The Europeans | European news, politics and culture

Hungary's Pride crackdown, Ukrainian sleuths, and 158 barrels of poop

We've got a veritable smörgåsbord for you this week on The Europeans, from human rights in Hungary to the sorry tale of two Danish sustainability influencers whose eco-resort business went spectacularly wrong. We discuss why Viktor Orbán is concentrating so much effort on bullying the LGBTQI community at a time when Hungary has major problems to fix, and whether anything can be done to stop him. Plus, Daria Verbytska calls in from Kyiv to explain how an army of volunteer online sleuths helps Ukrainian authorities use open-source intelligence to fight back against Russia.
 
Daria is the executive director and cofounder of the Molfar Intelligence Institute. You can find out about the wider Molfar company on their website and read their investigations here.
 
This week's Inspiration Station offerings: LA NIÑA and Den stora älgvandringen ('The Great Moose Migration' on Sweden's STV).
 
Thanks for listening. If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting our work. You can chip in to help us cover the weekly research and production of The Europeans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available), or gift a donation to a super fan here. We'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast!     
 
Other resources for this episode
 
'Hungary's ban on Pride has little to do with being gay' - BalkanInsight, March 27, 2025 https://balkaninsight.com/2025/03/27/hungarys-ban-on-pride-has-little-to-do-with-being-gay/
 
'Anti-spying phone pouches offered to EU lawmakers for trip to Hungary' - Politico Europe, April 16, 2025 https://www.politico.eu/article/lawmakers-offered-anti-espionage-phone-pouches-in-hungary/
 
00:00:46  Welcome to Europe, land of toxic eggs and tomatoes00:06:50  Bad Week: Hungary gives constitutional backing to its Pride ban00:22:59  Good Week (?) for Guatemala-bound tourists00:44:51  Interview: Daria Verbytska on how OSINT is being used to help Ukraine's fightback against Russia00:59:55  The Inspiration Station:  LA NIÑA and Den stora älgvandringen ('The Great Moose Migration')01:03:07  Happy Ending: The amazing cross-border teenagers tackling antibiotic resistance
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech OleksiakMixing and mastering: Wojciech OleksiakMusic: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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Inside Europe: Exploring Grief

We're away this week, but you're in good company: our friends at Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany's international broadcaster, are here to fill in for us. On this special edition of DW's weekly podcast Inside Europe, the team takes a break from the news to explore grief as a lens for understanding global events. Author Sarah Jaffe joins host Kate Laycock to unpack how loss — from COVID to deindustrialisation — shapes politics, protest, and our shared humanity. A powerful journey through mourning, memory, and hope.
 
You can find Inside Europe at pod.link/insideeurope.
 
The Europeans will be back next week. If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting us. You can chip in to help us cover the weekly research and production of The Europeans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available), or gift a donation to a super fan here. 
 
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Tesla, Turkey, and unnecessary trash

We're taking the Schadenfreude approach to the chaos that Trump's tariffs have unleashed upon Europe (and the rest of the world). This week, our favourite Luxembourger Nina Lamparski joins Dominic to explain why sales of Elon Musk's Tesla cars have already plunged in Europe and could now fare even worse thanks to his best bud's trade policies. We're also joined by Turkish political scientist Ezgi Başaran to discuss why President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is feeling liberated in a time that's been dubbed 'springtime for autocrats' — and whether the huge protests against him could change that. Plus, is Spain's clever new food waste law as good as it sounds? 
 
This episode was recorded on Tuesday night, before the EU's announcement of retaliatory tariffs... and before the White House's announcement of a 90-day pause on higher tariffs for dozens of countries. At any rate, at the time of publication the world economy is still looking decidedly chaotic, so we hope you still find this an enjoyable and useful listen. 
Thanks for listening. After some rather troubling financial news, this independent podcast needs your support more than ever. If you enjoy our work, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting us. You can chip in to help us cover the weekly research and production of The Europeans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available), or gift a donation to a super fan here. We'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast!   
This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news.
 
This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: 'Criminal Record' and 'Rural Fictions', an essay in The Dial by Bartolomeo Sala. Nina's bonus recommendations: 'Inspector Ellis' and 'The Bay'.00:33  Moien, a wëllkomm bei den Europäer05:09  Bad Week: Tesla in Europe19:28  Good Week: Spain's new food waste law33:03  Interview: Ezgi Başaran on Turkey's protests49:25  The Inspiration Station: Criminal record and Bartolemo Sala's essay on farming in European fiction54:33  Happy Ending: Hooray for shingles vaccines
Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak 
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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Rockets, recipes and Le Pen(itentiary)

Marine Le Pen has been banned from running for the French presidency after this week's bombshell court ruling finding her guilty in a huge embezzlement case. But does she have any chance of a comeback? And could the far-right win the presidency without her? This week we're discussing the earthquake in French politics, as well as Europe's space ambitions. Plus, a delightful interview with Greek podcaster and hungry man Thom Ntinas, about what ancient Europeans ate.  
 
Thom is the host of The Delicious Legacy podcast. Find it here, or wherever you're listening to this. 
 
Thanks for listening. After some rather troubling financial news this week, this independent podcast needs your support more than ever. If you enjoy our work, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting us. You can chip in to help us cover the weekly research and production of The Europeans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available), or gift a donation to a super fan here. We'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast!   
 
This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news.
 
This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: @forkranger on Instagram and 'How Stockholm Stuck' from Radiolab.
 
00:33 Damn clocks03:43 Good Week: Marine Le Pen's enemies20:36 Bad Week (?): The Spectrum rocket launch33:59 Interview: Thom Ntinas on what the Ancients ate46:27 The Inspiration Station: @forkranger and 'How Stockholm Stuck'49:55 Happy Ending: The best place to lose your wallet
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak 
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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How would Europe's €800 billion defence plan actually work?

Europe is set to spend an eye-wateringly huge amount of money on building up its militaries over the next few years, after That Guy In The White House signalled he's no longer that interested in helping us defend ourselves against Russia. But where is all this money supposed to come from? And does it matter if some countries are more enthusiastic about this plan than others? This week we call defence expert Marina Henke to figure out what this spending bonanza actually involves. We're also talking about a Czech-led plan to save Radio Free Europe from Trump's cuts, and why ChatGPT falsely accused a Norwegian man of murder.
 
Marina is a professor of international Relations at the Hertie School in Berlin and director of the Centre for International Security. You can watch the full version of her interview here on our YouTube channel and follow her on Bluesky here.
 
Thanks for listening. If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting our work. You can chip in to help us cover the weekly research and production of The Europeans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available), or gift a donation to a super fan here. We'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast!   
 
This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news.
 
This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: 'And Then We Danced' and The Bittersweet Life. 
 
Other resources for this week's episode 
 
'Trump’s decision to cut Radio Free Europe comes at a great cost to democracy' - Muhammad Tahir, editorial for MSNBC, March 24, 2025 https://www.msnbc.com/opinion/msnbc-opinion/trump-voice-of-america-radio-free-europe-rcna197367 
 
'Malfunction: the Hungarian Radio (Silence) on Chernobyl' - Archivum, April 26, 2021 https://www.archivum.org/entries/blog/malfunction-the-hungarian-radio-silence-on-chernobyl 
 
'EU privacy body weighs in on some tricky GenAI lawfulness questions' - TechCrunch, December 18, 2024 https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/18/eu-privacy-body-weighs-in-on-some-tricky-genai-lawfulness-questions/
 
The EU's White Paper for European Defence: Readiness 2030 - March 19, 2025 https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_793
 
00:34 Deep breath: it's time for another episode of The Europeans04:47 Good Week: Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty18:41 Bad Week: The Norwegian man who ChatGPT falsely accused of murder31:41 Interview: Marina Henke on Europe's huge new defence plan56:23 The Inspiration Station: 'And Then We Danced' and 'The Bittersweet Life'59:45 Happy Ending: Petko Gantsjev Is Very Much Alive
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech OleksiakMixing and mastering: Wojciech OleksiakMusic: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
 
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Should Canada join the EU?

Europe and Canada have a lot in common, from their headaches over Donald Trump to a shared belief in welfare states. If Australia can be a part of Eurovision, is there anything stopping us from welcoming our Canadian friends into the EU?! This week we talk to Stanley Pignal, The Economist's semi-Canadian Brussels bureau chief, about what would be in it for both sides. We're also looking at the escalating political crisis in Bosnia, and the places in Europe where you're likely to live the longest. 
 
You can read Stanley's article about the case for Canadian EU membership here and find his Charlemagne column on European politics here. He posts on Bluesky here.
 
Thanks for listening. If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting our work. You can chip in to help us cover the weekly research and production of The Europeans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available), or gift a donation to a super fan here. We'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast!   
 
This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news.
 
This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: 'The Agency' and writing a letter to a Russian political prisoner via OVD-Info (an initiative discovered via this essay in The Dial by Francesca Mastruzzo).
 
Other resources for this week's episode 
 
'The Economics Show' podcast by the Financial Times: 'Can societies age gracefully?' - January 13, 2025 https://www.ft.com/content/8ce0571d-06f0-40de-8579-4446d1fb07f3 
 
'The EU needs a proactive approach in Bosnia' - editorial in Politico Europe by Arminka Helić, March 17, 2025 https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-bosnia-western-balkans-europe-war-bih-crisis-serbia/
 
00:34  Spring Is Real02:50  Good Week: Europeans are living longer15:00  Bad Week: Bosnia and Herzegovina28:54  Interview: Stanley Pignal on the case for Canadian EU membership45:38  The Inspiration Station: The Agency and letters to Russian political prisoners50:46  Happy Ending: Germany's economy could be wurst
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech OleksiakMusic: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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Putin's African antics, the death of Skype, and a Eurovision c-bomb

Thousands of kilometres from the devastating war it's been waging in Ukraine, Russia has involved itself in a swathe of other conflicts that attract much less attention: in Africa. Why? This week we speak to Beverly Ochieng, a self-described Wagner Group stalker, about what Russia is playing at. We're also talking about a foul-mouthed (?) Eurovision controversy, and why none of the world's big bad tech giants come from Europe. 
 
Beverly is a senior analyst for francophone Africa at Control Risks and a senior associate at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. You can follow her here on Bluesky and here on Mastodon. Check out our full conversation with Beverly on our YouTube channel.
 
Thanks so much for listening. If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting our work. You can chip in to help us cover the weekly research and production of The Europeans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available), or gift a donation to a super fan here. We'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast!   
 
This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news.
 
This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: Codenames and The Economist's Glass Ceiling Index. 
 
Other resources for this week's episode
 
European Alternatives - euro-companies making all kinds of digital products: https://european-alternatives.eu/
 
Jitsi, the great Zoom alternative created by a swing-dancing Erasmus student: https://jitsi.org/
 
'The Brussels Effect: How the European Union Rules the World' by Anu Bradford: https://academic.oup.com/book/36491
 
Fact-check: Does the EU really buy 80% of its weapons from overseas? (No, no it doesn't.) Bluesky thread by The Economist's Stanley Pignal, March 9, 2025: https://bsky.app/profile/spignal.bsky.social/post/3ljxd4r4cos25
 
Miriana Conte - Kant (‘Singing’); National Final Performance, Eurovision Song Contest 2025: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qNK1tt6L5k
 
00:33  Smellovision and feminist babies03:32  Bad Week: Skype25:19  Good Week: Language prudes37:39  Interview: Beverly Ochieng on Russia's African antics53:40  The Inspiration Station: Codenames and The Economist's Glass Ceiling Index56:44  Happy Ending: Easier breathing for Londoners
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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Big news for The Europeans!

Producers Katz and Wojciech join Katy and Dominic to share a couple of nuggets of exciting news for The Europeans. 
 
You can find out all about our new partners at Euranet Plus, a network of radio stations across Europe, here.
 
And you can read all about our crowdfunded mini-series 'Who Does It Best?' — and contribute, if you'd like! — here.
 
Maja and Uršula's show, Šala za starše, can be found here and you can find Jasmin's work here.
 
Thanks so much for listening. If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting our work. You can chip in to help us cover the weekly research and production of The Europeans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available), or gift a donation to a super fan here.   
 
Producer: Katy Lee
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne
 
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Germany's elections: should we freak out or not?

Germany just staged one of Europe's most crucial elections this year. The results are simultaneously shocking and not-shocking: shocking because the far-right made huge gains; not shocking because they are likely to deliver a coalition between the country's two legacy mainstream parties. So, to what extent should we be freaking out right now? In this election special, we ring up Germanysplainer extraordinaire Tarik Abou-Chadi to unpack that question. Plus, we speak to the writer and activist Emilia Roig about what it feels like to be a long-term immigrant in Germany right now — and how to think about the fightback. 
 
Tarik is a professor of European politics at the University of Oxford. You can follow him on Bluesky here.
 
You can find out more about Emilia's work here and follow her on Instagram here.
 
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting our work in 2025. You can chip in to help us cover the weekly research and production of The Europeans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available), or gift a donation to a super fan here.   
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
03:50 Tarik Abou-Chadi untangles the German election results for us27:34 Emilia Roig on how to think about the fight against the far-right
 
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Euro-defence, euro-booze and euro-TV

This week, the great transatlantic break-up. How can we make sense of the seismic shift in Europe's relationship with the US since Trump took power? What does it mean for Ukraine, and Europe's ability to defend itself from Russia? As a palate-cleanser, we're also hearing all the secrets of the international TV trade. Why do people in so many countries end up watching national versions of the same reality and game shows? Jean Chalaby joins us to explain how this fascinating industry works. Plus, Europe's changing relationship with booze. 
 
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting our work in 2025. You can chip in to help us cover the weekly research and production of The Europeans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available), or gift a donation to a super fan here. 
 
Jean is a professor of international communication at City University London, and the author of The Format Age.
 
This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: 'Prezidentka' and 'The Taste of Things' ('La Passion de Dodin Bouffant').
 
Other resources for this week's episode
 
'I Really Believe That Time Has Come: The Armed Forces of Europe Must Be Created – Speech by the President at the Munich Security Conference' - Website of the Ukrainian Presidency, February 15, 2025 https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/viryu-sho-cej-chas-nastav-neobhidno-stvoriti-zbrojni-sili-ye-96089
 
'Vance uses half-truths to lecture a European audience well aware of the threat of authoritarian rule' - CNN, February 14, 2025 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/14/world/vances-speech-upsets-european-leaders-intl-latam/index.html
 
'Alcohol labels should warn of cancer risk, says new WHO/Europe report' - World Health Organization, February 14, 2025 https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/14-02-2025-alcohol-labels-should-warn-of-cancer-risk--says-new-who-europe-report
 
'Secret love lives of crickets revealed' - The Slovenia Times, February 14, 2025 https://sloveniatimes.com/42509/secret-love-life-of-crickets-revealed
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Katy Lee
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
00:00:22 Don't be koi00:03:15 Bad Week: Transatlantic relations00:28:52 Good Week: Our livers00:40:38 Interview: Jean Chalaby on the secrets of the TV format trade00:57:01 The Inspiration Station: 'Prezidentka' and 'The Taste of Things'01:02:22 Happy Ending: Sexy vibracoustics
 
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