Brussels Playbook
POLITICO’s must-read briefing on what's driving the day in Brussels, by Sarah Wheaton and Nicholas Vinocur.
Latest issues
Slovak sanctions breakthrough
BREAKING OVERNIGHT — SANCTIONS BREAKTHROUGH: EU ambassadors have been called to a last-minute meeting at 8 a.m. today, per three diplomats, after Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico …
What the MFF just happened?
GOOD THURSDAY MORNING! Kathryn Carlson here, POLITICO’s resident finance reporter. It’s not unusual for leaders in Brussels to have to keep cool at tense moments: wars, high-stakes …
Budget Day
GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING. It’s budget day in Brussels and this is Tim Ross with a few questions — like, what is the “MFF?” The Maritime and Fisheries …
EU plots trade revenge
HOWDY. Sarah Wheaton here with your Tuesday Brussels Playbook, where ahead of our approaching vacation, we were utterly delighted by a source’s suggestion to just think of …
Trump’s new threat catches Europe off guard
BRUSSELS GOVERNMENT BREAKTHROUGH: The liberal MR and socialist PS parties reached an agreement Sunday that could resolve the political deadlock that’s left Brussels without a regional government …
Europe awaits a painful Truth
HOWDY. Sarah Wheaton here, welcoming you to this Friday edition of Brussels Playbook, where we offer this bit of consolation to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, …
Tainted love
G’DAY. As a Tasmanian, I must admit to a chuckle while reading Nicholas Vinocur’s aperitivo to Monday’s Playbook, as he basked in the gilded presence of the …
Migration mayhem
WORK/LIFE: Spare a thought for the bodyguards assigned to Sweden’s PM Ulf Kristersson, who only wanted to fit a workout or 35 into their busy schedule protecting …
Parliament’s breakup playlist
HOWDY. Sarah Wheaton here, welcoming you to this Tuesday edition of Brussels Playbook and apologizing in advance for all the songs you’re about to have stuck in …
Von der Leyen faces the music
GREETINGS. This is Nick Vinocur with you for a big day in EU politics. I’m just back from Aarhus, Denmark, where a group of (not particularly servile) …
Getting it from all sides
HOWDY. Sarah Wheaton here with you for this Friday edition of Brussels Playbook. Rarely do local decisions in Brussels that are unrelated to garbage collection penetrate the …
Embattled VDL heads for Denmark
GOOD MORNING. Kathryn Carlson here, POLITICO’s finance (and occasional spa and leisure) reporter, with you after another scorcher of a day in Brussels. I’ve been dividing my …
Climate rage boils over
GOOD WEDNESDAY MORNING. This is Tim Ross. It’s steaming hot again with temperatures in Brussels expected to reach the mid-30s before — maybe — breaking with storms later. …
Danes make their mark
TASTE OF POWER: We start today’s Playbook with a vital piece of investigative journalism: What do EU leaders chew on around the EUCO summit table, as they …
Spain’s revolt
PUTIN LAUNCHES BIGGEST RAID OF WAR: After EU leaders failed to pass an 18th package of sanctions last week, Russia hit Ukraine with its biggest aerial assault …
The daddy of all trade policy
HOWDY. Sarah Wheaton here with your Friday edition of Brussels Playbook, where we’re congratulating Euronews’ Gerardo Fortuna for a new innovation in EUCO dinner menu coverage: the …
Words, wars and wheezes
BYE, DADDY: European leaders successfully concluded their painstakingly obsequious appeasement of U.S. President Donald Trump at the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, before slipping into …
Will NATO survive the day?
DONALD TRUMP SET OFF FOR THE NATO SUMMIT in the Netherlands sounding like a worn-out dad who’s frankly HAD ENOUGH of asking his kids NICELY to break …
Trump declares ceasefire
BREAKING OVERNIGHT — TRUMP’S UNILATERAL “CEASEFIRE”: Iran and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire, U.S. President Trump declared on Truth Social at around midnight Brussels time. Hours …
Iran escalation fears grip Europe
GREETINGS, and welcome to a sweltering Brussels Playbook. It’s so hot in Brussels that your author, Nick Vinocur, has made a sad attempt to jerry-rig an air …