The Europeans The Europeans
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Each week we trawl the continent of Europe for the most interesting stories to cover and the most fascinating people to interview. This semi-serious, semi-silly, Brexit-free show, from a reporter in Paris and an opera singer in Amsterdam, will make you seem clever to friends and make you feel like you've got two NEW friends in Katy and Dominic. You probably didn't realise you needed a European podcast in your life, but this will fill the gap that you didn't even know was there.
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Small Ex-Soviet Satellite State My Ass
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 -
The Portuguese Constitution Is Delicious
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 -
YOLO, Swiss pensioners
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 -
Army Boots
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 -
Orbán's biggest crisis?
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 -
Two Parallel Polands
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
Customer Reviews
Like a warm hug
I look forward to this show every week. Comforting and informative. Love the “isolation inspiration” part!
Production requires restraint
I was excited to listen to your oat milk episodes, but I am struggling to get through an episode due to the over-produced and unbalanced audio production. The volume peaks and dips consistently, and the background noises are grating and over used. The storytelling is solid, but the constant noise feels like the audio equivalent of subway surfer taking up half the screen of a tik tok.
Perfect mix of serious and silly
Dominic and Katy are so engaging and have a great rapport. They talk to informed guests about serious issues and yet always seem to be having a good time. As an American I’ve learned so much about Europe—both cultural and political—that is just not in the news here! I also appreciate that they try to briefly explain things for us uninformed Americans, yet the focus stays firmly on Europe. Now, Dominic, do try not to get Covid again, and congrats to Katy on your marriage!