Iran war: Europe weighs migration risk

Brussels Playbook Podcast

POLITICO

News, Politics, News Commentary

4.4 • 204 Ratings

🗓️ 5 March 2026

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A controversial new idea on EU enlargement is stirring debate in Brussels. Zoya Sheftalovich and Sarah Wheaton unpack a proposal known as “reverse enlargement,” as the European Commission tests how far EU capitals are willing to go to speed up Ukraine’s path toward the bloc. Meanwhile, the war in Iran looms over two meetings in Brussels: EU foreign ministers hold talks with their Gulf counterparts about the escalating conflict, while home affairs ministers discuss deportations policy and how Europe should prepare if instability in the region leads to more people seeking safety in the EU. And finally: The European Commission is experimenting with AI to test whether EU policies are fair to future generations. Plus a surprise dispatch from Berlin from Ian Wishart on Germany’s upcoming elections.If you have thoughts or questions about the podcast, you can reach us on 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.** Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Today's episode is presented by Amazon.
0:03.4	60% of sales on Amazon come from independent sellers.
0:07.3	Across Europe, over 280,000 small and medium enterprises
0:11.9	partner with Amazon to grow their business.
0:14.7	Learn more at aboutamazon.e.u.
0:18.4	Good morning. It's Thursday, March 5, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast.
0:28.1	The vibe in Brussels today is experimental as the European Commission tests a controversial
0:34.0	new idea on enlargement that has some capitals worried.
0:41.3	Also on the pod today, foreign ministers are meeting over video conference to discuss the ripple effects from the Iran War,
0:44.1	as Home Affairs ministers are meeting in person in Brussels to discuss migration.
0:49.1	And the European Commission is developing an AI tool
0:51.5	to assess how its policies will impact future generations.
0:54.8	What could possibly go wrong? I'm Zora Schofelovich, Politico's chief of you correspondent,
0:59.5	reporting from my deathbed. And with me today is Sarah Wheaton, one of our policy editors. Hey, Sarah.
1:04.9	Hey, Zoya. I mean, yeah, you're really having sort of this like three steps forward, two steps
1:10.2	backwards situation.
1:11.4	Your voice is back, but your washing machine exploded?
1:15.7	Yeah, this is the story of my life because why feel slightly better without a flood in your apartment just to keep things spicy and interesting, Sarah?
1:24.5	Yep, that's right. I was doing my laundry and now my laundry is doing me.
1:29.6	Well, you do sound a little washed out, but I'm ching. This is the stuff people come for to this pod.
1:36.5	All right, Sarah, listen, I'm not here to put socks on a centipede. Let's go.
1:46.4	Let's get to our first story today.
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from POLITICO, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of POLITICO and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.