Why are drones suddenly terrifying Europe?

Brussels Playbook Podcast

POLITICO

Politics, News, News Commentary

4.4 • 202 Ratings

🗓️ 21 May 2026

⏱️ 16 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

With drone alerts, emergency shelters and fighter jets over the Baltics, Europe’s security fears suddenly feel much less theoretical at the GLOBSEC forum in Prague. On the ground in Czechia for the Brussels Playbook Podcast, Zoya Sheftalovich and Nick Vinocur unpack the growing wave of drone incursions linked to Russia’s war in Ukraine. They also discuss why Baltic leaders are sounding the alarm and how the crisis in Latvia became serious enough to bring down the government. Then: Germany is growing impatient with the EU’s enlargement drift. Chancellor Friedrich Merz is pushing a new concept called “associate membership” that would pull countries like Ukraine and Moldova closer to EU institutions — even before full accession. And finally: Brussels’ next big institutional power struggle is already underway. António Costa looks increasingly safe as European Council president, while the European People's Party scrambles to keep its grip on the EU’s top jobs and protect Roberta Metsola’s position as European Parliament president. Do you live in Baltic country? Have the recent drone incursions affected your everyday life? We’re curious to hear more! Send a voice note to us on WhatsApp here or at +32 491 05 06 29. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	Some follow the noise.
0:03.3	Bloomberg follows the money.
0:05.4	Because behind every headline is a bottom line.
0:09.3	Whether it's the funds-fueling AI or crypto's trillion-dollar swings,
0:13.8	there's a money-side to every story.
0:16.5	And when you see the money-side, you understand what others miss.
0:20.9	Get the money-side of the story., you understand what others miss. Get the money side of the story.
0:22.9	Subscribe now at Bloomberg.com.
0:27.6	Good morning. It's Thursday, May 21, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast.
0:45.6	The vibe in Brussels today is, well, I'm actually in Prague today for the Globesec Forum,
0:47.9	and the vibe here is jittery.
0:53.1	Europe's defence and security crowd is gathering here today for three days of talks about war,
0:55.2	deterrence, and a continent that feels a lot less safe without the big friend from across the Atlantic watching its back.
1:00.7	A bunch of us from Politico are here too, so come say hi if you're in Prague.
1:04.9	Also on the pod, Berlin is losing patience with the EU's enlargement delays.
1:09.7	And top-level roles in the EU are up for grabs next year, and the jostling has already
1:14.5	begun.
1:16.5	I'm Zoya Shafdlovich, and with me here in Prague is our chief foreign affairs correspondent Nick Finneker.
1:21.5	Hey, Nick.
1:22.3	Hey, Toya.
1:23.5	I've missed the past couple of podcasts because I've been sick.
1:26.4	A few people here in Prague have been telling me that the cure to what ails me is absence.
	...

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