supporting these ships.

Also on the pod, Michael McGrath, Commissioner for justice and rule of law, arrives in Hungary today. His visit comes as Prime Minister Péter Magyar is racing to pass the rule of law reforms needed to finally unlock billions of euros in EU funds.

And finally: Europe is on Ebola watch. EU health ministers are preparing to coordinate as the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda grows and suspected cases test Europe’s response systems. 

Is your birthday coming up? Let us know and we can give you a shout out on the pod! Send us a message or a voice note on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
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The EU is edging closer to one of its most controversial migration policies yet: sending failed asylum seekers to return hubs outside the bloc.

Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur discuss the latest negotiations over tougher deportation rules, why countries are already exploring potential deals from Albania to Central Asia, and why critics warn the plans could create offshore detention centers.

Then: France's presidential race is drifting toward a scenario that many in Brussels dread, with far-right politician Jordan Bardella and far-left figure Jean-Luc Mélenchon gaining ground as the center splinters.

And finally: Brussels wants Europe to build the advanced chips powering the AI revolution. But after years of falling behind, can the bloc still join the race?

A question for you: How are you actually using AI? We'd love to hear what's working, what's not and what tools have become part of your daily routine. Send us a message or a voice note on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
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Is the EU finally ready to get serious about China?

That’s the question increasingly dominating conversations in Brussels as fears grow that Europe is being squeezed by Beijing’s industrial machine.

Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Sander Tordoir from the Centre for European Reform, Grzegorz Stec from MERICS and POLITICO’s Jordyn Dahl to discuss the European Commission's attempts to forge a common stance on China. With deindustrialization already visible across parts of the continent, social tensions are spiking and fueling support for radical political forces.

As China floods the bloc with cheap imports, strategic industries are struggling to respond. But Europeans genuinely like many of the Chinese products flooding into the continent — from electric cars to solar panels and electronics.

So how far is Brussels actually willing to go to protect European industry? Can the EU stay united once the economic costs start biting? And has Europe finally reached its China shock moment?

If you have questions or comments, send us a message — or even better, a voice note on our WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
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Europe’s far right is yet again under the microscope as a European Parliament watchdog moves to ban the Alternative for Germany’s EU party.

On the show, Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton discuss how the far-right Europe of Sovereign Nations party — home to Germany’s AfD — risks losing EU funding and even its status as a political party. In a 300-page letter, the Authority for European Political Parties and Foundations cites evidence of anti-immigration, antisemitic and anti-LGBT rhetoric from its members. It argues this “casts doubt” on the ESN’s compliance with EU values.

Next, we discuss how one of Europe’s oldest geopolitical disputes is spilling into preparations for this year’s U.N. climate summit. Turkey, which is hosting COP31 this November in Antalya, has effectively frozen Cyprus out of parts of the preparatory process.

And finally: we dig into a very Brussels-y diplomatic food fight that’s been brewing quietly in the background for months.

Questions? Comments? Send us a message — or even better, a voice note on WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
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Brussels is beefing up its intelligence machinery.

Zoya Sheftalovich and Kathryn Carlson talk about the growing role of INTCEN — the EU’s little-known intelligence-analysis hub inside the European External Action Service — and the quiet power struggle brewing between Kaja Kallas’ diplomatic service and Ursula von der Leyen’s Commission over who gets to handle sensitive security information in Brussels.

Then: the Greens in the European Parliament are facing an identity crisis, as one of their biggest national parties considers defecting to the Socialists and Democrats — and why Bas Eickhout’s dramatic departure matters far beyond one relationship scandal.

And finally: European commissioners are discovering that driving electric vehicles to Strasbourg can involve awkward charging stops somewhere near Luxembourg.

If you have thoughts, tips or strong opinions on how to survive the Brussels–Strasbourg trip in an EV without stopping for 20 minutes in the middle of nowhere, send us a message — or even better, a voice note on WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29.
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