Von der Leyen accused of overreach

Summary

---

Brussels Playbook Podcast

Episode: Von der Leyen accused of overreach

Date: March 9, 2026
Host: Zoya Sheftalovich
Guest: Nick Vinicour, POLITICO’s Chief Foreign Affairs Correspondent

---

Episode Overview

This episode of the Brussels Playbook Podcast examines rising frustration in Brussels over European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s perceived overreach during the ongoing Iran conflict and in EU enlargement discussions. The episode also covers the EU’s growing housing crisis and recent disruptions to public transportation in Brussels, offering listeners in-depth context, political nuance, and a touch of the hosts' signature humor.

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

---

1. Von der Leyen’s “Overreach” in EU Foreign Policy

[01:33 – 08:24]

The Iran Conflict and Diplomatic Tensions

• The Iran conflict has entered its second week, with notable escalations, including the appointment of a new Iranian Supreme Leader, Mujtaba Khamenei, following the death of his father, Ali Khamenei, in a US-Israeli strike.
• The European Council President (António Costa) and Commission President (von der Leyen) are convening a video conference with Middle Eastern leaders.
• EU focus: Expressing solidarity, supporting EU citizens abroad, and managing diplomatic relationships with Gulf countries.

Frustration with Ursula von der Leyen

• Increasing irritation among diplomats, EU officials, and lawmakers over von der Leyen’s proactive role in foreign policy.

• Complaints include her:

  • Holding independent calls with Gulf leaders.
  • Sending Commissioners to high-level meetings (like the Board of Peace).
  • Taking an “activist” stance on enlargement, beyond her perceived mandate.

• Key Quote:

  “They’re saying, well, you know, this really is not her mandate to conduct foreign policy on behalf of the EU states, and we need to have a bit of a reckoning about who does what in the EU.”
  — Nick Vinicour [03:02]

• Normally, EU foreign policy is the purview of the High Representative (currently Kaja Kallas) and/or the Council President (António Costa).

Member States’ Response

• Some diplomats, especially from smaller and larger states alike, are rallying behind High Representative Kaja Kallas, defending the slow, consensus-driven approach (“27 member states”) to foreign policy.

• There is confusion about what von der Leyen might be promising external leaders in her conversations—and on whose behalf those commitments are being made.

• Von der Leyen’s controversial statement about “transition in Iran” was interpreted by some as EU endorsement of regime change, which was not an agreed position.

• Key Quote:

  “When you say such things, who are you speaking on behalf of? And there isn’t really a great answer to that question.”
  — Nick Vinicour [05:41]

---

2. EU Enlargement Debate

[05:52 – 08:02]

• Ursula von der Leyen has been pushing to open the EU to new members, which has irked more conservative member states who want a slower approach.

• Recent discussions and leaks from the Commission have led to the perception that Ukraine could become a full member by 2027—a timeline most capitals reject.

• The idea of a “reverse enlargement,” where Ukraine could have limited membership benefits before full accession, is in play.

• These debates reflect broader concerns about process, pace, and the need for unanimous member state support.

• Key Quote:

  “The idea of them becoming a full member state in 2027 is just not going to fly with anyone.”
  — Nick Vinicour [06:50]

---

3. Brussels Ambassadors Conference & Institutional Tensions

[08:02 – 08:24]

• The annual Ambassadors Conference in Brussels features both Kaja Kallas and Ursula von der Leyen as speakers, with institutional tensions expected on the sidelines.
• Concerns over the downgrading and resource-stripping of the EEAS (European External Action Service) will be a theme.

---

4. EU Housing Crisis

[08:24 – 11:46]

• Ministers are meeting in Brussels for informal discussions on housing, followed by a European Parliament debate.

• The housing crisis is political dynamite — linking housing unaffordability to the rise of far-right and fringe parties.

  • Statistic:
    “Between 2010 and the second quarter of 2025, house prices in the EU increased by 60%, and rents by 29%.”
    — Zoya Sheftalovich [09:58]

• In some cities, rents exceed average incomes (Lisbon: 116% of average salary spent on rent).

• Rapidly rising rents in Brussels: €1,300/month for apartments, €900/month for studios.

  • Especially tough on EU interns and trainees.

• The EU’s first affordable housing plan was presented (by Commissioner Dan Jorgensen), warning leaders that inaction would empower populists.

• Policy ideas include better tracking of speculation, and more powers for regional/local governments to restrict short-term lets (e.g., Airbnb).

• Key Quote:

  “In places like Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, families spend over 70% of their income on rent. In Lisbon, it’s 116%, Nick. That’s higher rents than average salaries!”
  — Zoya Sheftalovich [10:21]
  “It doesn’t work.”
  — Nick Vinicour [10:40]

---

5. Brussels Public Transport Woes

[11:46 – 13:59]

• Reconstruction of Schuman Roundabout is nearing completion, favoring pedestrians and cyclists at the expense of bus access.

• Permanent bus route deviations are likely, causing inconvenience.

• Plans for a €13-million steel canopy at Schuman are scrapped due to budget constraints.

• Extended train strike underway through Wednesday, with a general strike affecting all public transport scheduled for Thursday.

• Memorable Exchange:

  “I like to take the bus… walking through [Schuman] is a bit of a nightmare at the moment. But… the way that they’ve redesigned the roundabout… it’s not going to be accessible for buses. So the deviations… are here to stay forever.”
  — Zoya Sheftalovich [11:52]
  “Terrible news for bus riders. Or is it?”
  — Nick Vinicour [12:22]

---

6. Lighthearted Closing: Idioms and Listener Engagement

[13:59 – 15:37]

• Zoya shares the Aussie idiom “not here to put socks on a centipede” (not wanting to waste time).

• Nick shares equivalents (“let’s not split hairs”; French and Swedish variants), and Zoya adds “don’t put pasta on my ears” (Ukrainian; meaning don’t bamboozle me).

• Listeners are invited to share their own regional, non-translatable idioms via WhatsApp.

• Memorable Moment:

  “Apparently it’s an Aussie-ism. Nick, do you know what it means?”
  — Zoya Sheftalovich [14:27]
  “Literally never heard that before in my life.”
  — Nick Vinicour [14:28]

---

Important Timestamps

• Von der Leyen’s overreach in foreign policy: [02:43 – 05:52]
• EU Enlargement and Ukraine debate: [05:52 – 08:02]
• Ambassadors Conference & EEAS resources: [08:02 – 08:24]
• EU Housing crisis stats and debate: [08:24 – 11:41]
• Public transport issues in Brussels: [11:46 – 13:59]
• Idioms and cultural sign-off: [13:59 – 15:37]

---

Tone & Notable Quotes

• The dialogue is lively, colloquial, and grounded in candid political observations.
• Zoya Sheftalovich’s humor shines (commiserating about moving and rent, playful idiom chat).
• Nick Vinicour’s reporting brings behind-the-scenes color from diplomatic sources.

---

For First-Time Listeners

This episode delivers a concise and punchy guide to the hottest debates in Brussels, with reporting from the ground. The show weaves together high-level political disputes with relatable anecdotes, making it highly accessible—and engaging—for newcomers and policy insiders alike.

---

Transcript

[A]

Today's episode is presented by 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@AWS EU Good morning.

[B]

It's Monday, March 9th, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast. The vibe in Brussels today is irritated. At least that's the feeling we're getting from the diplomats, EU officials and lawmakers we've spoken to over the past week, who are frustrated by what they describe as an overreach by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen in response to the war in Iran. Also on the pod, ministers are sitting down in Brussels to discuss the continent's housing crisis. And a slew of public transport hiccups in Brussels could make life more difficult for those who comm. But what else is new? With me today, it's Nick Vinicour, Politico's chief foreign affairs correspondent. Hey, Nick, how's your weekend been?

[C]

It's been good so far. I'm back in the gym, Zoya, so watch out.

[B]

Oh, and it's not even a New Year's resolution. I love that new spring cleaning for the body. Well done.

[C]

We're getting ready for the summer.

[B]

The summer bod. It's. It's happening, guys. I was moving all weekend, Nick, so I feel like that's almost as good as going to the gym. That's what I keep telling myself.

[C]

You got your workout in. That's what counts.

[B]

All right, Nick, let's get to our first story today. The Iran conflict is entering its second week, and last night we actually heard there's a new Iranian supreme leader. It's Mujtaba Khamenei, the son of Ali Khamenei, who was killed by the US And Israel in their strikes at the start of this war. And now the US and Israel have said that actually this guy isn't going to last very long either because he is a priority target in this war as well. Meanwhile, in the eu, the European Council President, Antonio Kosta, together with Ursula von der Leyen, the Commission president, they're convening a video conference with leaders from Middle Eastern countries on the war. Nick, what are we going to expect to come out of that?

[C]

I think we're going to see more expressions of solidarity, of support for the Middle Eastern countries. You know, let's remember that we have defense cooperation agreements between a lot of EU states and the Gulf countries. States. And there's an overarching agreement of cooperation between the EU and the gcc, the Gulf Cooperation Council. So just kind of more support. And there is a pressing issue on the table, which is EU citizens stuck in those countries and discussions about how to get them back to their homes in the eu.

[B]

Yeah. And that's something that the EU has been quite closely focused on. But there has also been a little bit of freelancing, perhaps in the eyes of certain diplomats from Commission President von der Leyen. Nick, you've got a story out today about the irritation that some EU governments are feeling over how she has approached the conflict. What have you found out?

[C]

Well, we've had discussions with many diplomats, EU officials, lawmakers from small countries in large countries. And essentially what we're getting is a sense of frustration, concern about what a lot of people describe as overreach by the Commission president. They refer a lot to her activity during the Iran crisis, holding a flurry of calls with Gulf over the weekend. But it also goes further than that. It's also her decision to send a commissioner to the Board of Peace. It's also what some countries see as a kind of activist stance from the Commission on enlarging the eu. And they're saying, well, you know, this really is not her mandate to conduct foreign policy on behalf of the EU states, and we need to have a bit of a reckoning about who does what in the eu.

[B]

Well, so this is the question, you know, that idea of whose mandate is it anyway? Because this would normally be the purview of the EU's high representative. That's Kaya Kallas. She is the EU's top diplomat. She should be involved in this quite heavily. And on other issues, Antonia Kosta, the Council president, would normally be the person who would be in the lead. So I think there is a little bit of sense that Ursula von der Leyen is doing a few extra jobs, not just as Commission chief. And you mentioned the Board of Peace. That was Donald Trump's kind of initiative where he wanted to get together various parties, interested stakeholders, and decide the future of Gaza's Palestinians. And that was the event that Dubravka Schwitzer attended, and she was an observer, but also there were some questions raised about what that actually means.

[C]

Exactly. And we've reported a lot about some of the frustrations there have been around kaiakalis performance. What's really interesting is to see the member states now kind of rallying behind Kaiakalis and saying, we have a method for conducting foreign policy. It is slow. It's painstaking. It's consensus among 27 member states. But that's Kaiakalis job to convene those ministers and to get those common positions. And they did that last Sunday at the start of the US Israel campaign against Iran. And they did come up with against expectations, shared position. And what they don't understand is, is what von der Leyen is doing, having these meetings and having these phone calls with leaders to say, well, what exactly is she promising them and on whose behalf is she's taking positions? She had one position which was controversial last week, where she talked about a transition in Iran that was taken as a sort of tacit endorsement of regime change. And you have a lot of member countries saying, hold on, that is not an EU position. That is not a consensus position agreed by all the member states. When you say such things, who are you speaking on behalf of? And there isn't really a great answer to that question.

[B]

Yeah. And there's also the question of EU accession for new member countries. You and I have both been reporting on this quite significantly over the past few months. And there is this kind of push to open the EU to new members now because there hasn't been a new member since 2013, since Croatia joined. So certainly that is something that Ursula von der Leyen and her commission have been pushing for. But there is this question of like, okay, is she pushing too fast and too hard for some of these more conservative member countries who want a bit more time to think things through? So that has also annoyed capitals.

[C]

Absolutely. And you know, you reported on it. We reported on it. There was a dinner last week that was a bit of a airing of kind of a lot of these issues, particularly on enlargement. And one thing that is a little bit unfortunate from all that is the perception that the member states have said they don't want Ukraine to come in as fast as the commission was saying. Now, I've been speaking to some counters, council folks and different diplomats and saying, well, that's an unfortunate consequence of the commission just kind of moving too fast and floating too many options. We do want Ukraine inside the union. We're even ready to conclude negotiations with them in 2027. But the idea of them becoming a full member state in 2027 is just not going to fly with anyone. And it wasn't helpful that the commission seemed to be perhaps floating that option via some channels.

[B]

Yeah. Though I will say, Nick, that in my reporting that I did, the big story that kind of kicked, I think, some of this conversation off, the commission was not indicating and the options being considered. It wasn't necessarily saying that it was talking about full membership for Ukraine. It was talking about this reverse enlargement idea where it would be some semblance of membership with limited benefits. But in any case, look, there's going to be a very interesting meeting today. It's the annual Ambassadors conference that happens in Brussels, and that's going to be this morning. Actually kicks off this morning. And kaya Callis, the EU's top diplomat, plus Ursula von der Leyen are both slated to speak this morning, as well as Roberta Mazzolo, the Parliament present. So I think that'll be a really interesting one for us to watch.

[C]

Absolutely. All these tensions will be in the background on the sidelines of that conference. There's also the question of resources. People feel that the EAs, the external action Service, is being downgraded, having some of its resources taken away. So that's going to be another theme at this Ambassadors conference this morning.

[B]

Okay, onto our second story today. Ministers are sitting down in Brussels for an informal discussion on the housing crisis. And this is a topic close to my heart because I spent this weekend moving and let me tell you, I do not love the amount of rent I'm going to need to be paying. So definitely it's something that's hitting close to home for me on Tuesday. Then there's going to be a debate scheduled in the European Parliament where meps are going to discuss ideas that they've got for solving the problem. But it's a crisis. The housing crisis is something that is being felt not just in the eu. It's actually we're finding those echoes of that crisis elsewhere in the us, in Australia, elsewhere. So it is a big one. Nick, what is this all about? What is the EU's idea for how to solve this?

[C]

Yeah, and you know, this is usually not an EU competence. This is usually not something the EU worries about it. I think the reason that we're seeing such mobilization is because this is a huge political driver. It seems to be behind so many trends with the far right and fringe groups being more popular is because of cost of living and of course, lack of affordable housing. So last year, Housing Commissioner Dan Jorgensen presented the block's first ever affordable housing plan. And he warned at the time, I'm respectfully telling decision makers all over Europe either they take the housing problem seriously or they accept they'll have to hand over power to populace. Making the connection right there. It's fueling support for the far right and far left. And Zoya I know you've got some really interesting statistics about just how bad things are.

[B]

Yeah, we've been doing a little research here at the Brussels Playbook podcast. We had a look at it and there are some really shocking stats around housing affordability around Europe. So firstly, between 2010, the second quarter of 2025, house prices in the EU increased by 60% and rents by 29%. And if you look at a place like Lisbon, for instance, Nick, you really get a sense of just how bad things are. So it's a question of how much income is spent on rent. And in places like Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, families spend over 70% of their income on rent. In Lisbon, it's 116%, Nick. That's higher rents than average salaries. It's quite an intense problem that doesn't

[C]

add up, and I'm not a math major, but it doesn't work.

[B]

I don't think it takes mathematics to figure out that 116% is too many percent.

[C]

Absolutely.

[B]

And the problem is really significant in Brussels too. So in the EU capital average rents now exceed 1300 Euro per month for apartments and Euro 900 per month for studios. So that's a huge amount for someone who, for instance, need to move to Brussels for a stagier role or a Blue Book trainee to pay, or as

[C]

an EU chief correspondent.

[B]

Yeah, I haven't come to grips with just how high my rent is yet, because I haven't had to pay it yet. But I'm looking forward to that shoe dropping. All right, Nick. Well, there's a few things that are on the agenda in terms of how to fix this problem. There's ideas about tracking speculation in the housing market. There's ideas about giving regional and local governments tools to rein in short term rentals, which a lot of people say contribute to housing shortage. And you know, there's all sorts of things in the toolbox. But as you say, this is kind of uncharted territory for the eu.

[C]

Indeed.

[B]

Hey, Nick.

[C]

Yeah?

[B]

How do you get to work?

[C]

I walk usually. Unless I'm very late, in which case it's an E scooter.

[B]

Well, it's good news for you, bad news for me, because I like to take the bus. You know, there's been this revamp of the Schumann Roundabout that's been happening. The construction is set to finally wrap up in the autumn. Thank God, because let me tell you, walking through there is a bit of a nightmare at the moment. But there's a catch. Of course there's a catch. The way that they've redesigned the roundabout. It favors walking and cycling, but that means it's not going to be accessible for buses. So the deviations on the various bus routes are actually here to stay forever. Nick.

[C]

Terrible news for bus riders. Or is it?

[B]

Well, I don't know. It's a terrible news for me because I am directionally challenged and every time the bus goes a different direction to what Google tells me it's meant to go, I panic and think that I have no idea how I'm going to get anywhere. But actually, that's not the only thing that's happening, Nick. Because, you know, there was meant to be this beautiful steel canopy showstopper at the roundabout that they were going to spend 13 million euro on.

[C]

I was very excited about that. What happened?

[B]

Well, turns out 13 million is just a few too many million for a beautiful steel canopy. Because that's on the chopping block, Nick. It's gone, it's out, it's dead. No more steel canopy.

[C]

Oh, that is a bummer. I do remember something about the Brussels government running out of money and having to ask the commission to top it up. I guess that money didn't come through from the commission.

[B]

Maybe it didn't come through. Or maybe they just decided there were better ways of using 13 million euro than a steel canopy, Nick. All right, but that's not all. We've got some other bummer transportation news for all of our listeners. Firstly, there's a big train strike that kicked off last night and basically it's happening all the way through to Wednesday. So if you're a train traveler and you're thinking about commuting, well, you'd best seek alternative routes. Maybe a scooter. I don't know how far a scooter is going to take you, Nick. What's the furthest you've ever traveled on a scooter?

[C]

Well, it kind of stops abruptly once you get out of city limits. So I've discovered that a few times I've taken it to the furthest reach of mankind, basically as far as you can take it. Tarverin Tervurin. Essentially, the limits of the known universe.

[B]

Well, that's gonna not be an option then. So those folks who catch the trains, beware, not to mention people on Thursday it's a full on general strike. So all public transport is going to be affected then. But we'll remind you of that again later in the week. All right, Nick. Well, we're almost done with today's episode, but before we go, I've been getting some emails from listeners about a phrase I used the other day. It was I'm not here to put socks on a centipede. Apparently it's an Aussie ism. Nick, do you know what it means?

[C]

Literally never heard that before before in my life.

[B]

I was just trying to say I don't want to waste any time because it would take a really long time to put socks on a centipede. Do you have a good American or Swedish idiom that you love?

[C]

Let's not split hairs. There's one in French which is, I can't say on this podcast, but is essentially the same meaning about doing a certain act to flies.

[B]

Oh, there's an Australian version. So I did the G rated version of my idiom, but there is an Australian version which I suspect is exactly the same, but we use spiders because that's the Australianism of it all. Well, listen, I'd love to hear from our listeners. What is your favorite idiom from home? Have you got a really good one? I just love idioms. So any kind of cool regional, non translatable ones, please let me know. There's a great one in Ukrainian that I quite love. It's don't put pasta on my ears. Which is to say don't try to bamboozle me. That's a good one from my Ukrainian friends. All right, folks, well leave us a voice note. Send us a text message on our WhatsApp number that's in the show notes, as it always is. Please do review us. That's how people know how to find us. And that spreads the word about the Brussels Playbook podcast and we'll speak to you tomorrow.

[C]

Thanks for having me. Toya. On a Centipede. Get out of here.

[A]

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 fastest growing startups, customers choose the AWS cloud to lower costs, increase security and innovate faster. Learn more about how businesses across Europe are growing with the AWS cloud@AWS EU.

[C]

It.