Brussels Playbook Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep 130, presented by ERT: UK general election special Dec 09, 2019

Show notes

The U.K. general election is the focus for a special edition of POLITICO'S EU Confidential podcast. Our team of journalists looks at the possible outcomes from both U.K. and EU perspectives. What are the most likely scenarios and what would they mean for the U.K., the EU and future relations between the two? Kate Day and Annabelle Dickson of POLITICO's U.K. team are joined by Chief Europe Correspondent Matthew Karnitschnig and EU Editor Andrew Gray.

We also have an on-the-ground report from a key marginal constituency, Stirling in central Scotland, where MEP Alyn Smith of the Scottish National Party is locked in a tight battle with Stephen Kerr of the Conservatives. The outcome of that contest will give a good indication of which way both the U.K. and Scotland are heading on election night.

And POLITICO's Chief Technology Correspondent Mark Scott talks Cristina Gonzalez, our podcast producer, about the digital campaign.

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Ep 129, presented by Shell: Hot mic NATO summit — Former French ambassador Gérard Araud Dec 05, 2019

Show notes

It wouldn't be a meeting of world leaders these days without a spat or two, and NATO's 70th anniversary celebration near London was no exception. POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz, David Herszenhorn and Emilio Casalicchio were on the spot to give us the inside scoop on the hot mic moments, the Trump-Macron slugfest and the future of the alliance.

To understand more about the Macron mindset, our own Rym spoke on the phone with Gérard Araud, the outspoken former French ambassador to the United States. Araud retired this summer, giving him license to speak even more freely — about Macron, French "romanticism" over Russia, the Franco-German relationship and why it's easier for French diplomats to work with Brits than Germans.

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Ep 128, presented by the Martens Centre: Commissioner Avramopoulos — New Commission standouts Nov 28, 2019

Show notes

In the new episode of EU Confidential, we talk migration and security with the EU’s outgoing commissioner for home affairs, Dimitris Avramopoulos. The Greek politician doesn’t mince words on migration, saying European leaders are quick to blame everyone else even though the issue is a “shared responsibility.” As a senior figure in the European People’s Party, Avramopoulos also discusses Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s place in the EU’s center-right alliance: “Mr. Orbán is doing whatever he can in order to be kicked out from the EPP family.”

The podcast panel picks out key figures in Ursula von der Leyen’s incoming European Commission. POLITICO’s Annabelle Dickson demystifies the U.K. general election campaign. And we analyse the state of Franco-German relations as Paris and Berlin attempt to put a rough patch behind them by presenting common ideas on the future of the EU.

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Ep 127: European Parliament VP Katarina Barley — EU’s missing Iran response — All eyes on NATO Nov 21, 2019

Show notes

The podcast crew debates the EU’s response — or lack thereof — to the wave of protests rocking Iran and Tehran's latest violation of the Iran nuclear deal.

POLITICO's chief Brussels correspondent David Herszenhorn joins the panel to report that French President Emmanuel Macron's comments on NATO suffering from "brain death" are still ringing in leaders' ears. The big question, after a meeting of foreign ministers at the alliance's headquarters in Brussels this week, is: Can European countries agree on where they want the alliance to go from here?

Our feature interview this week is with European Parliament Vice President Katarina Barley. The MEP opens up to POLITICO’s EU editor Andrew Gray about her unusual career move from a top job in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's Cabinet to an MEP and vice president in the European Parliament. Barley, a Social Democrat and former justice minister, also explains why she voted with her Social Democrats against Ursula von der Leyen as the next president of the European Commission and why the EU needs to rethink how it protects the rule of law.

We also take a deep dive into the Extinction Rebellion movement, which is using acts of civil disobedience to raise awareness and demand political action on climate change. POLITICO's Paola Tamma reports from a protest outside the royal palace in Brussels and discusses the group's tactics with protesters and climate experts.

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Ep 126: Madeleine Albright — New plan for EU hopefuls — Macron's worldview Nov 14, 2019

Show notes

Former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright talks about the divisions that emerged in Europe after the Cold War — and what the EU can do about them.

We also debate a controversial plan to break the EU's deadlock on new members with the man behind the proposal, Gerald Knaus of the European Stability Initiative think tank.

The podcast crew takes a closer look at Emmanuel Macron's worldview and the reaction to his big foreign policy interview, in which he declared NATO to be brain dead.

And we round up the latest on the incoming European Commission after another batch of confirmation hearings. Is it full steam ahead for President-elect Ursula von der Leyen's team on December 1? Or has she hit the buffers again?

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Ep 125: Oettinger interview — Pompeo hits the Wall — Romania's Commission pick Nov 07, 2019

Show notes

In the new EU Confidential podcast, the EU's outgoing budget chief Günther Oettinger opens up on his decade in Brussels. POLITICO's Carmen Paun has the scoop on Romania's new nominee for the European Commission. From London, Annabelle Dickson has a primer on electronic election interference in the U.K. ahead of its December vote. And Matt Karnitschnig sums up the mood in Germany amid celebrations to mark 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall, which include a visit from U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo amid some transatlantic tension.

In our feature interview, Oettinger talks to POLITICO's Hans von der Burchard about his stewardship of the EU budget, his take on how the bloc needs to change and the political dynamics back in his home country of Germany.

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Ep 124: Macron to China ⁠— Populist resurgence ⁠— UK election ⁠& DUP's Jeffrey Donaldson Oct 31, 2019

Show notes

In the brand new episode of EU Confidential, we talk China, populism and British politics.

With Emmanuel Macron heading for China and top German officials in open disagreement over Huawei’s 5G technology, POLITICO's Andrew Gray, Rym Momtaz and Matthew Karnitschnig discuss whether Europe has a credible strategy for dealing with Beijing. Following the success of populist parties in German and Italian regional elections, we ask if Europe's political mainstream was too quick to write off the far right. And POLITICO's chief U.K. correspondent, Charlie Cooper, previews the key messages and likely Brexit outcomes from Britain's snap general election campaign.

We stay in stay in the U.K. for this week's feature interview ⁠— POLITICO's Annabelle Dickson speaks with Jeffrey Donaldson, one of the Democratic Unionist Party’s key figures in Westminster. As chief whip of the Northern Irish party, he has helped prop up Britain’s Conservative government since Theresa May lost the party’s majority in 2017. But the party is bitterly opposed to Boris Johnson's Brexit deal. Donaldson explains why his party's voters feel "betrayed" by Johnson and predicts the DUP will once again be in a "pivotal position" in the House of Commons after next month's snap election.

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Ep 123, presented by ExxonMobil: Juncker's legacy — Spain’s EU minister Marco Aguiriano Oct 24, 2019

Show notes

In the latest episode of EU Confidential, we talk EU enlargement, Jean-Claude Juncker's legacy, Brexit and Syria. And we have an interview with Spain's point man for the EU.

The podcast panel tackles the repercussions of the European Council’s controversial decision not to start EU membership talks with North Macedonia and Albania. As Juncker gets ready to bow out as European Commission chief, we ask how he'll be remembered in Brussels and across the Continent. We also discuss the geopolitical implications of the situation in Syria and, of course, a wee bit of Brexit.

Matt Kartnitschnig speaks with Spain’s EU minister Marco Aguiriano for our feature interview. They discuss the latest news from Catalonia. We also get Aguiriano’s view on the EU enlargement debate and what we can expect from his compatriot and long-time close colleague Josep Borrell, who will soon become the EU’s foreign policy chief.

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Ep 122, presented by BP: Brexit deal — European Council behind the scenes — Greek PM Mitsotakis Oct 18, 2019

Show notes

This special episode of EU Confidential takes you inside the European Council summit in Brussels which signed off on the brand new Brexit deal. POLITICO’s Annabelle Dickson, Rym Momtaz and Andrew Gray break down the deal and map out what happens next. We also give you a flavor of what it’s like to be inside the summit bubble covering an event like this.

We speak to European Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen and Slovenian Prime Minister Marjan Šarec on the red carpet as they make their way to the meeting. And Brussels Playbook author Florian Eder talks to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis about other items on the summit agenda, including EU enlargement, migration and climate change.

It’s a must-listen episode for anyone who wants the scoop on day 1 of the summit or is curious how big political events like these unfold.

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Ep 121: Goulard rejected — Sondland in hot water — Green MEP Daniel Freund on EU transparency Oct 10, 2019

Show notes

Commission drama, impeachment battles, countries struggling to leave and join the EU, and fights over transparency in politics — they’re all here in our latest episode.

France's Commission pick Sylvie Goulard is out. It’s a big blow to Commission President-elect Ursula von der Leyen and French President Emmanuel Macron, who proposed the former MEP to take on a beefed-up internal market portfolio. David Herszenhorn, POLITICO’s chief correspondent, and Andrew Gray, EU editor, look at the stories of score-settling and revenge that lie behind this drama.

U.S. Ambassador to the EU Gordan Sondland finds himself at the center of the impeachment inquiry into Donald Trump. Rym Momtaz, Matt Karnitschnig weigh in on the repercussions for the EU. Will Trump’s man in Brussels still have time to focus on the day job? And Matt gives his colorful take on Boris Johnson’s Brexit phone call with Angela Merkel and the prospect of Albania and North Macedonia joining the EU.

Our feature interview is with German MEP Daniel Freund, of the Greens/European Free Alliance group. The activist-turned-politician spent the previous five years at NGO Transparency International, advocating for greater integrity and transparency in EU institutions. Now Freund faces the challenge of turning his ideas into reality inside the European Parliament.

Next week it’s the European Council — yay! — and we’ll have a special edition on Friday next week, wrapping up the summit and taking you behind the scenes.

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