The Europeans | European news, politics and culture

Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer
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Apr 2, 2026 • 46min

Can a group of strangers solve Europe’s biggest problems?

If you got a knock on your door from someone inviting you to Brussels to hash out some EU policies…you’d think it was a scam, right? Us, too. At least, that was the case until last week, when our producer Wojciech went to report on a European Citizens’ Panel, an event designed to allow 150 randomly selected Europeans to weigh in on some of the EU’s thorniest problems. This week we’re taking a deep dive into the ins and outs of what seems like the nerdiest game show ever. How do these panels work? What do they actually achieve? And crucially, are they worth the cost? Resources for this episode:European Citizens’ PanelsEU Citizens’ Engagement PlatformMaybe you’re tuning in this week and thinking, “Wait, where’s Good Week, Bad Week?” To that we say: Have you heard about our newsletter? GOOD WEEK BAD WEEK is available for free on Substack and offers everything you love about the podcast, plus a few extra memes and internetty things. Try it; we think you’ll like it.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.Reported, written, and produced by Wojciech OleksiakEditorial support by Katy Lee and Dominic KraemerAudio editing by Morgan ChildsMixing and mastering by Wojciech OleksiakMusic by Jim Barne, Mariska Martina and Blue Dot SessionsThe Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg.YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | hello@europeanspodcast.com
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Mar 26, 2026 • 47min

The end of Orbán?

It has been 16 years since Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party assumed power in Hungary – and it might have begun to feel like things could never change. But with a parliamentary election just around the corner, there’s now a glimmer – a hint! a twinkle! – of hope that the EU's most illiberal government could finally be on its way out. This week, we’re devoting the entire episode to the April 12 elections: what’s certain, what remains to be seen, and most importantly, what’s at stake. And to make sense of it all, we’re joined by two Budapest-based friends of the podcast: the novelist Krisztián Marton, and Viktória Serdült, reporter at HVG, one of the last surviving bastions of independent journalism in Hungary. “At last, a figure has emerged who could wrench power from Viktor Orbán in Hungary” – Viktória Serdült for The Guardian, 18 December 2024Paul the Octopus on WikipediaKrisztián Marton on InstagramViktória Serdült on X This week’s Hungary-themed Inspiration Station recommendations are the song “Tizenhat” by Elefánt, the documentary The Trap, and the FT series The Orbán System. MISS OUR NORMAL PROGRAMMING? This week’s edition of our newsletter, Good Week Bad Week, has you covered. Subscribe over here to learn what’s been going on beyond Hungary’s borders (the good, the bad, the silly). 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. Produced by Morgan Childs, Wojciech Oleksiak and Katz Laszlo Mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne and Mariska Martina The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg. YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | hello@europeanspodcast.com
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Mar 12, 2026 • 1h 7min

Europe's anti-Elon

Back when Elon Musk was challenging Mark Zuckerberg to a cage fight, Eugen Rochko was building an open-source, non-problematic Twitter alternative, completely without fanfare. Last year, the Mastodon founder announced his departure from the head of the social media platform in a candid blog post, citing a growing discomfort with the role and an interest in preserving the site’s decentralised values. But Mastodon lives on, and – full disclosure – we’re all for it. This week, we spoke to Eugen about his dreams for the “fediverse” and about whether his vision for ethical, supervillain-free online communities has a promising future. In fact, we enjoyed the conversation so much that we’re releasing a longer version for supporters of the podcast.   Also in this episode: a compromise in Europe’s War on Veggie Burgers and the end of the decade-long Iceland-the-country-versus-Iceland-the-grocery-store dispute.   Resources for this episode:   “‘Veggie burgers’ are here to stay. Lab-grown ‘steaks’ never will be.” – Politico, 5 March 2026 “European consumer insights on the alternative protein sector” – The Good Food Institute Europe, 25 November 2025 Eugen on Mastodon “My next chapter with Mastodon” – Mastodon blog, 18 November 2025 “The Statues Were Mostly Men or Nude Women. So These Knitters Got to Work.” – The New York Times, 5 March 2026   This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are the Apple TV show Drops of God and the Swiss Android app Nearby Glasses.   You’ve probably heard by now that we have a newsletter. And you’ve probably already subscribed. Why wouldn’t you have? You’re smart, you’re cool, you’re with the programme; you love us, you want more of us. So leaving this link here for you to sign up is purely a formality.   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. Produced by Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne and Mariska Martina   The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg.   YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | hello@europeanspodcast.com
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Mar 5, 2026 • 1h 1min

How to keep going when the world feels broken

Nori Spauwen, a Dutch writer, political philosopher and former diplomat who campaigns for healthy activism, discusses staying engaged without burning out. She talks about setting news boundaries, small acts that rebuild agency, and practical ways to retrain your nervous system. Short, empowering ideas about sustainable action and finding the role that fits you.
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Feb 26, 2026 • 40min

How feminist economics could change Europe

Emma Holten, author and feminist activist focused on digital sexual violence and care economics, explores what it would mean to value care, rest and community in Europe. She discusses why care work is treated as non-value, how feminist economics could reshape policy and working time, and examples of political ideas that aim to translate wealth into wellbeing.
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Feb 19, 2026 • 1h

When will Europe get the trains it deserves?

Jon Worth, a European rail policy commentator who launched the European Rail Passengers' Union, argues for smoother cross-border train travel. He discusses night-train shortages, ticketing chaos on international journeys, stranded passengers and liability gaps. He also maps practical fixes like better timetables, rolling stock and targeted high-speed links.
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Feb 12, 2026 • 59min

What do the Epstein files reveal about Europe’s elite?

Salsabil Fayed, investigative journalist at Follow the Money who probes think-tank funding, breaks down how US tech and corporate money shapes European policy ideas. Short, sharp takes on the Epstein files’ reach into Europe’s elite. Clear calls for transparency around think tanks and why this matters now for EU regulation and democracy.
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Feb 5, 2026 • 30min

The Europeans: Ask Us Anything

A Paris Q&A where the team answers burning listener questions with humour and candour. They talk routines for staying sane in a noisy news cycle and how the show’s format and segments evolved. There are playful tangents about merch, alternate careers, dream places to live, and favourite birds. Behind-the-scenes stories reveal how the team met and how they plan to grow the show.
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Jan 29, 2026 • 57min

A European social network for the WTF era

Katja Diehl, German mobility activist, author and podcaster who campaigns for less car-centric transport, joins to imagine life beyond cars. She discusses rural and suburban realities, why streets need people-first redesigns, gendered blind spots in planning, and how industry skills could shift toward shared, low-emission mobility. Short, practical, and vividly hopeful.
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Jan 22, 2026 • 57min

The UK and the EU: best buds again?

You’d be forgiven for forgetting that Europe is bigger than Davos this week, but we’ve got three great stories to remind you. First up: it’s been a good week for Berliners making Kartoffelsalat, Kartoffelsuppe, Kartoffelknödel, et cetera et cetera, thanks to an initiative that is distributing more than 170 tonnes – TONNES – of potatoes across the German capital. Then we examine a newly leaked “Made in Europe“ proposal that seeks to promote industrial production in the EU (very very fun, we promise).    We’re also joined by Nick Thomas-Symonds, the UK government minister pursuing a post-Brexit “reset“ in relations with the EU, about how the Labour government might help clean up some of the post-Brexit mess. This one goes out to those of you who like to email to remind us that Britain is still Europe. We see you. We read you.   This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are the Norwegian film Sentimental Value and these 'tasting notes' from a water sommelier.     LISTENER SURVEY: Fear not – we are still seeking responses to our listener survey! It’s not too late to help! It’s simple and really does help us make the show better. Fill it out here and pat yourself on the back afterwards.   Resources for this episode:   4,000 Tonnen, the “great potato rescue operation”  “Record potato harvest is no boon in fries-mad Belgium” – France 24, 29 October 2025 “Den regionalen Erzeugern wird vors Schienbein getreten” – Taz, 15 January 2026 “EU Aims to Fight Industrial Decline With ‘Made in Europe’ Law” – Bloomberg, 17 January 2026 Aurora Notifier app Joachim Trier’s acceptance speech at the European Film Awards Veronika the cow, scratching herself   SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER: Other things happened/are happening in Europe this week (🫠) and if you’d like to learn more about them, join us over at our newsletter, GOOD WEEK BAD WEEK.    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. We'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number. Produced by Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne and Mariska Martina YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Substack | hello@europeanspodcast.com  

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