The Europeans | European news, politics and culture

This week, we heard that 'Josh and Franco', one of our all-time favourite episodes, has been nominated for the equivalent of an Oscar in the European podcast world: the Prix Europa. We are over the moon and thought this was a good moment to re-release the episode. It was the first episode from our series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like and if you are watching on Spotify, you will be able to watch this podcast as it was our first attempt at creating a 'Visual Podcast', in collaboration with our friends at Are We Europe. If you are not listening on Spotify, then you can experience the visual episode on Vimeo here: https://vimeo.com/areweeurope/joshandfranco Podcast Credits: Producers: Katz Laszlo and Josh Prezioso Editorial support: Dominic Kraemer, Katy Lee, Andrei Popoviciu and Priyanka Shankar Video Credits: Visual & Motion Design: Eddie Stok Project Coordination: Mick ter Reehorst Translation: Giosuè Prezioso Subtitles: Marco Mingolla Music: Tarantella del Gargano by Marco Beasley & represented by Out Here Music; Italian Opera by UV Protection; Andante (Italian Concerto) written by Bach and performed by Catrina Finch; Amore Mio by Mina with Warner Music Italy; Tomb by Veshza; La Luna E Fisarmonica by Ziv Moran; Disco Ball by Evgeny Barduzha, and Jim Barne. Additional music from Blue Dot Sessions: Kilkerrin by Scalcairn; Sylvestor by One Such Village; Angel Academy by Marc Oakley; Toby or not Toby by Mark Oakley. SFX from Freesounds.org: Wescwave; GeorgeHopkins; suonidigallipoli; samararaine; cmusounddesign; suonidibologna; wolkenunddreck; ancorapazzo; soundforest. This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. Find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. This series is co-produced in co-operation 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.

In the final episode before our summer break, we dive into a cheese-based conflict between Greece and Denmark and a homophobic Hungarian law that is finally being challenged by the EU in court. Plus, we ring up Una Hajdari, roaming reporter in the Western Balkans, to try to untangle why North Macedonia has had such a rough ride on its path to EU membership. And in a special pre-holiday edition of Isolation Inspiration, we've got a bumper crop of European summer reads and a chat with Gregory Warner from NPR's Rough Translation about work culture around the world. You can follow Una on Twitter here and Szabolcs Panyi, the Hungarian journalist Dominic mentioned, here. The Europeans' Summer 2022 Reading List is here and you can check out Rough Translation's new season, 'Work', at https://www.npr.org/podcasts/510324/rough-translation. Thanks for listening! We'll be back on September 15. 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 Welcome! 02:33 Good Week: Slovenia legalises gay marriage and adoption 08:25 Bad Week: The Uber Files 19:43 Interview: Janez Potočnik on Europe's food supplies 33:03 Isolation Inspiration: 'Techtopia' and 'Standing Up' 36:25 Happy Ending: Old bones in Spain 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]

Russia's assault on Ukraine is driving a global food crisis, and there are calls for Europe to dramatically increase its own supplies in response. But can we do that without damaging the environment? This week we speak to former EU environment commissioner Janez Potočnik about how to ensure our food security without sacrificing ambitious climate and biodiversity plans. We're also talking about the #UberFiles, Slovenia's move to legalise same-sex marriage, and an extremely old Spaniard. Janez is the co-chair of the UN International Resource Panel and a partner at SYSTEMIQ. You can follow him on Twitter here. Isolation Inspiration: This episode of Techtopia on a massive ransomware attack in Germany; Standing Up on Netflix. 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 Welcome! 02:33 Good Week: Slovenia legalises gay marriage and adoption 08:25 Bad Week: The Uber Files 19:43 Interview: Janez Potočnik on Europe's food supplies 33:03 Isolation Inspiration: 'Techtopia' and 'Standing Up' 36:25 Happy Ending: Old bones in Spain 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]

Ukraine and Moldova have been granted candidate status to join the EU. It's a major moment in the messy process of knitting this continent together — but is a bigger European Union automatically a better one? This week we chat to Dr. Ilke Toygür about what this all means for Ukraine, Moldova and the EU itself. We're also talking about Venice's new entry fee for day-trippers, sexy Swedish waste disposal, and why Greece and Turkey are fighting over a made-up word. Ilke is a professor of political science at the University Carlos III of Madrid and a fellow at the Centre for Applied Turkey Studies at SWP Berlin. You can follow her on Twitter here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'Borgen - Power & Glory' and 'She Rides Like The Wind - the story of Alfonsina Strada' by Joan Negrescolor. 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. 02:20 Good Week? Venice's fee for day-trippers 08:50 Bad Week: The Great Greek-Turkish Portmanteau Row 16:52 Interview: Ilke Toygür on growing the EU 32:13 Isolation Inspiration: 'Borgen' and 'She Rides Like The Wind' 35:11 Happy Ending: Malmö's smutty bins 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]

More and more European police forces are using facial recognition technology. Under an EU proposal they'd be able to share access to the millions of images they've collected – creating what critics say amounts to one of the most extensive biometric surveillance systems in the world. This week we speak to Domen Savič, head of Slovenian digital rights NGO Državljan D (Citizen D), about the tricky balance between fighting crime and protecting our privacy. We're also talking about Seville's plans to name its heatwaves and the French response to the US Supreme Court's abortion ruling. Plus, a recording of Dominic's doorbell disaster. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Bionic reading, Nicola Coughlan on Off Menu, DakhaBrakha, Jamala, Kalush and Go_A. You can check out Državljan D's monthly podcast on tech ethics 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. 02:34 Good Week: Seville's plan to name its heatwaves 11:52 Bad Week (or Good Response To A Bad Week): France's response to the US Supreme Court ruling 18:20 Interview: Domen Savič on the EU's facial recognition plans 30:33 Isolation Inspiration: Bionic reading, Nicola Coughlan on Off Menu, and Glastonbury's Ukrainian offerings 34:42 Happy Ending: Rock, paper, scissors on wheels 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]

When Remco Yizhak Cooremans moved home to the Netherlands after many years abroad, the authorities told him something shocking: his son wasn't legally his son. This week, we hear about Dutch plans to bring the law up to date with the realities of 21st-century parenting. We're also talking about Roman trash and minimum wages you can actually live on. Remco is the chairman of Meer dan Gewenst. If you're interested in the multi-parenting law, you can catch him speaking at De Balie in Amsterdam on June 16, and it's being streamed online too. Details here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Navalny, and Rough Translation's episode on France's forbidden desk lunches. We're taking a break next week so that Katy can go stand in a muddy field. While we're away, check out this beautiful episode from Belarusian poet Hanna Komar, reflecting on the meaning of freedom. 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. 02:41 Good Week: Minimum wages you can actually live on 08:54 Bad Week: Messy Rome 18:06 Interview: Remco Yizhak Cooremans on the Netherlands' planned multi-parent law 32:33 Isolation Inspiration: 'Navalny' and Rough Translation's French lunch episode 34:23 Happy Ending: Congratulations, Candida! 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]

In the EU's complicated efforts to present a united front on Ukraine, Viktor Orbán stands out like a sore thumb. Why is Orbán cosying up to Vladimir Putin? This week, we catch up with longtime Orbán-watcher Viktória Serdült on what game the Hungarian leader might be playing. We're also talking about the toxic row engulfing Germany's documenta fifteen festival, and a gamechanger for annoying customer service calls in Spain. Viktória is a journalist at HVG, one of the few remaining bastions of independent media in Hungary. You can follow her on Twitter here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: On Spec and Season 3 of Derry Girls. 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. 03:07 Bad Week: documenta fifteen 14:06 Good Week: Spain's amazing customer service bill 20:18 Interview: Viktória Serdült on Viktor Orbán's latest antics 31:16 Isolation Inspiration: On Spec and Derry Girls 34:09 Happy Ending: Pompeii DNA 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]

From Minsk and London, a story about the meaning of freedom. Hanna Komar, a poet, was jailed for her activism in Belarus. This week, she tells us what it’s like to move from a place where people have to fight for basic rights, to a place where people take them for granted. This is the fifth episode in our series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like: intimate stories from young Europeans across the continent. A beautiful visual version of this podcast will be available later this year. In the meantime, check out the first visual podcast in this series: Josh and Franco. This series is co-produced with Are We Europe and is 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: Katy Lee and Hanna Komar Sound design: Katz Laszlo and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Editors: Katz Laszlo and Dominic Kraemer Music: ‘Girl in White’ by Naviband, ‘Ballerina’ by Yehezkel Raz, ‘Ballerina Remix’ by Yehezkel Raz and Lalinea, ‘Магутны Божа’ by Volny Chor; ‘Looking for You’ by Christof Waters; Blue Dot Sessions; and Papa Bo mixing tracks by Meute, live during the protests in Minsk. Theme music by Jim Barne. SFX from Freesound.org. 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 | [email protected]

Moldova represents a prime example of social media giants' failure to tackle disinformation in smaller and less wealthy countries ⁠— in this case, with hugely dangerous potential consequences. This week we speak to civil society activist Diana Filimon about the propaganda war that Russia has been waging in countries neighbouring Ukraine. We're also talking about Germany's €9 transport experiment, the morality of a lockdown for cats, and scallop discothèques. You can find out more about Diana's work at Forum Apulum here and read Philip Oltermann's reporting on racism claims against Berlin ticket inspectors here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: The Truffle Hunters, and the New York Times' reporting on the legacy of Haiti's reparations to enslavers. You can read more about the methods used for the NYT's reporting here and more on reactions to the story here. A video of dancing scallops 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. And this week, why not #TellASwede about this podcast's existence? 02:51 Good Week: Germany's €9 transport experiment 09:40 Bad Week: Walldorf's lockdown for cats 17:12 Interview: Diana Filimon on disinformation in Moldova 33:06 Isolation Inspiration: 'The Truffle Hunters' and the NYT's reporting on Haiti's reparations to enslavers 38:19 Happy Ending: Scallop disco Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak, with thanks to Katz Laszlo 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

Kris de Decker's balcony in Barcelona is nice and sunny. Which is just as well, because a website depends on it. This week we chat to Kris, co-founder of Low-Tech Magazine, about why he built a solar-powered website and how human history can inspire modern environmental solutions. We're also talking about foie gras, faux gras, and bringing EU and non-EU Europe together. You can check out the solar-powered version of Low-Tech Magazine's website here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'Today in Focus - The Wagatha Christie case'; 'Multiples: 12 stories in 18 languages by 61 authors'; this vegan foie gras recipe; Impact from Les Glorieuses, a feminist newsletter in English and French. 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 or giving us five stars on Spotify. 03:23 Good Week? Macron's big new idea 12:09 Bad Week: Foie gras 20:09 Interview: Kris De Decker on building a solar-powered website 34:38 Isolation Inspiration: 'Today in Focus - The Wagatha Christie case' and 'Multiples' 38:04 Happy Ending: Italy's women footballers go pro Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak, with thanks to Katz Laszlo 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

We know, we know, not everyone loves Eurovision — but we think you'll enjoy this week's interview even if you're not as nuts about the annual celebration of euro-kitsch as we are. Dr Dean Vuletic is the world's pre-eminent Eurovision historian, and we were delighted to talk to him about how the contest came into being and why it's always been so political. We're also talking about the EU's Russian oil embargo, a row over WWII reparations in 2022, and a first for wind power in the Mediterranean. We'll be running a Eurovision sweepstake for our Patreon supporters on the night of the finals, May 10! More details soon at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. Financing Putin's war: you can find the real-time tracker of EU fossil fuel imports here and read the Atlantic Council's research on replacing Russian gas here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'Young Mungo' by Douglas Stuart, the photography of Wolfgang Tillmans, and Russian Doll, Season 2. 02:26 (Tentative) Good Week: The EU's Russian oil embargo 10:24 Bad Week: Italy, Germany, and WWII reparations 15:57 Interview: Dean Vuletic on the history of Eurovision 32:45 Isolation Inspiration: 'Young Mungo', Wolfgang Tillmans and Russian Doll, Season 2 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 or giving us five stars on Spotify. Producer: 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

This week, a story about Mohamed, living in limbo while trapped in a labyrinth of bureaucracy. This is the fourth episode from our series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like: intimate stories from young Europeans across the continent. A beautiful visual version of this podcast will be available later this year. In the meantime, check out the first visual podcast in this series: Josh and Franco. This series is co-produced with Are We Europe and is 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: Katz Laszlo and Mohamed Bah 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. 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]

Every year, Europeans chuck away millions of tons of clothing. The EU has a new plan to tackle the huge environmental impact of the fashion and textile industry — but can it make a difference? We asked the model and activist Nimue Smit to take a look. We're also talking about the UK's extremely controversial plan to send asylum seekers to Rwanda, and a legal leap forward for Spain's single parents. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Lithuanian clothing exchange Vinted, and Belgian Netflix comedy 'Soil' ('Grond'). A few things Nimue mentioned that listeners might want to check out: 'Consumed' by Aja Barber, Depop, Vestiaire Collective, Sustainable Fashion Giftcard, Rank A Brand. 02:17 Bad Week: UK asylum policy 13:44 Good Week: Spain's single parents 19:49 Interview: Nimue Smit on fixing the fashion industry 34:02 Isolation Inspiration: Vinted and Grond 36:28 Happy Ending: Teaching teens to love natural history 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 or giving us five stars on Spotify. Producer: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak, with thanks to Katz Laszlo 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

Iiiiit's French election week! Katy spent the big night at Le Pen HQ. This week, in a Europeans first, Dominic and Katz turn the microphone on our resident French person to ask: what just happened? And could Marine Le Pen really become France's first far-right president? We're also talking about the soaring cost of housing (again) and the European microstate that just pulled off an LGBTQ+ world first. You can listen to Cody Hochstenbach calling for a revolution in housing policy here and find the latest figures from Eurostat here. And you can read here about why microstates have often been slow to catch up on LGBTQ rights. Isolation Inspiration: 'Free' by Lea Ypi and Große Freiheit (Great Freedom). 02:07 Bad Week: Housing costs up AGAIN 04:49 Good Week: San Marino's world-first LGBTQ+ head of state 10:22 Interview: Katy on the French election 28:09 Isolation Inspiration: 'Free' by Lea Ypi and Große Freiheit (Great Freedom) 30:31 Happy Ending: Making the most of the Greek sunshine 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 or giving us five stars on Spotify. Producer: Katy Lee, with thanks to Katz Laszlo 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

We're back! And we're headed into the classroom. Kids across Europe have very different experiences of school depending on where they live and how rich their parents are. One country that's been praised for getting public education right is Finland. This week we speak to education professor Pasi Sahlberg about what the world can learn from the Finnish way. We're also talking about Orbán's victory, bridging Europe's North-South divide, and a particularly special edition of El Clásico. Pasi is Professor of Education at Southern Cross University. You can read more about his work here and follow him on Twitter here. You can read the joint Spain-Netherlands paper here and find Politico's reporting on it here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Flee, Talking France, and Paroles de France(s). 02:50 Bad Week: Hungary's opposition 11:48 Good Week: Bridging the North-South divide 20:46 Interview with Pasi Sahlberg 34:56 Isolation Inspiration: Flee and French election podcasts 38:39 Happy Ending: A very special Clásico 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 or giving us five stars on Spotify. 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

Joanna and Catinca were born in Romania during the final years of the dictatorship of Nicolai Ceausescu, a regime that combined elements of The Hunger Games, The Handmaid's Tale and North Korea. Our regular episodes return next week. While Dominic wraps up work on his new show, here’s the second of two special guest appearances from Millennial History, a podcast series that relives moments in recent world history, as seen through the eyes of people who were children when they happened. In interviews with musical journalist Andrea Voets, they reflect on the far-reaching consequences of the events on their lives and societies. Andrea and composer/sound designer Luke Deane have combined these testimonies with music donated by more than sixty bands to create a unique form of ‘musical journalism’. Producers: Andrea Voets and Luke Deane Special thanks to: Cosima Opartan, Surorile Osoianu, Subcarpati, Karpov not Kasparov, Musai Soundworks, Diana Rotaru, Temple Invisible, Alex Simu & quintet, Robin & the Backstabbers, Andrea Voets This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. Find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. A cooperation of Resonate Productions - creating musical journalism - and Are We Europe. For more episodes, subscribe to Millennial History. www.millennialhistorypodcast.com || www.facebook.com/musicaljournalism

Aki grew up in Sicily. On May 23, 1992, the mafia blew up the highway behind his grandmother’s house, killing a judge named Giovanni Falcone. Since Dominic is away right now, we’re bringing you the first of two very special guest appearances from Millennial History, a new podcast series reliving impactful moments in recent world history, as seen through the eyes of people who were children when they happened. In interviews with musical journalist Andrea Voets, they reflect on the far-reaching consequences of the events on their lives and societies. Andrea and composer/sound designer Luke Deane have combined these testimonies with music donated by more than sixty bands to create a unique form of ‘musical journalism’. Producers: Andrea Voets and Luke Deane Special thanks to: Alfio Antico, Giulia Tagliavia, Francesco Guaiana, Salvatore Bonafede This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. Find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. A cooperation of Resonate Productions - creating musical journalism - and Are We Europe. For more episodes, subscribe to Millennial History. www.millennialhistorypodcast.com || www.facebook.com/musicaljournalism

Before the war, Vladimir was a film producer and Yuriy was a journalist. Daria works in marketing, Andrii is a musician, and Anna is a human resources manager for an IT company. This week we asked five Ukrainians to send us some voice messages, documenting their thoughts and feelings since the world turned upside down on February 24. You can donate to the International Committee of the Red Cross's Ukraine appeal here. Many thanks to Daria Barakhta, Andrii Kovalov, Yuriy Matsarsky, Anna Tolstaia, and Vladimir Yatsenko for sharing their thoughts with us. Vladimir continues to film footage of the war; you can follow his posts here. This episode was produced by Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak, with editorial help from Katz Laszlo. Sound design by Wojciech Oleksiak. Music by Jazzpospolita and 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 or giving us five stars on Spotify. 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 struggling to process what has happened on this continent over the past week. With events moving incredibly fast on the ground, we wanted to reflect on the human cost of conflict in Ukraine. The writer and historian Olesya Khromeychuk, director of the Ukrainian Institute London, joins us to read an excerpt from her book 'A Loss', about her brother's death on the frontline in 2017. We also hear from our producer Wojciech Oleksiak about how the Russian invasion feels different if you're following the news from Central or Eastern Europe compared to further West. Plus, the sound of Europeans standing with Ukraine, from London to Lisbon, Berlin to Minsk. This week's recommendations: 'A Loss'; '1944' by Jamala; 'Grey Bees' by Andrey Kurkov. You can support the Kyiv Independent on Patreon here, and donate to a range of different Ukrainian media organisations here. More information on ways to help can be found here. Many thanks to the Ukrainian Village Voices choir for giving us permission to play this beautiful recording of 'O Bozhe'. #StandWithUkraine Producers: Katy Lee, Wojciech Oleksiak and Katz Laszlo 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, the case for culture: keeping it free, and keeping it funded. We're talking about the state of artistic freedom in Poland; plus, the state of Europe's live music industry, with Elise Phamgia of Liveurope and Janine Cathrein of Swiss indie folk band Black Sea Dahu. Also on the agenda: what to do with problematic statues in Brussels. Black Sea Dahu are touring again! You can find tour dates and more on their website, and listen on Spotify. Isolation Inspiration: Liveurope's artists to watch out for in 2022; Ukrainian war literature in translation; Édouard Louis, 'Qui a tué mon père'. Bonus recommendations: Black Sea Dahu's new album, 'I Am My Mother', and 'Empireland' by Sathnam Sangera. 02:43 Good Week, or 'Constructive Ideas Week': Brussels' report on colonial-era monuments 12:17 Bad Week: Krzysztof Głuchowski and artistic freedom in Poland 21:53 Interview: Elise Phamgia and Janine Cathrein on the state of Europe's live music industry 34:21 Isolation Inspiration: Liveurope's new music for 2022; the new Ukrainian war literature; Édouard Louis, 'Qui a tué mon père' 37:46 Happy Ending: a boat trip 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 or giving us five stars on Spotify. 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

From Ireland to Croatia, the cost of housing has been shooting up across this continent, leaving rising numbers of people homeless and millions struggling to pay the rent. This week Amsterdam city geographer Cody Hochstenbach, whose new book Uitgewoond argues for a revolution in housing policy, is here to explain how we ended up in this mess — and what we might do to fix it. We're also talking about Spanish orcas, lost teeth, and a Europe without Facebook and Instagram. You can read El País' long read on the changing face of Spain's drug trade here, and check out Bruno Le Maire's unsmiling mug shots here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Beautiful World, Where Are You and The Summit of the Gods 02:39 Bad Week: Meta in Europe 12:33 Good Week: Spain's orca drug plot busted 20:14 Interview: Cody Hochstenbach on fixing the housing market 33:08 Isolation Inspiration: Beautiful World, Where Are You and The Summit of the Gods 36:53 Happy Ending: Paul and his teeth, reunited 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 or giving us five stars on Spotify. 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

What do nuclear energy and whale-hunting have in common? They're both at the heart of controversial debates about whether they can ever be described as 'sustainable'. This week we delve into a questionable EU anti-greenwashing effort, as well as Iceland's mooted plan to put a ban on commercial whaling. We're also looking at the revamp of one of Venice's most historic buildings, the Procuratie Vecchie. Emma Ursich, whose NGO The Human Safety Net will be among its new occupants, is here to explain why the building is opening its doors after half a millennium closed to the public. You can check out Influence Map's investigation into the EU gas lobby here, and listen to our producer Katz Laszlo's beautiful piece 'Whale Fall' here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: The Trojan Horse Affair and Glória. 03:01 Bad Week: Gas, nuclear and the EU taxonomy 11:56 Good Week: Whales off the coast of Iceland 22:01 Interview: Emma Ursich on remaking the Procuratie Vecchie 31:53 Isolation Inspiration: The Trojan Horse Affair and Gloria 34:29 Happy Ending: amazing Swiss scientists 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 or giving us five stars on Spotify. 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

Taryn de Vere set herself a joyful challenge in January: to dress up each day as a household object, from a bottle of toilet cleaner to a sack of potatoes. This week, the person dubbed Possibly The Most Colourful Woman in Ireland joins us to make the case for injecting a little more fun into our wardrobes. We're also talking about ghost flights, a relaxing Berlin transport initiative, and whether Italy's 80-year-old president will ever be allowed to retire. You can follow Taryn on Instagram here and on Twitter here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: 'Into Eternity' and 'Courage'. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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 or giving us five stars on Spotify. 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

When the European parliament elected a new president last week, many of the headlines focused on one thing: the fact that she's against abortion. But Roberta Metsola's public stance is not at all unusual in a country with one of the strictest abortion bans in the world. This week we're asking: where does this incredibly strong taboo come from? Researcher and activist Liza Caruana-Finkel is here to fill us in. We're also talking about Chinese influence at European universities, and the case of a toilet that went all the way to Italy's Supreme Court. 'Why it is vital to decriminalise abortion: the case of Malta' - The Conversation China's Magic Weapon - BBC Excellent tweets about embarrassing mistakes in a second (or third or fourth) language This week's Isolation Inspiration: The Investigation (Efterforskningen); Atlas Linguae This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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 or giving us five stars on Spotify. 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

We're back for a brand new year of stories from across the continent. Top of the agenda is an issue that's been worrying a lot of Europeans: eye-wateringly expensive energy bills. Energy expert Marine Cornelis is here to explain why this is happening and what can be done about it. We're also catching up on Ukraine and a transatlantic cheese dispute. Marine is the founder of Next Energy Consumer and the host of the Energ'ethic podcast. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Young Royals, Stromae's new single, and Angèle. 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. 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

We threw a little party for our last episode of the year! Producers Katz Laszlo and Wojciech Oleksiak join Katy and Dominic from Amsterdam and Warsaw to discuss elephant retirement, tree fraud, and festive traditions around Europe. Local snacks included. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Women at War, Draumalandið by Valgeir Sigurðsson, The Way Home: Tales from a Life Without Technology by Mark Boyle, and Are We Europe: Online Lies, Offline Lives. Thank you so much for listening to The Europeans in 2021. We'll be back on January 20. If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it into next year, 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 episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

It's that time of year when reindeer start cropping up on all kinds of Christmassy consumer goods, from snowglobes to Advent calendars. But for the indigenous Sámi people of northern Europe, herding these remarkable animals is a way of life — and one that is increasingly under threat. This week we speak to Sámi herder and climate change expert Jannie Staffansson about her community's intimate and profound relationship with reindeer. It's an animal-themed episode this week, so we're also talking about a bee miracle in the Canary Islands, and how a European sheep can somehow be rare and a threat to biodiversity at the same time. This week's Isolation Inspiration was brought to you courtesy of Arte. Check out their series Re: European Stories here. Dominic enjoyed this episode on tea farming in Georgia, while Frederic recommends you check out this episode on village shops. You should also check out the latest episode of NPR's Rough Translation podcast! It includes a version of 'Sara', one of the episodes from our mini-series 'This Is What A Generation Sounds Like', co-produced by our very own Katz Laszlo with Adelina Lancianese. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

Millions of us have spent this pandemic bingeing on international films and television, transported far away through the magic of the screen. But there's an underappreciated army of workers who make it all possible: the subtitlers. This week we chat to Russian subtitler Max Deryagin about how Netflix has shaken up the industry and why things sometimes get lost in translation. We're also talking about the new Germany, the failures of Britain's asylum policy, and the woman on Romania's new 20 lei banknote. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Steve Rosenberg's interview with Alexander Lukashenko, this episode of the BBC's Media Show podcast, and Lords of Scam. You can also check out this Twitter thread about a key problem with Netflix subtitles. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Senior producer: Katz Laszlo 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

'Move fast and break things' was Facebook's corporate philosophy in its early days. Europe now wants to do the opposite when it comes to the harmful effects of social media: move fast and fix things. This week we're taking a look at the EU's plan to rein in the tech giants with the help of one of our favourite European tech nerds, Guillermo Beltrà of the Open Society European Policy Institute. We've also got a special Outer Space edition of Good Week Bad Week. This podcast was produced in collaboration with the Open Society European Policy Institute. You can find out more about their work here and check out an episode we previously made with them about Europe's climate policy here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: The Unlikely Murderer (Den osannolika mördaren) and Tear Along the Dotted Line (Strappare lungo i bordi). This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Senior producer: Katz Laszlo 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

It’s dawn in the Aegean Sea. A dozen asylum seekers are crammed into a rubber dinghy, hoping to land on the Greek island of Lesbos. They are already within EU waters — and they have the right, under international law, to claim asylum. But a huge ship is blocking their way. This week we are looking at the phenomenon of pushbacks: illegal efforts to push people back across a border so that they cannot claim asylum. And we’re looking at mounting evidence that the EU’s border agency, Frontex, has witnessed or even participated in these pushbacks. We recommend that you check out Lighthouse Reports' investigations on Europe's borders. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Reporter and producer: Andrei Popoviciu Editorial support: Katz Laszlo, Katy Lee, Dominic Kraemer, Wojciech Oleksiak Senior producer: Katz Laszlo Sound design: Andrei Popoviciu and Wojciech Oleksiak Editor: Katy Lee Mixing: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne, Bluedot Sessions, Artlist.io Sound effects: Freesound.org

A humanitarian crisis is unfolding at the edge of the EU. Asylum seekers are finding themselves trapped in the forest between Poland and Belarus, caught up in a political game, and literally freezing to death. Marta Górczyńska, a migration lawyer who has been helping some of the new arrivals, explains what's happening on the ground and what international law has to say about this shameful situation. We're also talking about the Council of Europe's hijab fiasco and Italy's mafia maxi-trial. Plus, a tale of cough sweets and generosity. We have some tickets to give away to see some great musical acts, courtesy of our friends at Liveurope! Check out our Instagram and Facebook page for a chance to win tickets to see Priya Ragu in Amsterdam on November 18 and Viagra Boys in Lille on November 23. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Senior producer: Katz Laszlo 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

This week, a story that spans three generations of women: Sara, her mother, and her grandmother. In their collective lifetimes, Albania entered a communist dictatorship; the regime fell; and then there was a transition. And through it all, there was a dish: trahana. This is the third episode from our series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like: intimate stories from young Europeans across the continent. A beautiful visual version of this podcast, as well as the previous episode, ‘Denisa’, will be available soon! In the meantime, check out the first visual podcast in this series: Josh and Franco. This series is 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: Katz Laszlo and Sara Assistant producer: Priyanka Shankar Editor: Katy Lee Sound design: Katz Laszlo Editorial support: Dominic Kraemer, Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Era e Feminise, by Elina Duni; Song of Emigration, by Women’s Choir from Permet; Tana, by Saziso; Ka Nje mot e gjysem viti, by Elina Duni Quartet; Jonuzi Me Shoket by Vaome Kaba; Ballerina by Yehezkel Raz; Mëmëdheu by the Peter Pan Quartet; Jim Barne. SFX from Freesound.org. 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]

Fit for 55 sounds like a plan to get middle-aged people to exercise, but it is in fact one of the most ambitious climate policies on the planet. But is it enough to make a difference? This week, in collaboration with the Open Society European Policy Institute, our favourite climate explainer Emily Stewart breaks down Europe's plan for us. Is Fit for 55 fit for purpose? And can Europe turn it into a reality without sparking a continent-wide social revolt? You can follow Emily on Twitter here and find out more about OSEPI's work here. This episode was produced and sound designed by Wojciech Oleksiak, with editorial support from Katy Lee, Dominic Kraemer and Katz Laszlo. Music by Jim Barne and Blue Dot Sessions. 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]

Wondering why everyone is suddenly talking about the prospect of a 'Polexit'? This week we're talking to excellent Polandsplainer Jakub Jaraczewski about why the government in Warsaw has just got itself into a huge legal mess. We're also talking about the downfall of Austria's Wunderkind, why so many young Spaniards live with their parents, and the mysterious power of the European chestnut. Jakub is a research coordinator at Democracy Reporting International. You can follow him here on Twitter. This week's Isolation Inspiration: the Earthshot Prize on Saturday, October 16, and 'On Time And Water' by Andri Snær Magnason. You can also watch his video for TED here. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Senior producer: Katz Laszlo 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

This week we're delving into the Czech PM's secret purchase of a French château, an extremely bold Danish artistic experiment, and, oh yes, Wally the Walrus' tour of the European coastline. Plus, political scientist Arndt Leininger is here to decrypt the German election for us. For excellent German politics nerdery you can follow Arndt on Twitter here, and for a Pandora Papers deep-dive into Andrej Babiš and his French château, head to the ICIJ. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Anna Learns A New Language; Darknet Diaries Got a better name for our Isolation Inspiration segment? Answers on a postcard please: [email protected] This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Senior producer: Katz Laszlo 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

It's our first ever live show! Recorded live at the Tolhuistuin in Amsterdam. And what could be a more appropriate discussion than the fact that this city will one day be underwater? We promise that's a less depressing conversation than it sounds, because the person who's here to talk about it is husband of the show Thomas Lamers, a member of the documentary theatre collective Collectief Walden. They spent this summer asking an intriguing question: if Amsterdam only has around 250 years left, what should they look like? This week's Isolation Inspiration: Beautiful World, Where Are You by Sally Rooney and The Hidden Life of Trees. You can also watch a video about Collectief Walden's Eiland project here and listen to their podcasts here. Thank you so much to the Lieven and the whole team at the Podcastfestival for having us, and to Katz Laszlo, Mick ter Reehorst and Stefano Montali for their help on the night. 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 euros / dollars / pounds a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review. Music: Jim Barne, Ed Bahonie 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

This week, Katy’s plunging into the depths of the French Submarine Saga and Dominic’s delving into some tentatively good developments for LGBTQ parents in Europe. Plus, the speech we were all waiting for! Or not. One of our favourite journalists within the Brussels bubble, the Spanish reporter Beatriz Ríos, is here to unravel Ursula von der Leyen's State of the European Union for us. We can’t wait to see some of you at our first-ever live show in Amsterdam on Friday! For those of you who can’t join us, don’t fear – a recording will be dropping in your feeds next week. It’ll be a little earlier than usual, so look out for it on Monday or Tuesday. This week's Isolation Inspiration: The Hill Where Lionesses Roar; A Poisoning You can follow Beatriz on Twitter here and read about Italy’s one-euro homes here. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Senior producer: Katz Laszlo 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

A year into the protest movement in Belarus, what are things like on the ground? This week we talk to the poet Hanna Komar about her own experience in detention, and the extraordinary "algorithm" of solidarity among women in the movement. We're also talking about Russian gas, Norwegian oil, and the magnificence of Emma Raducanu. You can read Hanna's article, 'Sisterhood behind bars', here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Lykke Li and Robyn on Song Exploder; The Book of Reykjavik. There are still a few tickets left for our first ever live show, in Amsterdam on September 24! Grab one here. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Senior producer: Katz Laszlo 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

We're back from our summer break with an enticing idea: what would happen if we only worked four days a week? Far from spelling economic disaster, the Portuguese economist Pedro Gomes argues it would boost the economy and our well-being at the same time. We chat to him about his excellent new book, 'Friday Is The New Saturday: How A Four-Day Week Will Save The Economy'. We're also talking about naughty European banks, a lucky Neapolitan scratchcard, and — of course! — the return of ABBA. We're doing our first ever live show at the Podcastfestival in Amsterdam on Friday, September 24! The show starts at 7pm. Get your tickets here. You can check out the EU Tax Observatory's report on banks and tax havens here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Malta and the El Hiblu 3; Bandigou de Melun. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Senior producer: Katz Laszlo 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

Slovenia, aka Katy's favourite country, is increasingly drawing comparisons with Hungary and Poland when it comes to the state of its democracy. Can this worrying direction of travel be reversed? This week we ring up our favourite Sloveniologist Aljaž Pengov Bitenc to find out. We're also talking about Bulgaria's political rock star, and a shocking attack on a Dutch crime journalist. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Katla and an update from Death In Ice Valley. You should also check out our interview with Death In Ice Valley host Marit Higraff, from May 2018! Listen here. You can follow Aljaž on Twitter here and read his blog here. We're off on a little summer break! We'll be back in September. In the meantime, we think you'll love the visual version of our the first episode in our series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like, Josh and Franco, and the second episode, Denisa. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Senior producer: Katz Laszlo Producers: Priyanka Shankar and Andrei Popoviciu 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

Few people talk about bread in such magical terms as Apollonia Poilâne. This week we speak to the head of one of France's most prestigious bakeries about the secrets of sourdough and taking over the family company aged just 18. We're also talking about Iceland's four-day week experiment, a cyberattack that took out hundreds of Swedish supermarkets, and boosting body positivity in Norway. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Apollonia's book Poilâne, Eurocrats Who Look Like Europe (EU Scream), and Sweat. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Senior producer: Katz Laszlo Producers: Andrei Popoviciu and Priyanka Shankar 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

We tend to talk about freedom of movement within the EU as an abstract concept. In reality, moving to a new place involves a million little moments of awkwardness, sweetness, and human vulnerability. This week, we bring you a story of what freedom of movement actually felt like, for a 14-year-old Romanian moving to Germany. This is the second episode from our series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like: intimate stories from young Europeans across the continent. A beautiful visual version of this podcast will be available soon! In the meantime, check out the first visual podcast in this series: Josh and Franco. This series is 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: Andrei Popoviciu and Denisa Harbuz Sound design: Andrei Popoviciu and Katz Laszlo Editorial support: Katz Laszlo, Katy Lee, Dominic Kraemer and Priyanka Shankar Music: Sat după sat by Robin and the Backstabbers; Limba Română and Frunzuliță, iarbă deasă by Subcarpați; Lavalamp by Phish Funk; Romcom and Days and Days by Gustav Kemps; The Way To Romania by She Said Destroy!; Chaos at the Spaceship by Out Of Flux; Follow The River by Delnova; Jim Barne. Additional music from Blue Dot Sessions and Artlist. SFX from Freesound.org. 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]

Streets, cities, train stations: across the continent, they're likely to be named after men. What if the women who shaped Europe were given the recognition they deserve? This week, Katy speaks to the Irish journalist Mary Fitzgerald and Italian writer Francesca Cavallo, co-author of Good Night Stories For Rebel Girls, about a wonderful project which reimagines the Brussels metro map in celebration of brilliant European women. We're also talking about the row over LGBTQ rights at the Euro football tournament, and how unsexy-but-important housing policy brought down Sweden's prime minister. You can explore the Capital of Europe, Women of Europe map here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: We Are Who We Are (HBO); Lupin (Netflix); Ecotopia (Arte); Are We Europe: The Queer Issue. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a brand-new collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Senior producer: Katz Laszlo Producers: Andrei Popoviciu and Priyanka Shankar 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

A whole bunch of plastic objects are about to become illegal across the European Union: everything from coffee stirrers to straws and cotton buds. As we count down to the big day on July 3, we're revisiting last year's special episode about how the EU is even able to make laws like this for 27 countries. This week we're asking: "How the hell do you make an EU law?" Originally released in February 2020, this episode was part of our mini-series Bursting the Bubble, an attempt to explain how EU institutions work in the least boring way possible. Huge thanks to the European Cultural Foundation for funding this series. They support projects that promote Europe as an open and democratic space. Written and produced by Katz Laszlo, with help from Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer. 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]

Jens Thoms Ivarsson has one of this continent's most fascinating jobs: chief "rain man" for the city of Gothenburg. We chat to the creative director of Rain Gothenburg about the Swedish city's rather wonderful plan to become the best place in the world when it's raining. Also this week: expensive Finnish breakfasts, accidental asparagus, and why Budapest's plans to build a Chinese university campus have gone down so badly. This week's Isolation Inspiration: "Inside the last matriarchy in Europe", Zero, and "Portrait of a pigeon racer". You can read about Rain Gothenburg here in The Guardian. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a brand-new collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Senior producer: Katz Laszlo Producers: Andrei Popoviciu and Priyanka Shankar 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

This week, a murky spying scandal and a huge climate lawsuit. It seems that our American friends may have been using Denmark's internet cables to spy on European politicians. But how much did Denmark know about it? We're also talking about the landmark Dutch court ruling that could force Shell to drastically cut its carbon emissions. Plus, the European Review of Books! We chat to George Blaustein and Sander Pleij about why they're setting up a new magazine of ideas for the continent. You can help crowd-fund the European Review of Books here and read about the grime-eating bacteria in the Medici Chapel here. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Day X and The Mole. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a brand-new collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. 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. Senior producer: Katz Laszlo Producers: Andrei Popoviciu and Priyanka Shankar 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

We have a very special episode for you this week. From the south of Italy, a father and son's coming of age stories, told in parallel. This is the first episode of our series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like: intimate stories from across the continent, as told by the young Europeans experiencing them. This series is 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: Katz Laszlo and Josh Prezioso Editorial support: Dominic Kraemer, Katy Lee, Andrei Popoviciu and Priyanka Shankar Music: Tarantella del Gargano by Marco Beasley & represented by Out Here Music; Italian Opera by UV Protection; Andante (Italian Concerto) written by Bach and performed by Catrina Finch; Amore Mio by Mina with Warner Music Italy; Tomb by Veshza; La Luna E Fisarmonica by Ziv Moran; Disco Ball by Evgeny Barduzha, and Jim Barne. Additional music from Blue Dot Sessions: Kilkerrin by Scalcairn; Sylvestor by One Such Village; Angel Academy by Marc Oakley; Toby or not Toby by Mark Oakley. SFX from Freesounds.org: Wescwave; GeorgeHopkins; suonidigallipoli; samararaine; cmusounddesign; suonidibologna; wolkenunddreck; ancorapazzo; soundforest. 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]

This week, Eurovision, panthers, and a celebration of Cyrillic writing. Ahead of a Cyrillic national holiday in several Eastern European countries, we chat to typography designers Maria Doreuli and Krista Radoeva about what makes the script so special. We're also talking about the Paris mayor's war on cars, and why Slovenia's populist prime minister is really, really into panthers. Plus, a special edition of Isolation Inspiration for the Eurovision nerds. You can follow Maria and Krista here and here on Instagram and check out their Cyrillicsy design workshops here on Twitter. Donate to Covax | Donate to Medecins Sans Frontières The Swedish Ambassador's Guide to Eurovision 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 euros / dollars / pounds a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review. Producer: Katz Laszlo Assistant producers: Andrei Popoviciu and Priyanka Shankar 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

Like everyone else, we Europeans have been watching a LOT of television over the past year. But something rather nice has been happening: we've been watching *each other's* television. Could streaming giants like Netflix be helping develop a shared European culture, as we all sit down to enjoy shows like Lupin and Money Heist? This week we speak to Jérôme Dechesne of European producers' group CEPI about the Europeanisation of binge-watching. We're also talking about the prince who apparently-accidentally shot Romania's largest bear, and the Belgian farmer who may have apparently-accidentally moved the French border. This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a brand-new collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com. This week's Isolation Inspiration: Quo Vadis, Aida?, Toksvig's Almanac 2021, and The Economist: How Netflix is creating a common European culture. 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. Producer: Katz Laszlo Assistant producers: Andrei Popoviciu and Priyanka Shankar 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 | Facebook | [email protected]

The Oscar-nominated Romanian film Collective is enraging and inspiring in equal measure. This week we hear from Răzvan Luțac, one of the investigative journalists who uncovered the vast healthcare scandal at the heart of the film. We're also talking about a fascinating court case brought by young German climate activists, censorship allegations on Italian TV, and a missing finger. Special thanks to Maja and Zoe in Ukraine, Ruben in Switzerland, Leo and Florence in France, Remy in the UK and Raul in Germany for lending us their voices to help us celebrate Europe Day this week. For more Europe Day inspiration, check out europeday.eu. 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. Producer: Katz Laszlo Assistant producers: Andrei Popoviciu and Priyanka Shankar Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina The Europeans is part of the Are We Europe family. You can find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | [email protected]