The Brussels Beat

About The Brussels Beat

Today, Europe stands at a critical juncture. Policymakers in Brussels are reconsidering how competition laws are interpreted, enforced, and reshaped. Amid landmark investigations and fines targeting tech giants such as Google, Meta, and Amazon, what will be Europe's next move? Are agriculture, banking, pharmaceuticals, or other major industries poised for new regulatory scrutiny? Can the EU courts reshape enforcement, or will regulatory ambitions face unexpected hurdles? Hosted by Javier Espinoza, The Brussels Beat delivers insightful conversations with leading European antitrust experts, policymakers, legal analysts, and business leaders. Powered by rigorous investigative journalism and incisive analysis, Javier and his guests delve deep into Europe's evolving approach to monopoly power. This podcast is essential listening for executives, policymakers, legal professionals, and anyone interested in understanding Europe's strategic stance on antitrust issues, exploring the complex intersections of law, politics, and economics shaping the continent's future.

Publisher

The Capitol Forum

Category

business · news

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

21 Jul 2025

Latest episode

19 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

12 of 18 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   19 Oct 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Former General Court President on Taking Legal Risks in EU Competition Enforcement

   Javier Espinoza interviews former General Court President Marc van der Woude about taking legal risks in EU competition enforcement and the antitrust framework's readiness for data-driven challenges.

2. 

   3 Sept 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Andreas Mundt: Brussels Shouldn't Enforce the DMA Alone

   Javier Espinoza interviews Andreas Mundt, president of Germany's Bundeskartellamt, about why the EU Commission should not solely enforce the Digital Markets Act, offering insights into national competition authority coordination and AI's impact on digital markets.

3. 

   21 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   A Tech Regulator and His Son's Warnings About AI

   Javier Espinoza interviews Werner Stengg and his son Jakob Stengg about AI's future and Europe's regulatory balance in this insightful interview.

4. 

   16 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   EU Antitrust Chief Warns New Merger Rules Won’t Give Dealmakers Carte Blanche

   Javier Espinoza interviews EU Commissioner Teresa Ribera about new merger rules and digital rule tensions with the U.S.

5. 

   8 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   French Competition Chief Says EU States Undermine Draghi’s Agenda

   Javier Espinoza interviews Benoît Cœuré, president of France’s competition authority, about EU states undermining Draghi’s agenda and the challenges of cross-border consolidation.

6. 

   25 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Booking.com CEO welcomes more regulatory scrutiny of OpenAI and Google

   Javier Espinoza interviews Booking.com CEO Glenn Fogel about navigating EU regulations and leveraging AI for a seamless travel experience.

7. 

   25 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Spain's Competition Chief Backs EU Social Media Bans

   Cani Fernández, Spain's competition chief, discusses national social media bans and EU regulations in this interview with The Capitol Forum.

8. 

   16 Dec 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Europe’s Top Banker Says Europe Needs to Step Up to Compete with American A.I.

   European Investment Bank President Nadia Calvino discusses Europe's AI competitiveness and her plan for significant infrastructure investment in an interview with Javier Espinoza.

9. 

   28 Oct 2025TRANSCRIPT

   Nuno Cunha Rodrigues, Portugal's Competition Chief, on the Balancing Act Between Deterrence and Enforcement

   Portugal's Competition Chief Nuno Cunha Rodrigues discusses with Javier Espinoza the EU's need for a stronger political and regulatory regime to foster thriving European markets.

10. 

    2 Oct 2025TRANSCRIPT

    Eva Maydell on the European Union’s Push for Tech Sovereignty

    Javier Espinoza interviews Member of European Parliament Eva Maydell about the EU's strategy to foster tech sovereignty and competitiveness against global rivals.

11. 

    7 Aug 2025TRANSCRIPT

    Europe’s Stalled Breakup: The Future of Google Adtech

    Javier Espinoza interviews Damien Geradin about the EU's antitrust case against Google's ad tech empire and its potential breakup.

12. 

    1 Aug 2025TRANSCRIPT

    Olivier Guersent: Inside the EU’s Antitrust Machine and the Future of European Power

    Javier Espinoza interviews Olivier Guersent about the EU's antitrust evolution, the Digital Markets Act, and Europe's path to becoming a strategic power.

13. 

    21 Jul 2025

    Martijn Snoep on Strengthening Antitrust in Europe

    Javier Espinoza interviews Martijn Snoep about strengthening European antitrust through value-based policy and proactive enforcement against Big Tech and private equity.

14. 

    21 Jul 2025

    Europe’s Digital Awakening: Andreas Schwab on Brussels Leading in an Era of Global Turbulence

    Javier Espinoza interviews Andreas Schwab, MEP, about Europe's digital awakening and its efforts to lead global tech regulation amidst international turbulence.

15. 

    21 Jul 2025

    Digital Power, European Style: Thierry Breton on the EU’s Strategy for Taming Tech

    Host David M. Herszenhorn interviews former European Commissioner Thierry Breton about the EU's Digital Markets Act strategy and its implications for global tech governance.

16. 

    21 Jul 2025

    Europe’s Climate + Competition Chief on Green Industry, Big Tech, and Leadership

    In this exclusive interview, Capitol Forum’s Javier Espinoza sits down with Teresa Ribera, Executive Vice President of the European Commission, to talk climate ambition, competition policy, and the future of Europe’s green industrial strategy. Named one of TIME's most influential people of 2025, Ribera is tasked with driving the EU’s clean energy transition and enforcing fair competition—including landmark efforts to rein in Big Tech through the Digital Markets Act. We cover: Her reflections after six months in office Balancing green transition with industrial competitiveness Standing up to greenwashing and U.S. pressure on EU tech regulation What leadership looks like in a fracturing geopolitical moment Don’t miss this wide-ranging and timely conversation on the future of Europe’s economic and environmental model.

17. 

    21 Jul 2025

    Vestager Pushes Back Against Calls to Ease EU Merger Rules

    An exclusive interview with Margrethe Vestager, the former EU Antitrust Chief addressed concerns about a potential shift in U.S.- EU relations with the election of President Donald Trump. The interview is the first of a regular podcast hosted by Capitol Forum’s new Europe Executive Editor Javier Espinoza that will include some of the biggest names in European policy. Mr. Espinoza, a leading voice in Brussels regulatory coverage, recently joined Capitol Forum after nearly a decade at the Financial Times.

18. 

    21 Jul 2025

    Former PM of Italy Enrico Letta on Europe’s Future

    Javier Espinoza interviews former Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta about Europe's fragmented market and proposals for competitiveness and integration.

Inside a recent episode

Former General Court President on Taking Legal Risks in EU Competition Enforcement

Published 19 Oct 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] For example, in VAT matters, that has a European-wide impact for the tax administrations, for all those who work in the business. The colleagues who deal with those cases are aware of it. By contrast, when you deal with an individual action where somebody challenges a decision, the perspective changes because you're not there to give an interpretation of the law. You're there to deal with a conflict on the basis of the arguments which are put in front of you. There might be good arguments, there may be bad arguments, but you have to come to a decision. Somebody wins, somebody loses, on the basis of the merits of the pleadings of the case. […]

Who has been a guest on The Brussels Beat

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Marc van der Woude
• Andreas Mundt
• Werner Stengg
• Jakob Stengg
• Teresa Ribera

Contact The Brussels Beat

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

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