The Europeans | European news, politics and culture
The Europeans is a fresh and entertaining weekly podcast about European politics and culture, recorded each week between Paris and Amsterdam with fascinating guests joining from across Europe. This multiple award-winning podcast fills you in on the major European politics stories and other European news of the week, as well as fun and quirky nuggets that have been missed by most media outlets. Hosted by Katy Lee, a journalist based in Paris, and Dominic Kraemer, an opera singer in Amsterdam, The Europeans covers everything from elections and climate policy to the best new European films and TV shows. We also produce investigative podcasts about everything from the European farming lobby to oat milk. Yes, oat milk. Katy and Dominic are old friends, and the warmth and intimacy of their conversations will soon make you feel like you’ve known them a long time too. They approach topics with a light and humorous tone that makes The Europeans stand out from other European news podcasts, while remaining journalistically rigorous and meticulously fact-checked. The Europeans has been recommended by The New York Times, The Guardian, Buzzfeed, The Financial Times, and many other outlets. Katy Lee, a British-French reporter, has written for major outlets including The Guardian, Politico Europe, Agence France-Presse (AFP), Foreign Policy and The New Statesman for more than a decade, covering French and European politics and more recently, climate change. Dominic Kraemer, a British-German opera singer, performs across Europe when he is not co-hosting The Europeans, with roles recently at the Staatsoper in Berlin, the Dutch National Opera and the Münchener Biennale. The Europeans’ team is completed by producers Katz Laszlo in Amsterdam and Wojciech Oleksiak in Warsaw. You’ll hear them joining Katy and Dominic from time to time, particularly during investigative episodes like ‘The Oatly Chronicles’ and ‘The Big-Agri Bully Boys’. The Europeans’ breezy, informal approach to covering European news has won awards such as a Covering Climate Now award for an episode about the Swiss women who sued their government at the European Court of Human Rights demanding more climate action; Germany’s prestigious CIVIS Media Prize for ‘Mohamed’, an episode that explores the everyday life of a young undocumented man in Amsterdam; and best LGBTQIA+ short at the MiraBan UK Film Awards for ‘Josh and Franco’, the coming-of-age story of a father and son, both gay. Our guests have included everyone from major figures in European politics such as Alexander Stubb, now the President of Finland, and Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, to star chefs Asma Khan and Christian Puglisi, celebrated illustrator Christoph Niemann, and environmentalist George Monbiot. Since launching in 2017, we’ve talked about everything from elections in France, Italy and many more countries besides, to the politics of halloumi cheese in Cyprus, to why Donald Trump is so hard for TV interpreters to translate. We pride ourselves on covering European politics, European news and European culture from a pan-European perspective. You’ll often hear stories on The Europeans from parts of the continent that don’t usually receive enough attention from major international media outlets, especially Central, Eastern and Southern Europe. You might enjoy The Europeans if you also enjoy one of these other podcasts: The News Agents, On the Media, Today in Focus, Inside Europe, The Journal, EU Confidential, The Daily, The Globalist, Reasons to be Cheerful, The Media Show, Power Play, and The New Statesman. Whether you’re already a European news nerd, or simply someone who’d like to be better informed about what’s happening across Europe, The Europeans is the podcast for you.
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Episodes
5 days ago
5 days ago
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
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Mar 20, 2025
Thursday Mar 20, 2025
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
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Mar 13, 2025
Thursday Mar 13, 2025
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
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
Tuesday Mar 11, 2025
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
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Feb 27, 2025
Thursday Feb 27, 2025
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
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Feb 20, 2025
Thursday Feb 20, 2025
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
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Feb 13, 2025
Thursday Feb 13, 2025
Nocturnal tourism is supposedly one of the big travel trends of 2025, and from star-gazing to truffle-hunting, there are plenty of places in Europe to do it. But where is this craving for darkness coming from? This week we speak to Anna Levin, author of two beautiful books about the impact of artificial light on the world around us, about why Europe's night skies deserve much better protection. We're also talking about the Baltic countries' move to cut their electrical cords with Russia, and the EU's attempt to tackle our cheap Chinese shopping addiction.
Anna is the author of 'Incandescent' and 'Dark Skies'. You can find out more about her work here.
This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: 'The Day of the Jackal' and 'Italia Express' from Radiooooo.
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.
Other resources for this week's episode
'Baltic Energy Independence Day' aka the amazing EU laser show - European Commission livestream, February 8, 2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeU829DcoKQ&t=24s
'EU toolbox for safe and sustainable e-commerce' aka the EU's proposed crackdown on cheap shopping websites, February 5, 2025 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/e-commerce-communication-comprehensive-eu-toolbox-safe-and-sustainable-e-commerce
DarkSky International: All international Dark Sky Places https://darksky.org/what-we-do/international-dark-sky-places/all-places
'"Must-have genre" for uncertain times: why spy thrillers have taken over TV' - The Guardian, February 2, 2025 https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/feb/02/spy-thrillers-television-must-have-genre-uncertain-world
'Beavers build planned dams in protected landscape area, while local officials still seeking permits' - Radio Prague International, January 31, 2025 https://english.radio.cz/beavers-build-planned-dams-protected-landscape-area-while-local-officials-still-8841536
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
00:22 Is Dominic ok?03:48 Good Week: The Big Baltic Electricity Switch13:58 Bad Week: Chinese e-commerce giants26:19 Interview: Anna Levin on the magic of Europe's dark skies44:42 The Inspiration Station: 'The Day of the Jackal' and 'Italia Express' by Radiooooo 49:01 Happy Ending: Industrious Czech beavers
Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Jan 30, 2025
Thursday Jan 30, 2025
Europe's rarest butterfly lives on the outskirts of a single town in North Macedonia. So why is it possible to find specimens of this incredibly endangered animal for sale online for 30 euros? This week we speak to Kiril Arsovski Przo, one of the scientists behind an investigation into this troubling legal loophole. We're also talking about the farcical election in Belarus and Britain's crackdown on climate protesters.
You can watch 'Nature for Sale' here and read more about the investigation 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.
This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: 'Earnest Cole: Lost and Found' and 'Murder Mindfully' (Achtsam Morden).
Other resources for this week's episode
'Hope for our rarest UK bat' - Bat Conservation Trust, January 27, 2025 https://www.bats.org.uk/news/2025/01/hope-for-our-rarest-uk-bat
Zeno Siemens and Jacco Prantl - 'Learning to listen with Gordon Hempton' https://soundcloud.com/thecorrespondent/zeno-siemens-and-jacco-prantl-learning-to-listen-with-gordon-hempton
Invisibilia - 'The Last Sound' https://open.spotify.com/episode/2vPX641oHRo1vetDVl7CeH?si=qu4otcOPTeS4hGyimw5Snw
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
00:23 Cold dips and the future of memory culture04:27 Good Week: Aleksandr Lukashenko12:08 Bad Week: Freedom to protest in the UK32:11 Interview: Kiril Arsovski Przo on the legal loophole threatening Europe's most endangered butterfly47:31 The Inspiration Station: 'Earnest Cole: Lost and Found' and 'Murder Mindfully' (Achtsam Morden)50:59 Happy Ending: Company for the world's loneliest bat
Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
Thursday Jan 23, 2025
In an otherwise miserable week, this podcast is delighted to bring you a joyful interview with a drag cow. At least, an interview with the person behind the cow: the Swiss artist, performer and animal rights activist Daniel Hellmann. We chat to Daniel about why he decided to channel his campaigning side into something so wonderfully silly. We're also talking about a trigger-happy Croatian politician and Ursula von der Leyen's return from hospital.
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.
You can follow Soya the Cow here and find out more about Daniel's work here.
This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: 'The Outrun', Danish spruce cookbook 'Mad med gran', and European TikTok.
Other resources for this episode
'Što društvo može napraviti da spriječi porast nasilja?' (What can society do to prevent the rise in violence?') - HRT, January 16, 2025 https://vijesti.hrt.hr/hrvatska/otvoreno-659-11963849
'A Brit Explains Wagatha Christie To An American' - Bustle, October 19, 2023 https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/wagatha-christie-explained-by-a-brit-to-an-american
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
00:23 An (attempted) orange-man free zone03:08 Good Week: Ursula von der Leyen10:32 Bad Week: Croatia's government21:40 Interview: Daniel Hellmann (Soya the Cow) on the case for joyful activism39:05 The Inspiration Station: 'The Outrun', 'Mad men gran', and European TikTok44:23 Happy Ending: A social network making a good decision, for once?!
Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Jan 16, 2025
Thursday Jan 16, 2025
There's been a weird loophole in the war in Ukraine up until now. Nearly three years after Russia's full-scale invasion, Ukraine was still being paid to transport Russian gas for sale to Europe, all while Moscow continued to kill its people. What does the end of this strange deal mean? This week we ring up energy expert Szymon Kardaś to ask how Putin's regime might seek to use the new situation to his advantage, and to what extent Europe has really managed to wean itself off Russian fossil fuels. We're also talking about the new challenge to Serbia's President Aleksandar Vučić, and whether or not it's a good idea to eat your Christmas tree.
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.
Szymon is a senior policy fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations and an assistant professor at the University of Warsaw. You can read his tweets here.
This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: The European Journalism Centre's Journalism Innovation Podcast and 'Beyond the Wall' by Katja Hoyer.
Other resources for this episode
Ghent city hall's guide to reducing post-holiday waste — now with added disclaimer: https://stad.gent/nl/groen-milieu/nieuws-evenementen/na-de-feestdagen-wat-met-de-restjes#je-kerstboom
'Sweden says Christmas tree needles safe to eat — after Belgian warning'. AFP / France 24, January 8, 2025
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20250108-sweden-says-christmas-tree-needles-safe-to-eat-after-belgian-warning
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
00:22 Polish apple facts, and some amazing news05:05 Bad Week: Aleksandar Vučić17:02 Good week: Adventurous chefs26:44 Interview: Szymon Kardaś on what the Russia-Ukraine gas pipeline shutdown means for Europe42:31 The Inspiration Station: The European Journalism Centre's Journalism Innovation Podcast, and 'Beyond the Wall'46:12 Happy Ending: From Thiberville to Thiberville, with love
Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com