Brussels Playbook Podcast

The mixed messages by President Trump and his administration about how long the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran will last have unnerved allies and shaken European markets. Two weeks into the conflict, EU capitals are asking when it will end and how they can influence what comes next — none more so than Berlin.

In this week's episode, host Anne McElvoy talks to a key ally of Chancellor Friedrich Merz, Norbert Röttgen. A longstanding member of the Bundestag, a former chair of its Foreign Affairs Committee and a minister in Angela Merkel’s government, Röttgen is a strong believer in the Atlantic alliance.  

He urges European leaders to speak with one voice on the war in Iran — and give qualified backing to the American-led strikes. We Europeans have to put our act together in order to be a relevant actor,” he tells Anne. “We are past the old post-war order. We have not seen the establishment of a new order … and if we are to give up on the United States, we are to give up on the West.”
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Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is urging Europe to find a way around Hungary.

In an interview with POLITICO’s Gordon Repinski, Zelenskyy called on EU leaders to come up with a “Plan B” to secure Ukraine’s long-term funding — and to work around what he described as the “blackmail” of Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who is holding up a promised €90 billion EU loan (listen to full interview here).

Host Zoya Sheftalovich and policy editor Sarah Wheaton break down the tensions inside the EU and what options Europe may have if Hungary continues to block support for Kyiv, as Orbán has repeatedly complicated EU decisions on Ukraine.

Also on the podcast: The EU is moving toward banning AI “nudification” tools after a scandal involving Elon Musk’s Grok chatbot showed how easily AI can generate sexualized deepfakes of real people.

Plus: Eurovision politics. Belgian artists and activists are planning an alternative music event during Eurovision week to protest Israel’s participation in the contest.

If you have questions for us, or want to share what you think about the show, you can reach us on our WhatsApp at +32 491 05 06 29.

**A message from Amazon: Across Europe, businesses are growing with the AWS Cloud to build innovative, scalable products. From Europe’s largest enterprises and government agencies to the continent’s fastest growing startups, learn more about how AWS Cloud is helping businesses across Europe grow at ⁠AWS.eu⁠.**

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Ukraine is running out of money to fight Russia — but Hungary still isn’t budging on its opposition to the EU’s €90 billion loan to Kyiv.

On today’s episode, host Zoya Sheftalovich and Kathryn Carlson, senior finance reporter, outline some of the contingency plans European countries have up their sleeves to get Ukraine the funding it needs before it’s too late.

Also on the podcast, POLITICO’s Karl Mathiesen has interviewed Frank Furedi, who runs MCC Brussels, a think tank linked to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government.  The Hungarian-born sociologist argues Europe’s rising populist right may not be ready for power — Zoya and Kathryn try to understand why.

Finally, a 350-page report published today by the EU’s climate advisers lays out recommendations to tackle the carbon footprint of the agriculture sector … but don’t expect a warm response from farmers.

Do you have questions or comments for our hosts? Send a message or a voice note to our WhatsApp: +32 491 05 06 29.

**A message from Amazon: Across Europe, businesses are growing with the AWS Cloud to build innovative, scalable products. From Europe’s largest enterprises and government agencies to the continent’s fastest growing startups, learn more about how AWS Cloud is helping businesses across Europe grow at ⁠AWS.eu⁠.**
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European leaders haunted by memories of the 2022 energy crisis are bracing for impact as the war in the Middle East begins to drive up oil and gas prices.

Today on the podcast, host Zoya Sheftalovich and Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent Nicholas Vinocur discuss what tools the EU has at its disposal to soften the blow for consumers — is the bloc better prepared than it was four years ago?

Later on: A rocky relationship is on the mend. The European Parliament’s two largest political groups — the European People’s Party and the Socialists and Democrats — are hoping dinner dates can resolve the bad blood between them.

Plus, what part of Belgium is the happiest? Stick around until the end to find out.

Thoughts? Comments? Send us a message or a voice note to our WhatsApp: +32 491 05 06 29.

**A message from Amazon: Across Europe, businesses are growing with the AWS Cloud to build innovative, scalable products. From Europe’s largest enterprises and government agencies to the continent’s fastest growing startups, learn more about how AWS Cloud is helping businesses across Europe grow at ⁠⁠AWS.eu⁠⁠.**
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Some European governments are arguing Commission President Ursula von der Leyen overstepped her mandate in her response to the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran.

On today’s episode, host Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur, POLITICO's chief foreign affairs correspondent, unpack the frustration they’re hearing from national diplomats who argue the latest Middle East crisis has seen von der Leyen wading onto their turf — and not for the first time.

Meanwhile, ministers will meet in Brussels today for an informal debate on the continent’s housing crisis. We break down how dire the situation is and why tackling this issue is a priority for governments looking to stave off the far right.

Finally, a slew of public transport hiccups in Brussels could make life harder for commuters ... what else is new?

Send us an idiom from your country or any other comments/questions to our WhatsApp: +32 491 05 06 29. 

**A message from Amazon: Across Europe, businesses are growing with the AWS Cloud to build innovative, scalable products. From Europe’s largest enterprises and government agencies to the continent’s fastest growing startups, learn more about how AWS Cloud is helping businesses across Europe grow at ⁠⁠⁠⁠AWS.eu⁠⁠⁠⁠.**
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