{"podcast":{"title":"Brussels Playbook Podcast","slug":"brussels-playbook-podcast-730322","podcast_index_feed_id":730322,"rss_url":"https://feeds.megaphone.fm/ASD6061651607","website_url":"https://www.politico.eu/eu-confidential-podcast/","image_url":"https://megaphone.imgix.net/podcasts/457b396e-5e02-11ef-9ea9-13174c9e6348/image/a7aca373f8c088b9c22041f0f8e39e20.jpg?ixlib=rails-4.3.1&max-w=3000&max-h=3000&fit=crop&auto=format,compress","author":"POLITICO","episode_count":577,"summary":"POLITICO’s daily audio briefing on what’s moving Brussels — and why it matters. The Brussels Playbook Podcast is the audio extension of the Brussels Playbook newsletter. Hosted by POLITICO's chief EU correspondent, Zoya Sheftalovich, the podcast runs Monday through Thursday, offering a clear, reporting-driven guide to EU politics in under 15 minutes. It’s a perfect companion for your morning coffee. Each episode takes listeners inside the decisions, power shifts and debates shaping the day in Brussels — and explains how they connect to national capitals across Europe. Clear, conversational and shaped by reporting from the heart of the EU, the Brussels Playbook Podcast brings context to EU politics as your day begins. On Fridays, the same feed features a longer episode that goes deeper into the week’s biggest themes, offering context and analysis beyond the daily news cycle — with Sarah Wheaton behind the mic.","last_synced_at":"2026-06-12T12:19:54.869432+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/brussels-playbook-podcast-730322"},"episode":{"title":"The €1.8 trillion standoff","slug":"the-1-8-trillion-standoff","published_at":"2026-04-28T04:00:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/brussels-playbook-podcast-730322/the-1-8-trillion-standoff","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/brussels-playbook-podcast-730322","url":"https://www.politico.eu/podcast/brussels-playbook-podcast/","audio_url":"https://traffic.megaphone.fm/POLL7712166120.mp3?updated=1777321678","summary":"Today on the pod, we’re talking money, money, money. An important vote on the EU’s next long-term budget is happening in the European Parliament. Zoya and Nick discuss how lawmakers are pushing for a bigger cash pot ... which will likely cause a stir with some countries. We unpack the battle lines already starting to form. Also, the College of Commissioners is meeting in Strasbourg to discuss how drafting legislation could be made more efficient — although critics warn this could weaken important safeguards. Plus, last week the Commission unveiled an age verification app designed to stop kids from accessing adult content online. But the rollout has been … bumpy. Finally: It seems we really hit a nerve when we discussed whether shops in Brussels should be open on Sundays. Zoya and Nick sift through your heated messages. More questions or comments? Contact us on WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices","meta_description":"Today on the pod, we’re talking money, money, money. An important vote on the EU’s next long-term budget is happening in the European Parliament. Zoya and…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":889,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/brussels-playbook-podcast-730322/episodes/the-1-8-trillion-standoff/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/brussels-playbook-podcast-730322/the-1-8-trillion-standoff.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}