The Europeans | European news, politics and culture

The perils of standing up to Iran from Europe

From Turkey to France and the UK, Iranians who've challenged the regime at home have often sought safety in Europe. But how safe are these dissidents, really? This week we speak to Fariba Nawa, host of 'Lethal Dissent', a fascinating new podcast series that investigates Iran's efforts to silence those in exile on European soil and beyond. We're also talking about Denmark's remarkable mass rewilding plan, and Slovakia's nationalist crackdown on the use of Hungarian and other minority languages. 
 
You can find 'Lethal Dissent' wherever you're listening to this. It was produced by the team at slow journalism podcast On Spec. 
 
We're crowdfunding a new series! You can find out all about it in the special announcement on our feed, as well as on the crowdfunding page itself: https://4fund.com/z/europeanspodcast. You can also support the weekly running of The Europeans via Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/europeanspodcast. Thank you so much to everyone who makes our independent European journalism possible. 
 
This week's Inspiration Station offerings: Bluesky and 'Metrokosmos' on Arte.
 
00:23 Hot and fresh in your ear canals04:52 Good Week: Denmark's huge rewilding plan11:28 Bad Week: Slovakia's Hungarian minority24:15 Interview: Fariba Nawa on Iran's hunting of its citizens abroad40:09 The Inspiration Station: Bluesky and 'Metrokosmos'45:32 Happy Ending: Granny's revenge on the phone scammers
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak 
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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A special announcement from The Europeans

Producers Katz and Wojciech join Katy and Dominic for a very special announcement from The Europeans. 
 
We’re incredibly excited to make this series for you. Please help us turn it into a reality! Sign up to support this project here: https://4fund.com/z/europeanspodcast 
 
Got ideas for places we need to go or people we need to interview for this series? Email us at hello@europeanspodcast.com. 
 
Thank you, as always, for listening. 
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Spain's floods, Moldova's election, and what the kids of Europe are watching

The world may be transfixed by the US election results, but this was a huge week for news on this side of the Atlantic too. This week we're trying to make sense of the cataclysmic floods in Spain, and talking about another presidential election with major consequences  — the one in Moldova. Plus, a much-needed palate-cleanser: we're delving into a fascinating report into what European children are watching, and what grown-up film producers can do to make better stuff for kids.
Anne Schultka is the project manager of KIDS Regio, which campaigns for the children's film industry in Europe. Rikke Flodin is a partner at PUBLIKUM. You can download the report, 'European Children's Film in Focus', here.
 
This week's Inspiration Station offerings: 'Kapsalon Romy' ('Romy’s Salon') and 'Leto kada sam naucila da letim' ('How I Learned To Fly').
 
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.     
 
Other resources for this episode: 
 
'Valencian president downplayed floods while Spain’s rivers rose' - Politico Europe, November 1, 2024 https://www.politico.eu/article/spain-valencia-floods-death-toll-carlos-mazon/
 
'Pumpkin paddling season: Kasterlee's giant pumpkin regatta' - DW News, October 28, 2024 https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=2701632486675304
 
00:22 A non-US election podcast04:48 Bad Week: Spain's floods24:39 Good Week: Maia Sandu37:26 Interview: Anna Schultka and Rikke Flodin on what the kids of Europe are watching55:00 The Inspiration Station: 'Romy's Salon' and 'How I Learned To Fly'58:19 Happy Ending: Belgium's pumpkin kayak race
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Katz Laszlo 
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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Is this the end of Georgia's European dream?

Georgia's pro-Russian ruling party claims to have won last weekend's election — a fraudulent election, according to a mounting pile of evidence. A country that was once on the path to EU membership is now veering much closer to the Kremlin. Is there any hope left? We ring Anna Gvarishvili, Tbilisi-based journalist and head of the Investigative Media Lab, to unpack what just happened and what might happen next. We're also discussing two suitably scary topics in this Halloween episode: France's money problems, and the noxious substances spewing out of your gas cooker. 
 
This episode was recorded before Wednesday's devastating floods in Spain. You can donate to the Cruz Roja (Spanish Red Cross) relief efforts here.
 
Thanks for listening. If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). If you're short on cash but still want to support us, it would be amazing if you could leave us five juicy stars, as Dominic put it, on Pocket Casts: https://pocketcasts.com/ratings.
 
This week's Inspiration Station picks: fave dei morti (recipe here) and the Swiss video game Mundaun. 
 
Other resources for this episode
 
Search Engine: 'Why is it so hard to tax billionaires? (Part 1)', October 18, 2024 https://www.searchengine.show/listen/search-engine-1/why-is-it-so-hard-to-tax-billionaires-part-1 
 
'They will protest ketchup': Hugh Vuillier's Europe Letter newsletter, October 3, 2024 https://hughvuillier.substack.com/p/french-budget-not-good 
 
Universitat Jaume I's study on the health impact of gas stoves, October 28, 2024 https://repositori.uji.es/items/156fbd65-070d-4ca4-9856-9415513d505f 
 
00:23 It's Halloween, but we won't be talking about He Who Must Not Be Named02:15 Good Week: French efforts to tax the super-rich16:42 Bad Week: Gas stove fans24:55 Please rate us on Pocket Casts!26:06 Interview: Anna Gvarishvili on Georgia's elections43:26 The Inspiration Station: Fave dei morti and 'Mundaun'46:08 Happy Ending (?): Norway's teen social media ban
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak 
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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Naughty, naughty Switzerland

Wine fraud, migration policy and climate litigation: there's something for everyone this week. Back in April, Switzerland's government lost a groundbreaking European court case and was ordered to rewrite its climate policy. Has it actually done that? No, no it has not. We speak to Geneva-based climate lawyer Seb Duyck about whether Switzerland can be forced to change its tune. We're also talking about offshore migrant detention centres, a full-bodied fraud case and the latest sign that AI is coming for podcasters' jobs. 
 
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.   
 
Seb is a senior attorney at the Center for International Environmental Law. You can follow him on Twitter here.
 
You can listen to our award-winning 2023 episode about the KlimaSeniorinnen case, 'The Biggest Climate Case That Ever Was', here and find the follow-up interview with Molly Quell here.
 
This week's Inspiration Station offerings: 'Swimming in the Dark' by Tomasz Jędrowski, translated by Robert Sudół; 'World Without End' by Christophe Blain and Jean-Marc Jancovici, translated by Edward Gauvin.
 
Other resources for this episode: 
 
Ursula von der Leyen's letter to EU leaders on migration, October 14, 2024 https://www.politico.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/15/October-2024-EUCO-Migration-letter.pdf 
'What is refugee rentierism? An explainer'. The New Humanitarian, August 14, 2024 https://www.thenewhumanitarian.org/analysis/2024/08/14/what-refugee-rentierism-explainer 
 
00:22 Katy's parents made a podcast06:18 Good Week: Pedro Sánchez19:48 Bad Week: Rich wine-drinkers29:14 Interview: Seb Duyck on Switzerland's failed response to the KlimaSeniorinnen ruling46:26 Inspiration Station: 'Swimming In The Dark' and 'World Without End'51:02 Happy Ending: Luka Modrić, an inspiration for all people in their late thirties
 
Producers: Katz Laszlo and Wojciech Oleksiak 
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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Russia's mysterious sabotage campaign

Arson, vandalism, attacks on NATO vehicles: around Europe, mysterious acts of sabotage have been multiplying. And there's a pattern: the perpetrators were recruited on Telegram via accounts linked to Russian agencies. This week, we hear from Marta Vunš about how she and other journalists went undercover to figure out how this recruitment actually works. We're also asking whether Germany's nausea-inducing opera deserves its scandalised headlines, and why France has been low-key obsessed with a treasure hunt for the past three decades. 
 
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.   
 
"‘Make a Molotov Cocktail’: How Europeans Are Recruited Through Telegram to Commit Sabotage, Arson, and Murder". You can read the investigation by Delfi, Der Standard, Paper Trail Media and the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project here.
 
This week's Inspiration Station offering, sponsored by the European Cultural Foundation: Liquid Becomings. 
 
Other resources for this episode: 
Trailer: SANCTA | Staatsoper Stuttgart
Talk Eastern Europe: Spies, sabotage and Russia-West relations
 
00:22 The week EU politics got spicy03:22 Bad Week: Unwell opera-goers13:54 Good Week: France's mystery treasure-hunt winner24:38 Interview: Marta Vunš on Russia's shady Telegram recruitment38:46 The Inspiration Station - The European Cultural Foundation presents: Liquid Becomings42:45 Happy Ending: Phew! Art saved from the garbage can
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech OleksiakMusic: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
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Using grandma to make people cry about climate change

Why is it so hard to talk about climate change in a way that actually makes us... feel something? This week, our producer Katz Laszlo talks to an Icelandic writer who manages against the odds to do just that: Andri Snær Magnason, author of — among many other things — the hit memoir 'On Time And Water'. We're also talking about the German politician alleged to have hired Belarusian political prisoners, and the extraordinary bounceback of Mediterranean turtles. 
 
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.   
 
You can find out more about Andri's work here and watch Emergence Magazine's documentary, 'The Last Ice Age', here.
 
This week's Inspiration Station offerings: 'When I Lived In Modern Times' by Linda Grant and 'Kneecap'. 
 
Other resources for this episode
'Finance minister responds to book VAT backlash, cuts the rate on books' - The Slovak Spectator, 26/09/2024 
'«Onion is tasty». Political prisoners work on an onion plantation owned by AfD MP Jörg Dornau' - Reform News, 24/09/2024
'Hanna' - The Europeans, 02/06/2022
'Germany’s far right loves one migrant group: Russian Germans' - Politico Europe, 29/09/24
'Cruinniú na nÓg 2024 - The Spark' - Creative Ireland 
'How Germany outfitted half a million balconies with solar panels' - Canary Media, 27/09/2024
 
00:22 Good job, Slovakia!02:42 Good Week: Mediterranean turtles12:38 Bad Week: Jörg Dornau24:03 Interview: Andri Snær Magnason on how to talk about climate change in a way that makes people Actually Feel Something 44:12 The Inspiration Station: 'When I Lived In Modern Times' and 'Kneecap'48:30 Happy Ending: Germany's mini solar panel bonanzaProducers: Morgan Childs and Katz LaszloMixing and mastering: Wojciech OleksiakMusic: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
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What do the European Union and Barbie have in common?

Are European leaders living in a Barbie-like dreamworld? This week, the idealised fantasy of the EU versus its awkward reality. Far from being a continent of grateful europhiles, a lot of people feel apathetic about the European project at best. Paweł Zerka joins us to discuss why non-white, young and Eastern Europeans feel especially left out of the EU, and what we can do to fix this.
 
We're also joined by Deutsche Welle's Kate Laycock for a special guest edition of Good Week, Bad Week! We discuss how victory was snatched from the AfD in last weekend's state elections in Brandenburg, as well as the backlash against tax hikes on books in both Slovakia and the Netherlands.
 
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.   
 
You can read Paweł's report here. The European Sentiment Compass is a joint initiative of the European Council on Foreign Relations and the European Cultural Foundation. 
 
Kate is the presenter of DW's Inside Europe. You'll be able to catch Katy and Dominic on the show next week! 
 
Inspiration Station offerings:
'What language does your inner child speak?' - The First 1,000 Days 
'How Libraries Thrive' - you can read the whole book online here 
 
Other resources for this episode: 
'German far-right AfD song calls for deporting millions - DW News
'Elderly Romanian woman used amber nugget worth over $1 million as a doorstop for decades' - El País
 
00:22 Insure yourselves, people!04:07 Good Week: Dietmar Woidke (Special edition with Kate Laycock from Deutsche Welle)12:24 Bad Week: Book-lovers in Slovakia and the Netherlands22:00 Interview: Paweł Zerka on the Barbie-like European Union39:13 The Inspiration Station: 'The First 1,000 Days' and 'How Libraries Thrive'43:45 Happy Ending: The world's fanciest door-stop?
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech OleksiakMusic: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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Mussolini, testicles, and the Schengen zone

Last week we brought you geopolitics, this week we're bringing you testicles. Why has male contraception remained such an underground idea, despite decades of research? We speak to Paul Labourie, one of a growing number of men (in the francophone world at least) who are turning to DIY contraception devices to take on more of the responsibility in their relationships. We're also talking about the crackdown on Germany's borders and a surprise move by Mussolini's granddaughter. 
 
Paul is a journalist and photographer based in Brussels. You can find his website here and follow him on Instagram here. You can read Paul's article about heat-based contraception for VICE Belgium here and find out more about Samuel Flambard's workshops here.
 
This week's Inspiration Station offerings: 'Another Round' and 'The Gullspång Miracle' (available here via the BBC and here via DR). 
 
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.   
 
00:23 Not sponsored by any kind of nasal irrigation device03:02 Good Week: Standing up to the far-right in Italy09:50 Bad Week: The Schengen Zone21:19 Interview: Paul Labourie's primer on thermal contraception35:19 The Inspiration Station: 'Another Round' and 'The Gullspång Miracle'38:38 Happy ending: Fewer screens, more desserts
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech OleksiakMusic: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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Swedish authorities say it's fine if you listen to this podcast

We're back from our summer break! Rym Momtaz, the new editor-in-chief of the Strategic Europe blog, is here to catch us up on the main political developments we missed over the summer, from Ukraine to France. We're also talking about Sweden's suggestions for cutting kids' screen time, and a possible crackdown on outrageous concert ticket prices. 
 
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify. 
 
Strategic Europe is a blog from the Carnegie Europe think-tank. You can find it here, and follow Rym on Twitter here.
 
This week's Inspiration Station picks: 'Evenings and Weekends' by Oisín McKenna and 'Berlin' by Andris Kuprišs, translated by Ian Gwin.
 
Other resources for this episode:
 
'A Different Way to Look at Screen Time' - ParentData, April 2024
If you're feeling brave, you can download Mario Draghi's competitiveness report here.
If you're short on time because you're contributing to European productivity, you can read his summary here.
Waldrapteam, the conservationists working with the northern bald ibis, can be found on Instagram here. You can follow their progress here.
 
03:10 Bad Week: Ticketmaster14:23 Good Week: Swedish kids26:40 Interview: Rym Momtaz catches us up on the main European political developments of the summer47:44 The Inspiration Station: 'Evenings and Weekends' by Oisín McKenna; 'Berlin' by Andris Kuprišs50:24 Happy Ending: The return of the northern bald ibis
 
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak 
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
 
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