Brussels Playbook Podcast

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Ep 181, presented by Google: Reflecting on 2020 Dec 17, 2020

Show notes

It's a bumper end-of-year review edition! But don't worry if 2020 is the year you're already trying to forget — we want to reflect on key moments and themes, rather than relive the trauma.

POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz and Matt Karnitschnig take stock of the year that just wouldn't stop, while producer Cristina Gonzalez weaves in audio from the past 12 months that reflects the wild ride we've all been on.
We start by rewinding to our first episode of 2020. How did our predictions hold up? For a year that held one huge nasty surprise, actually not too badly. In some cases, our words of wisdom proved more prescient than we could ever have imagined.

Then we're off on a journey that takes in the EU's wobbly initial response to the coronavirus, its historic recovery fund, the continuing clash over core values and how Europe has fared in the wider world.

We end with recommendations for the holiday season, which give us the chance to pay tribute to John Le Carré. Matt selects the author's memoir while Andrew recommends audiobooks read by Le Carré himself and classic BBC TV adaptations. (Even in 2020, they may make you feel a little more Smiley.) Rym suggests getting away from screens with a graphic novel or two.

We also have a preview of a brand new POLITICO podcast, Westminster Insider hosted by U.K. Political Editor Jack Blanchard, which will launch early in the new year.

EU Confidential will be back with our first edition of 2021 on January 7. Until then, wherever and whenever you found us in 2020, the whole team thanks you for listening and wishes you healthy and happy holidays.

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Ep 180, presented by Shell: EU deals on climate & budget — Spanish Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya Dec 11, 2020

Show notes

In their final meeting of 2020, EU leaders made key decisions on the bloc's long-term budget and recovery fund, emissions targets, and foreign affairs. We delayed this week's episode to bring you a must-listen analysis of what happened and what it all means. We also have an interview with Spain's Foreign Minister Arancha González Laya.

A top team of POLITICO reporters takes you through the European Council. Lili Bayer breaks down the compromise that ended a budget blockade by Hungary and Poland over plans to link EU payouts to respect for the rule of law. Kalina Oroschakoff unpacks the leaders' pledge to cut emissions by 55 percent by 2030 and the battles that lie ahead. And Rym Momtaz and David M. Herszenhorn take a step back to sum up the summit and look at how Angela Merkel — who came top in our POLITICO 28 power rankings this week — fared during Germany's six-month presidency of the Council of the EU.

Ahead of the summit, David sat down with Minister González to discuss some of the big issues also on the leaders' agenda, including Turkey, transatlantic relations and Brexit. We have highlights from that conversation.

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Ep 179, presented by Equinor: Von der Leyen's first year reviewed — Manfred Weber interview Dec 03, 2020

Show notes

One year on from Ursula von der Leyen taking office as Commission president, we take stock of how she has performed. And Manfred Weber, leader of the largest group in the European Parliament, shares his thoughts on her first year in office.

December 1 marked the one-year anniversary of Ursula von der Leyen taking over as president of the European Commission. Did an unforeseen and tumultuous year knock her off her game, or set her up for some surprise successes? And which Commissioners in her ranks managed to stand out and keep their policy fields top of mind despite the pandemic, and which have faded into the background? A special Brussels panel including Andrew Gray, David M. Herszenhorn, Sarah Wheaton, Kalina Oroschakoff and Laura Kayali gives you POLITICO's take of how things stack up.

Manfred Weber might have been reflecting this week on his first year as European Commission president, if things had worked out differently for the Bavarian MEP who leads the European People's Party group in the Parliament. He shares his perspective with Maïa de La Baume and David M. Herszenhorn on Ursula von der Leyen's handling of the crisis, her management style and how things are working in Brussels under new Commission leadership and changed dynamics in the European Parliament.

Our podcast panel returns with new lockdown entertainment suggestions. Playing by the rules (in politics and sports) is top of mind for David in this podcast recommendation. Laura's been watching this classic political thriller TV series and Kalina's also feeling nostalgic with this sci-fi adventure comedy movie. And Sarah recommends next Monday's POLITICO 28 event that's sure to kick-up discussions looking ahead to 2021.

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Ep 178: Europe's new US BFFs — Biden calling — Big tech lobbying Nov 26, 2020

Show notes

They like America's traditional allies! They talk about multilateralism! Some of them even speak French! U.S. President-elect Joe Biden's foreign policy team has drawn rave reviews in Europe. We debate how much the hype is justified. And we look at the intense lobbying around two cornerstone pieces of tech legislation to be presented in Brussels soon.

POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz and Matthew Karnitschnig discuss Biden's key picks and their likely impact on relations with Europe. And as Biden picked up the phone to call world leaders in recent days, which Europeans made the cut and in which order — and does that even matter? We also discuss where Britain may fit in the new transatlantic order.

Brussels is set to unveil key pieces of legislation on December 9: the Digital Services Act and the Digital Markets Act. Our Technology Editor Nicholas Vinocur explains what's at stake. And he sits down with Jan Penfrat of European Digital Rights and Margarida Silva of Corporate Europe Observatory to shed light on the lobbying battle to try to shape the legislation.

The podcast panel also has a few lockdown recommendations. Rym picks a podcast about an American musical icon who supported one of the successful coronavirus vaccine makers. Matt does his bit for the Franco-German relationship with a German biography of a French statesman. And Andrew has a mystery podcast which is kind of about cryptocurrencies — and kind of isn't.

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Ep 177 In Focus: Energy, presented by Shell: Budget blocked — Strategic autonomy — COP26 Nov 19, 2020

Show notes

Hungary and Poland's block on the EU's budget and recovery package and a Franco-German clash over European strategy autonomy are up for debate in this episode. And we take a deep dive into climate diplomacy, looking at some new pledges and the impact of the postponement of the COP26 conference.

POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, Matthew Karnitschnig and Lili Bayer examine Hungary and Poland's freeze on the EU's €1.8 trillion long-term budget and coronavirus recovery package. How dangerous is this crisis for the EU as a whole and where might things go from here? The panel also demystifies the public spat between French President Emmanuel Macron and German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer over European strategic autonomy and how much the EU should depend on the United States for its defense and security.

Our special In Focus: Energy series continues with a look at COP26 — the annual climate conference that was set to take place in Glasgow but got postponed until next year due to the coronavirus. POLITICO's climate reporters Kalina Oroschakoff and Karl Mathiesen speak to John Murton, the UK's COP26 envoy, about how the delay has impacted global climate diplomacy. And we hear from Mohamed Adow, director of energy and climate think tank Power Shift Africa, about how the coronavirus has affected climate conversations in Africa and about his hopes for climate financing.

For this week's lockdown recommendations, Rym gives the thumbs-up to an unfiltered conversation about what it's like to be a woman in the public sphere, Matt suggests a Cold War conspiracy-theory-turned-music-mystery podcast series, Lili promises the new season of a certain Netflix royal drama is better than the last, and Andrew comes through with not one but two music podcasts for those who want a bit of an escape from politics.

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Ep 176, presented by Equinor: Vaccine hopes — Budget breakthrough — US election reaction Nov 12, 2020

Show notes

The prospect of a coronavirus vaccine, European reaction to Joe Biden's victory in the US presidential race and a breakthrough on the EU's €1.8 trillion budget — it's all up for debate in this episode, featuring renowned virus expert Peter Piot.

With Joe Biden declared the winner of the U.S. presidential race but Donald Trump yet to concede, European leaders are in an awkward place. How have they responded so far and were there any surprises in the reactions across Europe? POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, Matthew Karnitschnig and Lili Bayer get us up to speed — and Lili catches us up on the big breakthrough in Brussels this week on the EU's long-term budget and coronavirus recovery plan.

Peter Piot, the eminent Belgian virologist advising European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on COVID-19, is our special guest. He spoke with Andrew just as news broke of a highly-effective coronavirus vaccine candidate. Piot talks about what the news means for our prospects of returning to normal. He discusses what he's learned about the virus, both as an expert and as someone who himself contracted COVID-19. And he explains why he thinks we should be preparing for more pandemics.

The podcast panel returns at the end of the episode with recommendations to help get you through lockdown. Andrew nominates an article by President-elect Joe Biden setting out his foreign policy agenda. Rym offers a lighter listening option — an insightful interview with another American "Boss." Lili is working her way through the works of a famed German novelist, with this being her favorite thus far. And Matt promises high drama with an Israeli thriller series.

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Campaign Confidential #13, presented by Huawei: Key election lessons — Georgia on our minds Nov 10, 2020

Show notes

In the final episode of our pop-up series on the US elections, we share the key takeaways, looking at what we heard over the past 3 months and how it explains where we ended up. We also look ahead to looming Senate runoff races in Georgia, with the balance of power in Washington at stake.

Ryan Heath picks over the result of the U.S. elections and looks back at the campaign to see which moments turned out to be prescient: from predictions of massive Democratic turnout via mail-in ballots to warnings on the need for patience in declaring a winner (and the likelihood of litigation over the result).

And it's not all over yet. Even as the final presidential votes are being counted, two crucial senate seats are yet to be decided. Greg Bluestein, political reporter at the Atlanta Journal Constitution, joins the podcast to break down the two Senate runoff races in Georgia, where candidates must receive at least 50 percent of the vote to win an election outright. The outcome in January will determine the overall balance of power in Washington. Bluestein explains why Georgia's vote was so close and what it says about the state of America's political system.

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Ep 175: Biden, Trump and what the US elections mean for Europe Nov 05, 2020

Show notes

In this special extended episode, we debate and dissect the U.S. presidential vote, looking at its implications for America, transatlantic ties and European politics.

Even as the final outcome remains uncertain, the election has already told us plenty about America. It has exposed the extent of the country's polarization and made clear that Trumpism isn't going away — even if the U.S gets a new president. What does that mean for America and for Europe? And if Joe Biden clinches the presidency as seems likely, how will relations between Europe and the United States change?
We assembled an all-star cast of POLITICO journalists including Andrew Gray, Matthew Karnitschnig, David Herszenhorn, Lili Bayer and Sarah Wheaton to debate these questions. And Ryan Heath joins from across the Atlantic to discuss his big takeaways from the election and suggest how the EU should handle a possible Biden presidency.

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Campaign Confidential #12, presented by Huawei: How to watch election night like a pro Nov 02, 2020

Show notes

In this episode of our pop-up series on the US elections, hosted by Ryan Heath, we give you all the details you need to follow the big night like a seasoned DC insider — including what to look out for, where to keep a close eye on and what the polls are saying.

POLITICO Intelligence Analyst Cornelius Hirsch and Cameron Easley, senior editor at data intelligence firm Morning Consult, explain how the polls are different from four years ago, what lessons were learned in 2016 and the key places that will indicate how the election will play out. Ryan rounds out the discussion with his guide for what to watch for, and key numbers to keep in mind, as results start to pour in.

After election day, Ryan will join the regular EU Confidential podcast, which will be back in your feed as early as Wednesday to bring you reaction and analysis from both sides of the Atlantic on what the result means for Europe.

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Ep 174: Team Macron turmoil — Minimum wage push — OECD contenders Oct 29, 2020

Show notes

Trouble in French President Emmanuel Macron's inner circle, the European Commission's move to boost minimum wages, and the battle to lead the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development all feature in this episode.

POLITICO's Rym Momtaz gives us the inside scoop from the halls of the Elysée Palace, where top foreign policy advisers face accusations of fostering a hostile and dysfunctional work environment — allegations they flatly deny. Read Rym's full story here. And Matthew Karnitschnig explains why a speech by German Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer is being read as a big reality check on transatlantic relations.

We hear the pitches of two candidates vying to become the next secretary-general of the OECD. POLITICO's David Herszenhorn spoke with Sweden's candidate, former EU Trade Commissioner Cecilia Malmström, and Australia's Finance Minister Mathias Cormann.

And this week, the European Commission proposed a law to bolster minimum wages around the bloc. It's a plan hailed by some as vital, while others say it will hurt workers in their countries or industries. POLITICO's Paola Tamma explains the plan and the concerns, checking in with Jobs Commissioner Nicolas Schmit and other key players with a stake in this debate.

We also call out one of our big rivals in the European political podcasting game — a certain Angela Merkel — and offer some helpful suggestions on how she could mix things up a bit.

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