Inside Europe

Why France is stumbling from one political crisis to the next, a new report on homelessness across Europe, and a Housing First project in the UK. Then: Flotilla activists speak of abuse, what Czechia's political future holds, Dutch feminists reclaim the night, and a Fish and Chips shop with a twist. + FEANTSA report on homelessness: https://tinyurl.com/3uxmxf3t +?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

Elctions relief in Moldova, Czechia goes to the polls, and drone start-ups in Tallinn. Then: ex-French President Sarkozy's verdict, a deep dive into plastic waste exports and their deadly consequences, and how Croatian nationalism got onto the big stage. +Signal Awards: vote for us!: https://tinyurl.com/5y9ra5br + ?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

24 hours in the life of Emmanuel Macron in New York, how far NATO is prepared to go to defend its airspace, and why you should care about the Moldovan elections. Then: Russian training camps in Serbia, a message from the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza, the UK's political malaise, a Czech-German history project, and a cheesy festival in Italy.

Donald Trump’s controversial state visit to the UK, a closer look at how Spain and the Netherlands are keeping Palestine in the spotlight, and a Swedish Spy Church. Then: new recruits join a military bootcamp outside Paris, an audio-tour of the world of Czech composer Antonin Dvorak and why Turkey's opposition fear the worst. ++ link to the UN report on Gaza: https://shorturl.at/mVIVO ++?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

Anger on the streets across France, the National Rally's Trump problem, and a Danish political scientist's plan to fix "democracy's back door." Then: Lithuania steps up its border controls and an island special on Corsican autonomy, the Outer Hebrides' demographic struggle, and Greenland's tourism.

GPS jamming: how worried should Europe be? Pipeline wars: what does the bombing of Russian oil infrastructure mean for Hungary? Confidence vote in France: will this be the end of Bayrou’s government? Parliamentary elections in Norway: what’s on the ballot on September 8th?

Chronicle of a death live-streamed, all aboard the Alpbach Express, fear and loathing in the British provinces, Turkey cashes in on the Syrian reconstruction bonanza and an Inside Europe Sports Special featuring Slovenian cycling legend Tadej Pogacar (yes - you heard that right!). **Content warning: our first item contains reference to physical and psychological abuse**

EU leaders back Ukraine in DC, what the 39% tariffs mean for Switzerland and Norway’s Momentum festival focusses on sounds. Then: France's first incel to be charged with terrorism and a deep dive into the manosphere.

EU diplomacy on behalf of Ukraine, rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia, and European reactions to Israel's war in Gaza. Then: wildfire devastation in southern Europe, a Schindler factory becomes a museum, sustainable aviation and Italy's cartoon icon Pimpa turns 50.

Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey… who’s allied with whom? Radical countryside – are innocuous sounding rural meetings hiding a darker agenda? Plus all the latest on Czechia’s hottest infrastructure debate. Then: welcome to a glorious European summer, complete with river diving, bears, camper vans, and traditional alcoholic beverages. Seeding Reparations research link: https://linktr.ee/seedrep &maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

In this special edition, we take a break from the news to explore grief as a lens for understanding global events and as a force for social change. Author Sarah Jaffe joins host Kate Laycock to unpack how personal and communal loss – from COVID-19 and Hurricane Katrina to deindustrialization – shape politics, protests and solidarity. A powerful journey through mourning, memory and hope.

A press freedom special with Georgian journalist Tamar Kintsurashvili on the worsening situation for media workers in the country gripped by protests. Also: Natalia Belikova, international lawyer at Press Club Belarus, on how Belarusian exile journalists are fairing. Then, Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief of the Kyiv Independent, talks about the situation for journalists during the war in Ukraine.

30 years since Srebrenica, Hanno Hauenstein on why language matters when reporting on Gaza, Global Rights Compliance President, Wayne Jordash KC, on gathering war crimes evidence in Ukraine, PKK fighters disarm, and a personal account of Kosovo’s past and present.

More mayors under arrest in Turkey, and press freedom takes centre stage at the DW Global Media Forum. Later in the show: spotlight on journalists in the post-Soviet space, from pens to protest: a portrait of the Italian cartoonist Gianluca Costantini, and what can Germany learn from Estonia when it comes to digitalisation? ++ Check out Gianluca's drawings: https://www.channeldraw.org/ ++&maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

A protest special as we look at recent events in Budapest and Belgrade - two cities experiencing mass-scale demonstrations in defiance of strongman leaders. And, as the UK parliament votes to proscribe Palestine Action, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights outlines his concerns.

A NATO Summit special with the view from Turkey, France, Spain and The Netherlands, Security Correspondent Teri Schultz answering listener questions from The Hague and Political Correspondent Thomas Sparrow on Friedrich Merz’s foreign policy gamble. Then: Sami rights, Bezos in Venice and Ye in Bratislava.

An “Alternative Economies” special, featuring concrete examples of European experiments with rethinking business as usual… ranging from the reformist, to the downright radical.

“We took democracy for granted…. don’t make the same mistake!”: an interview with Klára Dobrev MEP, leader of Hungary’s Democratic Coalition Party and former Vice President of the European Parliament. Plus: the cost of climate change, Valencia after the floods and rebuilding quake-struck Hatay.

Political earthquakes in Poland and the Netherlands, France’s crypto entrepreneur kidnappings, Russia doubles down on traditional gender roles, Ian Urbina feels the pull of the ocean, a haven for migrants near Rome’s central station, and the uplifting story of the Spanish Refugee National Football Team.

Released RFE journalist Alsu Kurmasheva on her colleague Farid Mehralizada, who is facing a 12 year prison sentence in Azerbaijan. We meet some of the young people on trial in Turkey following the recent crackdown on dissent, and take a look at the Franco-US relationship in the run up to D-Day.

On the show this week: Poland’s presidential elections reveal a country on a knife-edge, Exercise Hedgehog in Estonia and the Baltics’ hybrid warfare fears. Plus a Hungarian spy ring, Icelandic intrigue, Swiss bunkers, and Syrians returning home from Europe. A security special packed with stories from the frontlines of Europe’s shifting geopolitics.

Romania goes to the polls in the final round of high-stakes presidential elections, Albania's Edi Rama sails to victory once again, and the PKK disbands. Later: Pope Leo XIV, Russian volunteers help Ukrainians in Armenia, Eurovision attempts a reset in politically neutral Switzerland, and an adult toy craze that’s perhaps more “constructive” than most…

Germany’s new chancellor gets off to a bumpy start. Is Google helping Turkey to strangle independent media? And Malta is forced to abandon a lucrative business model. Then a VE Day Special: Nathalie Tocci on Europe, a look at Britain and France’s “coalition of the willing”, and a very personal tour of synagogues in the Netherlands.

Light in the dark - how people came together during Spain’s energy blackout, plus a very special story of faith, loss and renewal on the ancient Catholic pilgrimage known as “the way”. Later in the show: Could Rome’s colosseum be considered the antecedent to modern day reality TV? And what can the world learn from the Swedish concept of “lagom”?

Kate's away this week, so we're sharing another podcast we love: The Europeans. They've got a veritable smörgåsbord in this episode, from human rights in Hungary to the sorry tale of two Danish sustainability influencers whose eco-resort business went spectacularly wrong. Plus, how an army of volunteer online sleuths is helping Ukraine use open-source intelligence to fight back against Russia.

On this special edition of DW's Inside Europe, we take a break from the news to explore grief as a lens for understanding global events. Author Sarah Jaffe joins host Kate Laycock to unpack how loss—from COVID to deindustrialization—shapes politics, protest, and our shared humanity. A powerful journey through mourning, memory, and hope.

A coalition deal is reached in Germany, France sees opportunities in US academic flight, Turkey’s opposition change tack, and Slovakia gets tough on bears. Also on the show: an iconic opera house fights for survival amidst Berlin’s culture cuts, plus a conversation with Patrick Strickland, author of ‘You Can Kill Each Other After I Leave: Refugees, Fascism, and Bloodshed in Greece.’

Hungary announces it will withdraw from the ICC, Berlin moves to deport four foreign national Gaza protesters, and a French court finds Marine Le Pen guilty of embezzlement. Also: Why aren’t European leaders finding tougher words on Turkey? Can Europe really go it alone? Who will save Radio Free Europe? All that, plus the craziest spy story you ever heard!

Focus on Turkey: on-the-ground reporting and an interview with celebrated journalist-in-exile, Can Dündar. Also: French-Algerian relations, the German Green-Card holder caught up in Trump's immigration crackdown, the record-breaking new Olympics boss, the Democratic Odyssey project, and a brand-new town square.

France's answer to Starlink, North Macedonia's deadly nightclub fire and Germany's break with austerity. All that plus the longest tram in the world, protests in Serbia and Hungary and a star-turn from 100 year old actor and activist, Thelma Ruby.

Environmental lawyer Svitlana Romanko spotlights the role of fossil fuels and minerals in the war in Ukraine. Meet Russian activists still defying authoritarianism after 25 years. Marking 50 years since Franco’s death stirs political tensions in Spain, while German coalition talks raise questions about migration and civil rights. Plus, Latvia’s refugee treatment and Italy’s backyard chicken trend.

War and peace: as Europe braces for an unprecedented rearmament drive, in Turkey, the PKK prepares to lay down its weapons. We’ll also be finding out why Serbian politicians got literal egg on their faces this week, as well as meeting a Spanish photo journalist determined to bring dignity and recognition to the marginalised and forgotten.

Germany after the election: What do the results mean? And how is this playing out with economic decline in the once proud home of Volkswagen? With the third anniversary of the war in Ukraine, we reflect on the relationship between Ukraine, Brussels and Washington. Also, myth busting about Russia's war in Ukraine, a war memorial in Spain and Jehovah's Witnesses facing Russian persecution.

We hit the streets of Berlin this week for an action-packed German Elections Special! Join host, Kate Laycock and political correspondent, Thomas Sparrow, as they tiptoe through the German Parliament buildings, relax in Berlin’s most famous political hang-out, gatecrash a TV news studio, and look back on some defining moments of German political history.

Ahead of German elections, Mark Leonard from the European Council on Foreign Relations reflects on Germany's significance within the wider European project. We investigate the murky world of underwater stealth sabotage. The German town of Meiningen fosters a cultural oasis in the middle of an AfD stronghold. And Alice in Orbanland: AfD leader Weidel pays a visit to Hungary.

Protests in Serbia and elections in Kosovo, the worst mass shooting in Swedish history, and Jens Stoltenberg’s surprise return to Norwegian politics. In the second half: we take a long-form look at migrant experience in Finland, find out how to access Polish nature reserves in a wheelchair, and revel in the squelchy sounds of Scotland’s UNESCO World Heritage peat bog!

Has Germany’s firewall against the right just fallen? We’ll be taking you through an historic week in the German parliament, with wide-reaching implications for both German, and European democracy. Expect expert legal opinion, political analysis, and a beginner’s guide to democracy prepping: https://fragdenstaat.de/aktionen/prepping/&maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss#upgrade

Intrigue and betrayal in the German Green Party, Europe reacts to Trump, and President Erdogan’s delicate balancing act. Later in the show: a personal story of survival and friendship - 80 years after the liberation of Auschwitz. Finding empowerment and hope in the ranks of a UK climate choir, and what an epiphany: Serbian men in Speedos take the plunge. All will be explained - we promise!

Stealth fleets and underwater sabotage, a landslide victory for the man they call the Croatian Trump, a peek inside the atelier of the tailor to the Vatican’s Swiss Guard, and Turkey’s double game when it comes to wine consumption.

Trump eyes up Greenland and Musk courts the AfD, Iran releases Italian journalist Cecilia Sala, Herbert Kickl tries to form a government in Austria, and Jean-Marie Le Pen dies in France. We also mark the 20th anniversary of one of Germany's most notorious deaths in custody, and delve into the marvellous secrets of a Spanish cork forrest.

Looking forwards, looking back with our correspondents in Brussels, Paris, Kyiv and Berlin. Plus a special feature-length focus on The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra at 25.

The Inside Europe Secret Santa Speed Date Extravaganza! Consenting correspondents have their names drawn out of a hat in pairs. They then have four minutes before the buzzer goes to find out as much as possible about each other as they can. What could possibly go wrong?!

A conversation with the wife of jailed Azerbaijani journalist Farid Mehralizada, another new Prime Minister in France, and Germany’s Chancellor loses a no confidence vote - on purpose. All that, plus an intensely Norwegian concession to Christmas!

Turkey's Syria connection, Finland prepares itself for Russian aggression, a football school in mafia country and Paris’ Notre Dame is back! Later in the show: a Freedom of Expression Special, and the untold stories of the female painters of the Italian renaissance.

The French government collapses, Georgia’s brutal police crackdown, and the UK bill to legalise assisted dying. Then a Justice Special, featuring 'The Future of War Crimes Justice' author Chris Stephen on the ICC, with reports on Sea-Watch's case against the Italian coastguard and a Norwegian miscarriage of justice. OC-Media website link: https://oc-media.org?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

Poland’s Donald Tusk fills a leadership vacuum, election shock in Romania, and has Ireland cracked the formula for political stability? In the second half: a special post-COP29 climate episode guest-produced by award-winning British environmental journalists Dan Ashby and Lucy Taylor and featuring additional reporting by Ashish Sharma.

Azerbaijan’s human rights record, Hamburg's bid to clean up global shipping, Turkey's Acik radio is taken off air, Bulgaria's ill behaved caricaturists, NFL's brain damage problem and Spain's organ transplant success.

Taking a break from the news, we're sharing uplifting stories from our 'Other Europes' series this week: an Italian city granting every newborn citizenship, a British nursery bridging generations, and a young Irish filmmaker shining a light on marginalized voices. Plus, a sneak peek of New York’s “Kafka: Making of an Icon” exhibit. Join us for these stories of hope and resilience across Europe.

Germany’s coalition government collapses, Europe reacts to Trump’s re-election, and in Serbia, a fatal accident feeds unrest over corruption allegations. Also: Spanish floods fallout, Battle of the Scheldt and farewell, Helen Seeney!

Georgia’s disputed election, EU rhetoric vs reality, US overseas ballots in Berlin. Also: Brussels and Ankara have different takes on the US election, VW is in trouble, and Spain is on the frontline of Europe's climate crisis.