Brussels Playbook Podcast

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BONUS EPISODE: At Davos, the twist in Trump's Greenland tale. So what does Europe do next? Jan 22, 2026

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Donald Trump loomed large over the World Economic Forum’s annual get-together in the Swiss Alps — even before he touched down for his big speech.

In this special episode from Davos, host Anne McElvoy talks to influential European and North American voices about President Trump’s intention to take over Greenland and the consequences for Europe and NATO.

Finland’s Foreign Minister Elina Valtonen tells Anne that America must decide if it’s on the “side of the predator,” like Russia and China, or the "side of freedom." Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, meanwhile, insists “that Greenland remain part of Denmark.” She also talks to Anita Anand, Canada’s foreign minister, and influential Harvard economist and the former chief economist of the IMF, Ken Rogoff, who delivers a stark prediction for 2026. Then came the final twist in the tale, when President Trump announced that he was dropping tariffs on the eight European countries who opposed his Greenland plans - after reaching a "framework deal".

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Trump bites. Europe grasps for an antidote. Jan 16, 2026

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“A little less conversation, a little more action.”

That line from an old Elvis Presley song could double as a critique of Europe’s position right now — and as a prescription.

On this episode of EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton speaks with former Spanish foreign minister, Arancha González-Laya, about how Europe should operate at a moment when power is exercised more bluntly and patience for rules is wearing thin. Her core argument echoes Presley’s advice: Europe isn’t powerless — it just needs to use the leverage it already has.

González-Laya, an ex-EU trade negotiator and now dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Sciences Po, explains what Europe’s leverage looks like in practice: deeper cooperation on energy and defense, and a more assertive use of the internal market. She describes these as Europe’s antidotes to Trump-era chaos — exemplified by his renewed claims over Greenland and the capture of Venezuela’s president — and discusses how Europe could respond to the situation in Iran.

Later, in another installment of the Berlaymont Who’s Who series, POLITICO’s Aitor Hernández-Morales takes a closer look at Dan Jørgensen, the EU’s commissioner for energy and housing.

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Whose world is it now? Trump, power and Europe Jan 09, 2026

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Europe had barely switched off its out-of-office replies before geopolitics came roaring back.

In the first days of January, events in Caracas — and rhetoric from Washington — jolted Brussels out of its post-holiday slumber and straight back into crisis mode. A U.S. special forces operation captured Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, and left more than 100 people dead, reopening old questions about power, sovereignty and just how reliable an ally the United States really is.

This week on EU Confidential, host Sarah Wheaton is joined by Allison Hoffman, Nick Vinocur, Eva Hartog and Bartosz Brzeziński to unpack what Donald Trump’s moves in Venezuela reveal about the world he’s shaping — and the uncomfortable position they leave Europe in.

They dig into Moscow’s humiliation — and the opportunities it may see in chaos — renewed U.S. pressure over Greenland, Europe’s mounting doubts about American security guarantees for Ukraine, and how Brussels is trying to navigate a world where raw power seems to be back in fashion.

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Von der Leyen vs. Trump: Europe answers back Dec 12, 2025

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He’s not even European — yet Donald Trump has topped POLITICO’s annual P28 ranking of the most powerful people who will shape Europe in 2026.

EU Confidential host Sarah Wheaton takes you inside the gala in Brussels — where commissioners, MEPs, diplomats, lobbyists and journalists packed into a glittering room, even as the mood underneath the sparkle felt unusually tense.

At the event, Ursula von der Leyen sat down with Carrie Budoff Brown, POLITICO’s executive editor, for an exclusive on-stage conversation — offering one of her first public reactions to Trump’s sharp criticism of EU leaders as "weak," and Washington’s dramatic new security strategy, which seeks to undermine them.
Be sure to check out the full 2026 ranking here.

Plus, we bring you Sarah’s conversation with Balázs Orbán, the Hungarian prime minister’s political director, who offers a perspective far outside the Brussels mainstream — on Ukraine, on Europe’s political direction, and on where he believes the EU keeps going wrong.

And finally, we have a taste of Anne McElvoy’s interview with Nick Thomas-Symonds, the U.K.’s minister for European relations (for more, head to: Politics at Sam and Anne's ).
And if you haven’t yet, listen to the exclusive interview our colleague Dasha Burns did with Donald Trump on our sister podcast The Conversation.

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Notes on a scandal — will a fraud probe upend the EU? Dec 05, 2025

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Brussels was jolted this week by dawn raids and an alleged fraud probe involving current and former senior EU diplomats.

Host Sarah Wheaton speaks with Zoya Sheftalovich— a longtime Brussels Playbook editor who has just returned from Australia to begin her new role as POLITICO’s chief EU correspondent — and with Max Griera, our European Parliament reporter, to unpack what we know so far, what’s at stake for Ursula von der Leyen, and where the investigation may head next.

Then, with Zoya staying in the studio, we’re joined by Senior Climate Correspondent Karl Mathiesen, Trade and Competition Editor Doug Busvine and Defense Editor Jan Cienski to take stock of the Commission’s first year — marked by this very bumpy week. We look at competitiveness, climate, defense and the fast-shifting global landscape — and our panel delivers its score for von der Leyen’s team.

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Peace plan panic: Does the EU still have a say in Ukraine’s future? Nov 28, 2025

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Washington–Moscow peace maneuvers caught Europe off guard this week — raising questions about the EU’s continued relevance and readiness at a pivotal moment for Ukraine.
Nick Vinocur, one of our regular guests, takes the host seat this time to speak with Veronika Melkozerova in Kyiv about how these peace talks look from inside a country still under attack.
Then POLITICO’s finance reporter Bjarke Smith-Meyer and Wouter Verschelden, author of Belgium’s influential political newsletter W16, break down the EU’s internal fight over Russia’s frozen assets — arguably Europe’s strongest political and financial leverage in the peace-talk moment — and examine why Belgium continues to block the reparations loan Ukraine urgently needs.

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Inside Europe’s far right — going pro and going strong Nov 21, 2025

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When Europe’s biggest political family crosses the aisle to vote with the far right, something fundamental shifts in Brussels.

In this episode, host Sarah Wheaton unpacks the vote that cracked the European Parliament’s cordon sanitaire — and what a newly disciplined, image-polished far right means for Ursula von der Leyen’s shaky centrist alliance.

POLITICO’s Marianne Gros and Max Griera take us inside the omnibus showdown; Tim Ross demonstrates how the same forces are reshaping politics across Europe — from the English seaside town of Jaywick to Paris, Berlin and beyond.

Plus — Aitor Hernández-Morales brings us a surprising counterpoint from Denmark, where voters pushed back against a left-wing government they felt had leaned too far toward the right.

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Growing pains: Can the EU handle enlargement? Nov 14, 2025

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Russia’s war in Ukraine has given new momentum to EU enlargement — and raised a bigger question: Is the bloc itself ready to grow?

This week, host Sarah Wheaton examines the EU’s growing pains — not just the politics and geopolitics of enlargement, but also the cultural and emotional questions of identity and belonging.
She speaks with Sneška Quaedvlieg-Mihailović, head of Europa Nostra, about why Europe won’t feel complete until its whole cultural family is reunited; and with Icelandic politics professor Eirikur Bergmann on why his country may be revisiting its European path — more than a decade after freezing its EU bid.
There's also a conversation led by POLITICO’s Gordon Repinski with Kosovo’s president, Vjosa Osmani, who reflects on her country’s long wait for membership.

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Pornography, children and privacy: Europe's digital dilemma Nov 07, 2025

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Europe faces a growing dilemma: how to protect children online without breaking digital privacy for everyone.

A new report from the Internet Watch Foundation found that 62 percent of all child sexual abuse material discovered online last year was hosted on EU servers. It’s a shocking statistic that has left Brussels locked in a heated debate over how far new regulations should go — and whether scanning encrypted messages could be justified, even at the cost of privacy and the risk of mass surveillance.

Host Sarah Wheaton is joined by POLITICO’s Sam Clark, Eliza Gkritsi and Océane Herrero to unpack Europe’s child safety regulations — and the balance between protecting kids, protecting privacy and policing platforms. The conversation also touches on the latest controversy out of France, involving Shein — the fast-fashion giant caught selling childlike sex dolls online.

Then, from Europe’s digital dilemmas to Albania’s digital experiment: Gordon Repinski, host of POLITICO's Berlin Playbook podcast, sits down with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama, who has appointed the world’s first artificial intelligence minister — a virtual woman named Diella. Rama explains why he believes Diella could help fight corruption, cut bureaucracy and speed up Albania’s path toward EU membership.

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How to lose a Dutch election — and still win one Oct 31, 2025

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Is it enough to come first in an election?
In the Netherlands, you hear that centrist Rob Jetten won big and Geert Wilders’ far right lost a lot — even though either one could still turn out to be No. 1 when all the votes are counted.
Eva Hartog breaks down the results of the Dutch election with host Sarah Wheaton, and Max Griera reflects on what Frans Timmermans’ defeat means for social democrats all over Europe.
Then, our Berlaymont Who’s Who series is back, with an introduction to Vice President of the European Commission Roxana Mînzatu of Romania.
Finally, Shawn Pogatchnik takes us through last week's Irish presidential election, which was, in contrast to the Dutch vote, a bright spot for the political left.

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