Why EU foreign policy keeps getting stuck

Summary

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Brussels Playbook Podcast

Episode Title: Why EU foreign policy keeps getting stuck
Host: Zoya Sheftalovich (POLITICO’s chief EU correspondent)
Guest: Ian Wishart (Senior EU Politics Editor)
Date: April 7, 2026

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Overview

This episode delves into the ongoing challenges facing EU foreign policy, centering on the gridlock caused by the bloc’s unanimity rules (the "veto" principle) that allow any member country to block major decisions. The hosts discuss the latest setbacks, the debate over scrapping unanimity, implications of the ongoing Iran crisis, and a surge of citizen activism around fur farming. The episode is brisk, witty, and sprinkled with anecdotes, pop culture references, and lighthearted exchanges.

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Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Why EU Foreign Policy Gets Stuck

([00:52] - [05:23])

• The episode kicks off with the core issue: the EU’s requirement that all 27 member states agree (unanimity) on foreign policy, meaning any country can block action.
• Recent examples of the log jam include Hungary blocking a €90 billion loan for Ukraine and Belgium halting a plan concerning frozen assets.
• Hosts emphasize the effect of ongoing international crises (Ukraine, Iran) in spotlighting EU’s foreign-policy dysfunctions.

Notable Quotes:

• “If there’s one word that sums up the problem, it’s veto.” – Ian Wishart ([01:45])
• “All EU foreign policy has to get the ascent of every country... It’s not the only country that’s been doing it. Belgium wielded its veto to stop the frozen assets plan.” – Zoya Sheftalovich ([01:49])
• “The bedrock the EU is built on... is that every country, no matter what size, has the same kind of influence.” – Ian Wishart ([03:33])

Unanimity vs. Qualified Majority

• The unanimity rule is defended by smaller countries who fear losing influence to larger states.
• German Foreign Minister Johann Vaniful advocates abolishing unanimity: “...so as to be better capable of acting internationally and to be truly grown up.” ([02:10])
• Diplomats from mid-sized countries like the Netherlands and Belgium express concerns about losing their capacity to defend national interests, especially when EU decisions threaten their industries.

Political Dynamics and Timelines

• The “real” deadline for change isn’t 2029, but before the French presidential election—after which EU-wide reforms become nearly impossible due to political sensitivities around far-right victories.
  “Most of the member states are so terrified... of a far right government coming in Paris, which would just mean nothing is doable after that.” – Ian Wishart ([02:49])

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2. Hungary’s Role and the Upcoming Election

([05:24] - [07:30])

• Hungary, with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán at the helm, often blocks EU policy moves. With national elections imminent, the political context is tense. Orbán is trailing about 10 points behind challenger Péter Maggia ([05:33]).
• J. D. Vance’s visit to Budapest is discussed, with debate over whether overt US support helps or damages Orbán’s campaign.

Notable Quotes:

• “Oban is Trump’s man in this election. But the polling doesn’t show that this show of support is going to be particularly effective.” – Zoya Sheftalovich ([05:57])
• “Orban has sort of hinted that he wanted Trump himself to visit, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen...” – Ian Wishart ([06:22])

Information Warfare and False Flags

• There’s a suspicious incident involving a discovered bomb near the TurkStream pipeline, with Orbán blaming Ukraine. Serbian officials deny Ukrainian involvement, raising speculations of a Russian false flag operation.
  “There are some suspicions, some allegations that this was a false flag by Russia to help Orban. Who knows what’s happening in this week.” – Ian Wishart ([07:07])

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3. Iran Crisis and the Energy Shock in Europe

([07:30] - [10:14])

• Former US President Donald Trump threatens airstrikes on Iran if the Strait of Hormuz remains blocked ([07:37]), raising the stakes for Europe’s energy security.
• The conflict has already driven a 60% rise in oil and gas prices since the start of the war ([07:53]).
• Italy is highlighted as particularly vulnerable, relying on the Gulf for 15% of its oil. Italian PM Giorgia Meloni's recent Gulf tour aimed to secure energy and show solidarity ([08:13]).
• The crisis is hitting travel—major Italian airports have flight restrictions, and Ryanair warns up to 10% of flights could be canceled if the crisis continues ([08:39]). Even the host, Zoya, has had her own flight affected.

Notable Quotes:

• “Trump has threatened that Tuesday is going to be power plant day and bridge day.” – Zoya Sheftalovich ([07:37])
• “The government has already spent close to 900 million euros to try to cut fuel taxes in Italy.” – Ian Wishart ([09:11])
• “The European Commission has been talking about in saying, hey, hey, hey, whoa, whoa, whoa. When you cut fuel taxes, when you do these things, that might increase fuel consumption and counteract the message that is being sent, which is to cut your consumption...” – Zoya Sheftalovich ([09:16])

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4. Fur Farming Controversy

([10:14] - [12:45])

• The European Commission is about to respond to a citizens’ petition (1.5 million+ signatures) demanding an EU-wide ban on fur farming.
• There’s a surprising fur revival, led by influencers like Jenna Ortega and the Kardashians ([10:36]).
• Draft Commission decisions suggest no ban is coming, but tighter ethical standards may be imposed.

Notable Quotes:

• “Basically, there is a regeneration of this fur trend. There are all of these Instagram influencers who are wearing furs.” – Zoya Sheftalovich ([10:36])
• “The commission’s scientific advisors... have said it’s actually impossible to make the industry better... it’s quite cruel.” – Zoya Sheftalovich ([12:04])
• “Well, you could say that when it comes to foreign policy, the EU is all fur coat and no knickers.” – Ian Wishart ([12:45])

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5. Notable Moments and Banter

Humor and conversational exchanges underscore the episode, with references to raccoon invasions in Brussels, pop culture quips, and gentle teasing over generational tastes or knowledge.

Memorable Exchanges:

• Zoya ribbing Ian: “You’ve never seen a Brad Pitt movie except Seven.” ([10:53])
• British idioms and playful translation:
  “All fur coat and no knickers.” – Ian Wishart
  “I don’t even know what that is, Ian. Is that a British thing?” – Zoya Sheftalovich ([12:53])

Birthday Shout-Out:

• Gerhard Schroeder, whose complex legacy as former German Chancellor is reviewed: “Until recently, he was also intimately involved with Putin and Gazprom, kind of ruined his reputation… in Germany.” – Zoya Sheftalovich ([13:26])

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Key Timestamps

• 00:52: Main topic — EU foreign policy gridlock
• 01:45: “Veto” and “unanimity” as crippling factors
• 02:10: German Foreign Minister calls to abolish unanimity
• 03:56: Smaller states defend veto power
• 05:33: Hungary’s election and Orbán’s bloc role
• 07:37: Iran crisis – Trump’s threats and European energy impact
• 08:39: Italian airports, flight disruptions (Ryanair)
• 10:14: Fur farming petition and social trends
• 12:45: Animal welfare vs. EU industry, quirky idiom
• 13:12: Gerhard Schroeder birthday & legacy discussion

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Final Thoughts

The episode sharply encapsulates how systemic rules hinder EU unity on the world stage, with looming geopolitical threats making reform more urgent, but the EU’s diversity making consensus elusive. The lively, sometimes cheeky interplay between the hosts, and their blend of sharp news and cultural context, keeps the heavy policy topics accessible and engaging.

Transcript

[A]

Good morning. It's Tuesday, April 7th, and this is the Brussels Playbook podcast. The vibe in Brussels today is conflicted as the EU's foreign policy ambitions are running into their severe set of rules. Also on the pod, the Iran fallout. The energy shock is already hitting Europe, and fur or no furniture, for real, we're going to be talking about it. I'm Zoya Sheftilovich and with me today is our senior EU politics editor, Ian Wishart. Did you have a nice Easter, Ian?

[B]

Good morning, Zoya. Yeah, I really enjoyed the Brussels sunshine. It doesn't come along very often, does it? But we make the most of it when it does.

[A]

It's true. I had a phenomenal carrot cake at lunch. Thank you, Stella. I watched a film over the weekend. It was quite good project. Hail Mary. I feel refreshed, rejuvenated, ready to go.

[B]

Let's do it then.

[A]

Let's do it. Okay, our first story today, it's about EU foreign policy, and this is Dial It Down. So our colleague Nick Vineker, he did this story looking into essentially the log jam that is the EU's foreign policy. And he looked at some of the problems that have been plaguing of late the eu. And that's things like not being able to get that 90 billion euro loan for Ukraine through. It's not being able to get through any sort of real foreign, foreign policy changes because Hungary, or really any one country can stand in the way. And people are starting to talk about what we could do about that.

[B]

And there's not been any. The EU as such, has not had any big decisions to make on the Iran war. But I think that's just put it all into focus again, just quite how dysfunctional foreign policy decision making is in the eu. And if there's one word that sums up the problem, it's veto.

[A]

I was going to say unanimity, but

[B]

it's the same thing.

[A]

So all EU foreign policy, it has to get the ascent of every country, country, every one of the 27 countries of the EU. And we've seen of late Hungary wield its veto. But that's not the only country that's been doing it. I mean, Belgium wielded its veto to stop the frozen assets plan. There have been plenty of examples in the past where individual countries are able to hold up EU decision making.

[B]

I mean, that's not a new thing. But as I say, I think just the fact that so many of the EU's problems at the moment are geopolitical just puts it in the spotlight. I was interested actually in a, in something that the German Foreign Minister, Johann Vaniful said on Saturday. He said should abolish the unanimity principle in the EU in foreign security policy before the end of the current legislative period so as to be better capable of acting internationally and to be truly grown up.

[A]

And what is the current legislative period, Ian?

[B]

That means that the Next.

[A]

It's before 2029, is it right? Okay, if I, if my maths is correct, before 2020. So it's. Very. Sorry I laid a trap in you,

[B]

but that's an interesting point because he says that. But I think if you speak to the diplomats around town, what they actually mean is before the French presidential election, because that's kind of the cutoff if you want anything done, because they're so terrified, most of the member states of a, of a far right government coming in Paris, which would just mean nothing is doable after that.

[A]

Yeah, absolutely. Block everything. The thing is though, you know, the big guys like Germany, they have been talking about the fact that they want to abolish this unanimity, this veto principle, but there's a pretty strong counter camp as well. And it contains all your usual suspects, the Belgiums, the Hungaries, but also a bunch of other countries that say, look like the principle of the eu. And the reason for the veto is so that small countries can wield as much influence as Germany.

[B]

And that's the whole point of the eu. That's, you know, for those of us who have worked here for a long time, we've grown up knowing that the EU is supposed to be about every country, no matter what size they are. You know, from your Germanies down to your Latvias and Lithuanias and Malta, they all have the same kind of influence. So the fact that one of them can say, actually, no, don't do this is actually what the bedrock that the EU is built on, isn't it?

[A]

Yeah, it is. And you know, I was speaking to diplomats around, around town over the last, well, really last few months about this, because I've been covering this story closely with that Ukraine loan and other matters relating to Ukraine, and you get some objections from some places that you wouldn't necessarily expect them because what diplomats tell me from those countries that aren't on board, so for instance, the Netherlands, Belgium, etc, they say, look, the problem is it's all well and good when it's something that we can all agree on and there's just one country that's out on a limb, but there are plenty of things where you've Got your own industry that would be hugely affected by a change in foreign policy and getting rid of the veto, losing our ability to say, hey, hold on a second, no, this is no good for us. That would be a huge, huge problem for us. And for a country that is a net contributor to the eu, that kind of pays into the EU budget, that, generally speaking, is kind of the. The good guys on the EU front, they are really concerned about the fact that they may just get steamrollered by the big guys.

[B]

But EU changes happen because of crises, and this is clearly a geopolitical crisis at the moment, from Ukraine to ir. You can see why they think this is the moment to do it.

[A]

So if we get rid of the veto, the idea is that instead of that, what we might do is something like qualified majority voting. So that's where you have the majority of countries representing the majority of the population of the eu and they get to decide based on that.

[B]

You know, in other words, one country can't block.

[A]

Exactly.

[B]

Yeah. One country that has blocked a lot, of course, is Hungary. So should we just briefly say what's going on there? A week out? Well, less than a week now, isn't it, before the election is on Sunday.

[A]

Yeah. Viktor Orban, the prime minister, he's still around about, on average, 10 points behind his key challenger, Peter Maggia. That's according to the Politico poll of polls.

[B]

But he has got a supporter in town today.

[A]

He sure does. J.D. vance, Donald Trump's favorite Munich security conference bomb thrower.

[B]

And I know Orban said he was looking forward to Vance's trip, and they're going to have a big rally and a huge football stadium in Budapest.

[A]

Yeah, but look, I mean, the question is to what extent Vance is helping his campaign and to what extent he's hurting him. Because I think it's already pretty clear that Oban is Trump's man in this election. But the polling doesn't show that this show of support is going to be particularly effective. It hasn't been effective when Trump has tweeted in support of Obama in the past. So one does wonder to what extent this is going to be helpful.

[B]

And I think our reporters on the ground there, Jamie Detmer, spoken to some of the people in Budapest, and it sounds like the polling would only change if Donald Trump himself made a visit, which I think Orban has sort of hinted that he wanted, but it doesn't look like that's going to happen in a while.

[A]

No, it doesn't seem likely. What Orban is doing is he's trying to spin this. I don't know if you saw over the weekend that there was this Turkstream pipeline, alleged intervention of a bomb blast. The Serbian authority said that they had found kind of some sort of explosive device that they thought was going to be used to blow up the Turk Stream pipeline. And Orban really quickly, of course, jumped on that and said, oh, look, it's the Ukrainians trying to disrupt the election. The Serbians, they've said, no, no, we've looked at this bomb, it was made in the US and we don't think that the Ukrainians were involved.

[B]

And of course, there are some suspicions, some allegations that this was a false flag by Russia to help Orban. Who knows what's happening in this week.

[A]

Yeah, this is again, you know, this campaign has been so, so intense. Very dirty, very intense. We've got Max Greer on the ground for us. We'll be reporting on this all.

[B]

Should we turn to Iran, then? Zoya, what did you make of the social media post that Donald Trump posted on Sunday?

[A]

Well, it was kind of ominous. Trump has threatened that Tuesday is going to be power plant day and bridge day. Basically, he's given the Iranian regime until 2 o' clock Wednesday morning, Brussels, time to unblock the Strait of Hormuz, or he is going to be bombing their power plants and their bridges.

[B]

So for Europe, really, we still see it in the rise in oil and gas prices. They're up roughly 60% since the start of the war.

[A]

Yeah. And things could get worse because we've got the Strait of Hormuz blocks, the Houthis are threatening the Red Sea passages. So it is a worry, particularly for countries like Italy, that get like 15% of their oil through the Gulf.

[B]

Yeah. And Italy is interesting because Prime Minister Giorgio Meloni took a trip this weekend, didn't she?

[A]

She did. She went to the Gulf, she was visiting, she met with Mohammed bin Salman, the Saudi leader. She went to various places. And the worry for Italy is, like, very real because four Italian airports, Milan, Bologna, Venice and Treviso, have been implementing restrictions.

[B]

They're big Ryanair airports as well. No frills airlines.

[A]

Aren't they tough for your people, Ian? There we go.

[B]

That's how we get on holiday. Ryanair. Ryanair warned that, you know, up to 10% of its flights could get canceled if this drags on.

[A]

Yeah. And look, I mean, closer to home, my flights have been canceled. I'm meant to be going back to Australia for my mum's birthday soon and that flight got canceled. I had to rebook onto a different flight. So it's definitely hurt, hurting people, particularly around this time when people are taking trips as well. So it's being felt. But basically what Maloney is trying to do is firstly offer some sort of, you know, solidarity to the Gulf countries. But also what she wants to do is secure energy supplies directly for Italy.

[B]

The government has already spent close to 900 million euros to try to cut fuel taxes in Italy.

[A]

Yeah, and actually this is something that the European Commission has been talking about in saying, hey, hey, hey, whoa, whoa, whoa. When you cut fuel taxes, when you do these things, that might increase fuel consumption and counteract the message that is being sent, which is to cut your consumption, that might actually make things worse, that might drive up inflation.

[B]

We just talked about how the EU is having trouble talking about foreign policy, but something it doesn't have trouble talking about is state aid.

[A]

Oh, absolutely. I mean, everyone loves a state aid story. Let's bring it up at parties and actually, we did bring it up at a party over the weekend. We talked about.

[B]

Sounds like a good party.

[A]

It was a great one. But look, the fear is that this is going to be a repeat of 2022, 23, where you had this great deal of money flowing into energy support, and then that caused huge spikes in inflation and that caused its own kind of problems. So it's a worry.

[B]

Yeah. But obviously all the action really is happening away from Europe. So we'll all be watching.

[A]

In our third story. It's about fur. For real.

[B]

Animal fur.

[A]

Animal fur. So the European Commission, it is due in the next few days to respond to a citizens petition that's been signed by more than 1.5 million people calling for an EU wide ban on fur farming. We're talking mink foxes, raccoon dogs, chinchillas.

[B]

I didn't think people actually wore real fur much these days, do they?

[A]

Well, you know, this is this whole story that Bartosh, one of our colleagues, Bartos Brzezinski, has written. Basically, there is a regeneration of this fur trend. There are all of these Instagram influencers who are wearing furs. We've got Jenna Ortego, she's the star of Wednesday.

[B]

Never heard of her.

[A]

Well, I wouldn't expect you to. You've never seen a Brad Pitt movie except seven. We've also got Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian. You heard of those?

[B]

They sisters.

[A]

Yeah, they are okay. Do you know. Have you literally never heard of a Kardashian?

[B]

I've heard of raccoons. You know, you know, there's. There's raccoons on the loose in. In Brussels. Have you seen one?

[A]

I've never seen one, but I've heard they're Nazi records.

[B]

Nazi raccoons. They were let loose by the Nazis in Germany and now they're roaming around Brussels late at night.

[A]

Well, in any case, Brussels has considered this petition and actually, Bartosz has seen a draft of the commission's decision, and it looks like there's not going to be a ban, but they want to tighten up the ethical standards and things in the fur farming industry, which is

[B]

worth 180 million euros. But it's going down, obviously, because people don't work so much anymore.

[A]

Yeah, well, I guess it's pretty expensive. Hard to. Hard to justify €200,000 on a fur, which is what I learned from Bartosz's story. An apartment or a fur. But animal welfare groups, they're not very happy with the commission. They want them to go harder. And there's already been a complaint filed with the commission.

[B]

We've reported that Oliver Verheli, the Health and Animal Welfare Commissioner, he seems to be against a ban.

[A]

I think he's against every ban. I don't think there's been a ban. He's been on board with. So, yeah, he's against a ban. The commission's scientific advisors, that's the European Food Safety Authority, they've said that it's actually impossible to make the industry better because they're saying that, like, the problems involved with the industry are kind of baked in. So it's things like these animals are kept in cages and they're wild animals that roam around naturally, so they're not able to exhibit their natural behaviors. You know, it's dirty, it's small, they're contained. It's quite cruel. So they've said it's impossible to reform the current system in a way that would, on the one hand, still allow them to farm these animals, but on the other hand, allow the fur to be made and the animals to be healthy and good.

[B]

Well, you could say that when it comes to foreign policy, the EU is all fur coat and no knickers.

[A]

I don't even know what that is, Ian. Is that a British thing?

[B]

Yeah, it is a British thing, yeah.

[A]

I just skimmed right past.

[B]

Don't think about it.

[A]

Blacked out.

[B]

Don't think about it. Move on.

[A]

Yep. All right. Well, that's quite an interesting situation. We'll see what actually ends up happening. That's about it for us today. We do have a birthday an apt one. Gerhard Schroeder.

[B]

Oh, yeah, the former chancellor of Germany. He, he sort of divides opinions. I mean, he's been very close to Putin and Russia, but at the time he sort of transformed the German economy. A lot of people, a lot of commentators there credit him for a lot of changes to the economy.

[A]

Until recently, he was also intimately involved with Putin and Gazprom kind of ruined

[B]

his reputation for him in Germany.

[A]

That's the situation. So, yeah, look, I mean, happy 82nd, I guess. Gerhardt, is he 82?

[B]

You just guess.

[A]

I don't know. And that's how well I know my turncoat German former chancellors. I just know their ages intimately and intuitively. Ian, that's it for us. Subscribe, follow, tell a friend, leave a comment, send us a note. Have you been using that link to our WhatsApp in the show notes?

[B]

No, I haven't, no.

[A]

Unbelievable. I thought I saw something in my inbox from an I wish for more, Ian, less Zoya.

[B]

Wow. A lot of people want that. Bye, Zoya.

[A]

Bye.

[C]

Hey, this is Emily Schultice. I'm the senior editorial director of POLITICO's live journalism events. On April 9th and 10th, we're heading to Barcelona for our first ever live event in Spain at the European Pulse Forum. We'll dig into the most pressing issues facing Europe, from defense to energy to affordability to tech and AI. And we'll have some of the biggest political names in Spain joining us on stage, including Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Register to join us in person or tune into the livestream to watch the discussions on Politico, EU.