The US embassy's divisive birthday bash

Summary

Podcast Summary: Brussels Playbook Podcast – "The US embassy's divisive birthday bash"

Date: June 11, 2026
Host: Zoya Sheftalovich
Guest: Ian Wishart
Overview:
This fast-paced episode explores the controversy swirling around the upcoming US Embassy’s 250th Independence Day bash in Brussels, dives into new data on lobbying heavyweights in the EU capital, and offers a quick, fun look at how FIFA World Cup stats tell us as much about global politics as sports.

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Main Theme

This episode centers on the US Embassy's highly anticipated, but divisive "birthday party" celebrating America's 250th Independence Day in Brussels. Host Zoya Sheftalovich and guest Ian Wishart unpack the societal, political, and environmental tensions surrounding the event. The episode also highlights new lobbying spend figures in Brussels and closes with lighthearted analysis ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The US Embassy’s 250th Birthday Bash: Controversy in Brussels

[00:27–06:55]

• Event Details:

  • The US is planning a large celebration in Brussels for its 250th birthday (though held a week early to avoid clashing with celebrations in Washington, D.C.)
  • The venue: Parc du Cinquantenaire, a major public park adjacent to EU institutions, will be closed for approximately 24–36 hours.
  • Expected attendees: 5,000 invited guests out of 8,000 invitations, including Belgian PM Bart Labour and NATO Head Mark Rutte.
  • Notably absent: Ursula von der Leyen (EU Commission chief) and European Council President Antonia Costa.

• Security & Logistics:

  • High-level security protocols: biometric data (photo upload) required for entry.
  • Concerns from some politicians about biometric data usage and privacy, though the Embassy claims data will be deleted post-event.

• Environmental Concerns:

  • Extensive 30-minute fireworks display, raising alarm about noise impacts on local wildlife—especially a colony of swifts in the park.
  • Quote:
    • Zoya: “Frankly, I think it’s too long.” [03:01]
    • Ian: “That's a long time for fireworks.” [03:02]
    • Zoya, joking: “Maybe they should swiftly fly away anyway. Boomtish.” [03:53]

• Geopolitical Undertones:

  • Some European officials are cautious about attending due to tensions spurred by US foreign policy, including Trump’s recent actions on Iran and EU tariffs.
  • Notable anonymous quote:
    • From a senior politician’s aide: “It still depends. We'll wait to see who the US invades next.” [06:13]
    • Zoya remarks: “That’s rather controversial, isn’t it?” [06:26]

• Entertainment & Guests:

  • Musical headliner: Zac Brown Band. (Rumors about Katy Perry's attendance debunked due to prior contractual commitments.)
  • Possible rain could disrupt the largely outdoor event; failed plans for an F-35 flyover due to refusal from Belgium’s Federal Mobility Minister to close airspace.

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2. Lobbying in Brussels: Germany Takes the Lead

[06:55–10:54]

• New Lobbying Data:

  • Corporate Europe Observatory & Lobbywatch reveal fresh figures on lobbying spend.
  • Germany is the top country for corporate lobbying in Brussels:
    • 28 of the top 100 companies by spend are German (Siemens, Volkswagen, DHL, Allianz, etc.).
    • Total: €86.75 million over the past year.
    • Ian: “It’s testament to the German economy, isn’t it, really?” [08:00]
  • The US comes second (€51.75m), followed by France (€26m).

• Sectors & Influence:

  • Major lobbying areas: automotive, pharma, tech, emissions trading.
  • Chemical industry tops individual spend, with Cefic spending €10m.
  • Big tech follows: Meta, Amazon, Apple, and Microsoft.
  • Strategic lobbying includes both political access and technical regulation.

• Notable Moment:

  • A data error initially suggested Grindr spent €9m lobbying, but correct figure is between €25,000–€50,000.
  • Zoya: “I was pretty blown away by that one.” [10:18]
  • Ian jokes: “I would still want to know...what does Grindr use €50,000 on to lobby EU institutions?” [10:44]

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3. FIFA World Cup and its Political Overtones

[11:09–13:23]

• Kick-Off & Coverage:

  • The 2026 FIFA World Cup opens tonight; featured match: South Africa vs. Mexico.
  • Zoya picks Mexico for home advantage.

• Political Narratives:

  • New POLITICO stories explore:
    • Historical and current World Cup scandals (by correspondent Ali Walker).
    • Comparison of World Cup countries based on non-football statistics:
      • Richest: Qatar; Longest life expectancy: Japan; Happiest: Sweden; Most politically stable: Uruguay; Highest corruption: Haiti.

• Memorable Banter:

  • Zoya: “Guess who has the best political stability?”
  • Ian: “Belgium.”
  • Zoya: “It's Uruguay.” (Surprised by the result.)

• Light-hearted Closer:

  • Ian, asked who will win the World Cup, instantly: “England.” [13:30]
  • Zoya, playfully: “She’s not coming home, Ian.” [13:31]

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4. Listener Voicemail: Pronunciation Lesson

[13:28–14:25]

• Listener Laura from Slovakia leaves a voicemail correcting the pronunciation of EU Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič’s name.
  • “It’s not Sefkovich, it’s Sefcovic.” [13:59]
  • Zoya: “I would love it if Laura from Slovakia just helped me with all of my pronunciations.” [14:18]

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Fireworks and Birdlife:

  • Zoya: “30 minute fireworks display...Frankly, I think it’s too long.” [03:01]
  • Zoya: “Maybe they should swiftly fly away anyway. Boomtish.” [03:53]

• On Security Measures:

  • Ian: “You can see why people feel nervous about [biometrics]. But equally, you can see why the security services are nervous about the security in the first place.” [04:12]

• Anonymous Quote on US Foreign Policy:

  • "We'll wait to see who the US invades next." [06:13]

• On German Lobbying:

  • Ian: "It’s testament to the German economy, isn’t it, really?" [08:00]

• On the Grindr Spending Error:

  • Zoya: "It was actually meant to be €25,000 to €49,999." [10:40]

• On Listener Pronunciation Help:

  • Zoya: “I would love it if Laura from Slovakia just helped me with all of my pronunciations.” [14:18]

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Segment Timestamps

• Opening & Podcast Setup: [00:27–01:27]
• US Embassy’s 250th Party & Controversy: [01:27–06:55]
• Lobbying in Brussels – Data Breakdown: [06:55–10:54]
• World Cup Preview & Political Context: [11:09–13:23]
• Listener Voicemail – Pronunciation: [13:28–14:25]
• Weekender Teaser & Wrap-up: [14:25–14:57]

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Tone & Style

Conversational, sharp-witted, and informative. Zoya and Ian engage in playful banter while delivering a rapid-fire overview of Brussels politics, insider gossip, and industry trends. The episode blends serious reflections on transatlantic relations and lobbying transparency with lighter moments on World Cup trivia and listener participation.

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For Further Listening & Reading

• Full lobbying spend figures: EU Influence newsletter (Thursday, 16:00)
• World Cup scandals & statistics: politico.eu

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Useful for listeners who missed the show, this summary covers all major topics and reflects the original character, offering both political context and moments of fun.

Transcript

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[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Good morning. It's Thursday, June 11, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast. The vibe in Brussels today is whoopee as the US Prepares its big birthday bash in Brussels. But insiders are warning that not everything might go according to plan. What else is new? Also on the pod, who is spending the most on lobbying in the EU capital? We'll break down the numbers and the FIFA World cup kicks off today. And it's already getting political. I'm Zoya Shevtolovich and with me today is Ian Wishart. Hey, Ian.

[Ian Wishart]

Hello, Zoya.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Did you have a big 250th birthday bash recently?

[Ian Wishart]

I don't think I've quite got to that stage of my life yet.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

No. Two more years.

[Ian Wishart]

Yeah.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

All right, well, listen, the US is turning 250 on July 4th, and we've got a great story out this morning by our colleague Sebastian Sarchevic on the big bash that's happening here in Brussels.

[Ian Wishart]

Too late to get an invitation, I think, Zoya.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

I've already been invited.

[Ian Wishart]

Indeed.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah. That's how fancy I am.

[Ian Wishart]

You'll know then that there's quite a lot of logistics involved just to be a guest.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah. I had to upload a photo of myself so that they could make sure that they could recognize me. And with like biometrics on entry because it's going to be top security.

[Ian Wishart]

They'll see your photo and turn you away. This is what the story is about, really, because they're taking over Park San Quentin air. For people who don't know Brussels. That's a huge public park right next to the EU institutions, usually, well, always open to the public to walk through, go for jogs, walk your dog. But it's going to be closed for the weekend of June 28th, not quite the full weekend.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

So Seb has spoken with the US mission and with the Brussels government and they've said, look, it's probably going to be like 24, 36 hours that it'll be closed.

[Ian Wishart]

Okay. And big guest list. The Belgian Prime Minister, Bart Labour, head of NATO, Mark Rutter. Politicians, diplomats, lots of people.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah. Although it is Interesting. Who's not coming? So they've been invited, but we hear that Ursula von der Leyen, the commission, really, she's going to be a notion. She's going to be traveling, we've been told. Antonia Costa, the European Council president, also doesn't look like he'll be showing up, but Roberta Mazzola, she's probably going to be there.

[Ian Wishart]

Okay. And it's controversial because of people saying they shouldn't close the park for that long, but also because of the security involved and also because of wildlife.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah. And let's not forget the fact that Donald Trump isn't exactly the most popular of the month. Yeah, yeah. So on the environmental stuff, so basically there's gonna be a 30 minute fireworks display, which frankly, I think it's too long.

[Ian Wishart]

That's a long time for fireworks.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Such a long time for fireworks. But anyway, they're gonna be doing this giant fireworks display, which Donald Trump is very proud of.

[Ian Wishart]

Let's be clear. You can celebrate America without celebrating Donald Trump.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

You can. It's true. And I think that is why 5,000 guests are expected.

[Ian Wishart]

8,000 invitations were sent out. I saw.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

That's right. Yeah, that's right. I'm sorry to hear you didn't make the cut.

[Ian Wishart]

I was snubbed myself.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Sorry, Ian. But anyway, so the problem is that there's fears about the birds that are in the park and what the fireworks might do for them.

[Ian Wishart]

There's a big colony of swifts, I'm told.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yes, the. The regular old swift. It's going to be sad by the fireworks, I gather. I don't know about swifts. I'm not a bird gal, but let's just say they're going to be in some way impacted and people don't like it. Environmentalists don't like it.

[Ian Wishart]

I think that the impact will be the noise, the fireworks.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

They don't like loud noises.

[Ian Wishart]

No, not. Not really.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Maybe they should swiftly fly away anyway. Boomtish. That's going to be one issue. The other issue is there are politicians who've raised concerns about the biometric stuff, the security stuff. They're a bit concerned about the fact that these photos are going to be going up and where are they going? Although Seb reports that apparently they are going to be deleted after the event.

[Ian Wishart]

You can see why people feel nervous about that. But equally you can see why the security services are nervous about the security in the first place.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Totally. And you mentioned the 8,000 invitations that have gone out. So the embassy has said they expect around about 5,000 people to show up. But the indoor part of the event that's being held at AutoWorld, the museum with the old cars, that's only really got space for 1200 people.

[Ian Wishart]

So if everyone hope it doesn't rain, then.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Exactly. And we live in Belgium, Ian, so that's a vain hope any time of

[Ian Wishart]

the year, especially in June.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah, that's right. There was meant to be a flyover with F35 jets, but that got cancelled because the Federal Mobility Minister, Jean Luc Krook, he refused to close the Brussels airspace because he reckoned that that would cause significant damage.

[Ian Wishart]

Why is it on July 4th, anyway? Because that's Independence Day.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

It is, but there's a huge bash in the White House that's happening and basically the US mission here and elsewhere, they didn't want to overshadow or, you know, compete with that US Washington D.C. event, so they're doing theirs a week early.

[Ian Wishart]

As you said, there is a lot of tension transatlantically at the moment because of Iran, and it started with Trump's threats to Green and also obviously, the tariffs he imposed on European Union. Will this solve the problems? You think this will make everybody happy again? Bring back harmony?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

I mean, maybe. Maybe they'll bring back harmony with the Zach Brown Band, which is the headline performer.

[Ian Wishart]

I thought it was supposed to be Katy Perry. Well, there were rumors because she's in a relationship with a Canadian Prime Minister.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Former Prime Minister.

[Ian Wishart]

Former Prime Minister.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

There were rumors that it was going to be Katy Perry and the US mission did confirm that she had been asked to attend, but she's actually got a concert the night before here, and she can't contractually compete with her own concert, apparently, so she's not able to do it. Although, who knows? Maybe at the last minute she'll sell out her Brussels concert and then she'll be able to be a surprise act.

[Ian Wishart]

Our colleague Seb has got some really juicy quotes, including one that I really like, from an official working for a really senior politician who didn't want to be named, but said that this senior politician had been invited but hadn't chosen whether they were going to go yet or not. He said it still depends. We'll wait to see who the US invades next. That's rather controversial, isn't it?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

It is rather controversial. I can see why he didn't want his name on it. Look, that's the bottom line. Trump is a tricky guy and there is some decision making that needs to be made in some of those halls of power, whether they go and might get accused of condoning what the US is doing in Iran. And so, yeah, I think it will be a difficult decision to make whether to go or not. Ian, our next story, it's on lobbying.

[Ian Wishart]

I think Brussels absolutely survives on lobbying.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah, true story.

[Ian Wishart]

The whole infrastructure of the way that the EU works is lobbying.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah. And also, plus, no one ever has to pay for dinner because they're always lobbying.

[Ian Wishart]

You go somewhere every night, don't you get free dinner?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Pretty much. Sometimes. It's pretty good. Well, listen, our colleague Mary Echols has her hands on some spending figures that have been released today on your dinners. Not on dinners, it's lobbying figures released today by Lobby Watches, Corporate Europe Observatory. And she's going to have these figures in full in this afternoon's EU Influence newsletter, which people can sign up to, if you haven't already.

[Ian Wishart]

Comes out at 4 o' clock on a Thursday.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

That's right. But in a little preview before you get that. Basically, what Mari has found is the big thing is that Germany is the absolute biggest in terms of lobbying spend here in Brussels.

[Ian Wishart]

And we're not talking about the government, are we? Where this is all about companies. So companies based in Germany.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yep, that's right. And there are, of the top 100 big spending companies, the Germans are responsible for 28 of them. That includes Siemens, Volkswagen, DHL Group, Allianz. Huge.

[Ian Wishart]

I mean, it's not too much of a surprise when you think that Germany has so many of these big companies in it. In a way, it's testament to the German economy, isn't it, really?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

It is, Yep. They spent 86.75 million over the last year lobbying the Euro.

[Ian Wishart]

And I suppose that gets shown up in all sorts of different policy areas as well, whether it's, you know, automotive or pharma tech, emissions trading and all that sort of thing. You can. You can see why that money is being spent. And it's, you know, you want to, if you work for these companies, you want to persuade MEPs around to your point of view. You want to persuade the commission around to your point of view.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

The media.

[Ian Wishart]

The media too. That's part of the lobbying industry here, isn't it?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

It is. Although they wouldn't be reflected in these figures, I wouldn't think, because I don't think they have to declare spend on.

[Ian Wishart]

Oh, is that right?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah. I don't know.

[Ian Wishart]

Buying you dinner. Do you declare it? That's the more important part.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

I don't let them do it. I buy my own dinners. Ian Wishart. Well, listen, in second place after Germany is the us. If you can believe it.

[Ian Wishart]

Well, I can believe, and actually I'm surprised that in a way that the US is second to Germany. You think that with the size of the country and the size of all the companies they have, their tech companies and things like that, then you would think that actually might, might even surpass Germany.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

But they haven't. So they've spent 51.75 million and France is 26.

[Ian Wishart]

So that's quite a long way back below those two.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah, it is, absolutely. The other question is like, what are they getting for that money? Aside from just getting their MEPs and commissioners to sort of come around to their way of you? Have they actually got anything to show for it?

[Ian Wishart]

I would say that probably one of the biggest victories that German carmakers have had, all the lobbying appearing to pay off, was when the commission agreed to water down the combustion engine ban, which was supposed to kick in 2035.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah, that was a huge one for them. And now, you know, the ETS is on shaky ground, the Emissions Trading Scheme. So I think definitely I can see where that money is going to the chemical lobby group Sephic had the highest spend. It splashed at 10 million.

[Ian Wishart]

A lot of money, isn't it?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

So much, yeah. And then Meta was in second place, Amazon was in third, then Apple, and then Microsoft.

[Ian Wishart]

Sian Hughes, the strategy director and head of sustainability at Acumen, which is a public affairs group, explained to Mary for the Influence newsletter today that this lobbying expenditure is not just about political access, it's also about technical work. So trying to get your message across on standards and certifications and product regulation and that kind of thing.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yes, super interesting. There was one very eye catching stat in the report that kind of caught us all off guard. It was that Grindr, the hookup app, was spending 9 million lobbying in Brussels for last year. I was pretty blown away by that one.

[Ian Wishart]

I'm sure you were.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Turns out it was an error. So it was actually meant to be €25,000 to €49,999.

[Ian Wishart]

I would still want to know what that lobby even. €50,000. What does Grindr use €50,000 on to lobby EU institutions?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Probably something to do with data protection. Who knows? Anyway, they'd accidentally put in their global numbers. So they are spending 9 million on on lobbying. Just not much in Brussels.

[Ian Wishart]

Zoya, are you excited about the World cup that starts tonight?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

I am actually really pumped.

[Ian Wishart]

I love South Africa or Mexico tonight. Do you think? Who's your money on?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

I think if I had money on anything, it would probably be Mexico.

[Ian Wishart]

Really?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah.

[Ian Wishart]

The hosts.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah, I feel like they'd have a boost from home team advantage.

[Ian Wishart]

We're talking about it not just because it starts today, but we've got a couple of nice stories on the political website that I think people might want to read.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah, totally. We actually have our colleague Ali Walker, who is a giant sports nut despite being Scottish. Maybe because of being Scottish, he's in

[Ian Wishart]

America for the tournament, but because he follows Scotland, I expect he'll be home soon.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yeah, well, someone's got to do it. Listen, he has profiled the various scandals and political debates that have overshadowed this World cup and others before. So that's a fun one. You can read all about the various scandals and things that have overshadowed it. And then we've got another story. That one's really fun. That's coming out actually tomorrow, so you'll have to remember to click onto Politico EU for it. But it's looking at basically the World cup statistics when you look at how countries that are in the tournament stack up against other countries on other measurements.

[Ian Wishart]

Okay.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Not just football skills.

[Ian Wishart]

Give me an example, because I don't know what you're talking about.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Okay, so Qatar is the richest country.

[Ian Wishart]

Richest country in the World Cup.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

In the World Cup. Exactly. By life expectancy, Japan would win.

[Ian Wishart]

Right.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Guess who's the happiest?

[Ian Wishart]

Belgium.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

You've just happy.

[Ian Wishart]

I thought you said unhappiest. Sorry.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

The happiest of the Swedes.

[Ian Wishart]

Oh, really?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Yes. Saga, are you really happy? Our producer Saga is Swedish.

[Red Bull Announcer]

Happy every single day.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Especially when I'm in the studio. Oh, look at that.

[Ian Wishart]

She doesn't come across as that happy, does she?

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

I think she does. It checks out. It checks out. Guess who has the best political stability?

[Ian Wishart]

Belgium.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

It's Uruguay.

[Ian Wishart]

Blimey.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Actually, I was kind of surprised by that. What are the Uruguayans doing? Right. And corruption. Haiti. Haiti has the highest level of perceived corruption. And Norway and New Zealand are the two equally least corrupt perceptions.

[Ian Wishart]

Great. But none of those countries are going to win the World cup, so they're all doing something wrong. They shouldn't be happy and they shouldn't be corrupt.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

No, they should be passionate.

[Ian Wishart]

They shouldn't live long. They should just concentrate on.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Pick up. All good.

[Ian Wishart]

Yeah.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

So who do you think is going to win?

[Ian Wishart]

England.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

You said that so fast. She's not coming home, Ian. All right, we've got some voicemails to get through. Laura from Slovakia has written in about one of her biggest mispronunciation pet peeves after our chat about mispronunciations she's got a lesson on how to pronounce a certain Mr. Fix its name from the European Commission. Let's listen to that. Hi, Playbook. Hi, Zoya. I'd like to point out that the correct way to pronounce the commissioner's name is as follows. Maros. It's not Sefkovich, it's Sefcovic.

[Ian Wishart]

Yeah, like I said, Sefkovic.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Can I just say, I would love it if Laura from Slovakia just helped me with all of my pronunciations.

[Ian Wishart]

I bet she's not even called Laura.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Laura, probably. Do we know what's happening on the Brussels Playbook Weekender?

[Ian Wishart]

Yes, Sawyer, we do. Sarah will be talking about national politics and all the sorts of current, controversial aspects of politics around Europe.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Go on. Which countries?

[Ian Wishart]

Denmark, Greece, France.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Oh, that sounds very fun. That's it from us this week. We'll be speaking to you again on Monday. But before that happens, do us a favor. Rate us. Review us. Tell everyone. Sign up, if you haven't already.

[Ian Wishart]

Okay. Bye, Zoya.

[Zoya Shevtolovich]

Bye.

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