Brussels Playbook Podcast: "About those energy bills, Commissioner..."

Date: March 25, 2026
Host: Zoya Shevdolovic (Chief EU Correspondent, POLITICO)
Guest: Dan Jorgensen (EU Commissioner for Housing and Energy)
Co-host: Ian Wishart (Senior EU Politics Editor)
Duration: ~15 minutes

Episode Overview

This episode dives into Europe’s persistent energy and cost of living crisis, touching on how geopolitical crises—most recently the Strait of Hormuz situation and its impact on energy prices—are affecting households and policymakers across the continent. Zoya interviews Commissioner Dan Jorgensen at POLITICO’s Competitive Europe Summit to discuss the EU’s evolving energy independence, decarbonisation, housing challenges, and the political fallout from Denmark’s election and the Greenland crisis. The podcast rounds out with lighter segments on the contest to host the EU’s new customs agency and, in true Playbook fashion, the "Tree of the Year."

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Danish Elections and Political Fallout

• Election Results & Coalition Dynamics ([00:49]–[01:41])
  • Mette Frederiksen's Social Democrats lose a substantial vote share but remain likely to form the next government.
  • The centrist "Moderates," led by well-known EU figure Lars Løkke Rasmussen, become kingmakers.
  • “A key thing in this campaign for Frederiksen was this 5% tax on fortunes exceeding 2.3 million. A wealth tax.” — Zoya Shevdolovic [01:53]
• Campaign Issues
  • Cost of living, housing, environment, water quality.
  • The “Greenland grab” (Trump’s threat to take Greenland) possibly motivated early elections but domestic issues dominated.

2. Interview: Dan Jorgensen, EU Commissioner for Housing and Energy

a) State of the Energy Crisis ([03:08]–[05:47])

• Energy costs remain high despite four years since Russia invaded Ukraine; current spikes are exacerbated by conflict in the Middle East and security worries in the Strait of Hormuz.
• Jorgensen describes energy as the “center of many of the challenges that we face” ([03:33]).
• EU’s energy landscape is “better situated” now:
  • Russian gas dependency reduced from a majority to about 10%.
  • Near-total end to imports of Russian coal and oil.
  • Big increase in renewables (“more homegrown energy and… more cheap energy”).
  • Despite improvements, “when the world market prices go up, it doesn’t really matter so much what your sources are. If you are dependent on fossils, you will be hurt.” ([05:36])

b) Policy Tools, Geopolitics, and Russian Energy ([05:47]–[08:00])

• EU’s options are limited against global shocks like Iran’s actions.
• Flexible State Aid: Allowing targeted relief for households and businesses in need.
• Russia “Return” Debate: Discussion at the EU Council about whether to revisit sanctions on Russian oil and gas for affordability.
• “[There] is no road back to dependency of Russian energy. In my opinion, in the future, we should not again ever import as much as one molecule of Russian energy.” — Dan Jorgensen [07:43]

c) Danish and European Identity Post-Greenland Crisis ([08:00]–[10:49])

• Strong emotional response among Danes and especially Greenlanders to Trump’s threats.
• The “Greenland moment” has, according to Jorgensen, united the EU, increased Danish pro-EU sentiment, and highlighted the value of “having good friends and a very close community.”
• “There is no security without energy security.” — Dan Jorgensen [10:48]
• Speculation on whether Greenland could seek EU membership for protection, but Jorgensen expresses gratitude for EU solidarity.

3. EU’s Customs Agency Contest ([11:22]–[13:20])

• Nine cities (including Porto, Liege, Bucharest, Lille, Warsaw, Malaga, Zagreb, The Hague, Rome) vie to host the new pan-EU Customs Agency (coming in 2028).

• Importance of hosting:

  • Economic: Brings highly paid staff, local investment.
  • Political: “If you host an agency in your country, then you’ve got kind of an outsized role in shaping its policies and decisions, and that’s kind of a huge advantage.” — Zoya Shevdolovic [13:21]

• Leading contenders: Lille, Warsaw, Malaga, Zagreb, The Hague.

4. Lighter Segment: European Tree of the Year ([13:46]–[14:49])

• Lithuania’s Oak of Laukiai (approx. 400 years old) wins the title.
• Commissioner Jorgensen’s favorite tree: Birch.
• Humorous rapport: “After 25 years in politics, I get a question I have never gotten before... I’m also a Birch man.” — Dan Jorgensen [14:35]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On EU Energy Dependency:
  “No, there is no road back to dependency of Russian energy. In my opinion, in the future, we should not again ever import as much as one molecule of Russian energy.”
  — Dan Jorgensen [07:43]

• On Feeling the Energy Pinch:
  “It’s chilly because all of us are turning off our heating and not filling up our cars because we’re worried about rising energy prices.”
  — Zoya Shevdolovic [03:11]

• On Post-Greenland Crisis Unity:
  “I think probably the European Union has changed because of this. For the good, I would say, because we stand shoulder by shoulder.”
  — Dan Jorgensen [09:01]

• On Tree Preferences and Playful Banter:
  “After 25 years in politics, I get a question I have never gotten before... I’m also a Birch man.”
  — Dan Jorgensen [14:35]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Danish Elections: Fallout and Analysis: [00:49]–[02:24]
• Commissioner Jorgensen Interview (energy, Russia, cost of living): [03:08]–[10:49]
• Customs Agency Eurovision-Style Contest: [11:22]–[13:20]
• Tree of the Year / Favorite Tree Segment: [13:46]–[14:49]

Summary & Takeaways

• The EU’s efforts to shake off Russian energy dependency are working, but international crises (like those in the Middle East) keep energy prices volatile, hurting everyone from industry to ordinary citizens.
• There is little appetite among European leaders or the Commission for a return to Russian energy, despite economic pain and political murmurs.
• Danish politics see renewed debates over wealth taxes, housing, and identity after extraordinary circumstances such as the Greenland crisis.
• The contest for EU agency headquarters illustrates both the importance of EU soft power and the tangible local benefits for member states.
• The episode closes in characteristic Playbook style: with tree puns and EU banter, a blend of serious news and magazine-style lightness.