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If you had to pick the two most stressful topics in European policy right now, might you say... energy and housing? Those two areas are the remit of one (remarkably chill) EU commissioner, Dan Jørgensen, the Commissioner for Energy and Housing. We don’t typically interview politicians, but when Commissioner Jørgensen’s team came our way, we said yes – because when it comes to his two areas of European policy, right now, we have no shortage of questions to ask. Also on the docket this week: the fight over Poland’s constitutional court and Norway’s cheeky rebuke to the lame duck in the White House. This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are Sharon Horgan’s HBO series Youth and P***y Riot’s Riot Days tour (thanks to listener Pia for the rec!). Resources for this episode: “Every Heidi Klum Halloween Costume Through the Years: From Dominatrix to Medusa” – Women’s Wear Daily, 31 October 2026No Wojciech brain? Try Notes from Poland“Restoring Poland’s court is not a coup” – European Question Time (Alberto Alemanno’s Substack), 1 November 2026Visit Norway’s video “Norway makes sh*thouses great again!” The Norwegian Consumer Council’s video “A Day in the Life of an Ensh*ttificator”“Three Italian ‘hobbits’ flew to Ireland to return this man’s ring – and it was precious” – CBC, 17 October 2026“Who Does It Best?” – our 2025 mini-series on the best-practice European policies worth stealing, from housing to childcare Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Ece Temelkuran’s Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding Home in the 21st Century in advance of our book club with the European Review of Books on 10 December. If you’ve read the book and want to share your thoughts, send in your comments via voice memo to [email protected]. AND… if you’re in the area of Freiburg/Strasbourg/Basel/Karlsruhe, hit us up to be connected with a listener hoping to arrange an IRL reading group. We love listener-matchmaking 🥰 The Europeans is part of Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news. But our work is only possible thanks to support from listeners. If you want to help us keep on keeping on, you can join us on Patreon or make a donation via our website. Thank you! If you like what we’re up to, you’ll probably like The European Correspondent. Find out everything you need to know about Europe, each day, in just eleven minutes of reading. Give it a read and sign up here. Co-hosts: Dominic Kraemer and Katy Lee Producers: Morgan Childs and Inês Ruivo Senior producer: Katy Lee Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. Substack | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | YouTube | [email protected]

Last weekend was a delicious reminder that sometimes, in spite of everything, things go right. As Serbians went to the polls to determine the fate of president Aleksandar Vučić and the future of the country’s momentous student movement, our reporter Wojciech Oleksiak spent a heady few days in Belgrade capturing the Student List victory in real time. Wojciech takes us through his pulse-quickening weekend and answers our questions about where the country goes from here – and what this extraordinary victory might mean for other protest movements around the world. For more on Wojciech’s trip, check out his videos on our Instagram. Special thanks this week go to Filip Djordjevic, Matija, Vladimir Radinović, Milica Mihajlović, Marko Kordulup, and Daniela Vancić. Resources for this episode: Our episode featuring Matija from last summer, “Is real change coming to Serbia?”Wojciech’s “Report from Novi Sad”, recorded on the first anniversary of the train station disaster“Insider Blows Lid on Serbian Ruling Party’s Use of Hired Thugs” – Balkan Insight, 14 October 2026Vladimir Radinović’s podcast aggregator Podcast.rs and production company VisionsHQNaša posla, Vladimir’s narrative podcast about the BalkansDnevnik jedne mladosti, Milica Mihajlović’s award-winning podcast about life as a young person in Serbia Don’t forget to get reading! The next installment of our book club with the European Review of Books is coming up on 10 December. You can join in on the fun by picking up a copy of Ece Temelkuran’s Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding Home in the 21st Century. If you’ve read the book and want to share your thoughts, send in your comments via voice memo to [email protected]. The Europeans is part of Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news. However, our work is only possible thanks to support from listeners like you. Yes, YOU! If you want to help us keep making episodes like this one, you can join us on Patreon or make a donation via our website. Thank you! You’re the best! Co-hosts: Dominic Kraemer and Katy Lee Reporter: Wojciech Oleksiak Senior producer: Morgan Childs Editing: Morgan Childs and Katy Lee Editorial support: Dominic Kraemer Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Blue Dot Sessions Intern: Inês Ruivo The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. Substack | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | YouTube | [email protected]

Europe is getting bigger, and so, it seems, are its problems. This week, Katy gives us a report from her home country of France, which for weeks has been embroiled in protests, some of which have brought significant destruction to French buildings and businesses. What began as a series of student demonstrations in early September has grown into a movement that has captured France’s growing anger over its government and the cost of living – grievances that are being echoed in similar protests across many other European countries as well. Amidst the chaos, some of us have wondered: would a bigger EU be a better EU? To think through the implications of EU expansion, we’re joined this week by Tinatin Akhvlediani, head of the EU Enlargement Programme at the Centre for European Policy Studies. There’s no better person to unpack what EU enlargement would mean for candidate countries and potential candidates, and for the bloc more broadly. (You don’t become known as Tina Enlargement for nothing.) Have questions about housing and energy policy? We’re taking Qs for EU commissioner Dan Jørgensen! All of our supporters are invited to pitch in to help shape our upcoming episode. To get in on the fun, you can join us over here. We’re gearing up for the second installment of our book club, co-hosted with our friends over at the European Review of Books. Our next pick is Ece Temelkuran’s book Nation of Strangers: Rebuilding Home in the 21st Century. We’ll be discussing it on 10 December, and if you’ve read the book and have thoughts to share, you’re warmly welcomed to send in your comments via voice memo to [email protected]. Resources for this episode: “Hungary After Orbán” – The BBC’s Documentary Podcast, 13 October 2026Tina’s latest policy brief for CEPSTina on LinkedInTina on InstagramVideo of Finnish chef Tomi Kotilainen breaking the soda-chugging record“Chef chugs 500 ml of his favourite orange soda in just a few seconds to claim record” – Guinness World Records, 14 October 2026 Want more cheeky analysis of the week’s news? Join us over on our Substack, Good Week Bad Week! New dispatches of the newsletter appear on the platform and in your inbox every Friday. Co-hosts: Dominic Kraemer and Katy Lee Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Senior producer: Katy Lee Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Intern: Inês Ruivo The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. Substack | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | YouTube | [email protected]

Europe is in chaos, but we’re here to talk about it all, as long as the wifi holds out! This week, we’re chatting about Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s call for a snap election in light of his country’s recent housing demonstrations and a host of other controversies roiling Madrid. Please note: this podcast was recorded before news broke on Wednesday night of the death of Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old whose eviction sparked Spain’s massive housing protests. We’re also discussing Russia’s decision to cancel Kanye West’s sold-out concerts in St Petersburg – and various scripts you can borrow if a racist antisemite wants to play a concert in YOUR country. And ahead of Friday’s announcement of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize winner, we’re joined by Haakon Gjerløw, acting director of the Peace Research Institute Oslo, to try to make sense of this controversial prize and who deserves to win it in 2026. Honestly, now feels like a really great time to give peace a chance. Speaking of reasons to get the wifi sorted… we’re looking forward to our next online listener hangout! If you want to shoot the breeze/commiserate about the state of things with Katy and Wojciech, you’re most very welcome to join us at 6pm CET on Sunday, 18 October. We’ll post a link to join the call on all our social channels an hour before we kick off. This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are Carys Davies’ book Clear and Dix pour cent, le film (Call My Agent! The Movie). Resources for this episode: “Conflict trends: A global overview, 1946–2025” – the Peace Research Institute OsloHaakon’s 2026 Nobel Peace Prize list“Donald Trump? Please no. Here’s who actually deserves this year’s Nobel peace prize” – The Guardian, 28 September 2026“‘Like caring for a pet’: the app that lets you know if your neighbourhood tree is thirsty” – The Guardian, 2 October 2026 DID YOU KNOW… we have a newsletter with all the goofiness and good intentions of this podcast? It’s called GOOD WEEK BAD WEEK, it’s free, and thousands of people are lapping it up every Friday morning over on Substack. Come and join them! Co-hosts: Dominic Kraemer and Katy Lee Reporter: Inês Ruivo Producer: Morgan Childs Senior producer: Katy Lee Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Intern: Inês Ruivo The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. Substack | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | YouTube | Bluesky | [email protected]

When it comes to the future of AI, we – like seemingly everyone else – have way more questions than answers. Could European legislation do anything to protect us from job losses and “rogue” models? Can the chatbots created on this continent compete with those being developed by the US and China? What would it mean to win (or lose) the “AI race”? And most importantly: how doomed are we? We put those questions and more to Aleksandra Przegalińska, a Polish AI researcher and philosopher and a fellow at the Center for Labor and a Just Economy at Harvard Law School. Aleksandra is one of the most engaging and entertaining voices we know on this topic, and we walked away from this conversation feeling… dare we say… hopeful? We hope you’ll feel the same. For most of a decade, small donations from listeners like you have made it possible for us to continue making this fully independent weekly podcast. You can help us ring in our 10-year anniversary next year – and support another decade of non-boring news – by joining us over on Patreon or by donating via our website. Did you know we have a weekly newsletter, Good Week Bad Week? It often draws on the super fun themes (tech sovereignty, humanity’s demise, etc etc) you heard about in today’s podcast. Sign up here! Resources for this episode: Aleksandra on Instagram“AI Optimism Globally Widespread Despite Uneven Use” – Gallup, 22 September 2026Aleksandra on Microsoft–Gallup’s AI adoption survey“Arthur Mensch, CEO of French start-up Mistral AI: 'AI is software. It can be controlled'” – Le Monde, 24 September 2026“Data Centre Silence” – Lighthouse Reports, 30 September 2026 Co-hosts: Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer Senior producer: Katy Lee Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Intern: Inês Ruivo The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. Substack | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | YouTube | Bluesky | [email protected]

When it comes to envisioning the future, what’s your type? The Positive? The Negative? The Uncertain? The Disconnected? No, these aren’t characters in a pop group or a teen movie – they’re the four ways of imagining a European future. So says Paweł Zerka of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a three-peat guest and true Friend of the Podcast. Paweł is back once more to walk us through this year’s European Sentiment Compass, “Future Nostalgia: Europe’s Unfinished Song”. Come for the Dua Lipa reference, stay because you’re a polling nerd like the rest of us. We’re also talking about British lawmakers’ quest to figure out why the UK does quite so badly at Eurovision and what the seizure of Nestlé and Auchan’s Russian assets says about the Kremlin’s finances. You can read this year’s European Sentiment Compass – which is, like us, supported by the European Cultural Foundation – and have fun categorising yourself here. FREE ON MONDAY NIGHT? Join Katy and Paweł for discussion and documentary-watching in Brussels on 28 September, or Dominic and Wojciech for a little post-truth democracy in The Hague. We have two tickets to give away to the event with Katy and Paweł, courtesy of our friends at Newframes. They’ll go to the first person who emails [email protected] with TICKETS in the subject line, so get in there quick! There’s plenty more to our excellent conversation with Paweł. Supporters of the show who are signed up to our private feed can hear the second half of our chat, including the revelation that Poland, of all places, is a surprisingly optimistic corner of Europe. Sign up over here. Supporters also get lots of cool perks and the warm glow of supporting independent European journalism. So if you haven’t already, get in for the glow! This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are Wojciech’s upcoming performance in The Hague(!) and Sorcha Richardson’s new album, “Draw the Outline”. Resources for this episode: Leave-Russia.org"The Russian assets of Nestlé, Auchan and the former Leroy Merlin have been transferred to the management of a company led by an interior ministry general" – Novaya Gazeta, 17 September 2026“Moose on the loose at Warsaw’s main station brings trains to a standstill” – Notes from Poland, 14 September 2026 Co-hosts: Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer Senior producer: Katy Lee Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Intern: Inês Ruivo The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. Substack | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | YouTube | Bluesky | [email protected]

This week, we’re attempting to solve some tricky problems. How can the EU tackle the ballooning housing crisis? Can we revive a cinema industry on death’s door? And how on earth can we get bureaucrats to communicate like human people in order to really, truly get something done? We’re unpacking plans for a new Affordable Housing Act and Macron’s attempt to save le cinéma, and we’re also getting an exclusive from the EU’s Directorate General of Memes, Satire, and Sober Fun, a.k.a. Fabio Mauri, the meme-maker who loves nothing more than to poke fun at Europe’s policymakers on Twitter and Instagram. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, et cetera. GET IN ON THE ACTION. Don’t just listen – get in on the fun! Did you know that just a small monthly donation to The Europeans helps us keep the good time rolling? AND… Did you know that that small monthly donation comes with cool perks? So much fun! Check us out at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast and see what’s cookin’. You can also make a donation via our website. This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are the participatory art performance Make Noise taking place in Amsterdam this weekend (with thanks to the Belarusian poet Hanna Komar for calling it to our attention) and the European Citizens’ Initiative Right to Housing! Now and Forever. Resources for this episode: “Macron rallies to save the movies, imperiled by free platforms and generative AI” – Le Monde, 9 September 2026“French Box Office Surges Nearly 20% in First Half of 2026 as Local Films and Hollywood Hits Drive Recovery” – Variety, 10 July 2026“Malgré une année en demi-teinte avec près de 157 millions d’entrées dans ses salles de cinéma, la France demeure largement le premier marché européen” – Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée, 30 December 2025“The European Affordable Housing Plan” – The European Commission“Affordable Housing Act: European hosts need legal certainty too” – Airbnb, 9 September 2026Katz Laszlo’s reporting on Europe’s housing policies from our mini-series “Who Does It Best?”“Swimming pigs draw tourists to Greek island” – France 24, 11 September 2026Adorable swimming piglets via @trident_boats Co-hosts: Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer Producers: Katy Lee and Morgan Childs Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Intern: Inês Ruivo The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. Substack | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Bluesky | YouTube | [email protected]

Last week, tech giant Meta reached a settlement in a lawsuit with nearly every state in the US over claims that it had knowingly harmed children with its addictive apps. It was a major turn of events in the growing movement to protect kids online – but what does it mean for those of us on this side of the Atlantic? This week, we’re bringing you a fascinating chat with Leanda Barrington-Leach, the executive director at 5Rights, an international NGO that seeks to protect children’s rights and wellbeing on the internet. We’re also unpicking the CIA chief’s visit to Moscow and the surprisingly effective tariff placed on small parcels from China. This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are the proposed euro banknote designs and the Polish HBO series Proud. You can hear more of our conversation with Leanda over on Patreon. Resources for this episode: “China tightens grip on Europe’s car supply chain” – Financial Times, 11 August 2026“Chinese imports plunge 30% to 40% after EU tax on small parcels” – Euronews, 27 August 2026“CIA chief used Moscow visit to warn Russia against attacks on NATO allies, helping Iran” – Politico, 26 August 2026 GIVE A LITTLE, GET A LITTLE (OR A LOT). Did you know that just a small monthly donation to The Europeans makes a big difference to our team? Better yet: did you know that that small monthly donation comes with lots of nice perks? Visit us over at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast and see what your pocket money can do for us – and for you. You can also make a donation via our website. STILL WANT MORE? Subscribe to our newsletter, Good Week Bad Week, and get more European news, culture, and general goofiness in your inbox each Friday. It’s free! Co-hosts: Dominic Kraemer and Wojciech Oleksiak Senior producer: Wojciech Oleksiak Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Audio editing: Monika Proba Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | [email protected]

This weekend, Icelanders go to the polls to determine whether the nation should pick up its EU accession talks where they left off in 2013. Ahead of the big referendum, we caught up with Icelandic journalist Elias Thorsson and Finnish analyst Minna Ålander, to better understand what the vote means for Iceland and what it could mean for the Nordic countries and the greater European Union. Maybe you’re somebody who can prattle on about how the devaluation of the Icelandic króna benefits the country’s international exports…and maybe you’re someone who can’t exactly remember which Nordic countries are in the EU. No matter which type of person you are, we promise, this episode is for you. Resources for this episode: “Fear Of A European Iceland: A Nation At A Flashpoint Prepares For Referendum” – Elias Thorsson, The Reykjavik Grapevine, 8 May 2026Minna Ålander’s Substack, Northern Flank Notes“(Northern) European Integration” – Minna Ålander, Northern Flank Notes, 7 July 2026“The Vote That Could Reshape Iceland | Prime Minister of Iceland, Kristrún Frostadóttir” – The Rest Is Politics, 27 July 2026 DID YOU EVER KNOW THAT YOU’RE MY HERO? Patreon supporters, you are the wind beneath our wings. Everyone else, please consider joining them over at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast. You can also make a donation via our website. CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF US? Understandable. Subscribe to our newsletter, Good Week Bad Week, and scratch that Europeans itch once more each week. It’s free! Co-hosts: Dominic Kraemer and Wojciech Oleksiak Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | [email protected]

Sally Hayden made a name for herself by documenting some of the worst human rights abuses of the 21st century. Now she’s written a new book… of love stories. This week we had the honour of sitting down with the decorated Irish journalist to discuss her latest release, This Is Also a Love Story, the (im)balance of good news and bad, and the oft-forgotten truth that, as Sally puts it, “humans exist at the center of geopolitics”. We’ve devoted the whole of this week’s episode to this challenging conversation, and we hope you’ll find it as thought-provoking as we did. You can learn more about Sally on her website (we highly recommend reading her 2023 speech to the European Parliament). Don’t miss her first book, My Fourth Time, We Drowned, and her new release, This Is Also a Love Story. This podcast would not be possible without our extraordinary Patreon family. If conversations like these inspire you, please consider joining them over at ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast. You can also, as always, make a donation via our website. Many, many thanks. Co-hosts: Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer Producers: Morgan Childs, Dominic Kraemer, and Wojciech Oleksiak Audio editing: Morgan Childs Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne, Mariska Martina and Blue Dot Sessions The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | [email protected]

It’s not even August yet, and it’s been a long, hot summer. As temperatures climb and France and Spain fight to keep wildfires contained, we’re devoting the whole of this week’s episode to one of 2026’s most contentious debates: should Europe be using more air conditioning? With help from three experts, we’re picking apart the pros and cons of artificial cooling technology – and grappling with a handful of guilty feelings along the way. You can learn more about the wondrous upsides and significant costs of air conditioning from our guests: Eva Horn, a professor of cultural history at the University of Vienna; Diána Ürge-Vorsatz, a professor at Central European University and Vice Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; and Blanca Paniello Castillo, researcher at the Barcelona Institute for Global Health. Other resources for this episode: Eva Horn’s essay in Avery Review, “Air Conditioning: Taming the Climate as a Dream of Civilization” Eva’s book Klima: Eine Wahrnehmungsgeschichte “Europeans should learn to love the air-conditioner” – Stanley Pignal, The Economist, 18 June 2026 “Energy demand and decarbonization in 2025 and beyond” – Diana Ürge-Vorsatz and Felix Creutzig, Nature, 20 January 2026 “Air Conditioning Has Reduced Mortality Due to High Temperatures in Spain by One Third” (PDF) – The Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal), 2023 Redditer paints his Parisian roof white Want more of that sunny, summery vibe in your weekly news diet? Don’t forget to subscribe to our newsletter, Good Week Bad Week! BE A PART OF THE EUROPEANS’ FUTURE: In case you missed it, we’ve made some changes to our Patreon memberships and are giving members new perks for supporting our work. Visit ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ to take a look at what’s on offer. You can also, as always, make a donation via our website. Massive thanks to everyone who’s joined us already – you really do make this show possible ❤️ Unsung: Cleaners is a documentary podcast bringing together the voices of cleaners across Europe, telling their stories in their own words. From invisible labour and night shifts to dignity and organising for change, the five-part series explores the human stories behind one of the world’s most essential – and most overlooked – jobs: cleaning. In the first episode, Hayat Elhore, a cleaner at the European Parliament in Brussels, shares what it’s like to clean a building that symbolises democracy – while often being treated as invisible. She pulls back the curtain on a typical day in the life of a cleaner. Co-hosts: Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer Senior producer: Katy Lee Producers: Morgan Childs, Dominic Kraemer Audio editing: Morgan Childs Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak and Monika Proba Music: Jim Barne, Mariska Martina and Blue Dot Sessions The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | [email protected]

Last month, we asked you for your favourite sunny, summery songs from across the European continent – and boy, did you deliver! This week we’re taking a break from the news to talk about some of the incredible music you introduced us to, by artists from Sweden to Serbia. GET IN ON THE FUN: We’re mixing things up over on Patreon and giving members new perks for supporting our work. Visit ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ to take a look at all the benefits. You can also, as always, make a donation via our website. A huge thank you to our supporters for making independent European journalism possible – we hope you’re as excited about what’s next as we are. Unsung: Cleaners is a documentary podcast bringing together the voices of cleaners across Europe, telling their stories in their own words. From invisible labour and night shifts to dignity and organising for change, the five-part series explores the human stories behind one of the world’s most essential – and most overlooked – jobs: cleaning. In the first episode, Hayat Elhore, a cleaner at the European Parliament in Brussels, shares what it’s like to clean a building that symbolises democracy – while often being treated as invisible. She pulls back the curtain on a typical day in the life of a cleaner. A huge thank you to the artists who made this week’s episode possible (and who’ve put a skip in our step over the past few weeks). Songs mentioned in this episode: “Caramello” by Rocco Hunt, Elettra Lamborghini, Lola Indigo Copyright 2022 Epic, Sony Music Entertainment Italy S.p.A. Qobuz | Spotify | YouTube “Volio BiH” by Dubioza Kolektiv Copyright 2012 EMDC Qobuz | Spotify | YouTube “Bean Udaí Thall” by Huartan Copyright 2024 Sliocht na Sí Records Qobuz | Spotify | YouTube “Jag kommer” by Veronica Maggio Copyright 2011 Universal Music AB Qobuz | Spotify | YouTube “Amorgos” by Leonidas Balafas Copyright 2021 Leonidas Balafas Spotify | YouTube “Liūdna!” by Free Finga Copyright 2026 Free Finga and MB Žiauru Spotify | YouTube “Dansjes Verplicht” by Woezels Copyright 2019 Woezels Spotify | YouTube “Blond” by Jalda Copyright 2026 Universal Music AB Qobuz | Spotify | YouTube “Lan Y Môr” by Adwaith Copyright 2020 Libertino Records Qobuz | Spotify | YouTube “Je pense à vous” by Pierre de Maere Copyright 2026 Wagram Music/Cinq7, Wagram Publishing Qobuz | Spotify | YouTube “Odi Dođi” by DJ Kovi & MC Mikri Maus Copyright 2017 Prti Bee Gee Qobuz | Spotify | YouTube “Elukoor/Choir of Life” by Mari Kalkun Copyright 2020 Aigu Om Records Qobuz | Spotify | YouTube “Onomkeerbaar” by Eefje de Visser Copyright 2025 Sony Music Entertainment Netherlands B.V. Qobuz | Spotify | YouTube “Nemám zájem” by Něco Něco Copyright 2025 Divnosti Qobuz | Spotify | YouTube “Am Herz Vorbei” by Tristan Brusch Copyright 2023 Four Music/Tautorat Tonträger Qobuz | Spotify | YouTube HEAR EVEN MORE SUMMERY EUROPEAN MUSIC: We’ve created playlists with all of our picks and yours. Listen in via your streaming service of choice below. The Europeans’ Summer Playlist Shortlist Qobuz | Spotify | Apple | Tidal Listener Picks: The Europeans’ Summer Playlist Qobuz | a...

It was a Bad Week for Donald Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, and you’re either the sort of person who is now rubbing their hands together cartoon-villain style, or… you’re probably not listening to this podcast. Construction is well underway for Kushner’s $4 billion Albanian holiday resort, but – in true Trumpian you-can’t-make-this-#$@!%-up fashion – it turns out the deeds for the land might be fake. There are *so many* zany details of this story, and we’re unpacking them all whilst having a little giggle at Kushner’s expense. Also in this episode: Have you ever wondered why you tend to drift to the left as you walk? Us neither, but it turns out: that westward wander is actually a natural human trait. We chat with researchers Iñaki Echeverría-Huarte and Claudio Feliciani about their offbeat discovery, which caught our attention when it appeared in the New York Times last month. PATREON SHAKE-UP: Visit ⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠ to take a look at the exciting changes to what we’re offering our supporters, from a new private podcast feed to one-on-one meetings with Katy and Dominic. We also welcome donations via our website, which come with all the same benefits except for access to our community chat. A huge thank you to our supporters for making our independent journalism possible – and we’re thrilled that you’re becoming an even bigger part of what we do. This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are the little-known sporting event Le Tour de France and the novel ‘Glorious Exploits’ by Ferdia Lennon. Our friends at the European Cultural Foundation have generously given us five copies of their beautiful magazine, Common Ground, for our listeners. Email us at [email protected] with MAGAZINE GIVEAWAY in the subject line to be in with a chance of getting your hands on one. And if you don’t need to spruce up your coffee table, you can also read it online here. Unsung: Cleaners is a documentary podcast bringing together the voices of cleaners across Europe, telling their stories in their own words. From invisible labour and night shifts to dignity and organising for change, the five-part series explores the human stories behind one of the world’s most essential – and most overlooked – jobs: cleaning. In the first episode, Hayat Elhore, a cleaner at the European Parliament in Brussels, shares what it’s like to clean a building that symbolises democracy – while often being treated as invisible. She pulls back the curtain on a typical day in the life of a cleaner. Resources for this episode: “Businessman who sold land for Kushner resort in Albania suspected of faking the deeds” – Reuters, 11 July 2026 “Slap on the SPF and join the Flamingo Revolution” – Good Week Bad Week, 5 June 2026 18,300 young people leave Albania in one year, the highest decline in Europe” – Euronews Albania, 4 February 2026 An Autocrat’s Guide to Destroying Local Media, our 2023 mini-series on press freedom in Central and Eastern Europe “Individual locomotor bias drives counterclockwise motion in pedestrian crowds” – Nature, 10 June 2026 “Nearly Everyone, Everywhere, Veers Left When Walking” – New York Times, 10 June 2026 Our delightful interview with European rail expert Jon Worth “The first EU pilot project for new cross-border services: from Praha to København with direct trains” – Railvolution, 26 June 2026 This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news. Co-hosts: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Audio editing: Monika Proba, Wojciech Oleksiak, and Morgan Childs Senior producer: Katy Lee Producers: Morgan Childs, Dominic Kraemer, Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | [email protected]

This week, we’re asking some tough questions. Is the EU friends with the Taliban now? Is your 100% cotton shirt actually made of cotton? And, our favourite, “Why Did the Frankenchicken Cross the Road?” We’re taking on a few challenging topics this week, but the Funny Lady from Luxembourg is back in the co-hosting chair, so you know to expect a fair share of laughs, too. (Listen to the end to hear her impression of a Luxembourgish whale.) Our guest this week is none other than longtime Europeans producer Wojciech Oleksiak, whose yearslong investigative report “Why Did the Frankenchicken Cross the Road?” captured our attention and tugged on our heartstrings when it was published in April. Wojciech tells us about the massive megafarms that produce 14 million birds for slaughter each year(!) and the price that the rural community of Koden, Poland, has to pay to satisfy European appetites. This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are DJ Baguette, the phallic arum plant at the botanical garden at the University of Ghent, and Follow the Money’s podcast episode “Europe’s second-hand clothing crisis”. Resources for this episode: “EU faces fierce criticism over plans to host Taliban in Brussels” – The Guardian, 23 June 2026 “OLAF helps prevent illegal dumping of thousands of tonnes of textile waste” – European Anti-Fraud Office, 25 June 2026 “Like Humans, Mediterranean Sperm Whales Have Their Own Dialects” – Yale Environment 360, 24 June 2026 This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news. But it’s contributions from listeners that truly make it all possible — we could not continue to make the show without you! If you like what we do, you can chip in to help us cover our production costs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (in many different currencies), or you can gift a donation to a superfan. You can also donate via our website if you prefer. And finally: we'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number. Co-hosts: Dominic Kraemer and Nina Lamparski Audio editing: Morgan Childs and Monika Proba Producers: Morgan Childs, Katy Lee, Dominic Kraemer, Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | [email protected]

We’ve talked a lot about pro-Kremlin internet trolls, who have worked to destabilise the democratic functioning of countries all across Europe. Turns out, there are even more of them than you might imagine – and they’re operating from places you might not expect. This week we chat with award-winning investigative reporter Philip Obaji Jr. about how Russia has been using African nations as launchpads to help sow chaos across Europe. Philip is an incredibly brave journalist working under exceedingly challenging conditions, and his insights on this growing problem are chilling. Also on the podcast this week: a heartening turnout at Kyiv Pride, and news about nuclear proliferation that we have definite mixed feelings about. You can follow Philip's work on Instagram, Bluesky, LinkedIn and X, and contribute to his fundraiser here. This week’s Inspiration Station picks are these cheeky counter-Trump European football jerseys and the pan-European queer choir festival Various Voices, which we learned about thanks to listener Davide. WHAT’S YOUR FAVOURITE BOUNCY SUMMER BOP? Contribute to our Summer Playlist! We’re looking for sunny, summery songs from across the continent, especially from lesser-known artists that sing in less widely spoken languages. Send your picks to [email protected] or @europeanspodcast on Instagram/Mastodon. Resources for this episode: “Thousands gather for Kyiv's largest Pride march since start of full-scale war” – Kyiv Independent, 21 June 2026 “‘We are modern people’: Zelensky calls for open talk on LGBTQ+ rights in Ukraine” – Pink News, 12 June 2026 “Discrimination in the European Union” (PDF) – Eurobarometer, 2023 Rainbow Map 2026 – ILGA-Europe’s national ranking of LGBTI human rights laws and policies “Trans people in Ukraine: transition process, legislations, healthcare, and social attitudes” – Seymour Nezoriy, 11 November 2024 “What is Russia up to in Africa?”, our conversation with Beverly Ochieng last year “Forests Now Cover Over a Third of Italy, Overtaking Farmland for the First Time Since the Middle Ages” – The Italian Times, 10 June 2026 This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news. But it’s contributions from listeners that truly make it all possible—we could not continue to make the show without you! If you like what we do, you can chip in to help us cover our production costs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (in many different currencies), or you can gift a donation to a superfan. You can also donate via our website if you prefer. And finally: we'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number. Co-hosts: Dominic Kraemer and Katy Lee Audio editing: Morgan Childs and Monika Proba Senior producer: Katy Lee Producers: Morgan Childs, Dominic Kraemer, Katy Lee, Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina With special thanks this week to longtime Europeans producer Katz Laszlo The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | [email protected]