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.
Listen on:
Episodes
Thursday Apr 11, 2024
Thursday Apr 11, 2024
We all know this continent has major issues with social mobility. But having a rich ancestor from *six centuries ago* shouldn't make it more likely that you're rich today... should it? This week we speak to Guglielmo Barone, one of the economists behind some fascinating research into this question in Florence. We're also talking about Ursula von der Leyen's 'jobs for the boys' scandal and the road to a shared European cycling policy.
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.
FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/nepo-great-great-great-grand-babies
Guglielmo is a professor of economics at the University of Bologna. You can find his study on intergenerational mobility in Florence here, and an article he co-wrote about the research here.
This week's recommendations: 'Today in Focus - Should the UK stop arming Israel?' and 'Have You Heard George's Podcast - Francophone Pt. 1'.
Other resources for this episode:
Social mobility in Europe across generations - EU Science Hub
Intergenerational mobility in the UK - Institute for Fiscal Studies'
What is the point of inheritance tax?' - The New Statesman'
Von der Leyen accused of playing favourite over EU SMEs envoy nomination' - EURACTIVThe European Declaration on Cycling
'How safe is walking and cycling in Europe' - European Transport Safety Council Eurobarometer - Mobility and transport, 2019
The Copenhagenize Index'Paris’s Picasso Museum Will Show Work by Françoise Gilot in Permanent Collection Galleries for the First Time' - ARTnews
Producers: Katz Laszlo and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Apr 04, 2024
Thursday Apr 04, 2024
This week, music and politics collide. We're talking about Greece's plan to enforce quotas for Greek-language lyrics on the radio, and the racist backlash against Aya Nakamura's rumoured booking for the Paris Olympics. Plus, a great interview with Politico's senior climate reporter Zia Weise about the EU's once-trumpeted nature restoration law. Can the EU still claim to be a world leader when it comes to going green?
FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/less-beyonce-more-bouzouki
You can find Zia on Twitter here and read her reporting here.
The soundtrack to this week's episode: 'Doggy' by Aya Nakamura; 'Zari' by Marina Satti; 'White Foxes' by Susanne Sundfør. Also recommended this week: 'Smoke Sauna Sisterhood' and Utrecht's fish doorbell.
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify.
00:22 Velkommen til The Europeans podcast!02:23 Good Week: Aya Nakamura10:35 Bad Week: The plan for Greek-language radio quotas22:38 Interview: Zia Weise on the EU's nature restoration law35:15 The Inspiration Station: Susanne Sundfør and 'Smoke Sauna Sisterhood'38:43 Happy Ending: Utrecht's fish doorbell
Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech OleksiakMixing and mastering: Wojciech OleksiakMusic: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
This week, we're heading to a small country with a big bold foreign policy. Czechia, aka the Czech Republic, has won international praise by negotiating a desperately-needed ammunition deal for Ukraine. Why did it succeed where others have failed? And why is its government so much less scared of China than most others in Europe? We ring up Jakub Janda, Czech security expert and author of a certain viral tweet, to find out. We're also talking about a glimmer of hope for some of Italy's rainbow families, and the scandal rocking Finnish journalism.
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.
Jakub is the director of the European Values Center for Security Policy. You can find him on Twitter here.
Resources for this episode: European Tree of the Year https://www.treeoftheyear.org/
Aamulehti's apology for Matti Kuusela's dabblings in fiction https://www.aamulehti.fi/uutiset/art-2000010312503.html
Jakub's viral tweet https://twitter.com/_jakubjanda/status/1769350483695522197?s=46&t=yPKV1bu1u0kKSIiRrTkIXg
00:22 Once more with feeling03:19 Good Week: Padua's rainbow families09:35 Bad Week: When fact meets fiction in Finland19:52 Interview: Jakub Janda on 'small ex-Soviet satellite states' and Czechia's bold foreign policy36:51 Inspiration Station: A tree scandal special edition41:14 Happy Ending: Germany's extra-relaxed Easter Monday
Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
Scandal-hit Socialists, a surging far-right, and winners that no one can get excited about — Portugal has just delivered some of this year's trickiest European election results. This week, we ring Politico reporter Aitor Hernández-Morales to untangle the situation. We're also talking about how ChatGPT could speed up Albania's EU membership bid, and Denmark's attempt to fix its horrible gender inequality (when it comes to statues at least).
FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/the-portuguese-constitution-is-delicious
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 follow Aitor on Twitter here.
This week's Inspiration Station picks: 'Europapa' by Joost Klein; 'Don't Drink the Milk'
Other resources for this episode:
'People in Albania are tired of Brussels' lip service' https://respublica.edu.mk/blog-en/politics/people-in-albania-are-tired-of-brussels-lip-service/?lang=en
'Albania to speed up EU accession using ChatGPT' https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/albania-to-speed-up-eu-accession-using-chatgpt/
'Irish voters reject bid to rewrite constitution’s view of women and family' https://www.politico.eu/article/irish-voters-reject-bid-to-rewrite-constitutions-view-women-family/
'Five reasons why the Yes side failed and the No campaign won the day' https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/03/09/how-the-government-lost-and-the-no-side-won-the-care-and-family-referendums/
00:22 Fresh and fruity
01:56 Bad Week: Human translators
11:00 Good Week: Denmark steps up on statues
35:28 The Inspiration Station: 'Europapa' and 'Don't Drink The Milk'
40:24 Happy Ending: A blast from the seedy past
Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
Thursday Mar 07, 2024
This week: two referendums and some dodgy criminal reforms. We're talking about Swiss voters' decision to treat themselves to bigger pensions, and Slovakia's battle to stop cronyism under populist prime minister Robert Fico. And ahead of Ireland's vote on International Women's Day, the historian Caitríona Beaumont joins us to ask: why, according to the Irish constitution, is a woman's place still in the home?
You can follow Cait on Twitter here and read her article for The Conversation about the 'woman in the home' clause here.
This week's Inspiration Station offerings: this Swiss study on the power of live music; Dominic on tour, and the studio cast recording of 'Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)'.
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify.
Other resources for this episode:
Cultural Deal for Europe: An Open Letter Ahead of the EP Elections https://culturalfoundation.eu/stories/cultural-deal-for-europe-open-letter-ep-elections/ 'Nederland Europees kampioen zitten': TNO https://www.tno.nl/nl/newsroom/2024/02/nederland-europees-kampioen-zitten/ Eurobarometer's 2022 report on physical activity across Europe: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2668IMPACT newsletter https://lesglorieuses.fr/les-newsletters/impact-eng/ Abortion in Europe - Deutsche Welle documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSB6oCza2k8
00:22 Are you sitting comfortably?
03:33 Bad Week: Robert Fico
12:38 Good Week: Swiss pensioners
21:40 Interview: Caitríona Beaumont on Ireland's sexist constitution
38:35 The Inspiration Station: live music and the 'Two Strangers' cast recording
42:19 Happy Ending: Tiny but very very loud
Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
Thursday Feb 29, 2024
In February 2022, as Russian tanks rolled across the border, the writer and historian Olesya Khromeychuk told us the story of the boots she had bought for her brother, serving at the front in eastern Ukraine. This week, we're sharing her story again.
Olesya's book, ' The Death of a Soldier Told by His Sister', is available in print and as an audiobook. You can find her on Twitter here.
Sound design, mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/army-boots-feb-2024
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.
Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Thursday Feb 22, 2024
Hungary has seen its biggest anti-government protests in years over the past couple of weeks. But just how dangerous is this moment for Viktor Orbán? This week our favourite Hungarysplainer Viktória Serdült joins us to decipher the scandal that has shaken his government. We're also talking about the legalisation of gay marriage in Greece (finally!) and a Dutch court case that could have far-reaching consequences for the war in Gaza.
FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/orbans-biggest-crisis
Viktória is a journalist at hvg.hu. You can find her on Twitter here and her article about Hungary's EU elections can be found here in EUObserver.
This week's Inspiration Station offerings: 'Navalny' and 'Lost on Me' (Niente di vero) by Veronica Raimo.
The Dutch court ruling can be found here and Euronews' piece on European military supplies to Israel can be found 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). You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review or giving us five stars on Spotify.
00:22 Spending *most* of the week reading about Europe
02:29 Good Week: Gay marriage is now legal in Greece
07:47 Bad Week: European defence companies?
17:01 Interview: Viktória Serdült on Hungary's pardoning scandal
32:33 The Inspiration Station: 'Lost on Me' by Veronica Raimo and 'Navalny'
36:33 Happy Ending: Why kids monkey around
Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
Instagram | Threads | Twitter | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Poland's rightwing populists are finally out of power. But what happens now? This week, our producer Wojciech Oleksiak and Warsaw-based journalist Claudia Ciobanu join us to explain why restoring Polish democracy is easier said than done. We're also talking about Finland's elections and the EU's much-criticised migration plan.
FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/two-parallel-polands
Claudia is the Poland correspondent for the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network. You can find her reporting here and she's on Twitter here.
Investigate Europe's reporting on how France and the Netherlands lobbied for child border detentions can be found here.
This week's Inspiration Station offerings: 'Bitch' by Lucy Cooke and Sanremo 2024. Bonus entry for Amsterdammers, via Producer Katz: Felipe Romero Beltrán's photography exhibition 'Dialect' at Foam, documenting the experiences of young Moroccan migrants in Spain.
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.
Producers: Katz Laszlo and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
Instagram | Threads | Twitter | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
Thursday Feb 08, 2024
Last weekend, Parisians voted to triple parking fees for SUVs in a bid to remove some of the city's more polluting vehicles. It's just one of many policy ideas that are being tested out in European cities to clean up the air we breathe — but how bad is the problem really, and can we really fix it? This week we ring up Oliver Lord from the Clean Cities Campaign to find out. We're also talking about the exhausting antics of Viktor Orbán and some juicy Italian art theft allegations.
FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/toxic-air-and-toxic-politicians
This week's Inspiration Station offerings: 'Mrs Mohr Goes Missing' by Maryla Szymiczkowa, and The European Tree of the Year 2024.
You can find a video of Vittorio Sgarbi's eyebrow-raising interview on the best account on Twitter, Crazy Ass Moments in Italian Politics.
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.
Many thanks to our friends at Outside/In for featuring our Oatly mini-series recently. You can find their show here.
00:22 Coming soon, a podcast entirely about disturbing European children's songs
03:32 Good Week: Ukraine's €50 billion aid deal
12:01 Bad Week: From culture minister to art thief?
37:44 The Inspiration Station: Mrs Mohr Goes Missing and The European Tree of The Year 2024
40:49 Happy Ending: Hooray for the HPV vaccine
Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
Instagram | Threads | Twitter | hello@europeanspodcast.com
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
Thursday Feb 01, 2024
From France to Romania, Germany to Bulgaria, angry farmers have been blocking the roads. What's behind this wave of agricultural protests across the continent? This week we're getting to grips with the policies behind the food on Europe's plates with agriculture correspondent Sofía Sánchez Manzanaro. We're also dishing up some Polish recommendations and a slice of good climate news.
FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/why-are-europes-farmers-so-angry
Sofía writes about food, agriculture and sustainability for S&P Global and is about to start a new role at Euractiv. You can find her on Twitter here.
This week's Inspiration Station offerings: Chopin's Nocturnes. played by Idil Beret, and Olga Tokarczuk's interview on the Paris Review podcast.
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.
Many thanks to our friends at Outside/In for featuring our Oatly mini-series recently. You can find their show here.
Producers: Katz Laszlo and Katy Lee
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
Instagram | Threads | Twitter | hello@europeanspodcast.com