The Europeans | European news, politics and culture

We’re kicking off the new year with a heady mix of urban policy, cake-based scandal and political controversy. Find out which European city ranks as the most ‘liveable’ in Good Week, and dive into the fraud case embroiling Italian mega-influencer Chiara Ferragni in Bad Week. And in this week’s interview, hear from historian Quinn Slobodian about the parallel he sees between the current discourse around Israel-Palestine in Germany, and events 50 years ago. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/influencer-fraud-liveable-cities-and-the-israel-taboo Quinn is Professor of History at Boston University. You can follow him on Twitter here and read his New Statesman article, ‘Germany’s new years of lead’, here. Resources for this episode: Report on the quality of life in European cities, 2023 ‘How to define genocide’: an interview with historian Omer Bartov in The New Yorker German police statistics on politically-motivated crimes ‘Oral’ by Björk and Rosalía Continental Riffs The Guardian: ‘New “riskier” wave of British musicals to challenge West End’s established order’ Tickets for Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York) Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:22 Happy 2024, listeners! 02:57 Good Week: Europe's most liveable city? 08:17 Bad Week: Italian mega-influencer Chiara Ferragni 20:49 Interview: Quinn Slobodian on Germany's history of 'militant democracy' 40:31 The Inspiration Station: 'Oral' by Björk and Rosalía; Continental Riffs; Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) 44:12 Happy Ending: Rodney's helping hand Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina ⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠ Threads |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]

In the winter of 2020, deep into the misery of the global pandemic, Richy Craven lit up the internet with a tale about working at Christmas in a fancy department store in Dublin. His story went viral and we loved it so much that we asked our friend, the writer and podcaster Darach Ó Séaghdha, to read it for us. Producer Katz Laszlo added some audio magic, and a classic episode of The Europeans was born. As a little early Christmas present, here it is again. A very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from The Europeans! If you enjoyed this story, please consider donating to Barnados. Music by Eoghan Ó Ceannabháin and Ultan O'Brien, as well as Lena Orsa and Timbre on Freesound. ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠ Bluesky⁠⁠ |⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠

In Iceland, the night of December 24 is traditionally spent curled up with a book. Why? Because you're very likely to have been gifted one, given the huge array of literary offerings that get published in Iceland in the run-up for Christmas. In this festive last episode of the year, we're speaking to the writer Hildur Knútsdóttir about the Christmas Book Flood and why Iceland is such a nation of bookworms. We're also talking about Christmas tree diplomacy, a new twist on an old tradition, and an Italian tyre-slashing mystery. You can find Hildur here on Instagram and here on Twitter. You can find details of her new book, 'The Night Guest', here on her website. This week's Inspiration Station offerings: 'Small Things Like These' by Claire Keegan, 'My Father's House' by Joseph O'Connor, and 'La Ride' by Simon Boileau and Florent Pierre. Hildur's recommendations are 'Shadows of the Short Days' and 'The Shadows of a Midnight Sun' by Alexander Dan Vilhjálmsson. Thanks so much to everyone who's supported us this year. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it in 2024, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. Producer: Katy Lee Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠ |⁠ Bluesky⁠ |⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

In Part 1, you learned how illiberal regimes have used the political tools at their disposal – and their rich friends – to turn the media outlets of democratic European countries into propaganda machines. In Part 2 we’re exploring the legal tools needed to complete the job and talking to local journalists who found themselves on the receiving end of these takeovers. Finally, we’re asking: how can you stop a wannabe autocrat doing this in *your* country? This series was funded by Journalism Fund Europe, the Allianz Foundation, and supporters of The Europeans. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. Credits Reporters: Viktória Serdült, Dimitar Ganev and Wojciech Oleksiak Writers: Wojciech Oleksiak and Dimitar Ganev Production, scoring, sound design and mixing: Wojciech Oleksiak Editors: Adam Zulawski and Katy Lee Editorial support: Katz Laszlo and Dominic Kraemer Director of recording sessions: Dominic Kraemer Artwork: RTiiiKA Thanks for talking to us: Vesislava Antonova, Ervin Gűth, Antal Józing, Zuzanna Nowicka, Venelina Popova, Anna Wójcik, Spas Spassov, Marek Twaróg, Ágnes Urbán, and Cezary Węgliński.⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | Bluesky | ⁠⁠Twitter | [email protected]

It’s a playbook that’s been used by illiberal governments across Central and Eastern Europe: muzzling the media until it resembles little more than propaganda. But how exactly does one go about dismantling the free press, in a democratic country within the European Union? In Part 1 of this two-part special, Viktória Serdült, Dimitar Ganev and our producer Wojciech Oleksiak ask: how the hell did we get here? And how did the local press become such a powerful political weapon? This series was funded by Journalism Fund Europe, the Allianz Foundation, and supporters of The Europeans. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. Credits Reporters: Viktória Serdült, Dimitar Ganev and Wojciech Oleksiak Writers: Wojciech Oleksiak and Dimitar Ganev Production, scoring, sound design and mixing: Wojciech Oleksiak Editors: Adam Zulawski and Katy Lee Editorial support: Katz Laszlo and Dominic Kraemer Director of recording sessions: Dominic Kraemer Artwork: RTiiiKA Thanks for talking to us: Vesislava Antonova, Ervin Gűth, Antal Józing, Zuzanna Nowicka, Venelina Popova, Anna Wójcik, Spas Spassov, Marek Twaróg, Ágnes Urbán, and Cezary Węgliński. ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | Bluesky | ⁠⁠Twitter | [email protected]

In Spain, an unlikely left-leaning coalition has managed to block the right from taking power; in the Netherlands, the far-right has come out on top. This week we’re talking about two very different political situations with the help of Politico reporter Aitor Hernández-Morales and producer Katz Laszlo in Amsterdam. You can follow Aitor on Twitter here and read his reporting here. Our episode about life as an undocumented person in the Netherlands, ‘Mohamed’, is here. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. This week's Inspiration Station offerings: ‘Anatomy of a Fall’, ‘Ordinary People’, and ‘Treasure Islands’ by Nicholas Shaxson. Producers: Katz Laszlo and Katy Lee Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | Bluesky | ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Ukraine has seen an exodus of foreign journalists in the wake of the terrible conflict in the Middle East. But coverage of the war on this continent remains more crucial than ever. This week we talk to the writer Sasha Dovzhyk about what is happening in Ukraine right now, as well as Ukrainians' complicated feelings around the struggle for international attention. We're also talking about the corruption scandal rocking Portugal's government, and Greta Thunberg's fraught appearance at Amsterdam's huge climate protest. Sasha is the editor of the London Ukrainian Review. You can read her piece in the New York Times here and subscribe to her newsletter, Ukrainian Killjoy Dispatch, here. The NRC piece on the climate movement's soul-searching over Palestine can be found here (in Dutch). And Aitor Hernández Morales’ excellent tweeting on the dramatic events in Portuguese politics can be found here. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. This week's Inspiration Station offerings: The Deepest Breath' on Netflix and the Spotify playlist of 'Le Guess Who?' festival in Utrecht (Katz’ top pick: Swedish Ethiopian band BITOI, combining vocals and bass heavily inspired by birdsong). Producers: Katz Laszlo and Katy Lee Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | Bluesky | ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

The Swedish oat milk brand Oatly has taken on some eyebrow-raising investments over the past few years. It insists those investments haven’t changed its proud identity as a climate-saving company – but is that really true? In the third and final episode of ‘The Oatly Chronicles’, we investigate a piggy controversy, why oat milk is so damn expensive, and whether Oatly is acting like a big, bad oat milk monopoly. And we ask: what *should* we be eating, to save the planet? This series is funded by Journalismfund Europe and the Allianz Foundation. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. Credits: This episode was produced by Katz Laszlo, and reported by Katz Laszlo and Katy Lee. Editing came from Katy Lee, as well as Justine Paradis, visiting from NPR’s excellent podcast, Outside/In. Editorial support came from Margot Gibbs, Dominic Kraemer and Wojciech Oleksiak, and mastering, scoring and sound design also came from Wojciech. Artwork came from favourite illustrator RTiiiKA. Thank you for talking to us: George Monbiot, Fredrik Gertten, Laura Young, Ashley Allen, Lisa van der Velden, Thin Lei Win, Sonalie Figueiras, Sara Berger, and Boris de Lorn. Special thanks to lovely neighbours Joris Klingen and Thomas van Dijk, for letting us use their very nice studio. You can find their music under Bovenburen. Interesting links: Oatly’s ‘Fuck Oatly’ website: https://fckoatly.com ‘The Awkward Truth about Oatly and Alpro’: Lisa van der Velden’s reporting in the Financiele Dagblad, December 2022 https://fd.nl/bedrijfsleven/1458366/ongemakkelijke-waarheid-oatly-en-alpro-voeden-intensieve-veehouderij ‘Big Dairy is trying to get Gen Z’ - New York Times, 2023 https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/04/dining/milk-dairy-industry-gen-z.html ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | Bluesky | ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ ⁠⁠[email protected]

Swedish oat milk company Oatly says it's on a mission to defeat the almighty dairy industry and save the planet. To do that, it claims it needs to grow into a massive corporate success — and it’s willing to take on controversial investments to get there. In episode two of ‘The Oatly Chronicles’, we investigate what makes those investors so controversial. It takes us on a journey from green capitalism being battled out in the coffee shops of Malmö; to enormous housing protests in a post-financial crisis Spain; to… China? This series is funded by Journalismfund Europe and the Allianz Foundation Thanks for listening. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. Credits: This episode was produced by Katz Laszlo, and reported by Katz Laszlo and Katy Lee. Editing came from Katy Lee, as well as Justine Paradis, visiting from NPR’s excellent podcast, Outside/In. Editorial support came from Margot Gibbs, Dominic Kraemer and Wojciech Oleksiak, and mastering, scoring and sound design also came from Wojciech. Artwork came from favourite illustrator RTiiiKA. Thank for talking to us: Fredrik Gertten, Lucía Gonzalez Martín, Laura Young, George Monbiot, Max Carbonell, Ben Axler, Brett Christophers, and Gregor Sebastian. Special thanks to lovely neighbours Joris Klingen and Thomas van Dijk, for letting us use their very nice studio. You can find their music under Bovenburen. Interesting links: ‘Change Isn’t Easy’ - Oatly’s statement on the Blackstone investment (August 2022 update) https://community.oatly.com/conversations/news-and-views/change-isnt-easy/62f2f4c91b4bf47dd15fb249 ‘Private Equity Propels the Climate Crisis’ - a report by the Private Equity Stakeholder Project, 2021 https://pestakeholder.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/PESP_SpecialReport_ClimateCrisis_Oct2021_Final.pdf ‘These Photos Show the Reality of Spain's Housing Crisis’ - Time, August 2015 https://time.com/4007349/spain-evictions-housing-crisis/ ‘#RavalVsBlackstone. The right to the city versus the finance-real estate-tourism complex’ - European Network of Corporate Observatories, June 2020 https://corpwatchers.eu/en/investigations/cities-versus-multinationals/ravalvsblackstone-the-right-to-the-city-versus-the-finance-real-estate-tourism ‘Activists sour on Oatly vegan milk after stake sold to Trump-linked Blackstone’ - The Guardian, September 2020 https://www.theguardian.com/food/2020/sep/01/oatly-vegan-milk-sale-blackstone ⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠ | Bluesky | ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠ ⁠⁠[email protected]

In 1994, the world’s first oat milk company was born in Sweden. Three decades later, Oatly is on a high-stakes mission to defeat the dairy industry – by growing into the biggest plant-based brand the world has ever seen. Can a start-up from Malmö save us all through capitalism? This is the first episode in a three-part series, ‘The Oatly Chronicles’. This week we’re asking: just how much damage is our dairy addiction doing to the planet? This series is funded by Journalismfund Europe and the Allianz Foundation. Thanks for listening. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. Credits This episode was reported, written and produced by Katz Laszlo. Editing came from Katy Lee, as well as Justine Paradis, visiting from NPR’s excellent podcast, Outside/In. Editorial support came from Margot Gibbs, Dominic Kraemer and Wojciech Oleksiak, and mastering, scoring and sound design also came from Wojciech. Artwork came from favourite illustrator RTiiiKA. Thanks for talking to us: George Monbiot, Thin Lei Win, Elsa Guadarrama, Sonalie Figueiras, Ashley Allen, and Sofia Ehlde. Special thanks to lovely neighbours Joris Klingen and Thomas van Dijk, for letting us use their very nice studio. You can find their music under Bovenburen. Interesting resources: https://interactive.carbonbrief.org/what-is-the-climate-impact-of-eating-meat-and-dairy/ https://drawdown.org/news/insights/the-powerful-role-of-household-actions-in-solving-climate-change https://theoutline.com/post/8384/sweden-milk-war-oatly ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | ⁠[email protected]

This week, we hear about the controversies surrounding the selection of the EU's climate commissioners, we look into the past, present, and future of the Nagorno Karabakh situation, and enjoy a delightful interview with David Ecker, the person behind the @_DiningCar Twitter/X account, dedicated entirely to the experience of dining while traveling on trains. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected] 00:22 A Little Polish Election Update 06:39 Bad Week: Azerbaijan Ducks Peace Talks with Armenia 15:14 Good Week: Hoekstra, the Unexpected New EU Climate Chief 29:16 Interview: David Ecker - Dining on Rail Cars 40:10 Inspiration Station: Mae Martin’s stand-up - ‘SAP’ - on Netflix, Laura Mvula’s song ‘Pink Noise’ (but anything from Laura Mvula really) 42:04 Happy Ending: Barcelona’s BiciBús!

Have you ever been stung by a jellyfish or found yourself unable to take a dip in the ocean because of them? In this week's episode, our guest, Professor Stefano Piraino, will answer the big question: What should we do about the overabundance of jellyfish in European waters? Professor Piraino and Katy Lee take a deep dive into the world of these ancient creatures, uncovering some unexpectedly fascinating quirks about jellyfish, as well as proposing a striking solution to address their burgeoning population. We're also discussing the shady manoeuvres of the Alicante city council regarding trees and Poland's pivotal election, which is less than two weeks away. And finally, stay tuned until the very end of this episode for a special surprise – a baby beaver awaits! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected] 00:22 AI-powered podcast translations 04:06 Bad Week: Alicante’s tree falling 12:11 Good Week: Poland’s opposition march 22:52 Interview: Stefano Piraino on why jellyfish is your next favorite snack 36:29 Inspiration Station: A documentary about Sinéad O'Connor - ‘Nothing Compares’ and a new season of “Have You Heard George's Podcast’ 40:52 Happy Ending: Baby beaver born in London!

Our producer Wojciech has a theory that Central and Eastern Europe, in their broadest sense, share a common trait - they do not tolerate emptiness. Any deficit or shortage is promptly filled by individuals who have come to realize that they cannot always depend on their states to provide essential services. This is precisely the theme of our interview this week, with Ilir Gashi, who shares his story of getting involved in an unofficial courier system between Kosovo and Serbia when the state postal office ceased its deliveries. Against the backdrop of recent tensions between these countries flaring up once again, it provides a poignant glimpse into the daily life on the border of these nations. We're also talking about Greece’s new left-ish leader Stefanos Kasselakis (and his good-looking dog) and Spain's dealings with its gruesome past under the infamous General Franco. This is our first episode of the autumn season and we’ll stay with you until the end of the year! There’s lots to come with some very exciting special episodes coming up! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. You can read Ilir’s piece here in In The Guardian, we heartily recommend you do! Hosts: Dominic Kraemer and Katz Laszlo Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

We're on a summer break right now, but here's something to put in your ears while we're away. To celebrate the beautiful visual animation of 'Mohamed' winning Germany's prestigious CIVIS Prize, we're re-releasing the original audio podcast, one of our all-time favourite episodes. 'Mohamed' is a story about a young man living in limbo while trapped in a labyrinth of bureaucracy. You can watch the animated version here on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAg-fJcU0iw&t=2s This was the fourth episode in our series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like: intimate stories from young Europeans across the continent. Producers: Katz Laszlo and Mohamed Bah Art Direction & Motion Design: Studio Mélody Da Fonseca Motion Design & Illustration Assistants: Andréa Reille & Rafaelle Fillastre Mixing and Mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Sound design: Katz Laszlo Editor: Katy Lee Editorial support: Dominic Kraemer and Wojciech Oleksiak Music: I Wish I Knew How it Would Feel To Be Free, covered by Bahghi; Ancore une Staggione by Bottega Baltazar; Blurry by Curtis Cole; Kongo by Trio Particular; Coco Bread by Wearethegood; Mas Feliz Del Mundo by Ofir Atar; Fandanguillo also by Ofir Atar; No One Is Out Here by Yehezkel Raz. Theme music by Jim Barne. SFX from Freesound.org. This series is co-produced with Are We Europe and made in cooperation with the Allianz Foundation.

Once upon a time, European powers drew up borders in Africa as part of their colonisation of the continent. These days the EU is increasingly interested in those borders again — including the idea of placing its own agents there to stop migrants heading towards Europe. This week we hear from investigative journalist Andrei Popoviciu about how EU funds are being used to police West African borders, often with a disturbing lack of scrutiny. We're also talking about Italy's #10secondi outrage, France's plan to subsidise clothing repairs, and artistic revenge in the 16th century. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/what-is-europe-up-to-on-africas-borders This is our last episode of the summer but we'll be hard at work until our return in September, preparing episodes for the autumn. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. You can read Andrei's investigation here in In These Times, and we'll post a link to the French version in Le Monde as soon as it's out. You can follow Andrei on Twitter here. The episode we made with Andrei last year about EU border agency Frontex can be found here. The graphics Katy mentioned on how Europeans dispose of unwanted clothes can be found here, and the Guardian's exclusive report about Dürer's sassy revenge on his boss is here. And if you have a few minutes to spare, we'd be really grateful if you could fill in a quick survey to help us improve the podcast. You can find it here: https://iter.ly/fcmgq 00:22 Go away, Heatwave Charon 03:41 Bad Week: Italy's 10-second assault case 08:11 Good Week: France's discounts for clothes repairs 18:43 Interview: Andrei Popoviciu on the EU's migration policy in Africa 32:37 Isolation Inspiration: Maro's Tiny Desk Concert and Afropop 36:32 Happy Ending: Revenge on bad bosses, 16th century-style Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

How much sway do giant interest groups have over the way our food gets grown? This week we're delving into the murky world of farm lobbying with Thin Lei Win, one of the reporters behind a fascinating investigation into the highly influential Copa-Cogeca group. We're also talking about the mass FOMO outbreak resulting from Threads' absence from the EU and what the hell is going on with Europe's electricity prices right now. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/threads-solar-and-giant-farming-lobbies We're running a survey to help us improve the podcast! If you've got five minutes to spare, we'd be really grateful if you could answer a few questions here: https://iter.ly/fcmgq You can find Lighthouse Reports' investigation into Copa-Cogeca here, with links to their partners' coverage in six languages. You can sign up to Thin's excellent newsletter on food and the climate here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Songs from Spain and microfiber make-up remover cloths. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:22 Sunny days watching the Dutch government collapse 04:25 Bad Week: Threads FOMO in Europe 16:42 Good Week: Bountiful solar power 27:45 Interview: Thin Lei Win on the outsized influence of Europe's giant farm lobby 42:08 Isolation Inspiration: Songs from Spain and microfiber make-up cloths 45:38 Happy Ending: Underwhelming but very very old Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

How can cartoon dogs help fight Russian disinformation? This week, hybrid warfare expert Robert van der Noordaa gives us a crash course on the #NAFOfellas movement and why Ukraine has been so good at using internet humour since last year's invasion. We're also talking about France's riots and the Dutch king's apology for the Netherlands' role in slavery. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/fighting-putin-one-meme-at-a-time Robert is an analyst at Trollrensics and tweets here. You can watch the heartwarming video of Jolien Boumkwo running the 100m hurdles here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: R.M.N., rugelach and sfogliatelle. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:22 A big announcement! 04:07 Bad Week: France's riots 17:32 Good Week: The Dutch king's slavery apology 27:13 Interview: Robert van der Noordaa on Ukraine's meme-armed internet warriors 37:41 Isolation Inspiration: RMN, rugelach and sfogliatelle 41:40 Happy Ending: Jolien Boumkwo, champion of our hearts Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

Being able to move freely around 27 countries is one of the biggest benefits of living in the EU. In reality, this is pretty hard if you’ve got a disability. This week we speak to Alejandro Moledo, deputy director of the European Disability Forum, about plans to start addressing that. We’re also diving into Greece’s elections and, with the help of producer Katz Laszlo, the decision to halt Iceland’s summer whale-hunting season. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/greeces-elections-whales-and-disability-rights You can follow Alejandro on Twitter here and find the EDF's podcast mini-series here. The reports Alejandro mentioned can be found here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'The Employees' by Olga Ravn and 'Fanfic' on Netflix. Bonus: best-selling whale song album 'Songs of the Humpback Whale'. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:22 Busy busy busy, hot hot hot 02:52 Good Week: Iceland's whales 12:19 Bad Week: Greek leftwingers 22:42 Interview: Alejandro Moledo on the EU's (lack of a) disability policy 34:03 Isolation Inspiration: 'The Employees' and 'Fanfic' 37:57 Happy Ending: A bunch of things to celebrate this Pride Month Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

It's easy to feel doomed when it comes to climate change. In her latest book, the Italian political scientist Nathalie Tocci makes the case for cautious optimism about Europe's climate and energy policies. We chat to her this week about the opportunities and challenges of the European Green Deal, as well as how to interpret the death last week of Silvio Berlusconi. We're also talking about a push to ban unpaid internships across the EU, and whether or not we should be blaming Beyoncé for stubbornly high inflation in Sweden. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/beyonc-inflation-and-the-case-for-climate-optimism Nathalie is the director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali in Rome. You can follow her on Twitter here and find more information about her latest book, 'A Green and Global Europe', here. We are over the moon that the animated version of our episode 'Mohamed', made with our friends at Are We Europe, has won a CIVIS prize! You can watch the beautiful animation here on YouTube. This week's Isolation Inspiration: ⁠roasted fennel⁠ and 'The Council of Egypt' by Leonardo Sciascia. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:22 Amsterdam heat and breakfast tears 03:44 Good Week: Interns 10:49 Bad Week: Beyoncé 21:31 Interview: Nathalie Tocci on the case for climate optimism in Europe 36:32 Isolation Inspiration: Roasted fennel and The Council of Egypt 40:02 Happy Ending: (Everyone's) Free-To-Wear Sunscreen Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

Last week, dozens of NATO peacekeepers were injured after violent protests broke out in northern Kosovo. What is going on, and why do Kosovo's problems seem so hard to fix? This week we dig into the deeper context behind the unrest with political analyst Agon Maliqi. We're also talking about why much of Europe is antsy about who's going to be steering the EU next year, and a bizarre dispute in the art world. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/why-is-it-so-hard-to-fix-kosovos-problems You can follow Agon on Twitter at @AgonMaliqi. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Turn of the Tide and Fatma Aydemir: The State of European Literature at the Forum on European Culture, De Balie. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:22 The sunny side of the continent 02:14 Bad Week: Looming EU presidencies 12:37 Good Week for Dutch art trolls? 23:20 Interview: Agon Maliqi on why it's so hard to fix the Kosovo-Serbia relationship 35:46 Isolation Inspiration: Turn of the Tide and the Forum on European Culture 40:36 Happy Ending: The magic of Enhanced Rock Weathering Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

The last time we interviewed the physicist Meganne Christian, she was working on the French-Italian research base on Antarctica. Now she has her eye on outer space. We ring her up to find out more about her new life as a reserve astronaut for the European Space Agency, and Europe's role in the new commercial space era. We're also talking about Pedro Sánchez's Spanish election gamble and a hopeful court verdict for same-sex Romanian couples. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/europes-place-in-outer-space Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. You can follow Meganne here on Twitter and Instagram, and the ESA here and here. The report on Europe's future role in space exploration can be found here, and you can find out more about the ESA astronaut selection process here. Some other links you might want to check out: ESA Space Ambition book ESA Terrae Novae 2030+ Strategy Roadmap International Space Station Benefits for Humanity 2022 ESA Human Spaceflight on Twitter This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'The [Queer] Politics of Eurovision' from verilybitchie, and This Is Love: The Museum of Broken Relationships. 00:22 Welcome to the western-most peninsulas of Eurasia 03:28 Bad Week: Spain's Socialists 11:36 Good Week: LGBT couples in Romania 20:53 Interview: Meganne Christian on life as a reserve astronaut and what Europe is up to in space 32:53 Isolation Inspiration: The Queer Politics of Eurovision and The Museum of Broken Relationships 35:09 Happy Ending: Cheers to you, Gert-Jan Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

We usually see young people as the face of climate activism. This week, we find out how 2,000 Swiss women, all over the age of 65, took their government to court in a case that could change climate laws across Europe. And along the way, we figure out once and for all how the European Court of Human Rights actually works. This is a special episode made in cooperation with the Allianz Foundation, one of several podcasts we're making this year about sustainability with their support. Stay tuned later in the year to hear more. You can find out more about the KlimaSeniorinnen here. Listening from Amsterdam? The Forum on European Culture runs at De Balie from May 31-June 4, with a ton of great speakers on the line-up. Find the full programme here: https://cultureforum.eu/programme-2023 Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/the-biggest-climate-case-that-ever-was Reporter and producer: Katz Laszlo Editor: Katy Lee Editorial support: Dominic Kraemer and Wojciech Oleksiak Sound design, mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne, Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

We've been glued to the Turkish elections over the past week. But what does Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's victory in the first round mean for the country, and for Europe as a whole? This week we ring up political scientist Ahmet Erdi Öztürk to find out. We're also talking about a big boost in Germany's support for Ukraine, a fake tan controversy, and the teeny tiny bridge behind the Mona Lisa. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/the-naughty-child-of-nato You can follow Erdi on Twitter @ahmeterdiozturk. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Cautionary Tales: 'The Man Who Bet His House on a Pop Song - A Eurovision Tale' and 'The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared' by Jonas Jonasson 00:22 Together again 03:31 Good Week: Is Germany's Ukraine 'turning point' actually here? 11:27 Red-faced over orange-face 19:26 Interview: Ahmet Erdi Öztürk on the Turkish elections 28:23 Isolation Inspiration: 'The Man Who Bet His House on a Pop Song' and 'The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared' 33:19 Happy Ending: A Mona Lisa mystery solved? Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

This week is a bonanza for fans of Europe's two favourite competitions: the Champions League football tournament and the Eurovision Song Contest. Both are held up as events that bring Europeans together, but which one does the job better? This week we aim to settle the debate once and for all with a face-off between sports commentator Barbara Barend and Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic. We're also talking about a €300-million EU pension black hole and France's first rap awards. Do you live in Europe, and do you enjoy this podcast? If so, you can celebrate democracy and fund our show at the same time, by signing up to join the Capital of European Democracy jury. It only takes a few clicks and it's a huge help to us! Sign up here before May 15: https://join.capitalofdemocracy.eu/europeanspod FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/eurovision-vs-the-champions-league The Eurovision vs. Champions League debate was part of a special event for Europe Day hosted by the European Cultural Foundation. You can find out more about this year's celebrations at europeday.eu. This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'King Charles III's Secret Kingdom' and 'If Found'. You can find the article Katy mentioned on the Flamme awards here in the Guardian, and the ECF's Radio Europe Day playlist here on Spotify. 00:22 Beyoncé in the Brussels bubble 03:49 Bad Week: A €300m pensions black hole 13:25 Good Week: France's first rap awards 18:39 Help us out by joining the European Capital of Democracy Jury! 20:23 The ultimate debate: Eurovision vs The Champions League 37:46 Isolation Inspiration: 'King Charles III's Secret Kingdom' and 'If Found' 40:54 Happy Ending: Aurimas Valujavičius's epic journey Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. Producer: Katy Lee Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

The EU is a lot of things. But is it funny? And would Europe be a better place if we *could* find it funny? This week we're talking to Lise Witteman, one of the co-founders of live comedy show The Schuman Show, about finding humour in the Brussels machine. We're also talking about Pope Francis' face-off with Viktor Orbán and the Italian tourism campaign that spawned a thousand memes. Do you live in Europe, and do you enjoy this podcast? If so, you can celebrate democracy and fund our show at the same time, by signing up to join the Capital of European Democracy jury. It only takes a few clicks and it's a huge help to us! Sign up here: https://join.capitalofdemocracy.eu/europeanspod FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: ⁠https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/brussels-that-well-known-comedy-goldmine⁠ You can find out more about the Schuman Show at https://www.schumanshow.eu. The final visual version of the episodes in our series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like, produced by our friends at Are We Europe, can be found here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: The Allusionist's Eurovision episodes and 'The Curious Case of Columbo's Message to Romania' 00:22 King's Day and erotic fiction penned by a finance minister 03:53 Good Week: The Pope v Viktor Orbán 11:44 Bad Week: Open to Meraviglia! 18:12 Help us out by joining the European Capital of Democracy Jury! 20:26 Interview: Lise Witteman on making the EU funny 31:58 Isolation Inspiration: The Allusionist's Eurovision episodes and 'The Curious Case of Columbo's Message to Romania' 35:53 Happy Ending: Gamefy The Dam Removal Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

Mapping our genes has already allowed humanity to make huge strides in medicine. But the vast majority of the genomes we’ve decoded are those of people of white European heritage. Why is that a problem, and how do we fix it? This week we talk to the Nigerian geneticist Segun Fatumo about fixing the genome gap. We’re also talking about Andalucía’s bid to protect flamenco, and why Europe’s most powerful media mogul is in hot water. Segun is an associate professor of genetic epidemiology and bioinformatics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He tweets @SFatumo. You can find a video of flamenco performers celebrating Andalucía’s new law here, and watch the latest visual podcast in our series with Are We Europe, 'Andrea', here. We are delighted that the visual version of an earlier episode of This Is What A Generation Sounds Like, 'Mohamed', has been nominated for the CIVIS Prize! Watch it here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: this interview on the European Space Agency's Jupiter mission; How To Sell Drugs Online (Fast); World Leader or My Friend's Dad? and Luis Sal's Parisian croissant review. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/how-racial-bias-is-messing-with-dna-research 00:22 Make Europe Digestible Again 02:23 A Good Week for protecting flamenco? 09:22 A Bad Week for Axel Springer's CEO 19:30 Interview: Segun Fatumo on the European bias of genomic studies 30:24 Isolation Inspiration: Juice, 'How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)', World Leader or My Friend's Dad, croissant reviews 34:59 Happy Ending: 500 days of reading and knitting (in a pitch-black cave) Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

What comes to mind when you imagine a library? Rows of books, probably. But across the continent, libraries are transforming into places that serve communities in all sorts of other ways. This week we hear from two very different libraries about how they're doing just that: Bojana Grujic of the Novi Sad City Library in Serbia and Myrto Tsilimpounidi from the Feminist Library at the Feminist Autonomous Centre in Athens. We're also talking about the fallout from Macron's trip to China, the international fight against Hungary's homophobic law, and the hallucinogenic adventures of early Europeans. Bojana and Myrto's libraries are taking part in the European Cultural Foundation's Europe Challenge. The hunt for new participants begins soon; keep an eye on the ECF's website for updates, or subscribe to their newsletter. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Birdsbesafe cat collars, available via the Royal Belgian League for the Protection of Birds, and 'The Shadow King' by Maaza Mengiste. Bonus: Katy's amazing Notion template. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠leaving us a review⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/libraries-the-safest-spaces-we-have 00:22 No Easter eggs for Dominic 02:43 Messy / Bad Week: Macron and von der Leyen's trip to China 14:47 Good Week: The fight against Hungary's anti-LGBTQ law 23:06 Interview: Bojana Grujic and Myrto Tsilimpounidi on the reinvention of Europe's libraries 35:51 Isolation Inspiration: Birdsbesafe cat collars and 'The Shadow King' by Maaza Mengiste 40:59 Happy Ending: Early Europeans' psychedelic dabbling Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

Trillions of euros — trillions! — are currently invested in 'sustainable' investment funds across Europe. But how green really are these funds? This week we ring up El País journalist Daniele Grasso, part of the international team of reporters behind the Great Green Investment Investigation, to find out. We're also talking about Sanna Marin's defeat, Italy's move to ban ChatGPT, and courgette flowers. You can find Follow The Money's investigation on green investigation funds here, with links to reporting from Daniele and the rest of the team at the bottom of the page. The TechCrunch piece on the ramifications of Italy's ChatGPT ruling can be found here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: courgette flowers with garlic butter and oats; 99% Invisible - The Panopticon Effect. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:22 British lads and the correct way to enjoy a marathon 04:21 Bad Week: Sanna Marin 09:55 Good Week: Italy vs ChatGPT 20:28 Interview: Daniele Grasso on Europe's not-so-green investment funds 32:19 Isolation Inspiration: Courgette flowers and 99% Invisible: The Panopticon Effect 35:31 Happy Ending: Congratulations, Ryyan! Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

If you've claimed welfare benefits in Europe lately, there's a decent chance that authorities have used an algorithm to assess whether you might be trying to scam the system. The problem? All kinds of discrimination are baked into these calculations. This week we speak to Gabriel Geiger, one of the journalists behind an international investigation into these ‘suspicion machines’. We’re also looking back at a week of highs and lows for Europe’s climate policy, and celebrating Pompeii’s fluffy new recruits. You can find the various pieces published as part of Lighthouse Reports’ ‘suspicion machines’ investigation here and follow Gabriel on Twitter here. The Guardian graphic that Dominic mentioned, explaining why it’s so hard to power ships with electricity, can be found here. This week’s Isolation Inspiration: 'Lessons' by Ian McEwan, Traute Lafrenz's obituary, and 'A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived' by Adam Rutherford. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:22 The highs and lows of modern technology 02:52 Good week: Europe's maritime fuel deal 10:45 Bad week: The great combustion engine flop 19:33 Interview: Gabriel Geiger on Europe's suspicion machines 36:11 Isolation Inspiration: 'Lessons' by Ian McEwan, Traute Lafrenz's obituary, and 'A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived' 40:05 Happy Ending: Pompeii's fluffy new recruits Producer: Katy Lee Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

Last year, conservationists deliberately flooded a Slovakian forest. Why would you do such a thing? This week we ring up the co-founder of one of the organisations behind the project, Duarte de Zoeten of Mossy Earth, to find out. We're also talking about Italy's rainbow families, a kind-of-sort-of deal between Kosovo and Serbia, and Europe's first wild river national park. You can find Mossy Earth's YouTube channel here and their latest video about the Danube project here. Find out more about their Slovakian partners, Broz, here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Vrij Spel (NPO) - Arnout, Dominic, Felix & Timo vs. Purcell; Stanley Tucci - Searching for Italy. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:22 Rats and Covid 03:12 Bad week: Milan's rainbow families 09:39 Good week (ish): Serbia and Kosovo 19:03 Interview: Duarte de Zoeten on flooding a Slovakian forest 32:05 Isolation Inspiration: Arnout, Dominic, Felix & Timo vs. Purcell, and 'Searching for Italy' 37:45 Happy Ending: Europe's first wild river national park Producer: Katy Lee Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

There've been a bunch of worrying reports from Moldova in recent weeks, from claims that Russia is fuelling street protests to fears of a coup d'etat. What exactly is going on, and what does Moscow have to do with it? This week we speak to Ivana Stradner, a specialist in Russian information warfare, to try to get to grips with Putin's strategy in the wider region. We're also talking about a teenager who may or may not have set up a non-existent airline, and what makes Swiss chocolate Swiss. Ivana is a special correspondent at the Kyiv Post and a research fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies. You can follow her on Twitter here. Read more about the strangest story in German aviation here on One Mile At A Time. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Tár, 'The Instrumentalist' by Zadie Smith, Aftersun, and Rádio Olisipo. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:22 Viral cucumbers 03:13 Bad week: The teenager behind Germany's non-existent airline 09:48 Good week: Protecting Brand Switzerland (aka 'let's talk about Toblerones') 19:10 Interview: Ivana Stradner on Russian information warfare in Moldova and beyond 33:24 Isolation Inspiration: Tár, 'The Instrumentalist' by Zadie Smith, Aftersun, and Rádio Olisipo 38:08 Happy Ending: The opposite of burgling Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

We're deep into the selection process for the world's most ridiculous music competition, with artists across the continent vying to be chosen as their nation's Eurovision entry. But what happens to the songs that don't actually make it to the contest? This week we've got a joyful interview with Monty Moncrieff, whose podcast Second Cherry gives some love to the nearly-Eurovision hits that still deserve a listen. We're also talking about Elly Schlein, Italy's new leader on the left, and an eyebrow-raising decision by Malta's prison service. This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'Euphoria' and 'Tattoo' by Loreen; 'The Last Soviet', and bonus entry 'Email to Berlin' by Double Date. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:23 Continental drama and bird noises 02:36 Good Week: Elly Schlein 12:13 Bad week: Malta's prison service 22:09 Interview: Monty Moncrieff on nearly-Eurovision hits 34:50 Isolation Inspiration: Loreen and 'The Last Soviet' 38:44 Happy Ending: A Roman dildo? Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

An overnight career change. Switching the language you love in. This week, how war transforms your life in ways you’d never expect. This is the final instalment of our award-winning mini-series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like, a co-production by The Europeans and Are We Europe, made in cooperation with the Allianz Foundation. You can find the other episodes, which take us from Italy to Belarus, here. Our regular show will be back next week. Thanks as ever to the listeners who support this podcast so that we can keep making it. You can chip in at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. Thanks for listening. Producers: Katz Laszlo and Valeria Fokina Sound design: Katz Laszlo Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Editor: Katy Lee Editorial support: Wojciech Oleksiak and Dominic Kraemer You can find Valeria on Instagram here. Music: The Kiffness x Boombox - Remix of Andrii Horolski singing ‘Oy u luzi chervona kalyna’; коники by Tik Tu; Vesna, Baby and Alambari by DakhaBrakha; Valeria Fokina covering ‘I Will Survive’ by Gloria Gaynor; When It Hits You and The Final Cut from Epidemic Sound. Theme music by Jim Barne. SFX from Freesound.org. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

There's been a steady drip-drip of revelations for months now that an alarming number of people in Greece have had their phones tapped. Who is behind this mass snooping, and why are they doing it? This week we call up our favourite Greek-splainer Nick Malkoutzis to unravel a complicated scandal. We're also talking about oil and gas companies' bonanza profits, and the wolf that killed Ursula von der Leyen's pony. Nick is the co-founder and editor of MacroPolis. You can find The Agora, his excellent podcast on Greek politics, here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Cunk on Earth and The Making of Modern Ukraine (on Youtube here and on Spotify here). Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:23 Duolingo fraud 02:22 Bad Week: Ursula and the Wolf 08:03 Good week: Filthy-rich oil and gas giants 18:35 Interview: Nick Malkoutzis on Greece's snooping scandal 30:48 Isolation Inspiration: 'Cunk on Earth' and 'The Making of Modern Ukraine' 34:25 Happy Ending: Hercules rises from the sewer Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

Germany’s government has faced international criticism in recent weeks for dithering over whether or not to send tanks to Ukraine. The Leopard 2s are finally on their way — but why is Europe’s richest country so reluctant to look like a military leader? This week we’re diving into the psychology of Germany’s foreign policy with Sophia Besch, Europe fellow at the Carnegie Endowment. We’re also talking about Czechia’s anti-populist new president, and a bitter row over wine labels. You can follow Sophia on Twitter here and find out more about her work here. This week’s Isolation Inspiration: Stromae’s Tiny Desk Concert and ‘The Door’ by Magda Szabó. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:00 Good Week, Fast Week 02:50 Good Week: Bye-bye Babiš 11:08 Bad week: The Great Wine Label Row 22:00 Interview: Sophia Besch on how Germany sees its place in the world 39:27 Isolation Inspiration: Stromae’s Tiny Desk Concert and ‘The Door’ by Magda Szabó 41:33 Happy Ending: Sharks in Liverpool Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

When legendary Copenhagen restaurant Noma announced that it's planning to close its doors, its star chef René Redzepi said that producing his kind of elite cuisine had become 'unsustainable'. The restaurant, and others like it, have faced vocal criticism over working practices ranging from exploitative unpaid internships to gruelling 16-hour days. This week we speak to Lisa Lind Dunbar, an industry veteran and critic of Denmark's restaurant working culture, to try to understand how fine dining went so wrong. We're also talking about Polish bison, why Turkey is blocking Sweden's NATO bid, and the Irish president's vision of a blissfully homework-free childhood. You can follow Lisa on Instagram here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Paolo Sorrentino's 'Hand of God', and 'Ukraine: Under the Counter', reported by our very own Katz Laszlo for Rough Translation / Radiolab. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:00 The Europeans, brought to you by ChatGPT 03:49 Good Week: A proposed homework ban in Ireland 10:15 Bad week: Why Turkey is blocking Sweden's NATO bid 20:55 Interview: Lisa Lind Dunbar on Denmark's broken restaurant industry 39:03 Isolation Inspiration: 'The Hand of God' and 'Under the Counter' 42:07 Hooray for Polish bison Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

This week, a story about being incredibly sure you’re right about something, and then realising you weren’t. We’re heading to Cyprus for the latest instalment of our award-winning mini-series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like. This series is a co-production by The Europeans and Are We Europe, made in cooperation with the Allianz Foundation. You can find the other episodes, which take us from Italy to Belarus, here. Our regular show will be back next week! Thanks as ever to the listeners who support this podcast so that we can keep making it. You can chip in at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. Thanks for listening. Producers: Wojciech Oleksiak and Andrea Solomonides Scoring, sound design and mixing: Wojciech Oleksiak Editors: Katz Laszlo, Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer Music by Blue Dot Sessions. Theme music by Jim Barne. With special thanks to Eleni Tzialli and Hilmi Tekoglu. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

*Content warning: This episode contains some colourful language and a discussion of what happens to letters to Sinterklaas* It's our final episode of 2022! This week we're getting into the festive spirit with Berlin-based historian Kathrin Schwarz, creator of an entire series of Christmassy European podcasts. We're also talking about Belgium's Sinterklaas postal failure, and why a 1970s Eurovision hit has gone viral in Ukraine. This episode was recorded live on Zoom in front of an audience of our supporters! Thank you so much to everyone who chips in so that we can keep making The Europeans. You can join us at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. Kathrin's podcast, available in German, is called 'Have yourself a very European Christmas - Adventskalenderpodcast'. You can find all 24 episodes here on Spotify, as well as on Apple. You can also follow Kathrin on Twitter here or Instagram here, and find her latest work on witches in Brandenberg here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: @balthazar_theblackmagus and 'Limbic' by Peter Scapello. 04:01 Good Week: Goeiemorgen, morgen 09:56 Bad Week: The great Sinterklaas postal failure 18:03 Kathrin Schwarz on Christmas in the EU 29:13 Isolation Inspiration: @balthazar_theblackmagus and 'Limbic' by Peter Scapello 31:11 Happy Ending: Fighting loneliness at the supermarket checkout Thanks for listening! We'll be back in January. Hosts: Dominic Kraemer and Katy Lee Producers: Katy Lee, Wojciech Oleksiak and Katz Laszlo Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. You can find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected] * * * * * * * * * * * * Kathrin's Recipe: Sardine sandwiches with Christmas cognac Ingredients 200 ml béchamel sauce* 4 slices of toast 50 g grated Gruyère cheese 1 tin of sardines in olive oil (115 g) 1 teaspoon mustard 1 tablespoon lemon juice 1/4 teaspoon chopped thyme salt black pepper *Melt butter, mix with flour, then steadily milk in at medium temperature Preparation Bring the béchamel sauce to boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the mustard, thyme, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Stir only briefly and remove from the heat. Place 2 slices of toast in a small ovenproof dish. Spread half of the resulting mixture on the toast slices in a bowl, then arrange the drained sardines and half of the grated cheese on top. Top with the remaining slices of toast and pour over the remaining béchamel sauce and grated cheese. Place in the oven preheated to 220 °C and bake for 10-15 minutes until the surface is lightly browned and the cheese melts. Tip Before baking, place a lemon slice on each sandwich as a garnish or sprinkle with chives.

In 1932, Poland became one of the first countries in Europe to decriminalise homosexuality; today it's one of the most hostile on the continent when it comes to LGBTQ rights. This week historian Kamil Karczewski joins us to discuss Poland's little-known history as a queer pioneer, and what has changed since. We're also talking about France's crackdown on domestic flights and Ireland's amazingly successful experiment with the four-day week. Oh, and we pay a visit to the EU metaverse, so that you don't have to. You can follow Kamil on Twitter here, and visit the EU's Global Gateway metaverse site here. Good luck, and let us know if you make it inside! This week's Isolation Inspiration: Règle 30, TechTrash, and Inside the Mind of a Cat. You can follow the Savitsky Cats on Instagram here. Don't forget to sign up to support the podcast this week if you'd like to join the live recording of our Christmas episode on December 12! We're hugely grateful to everyone who chips in so that we can keep making the show. You can join us at patreon.com/europeanspodcast, and many currencies are available. Thanks for listening! 02:22 Good Week: France's crackdown on domestic flights 09:36 Bad Week: The EU's metaverse fiesta flop 22:23 Interview: Kamil Karczewski on Poland's little-known queer history 38:16 Isolation Inspiration: Règle 30, Tech Trash, and 'Inside the Mind of a Cat' 42:22 Happy Ending: Ireland's four-day working week is a roaring success Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. You can find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

When reports emerged of Chinese 'police service stations' operating in Europe, alarm bells began ringing across the continent. But what exactly is going on at these sites, and how worried should we be about them? This week we ring Yuan Yang, Europe-China correspondent at the Financial Times, to get a better understanding of how China works beyond its borders. We're also talking about Viktor Orbán's controversial scarf and the right not to be 'fun' at work. You can follow Yuan on Twitter here and read her reporting on China's offshore police stations here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'The White Lotus', Season 2, and The Playlist. Our interview with newly-minted astronaut Dr Meganne Christian, from February 2019, can be found in this episode: The Most Isolated Place on Earth'. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. 03:04 Bad Week: Scarfgate 08:09 Good Week: The right to not be fun 15:35 Interview: Yuan Yang on China's 'overseas police stations' 29:20 Isolation Inspiration: Season 2 of 'The White Lotus' and 'The Playlist' 32:22 Happy Ending: Europe's new astronauts Producer: Katy Lee Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. You can find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

The first episode of The Europeans aired five years ago this week! To mark this very special occasion, producers Katz and Wojciech join Katy and Dominic to look back on how Europe has changed in the half-decade we've been making this podcast. Many thanks to the amazing people who've taken the time to speak to us over the years. In this episode you heard: Franz Kubacyk - 'Translating Trump, Defending Deneuve', January 2018 Katz Laszlo - 'How the hell do you make an EU law?', February 2020 Tom Moylan - 'President of the European what now?', December 2019 Pasi Sahlberg - 'Finnish Lessons', April 2021 Andrei Popoviciu - 'Pushbacks', November 2019 Remco Yizhak Cooremans - 'It takes more than two, baby' - June 2022 Grace Ly - 'France's Invisible Asians', November 2020 Patrick Gathara - 'Eurafrica', February 2020 Natalie Lamprou - 'Cheese Diplomacy' - April 2021 Sara (episode 3 in our series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like) - November 2021 And thank you for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. A video of friendly wolves can be found here. 04:10 Good Five Years: Solar energy 10:48 Bad Five Years: Western naivety 15:55 Good Five Years: Wolves 21:46 Bad Five Years: Media freedom in Central and Eastern Europe 33:42 An ode to governments that came and went 35:32 Franz Kubacyk on Translating Trump 38:46 Tom Moylan on the secrets of the European Commission building 39:53 Pasi Sahlberg on Finland's education system 42:14 Frontex and Fortress Europe 43:48 Remco Yizhak Cooremans on recognising rainbow families in the Netherlands 44:51 Grace Ly on France's Invisible Asians 45:45 Patrick Gathara on Eurafrica 47:34 Natalie Lamprou on halloumi diplomacy in Cyprus 49:47 Sara: trahana, and three Albanias Artwork for this episode by our lovely listener, Luisa Balaban. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

As the COP27 climate talks wrap up in Egypt, we’re turning our attention to an issue that got less attention at the summit than you might expect: the growing number of people having to flee their homes as a result of climate change. What role does Europe have to play in all this, both in terms of finding solutions and as a major driver of climate change in the first place? This week we find out with the help of Alexandre Porteret of the European Commission’s Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations department, and François Gemenne of the Hugo Laboratory, the world’s first interdisciplinary research centre focusing on how climate change impacts migration. This episode was supported by the European Commission, with coordination from Are We Europe. Producer: Katz Laszlo Scoring and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: BlueDot Sessions and Epidemic Sounds Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

This week we're wrestling with a big idea: time, and the lack of it. Most Europeans have experienced burnout, or felt close to it, at some point in their lives. What if we redesigned policies to give citizens their time back? To find out more, we called up Ariadna Güell Sans, one of the coordinators of the Barcelona Time Use Initiative, about how the city is using time to try to make life easier and fairer. We're also talking about incomprehensible euro-speak, and healing Franco-German relations with train tickets. You can find Christian Rauh's study on the European Commission's unintelligible press releases here and Sarah Wheaton's reporting on it here in Politico. The European burnout survey can be found here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'Something to Do' from Zadie Smith's 'Intimations', and Katy's Notion planner. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. 02:35 Bad Week: Impenetrable euro-speak 10:46 Good Week: French and German young'uns 19:12 Interview: Ariadna Güell Sans on giving Barcelona's citizens their time back 34:57 Isolation Inspiration: 'Something To Do' by Zadie Smith, Notion and Rádio Olisipo 38:36 Happy Ending: The Netherlands' high school mayo dealers Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. You can find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

Last weekend, we took over the European Parliament (kind of) along with more than 1,000 young activists from across the continent. This week we hear from some of those activists as well as from President Roberta Metsola, in a conversation recorded live on stage inside the Hemicycle. We're also talking about Germany's plans to legalise cannabis, and how to steal a Polish tram. Katy and Dominic were hosting Level Up!, a two-day activism bootcamp organised by the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Youth Forum, whose president Silja Markkula also spoke to us on stage. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Greta Thunberg in conversation with Björk on the New Statesman's World Review podcast, and Adam Buxton in conversation with the Irish novelist Marian Keyes. 02:58 Good Week: Germany's plans to legalise cannabis 09:44 Bad Week: Poland's stolen tram 15:03 Our takeover of the European Parliament with 1,000 young activists 34:20 Isolation Inspiration: Greta Thunberg and Björk in conversation; Adam Buxton and Marian Keys in conversation 37:50 Happy Ending: The upside-down Mondrian Producer: Katy Lee Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. You can find the first chapter 'Mohamed' here, and more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

Can we find ways to live happily alongside people with radically different values than our own? This week, we journey to one of the most isolated corners of Europe for the sixth installment in our series ‘This Is What A Generation Sounds Like’. A beautiful visual version of this podcast will be available soon. In the meantime, you can find the first visual podcasts in this series here. This series is co-produced with Are We Europe and made in cooperation with Allianz Kulturstiftung, an independent not-for-profit cultural foundation committed to strengthening cohesion in Europe using the tools of art and culture. Find out more at kulturstiftung.allianz.de. Producers: Wojciech Oleksiak and Kinga Goc Mixing, mastering and sound design: Wojciech Oleksiak Editorial support: Katz Laszlo, Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer Music by Casletila. Theme music by Jim Barne. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few euros / dollars / pounds a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review. This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. Find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | [email protected]

What does it feel like to know that your government has been able to access every single message on your phone? Last year, the Hungarian investigative journalist Szabolcs Panyi found out that he'd been hacked using Pegasus spyware. This week we hear about his latest investigation, which looks at how the Orbán government managed to get hold of this incredibly powerful surveillance tool in the first place. We're also talking about last weekend's mysterious German train sabotage and growing European protests against World Cup hosts Qatar. You can follow Szabolcs on Twitter here and read the inside story of how Pegasus was brought to Hungary here via Direkt36. A background read on the spyware scandal currently rocking Greece can be found here. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. This week's Isolation Inspiration: The latest visual episode in This Is What A Generation Sounds Like, our series with Are We Europe: Denisa Scottish crime drama Karen Pirie 'Les années' (The Years) by Annie Ernaux 00:22 Welcome! 02:49 Bad Week: The Great German Train Sabotage Mystery 10:22 Good Week: Europe's growing World Cup protest movement 24:39 Interview: Szabolcs Panyi on being hacked by the Hungarian government 36:06 Isolation Inspiration: 'Denisa', 'Karen Pirie', and 'The Years' by Annie Ernaux 40:39 Happy Ending: Waxworms, gross but good Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. Find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

With fourteen governments and a three-person presidency, Bosnia and Herzegovina's political system is often described as the most complicated in the world. It's a system that was designed to keep the peace after a devastating war. But three decades on, is it still working? This week we give Aleksandar Brezar the near-impossible task of untangling the weekend's elections for us. We're also talking about Malta's golden passports and a chess scandal involving anal beads. Yes, you heard that correctly. Aleksandar is a journalist mostly covering the Western Balkans. You can find him on Twitter here. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'Born in Blackness: Africa, Africans, and the Making of the Modern World, 1471 to the Second World War', by Howard W. French The ZOE podcast: 'How to control blood sugar spikes', with Jessie Inchauspé 02:42 Good Week: A challenge to Malta's golden passport scheme 09:33 Bad Week: Anal bead scandal strikes the chess world 18:44 Interview: Aleksandar Brezar on the Bosnian elections 30:46 Isolation Inspiration: 'Born in Blackness' and Jessie Inchauspé on the ZOE podcast 34:41 Happy Ending: The power of cow poo Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. Find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

This week saw a political earthquake in Italy — albeit one that had been widely predicted. With Giorgia Meloni's far-right Brothers of Italy poised to lead the new government, just how scared should we be? We ring up the philosopher Lorenzo Marsili to help us understand what just happened. We're also talking about fair pensions for Swiss women, and a Spanish lagoon that can now call itself a person. Lorenzo is the founder of the progressive civil society movement European Alternatives. You can follow him on Twitter here. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'Flying to LA' by Maro feat. Lisa Oduor-Noah 'I'll Come Too' by James Blake 'Broken Greek' by Pete Paphides and the accompanying Spotify playlist 02:18 Good Week: The Mar Menor 06:43 Bad Week: Swiss women 13:57 Interview: Lorenzo Marsili on the Italian elections 28:16 Isolation Inspiration: Maro and Broken Greek 32:07 Happy Ending: We can't wait for Rail Baltica Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. Find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

Between those of us who grew up before the internet and those who've never known a world without it, there's a generation of people who came of age *with* the web. This week we chat to the French-Moroccan journalist Marie Le Conte about 'Escape', a book that reflects on the vibrant, chaotic days of the early internet and what has changed since then. We're also talking about Viktor Orbán's money woes and why psychiatrists in Brussels are prescribing museum visits for mental health. Marie tweets at @youngvulgarian. 'Escape: How a generation shaped, destroyed and survived the internet' is out now. You can read about how Hungary's elite made a fortune from EU subsidies here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: The Politalia newsletter and 'Druk' (Another Round). Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. 02:47 Bad (ish) Week: Hungary's billions 10:34 Good Week: Brussels' 'museum therapy' initiative 18:57 Interview: Marie Le Conte on 'Escape' and growing up on the early internet 30:18 Isolation Inspiration: The Politalia newsletter and 'Druk' ('Another Round') 32:59 Happy Ending: Happy Birthday, Spider-Man Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. Find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]

We're back after our summer break, and celebrating a milestone this week: our 200th episode! To mark the occasion, we're joined by a special guest, former Finnish prime minister Alexander Stubb. Now that he's training the next generation of leaders at the European University Institute in Florence, we asked him to grade the current batch on their handling of everything from the war in Ukraine to the energy crisis. We're also talking about Sweden's election, an ill-advised decision by Bosnian football bosses, and how sheep can help to fight forest fires. Alexander Stubb is Director of the School of Transnational Governance at the European University Institute. You can follow him on Twitter here. Back in 2020 we interviewed another former Finnish PM, 16-year-old Aava Murto, after she held the job for a day. You can check out that conversation in this episode. And Aleksandar Brezar's reporting on Bosnia and Herzegovina's planned friendly against Russia can be found here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'Take A Chance' - DOMi & JD BECK, feat. Anderson .Paak 'Thou Wilt Keep Him In Perfect Peace' - Samuel Sebastian Wesley 'The short unhappy life of Elizabeth Windsor' - Politico Europe Thank you so much to all the listeners who have helped us reach 200 episodes. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify. 00:22 We're back, and it's our 200th episode! 03:36 Good Week? Sweden's elections 20:27 Interview: Alexander Stubb grades Europe's leaders on their handling of various current crises 36:33 Isolation Inspiration 41:04 Happy Ending: Firefighting sheep and goat(s) Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. Find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. Twitter | Instagram | [email protected]