The Europeans | European news, politics and culture

• Toxic chemicals, abortion rights, and a Nazi-era train law

  Depending on where you are in Europe, your right to a safe abortion — and reproductive care in general — can vary dramatically. This week, we speak to pioneering abortion activist Rebecca Gomperts about why she's hopeful that we can fight back against these inequalities as well as crackdowns on abortion access in other parts of the world. We're also talking about a rebel campaign in Germany to defeat a draconian Nazi-era law, and some disturbing research into the weedkillers used by many of the farmers who grow our foods.   Note: We updated this episode's audio on June 20, 2025. The original version incorrectly stated that glyphosate is sprayed directly on many European crops, which is not the case.   You can find out more about Women on Waves here and Women on Web here. Read about the mifepristone study 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: Secrets We Keep (Reservatet) and The Outlaw Ocean Podcast. Bonus entries: Vessel, a 2014 documentary about Women on Waves; A Sense of Quietness, Eleanor McDowall's audio documentary about abortion in Ireland; and Tending Grief by Camille Sapara Barton. Other resources for this episode:   'Carcinogenic effects of long-term exposure from prenatal life to glyphosate and glyphosate-based herbicides in Sprague–Dawley rats' - Environmental Health, June 10, 2025   'Revealed: Monsanto’s secret funding for weedkiller studies' - The Guardian, March 12, 2020   'Europe likely to miss most green targets for 2030' - Politico Europe, February 20, 2025   'EWG’s 2025 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce' (USA) - Environmental Working Group, June 11, 2025   'Here’s why some people still evade public transport fares – even when they’re 50 cents' - The Conversation, February 13, 2025   00:00:46  Is it a Smörgåsbord? Is it a charcuterie board? No, it's The Europeans 00:04:56  Bad Week: Glyphosate 00:21:41  Good Week: Germany's freed fare-dodgers 00:35:22  Interview: Rebecca Gomperts on the state of reproductive rights in Europe 01:01:46  The Inspiration Station: Secrets We Keep and The Outlaw Ocean Podcast 01:07:10  Happy Ending: Beavers are back in Portugal   Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | [email protected]

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• Could Europe switch off big tech's algorithms?

  The EU supposedly has some of the world's toughest laws regulating big tech. So why does it still feel like Europeans are being sucked into increasingly polarised online communities, and manipulated during our elections? Can we do anything about it? This week's guest, the Irish internet campaigner Johnny Ryan, argues that a pretty radical solution is within the EU's reach. We're also talking about the Dutch government's collapse, and why bear meat may soon be on the menu in Slovakia.    Johnny is the Director of Enforce. You can follow him on Bluesky here and read his article calling on the EU to switch off social media's algorithms here in The Guardian. A longer version of our interview with Johnny is available on our YouTube channel.   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: Last One Laughing UK, LOL: Qui rit, sort, and 'The Mars House' by Natasha Pulley. Bonus: our interview in February with Jean Chalaby about the international TV format trade. Other resources for this episode: 'Bears stray into political territory in Romania and Slovakia' - BalkanInsight, April 21, 2025 00:00:46  People, politics and peculiarities 00:02:45  Good Week: Dutch leftwing and centrist parties? 00:22:01  Bad Week: Bear meat on the menu in Slovakia 00:36:43  Interview: Johnny Ryan on why Europe's supposedly tough tech regulation isn't nearly tough enough 00:55:53  The Inspiration Station: Last One Laughing UK, Qui rit sort and 'The Mars House' by Natasha Pulley 01:00:52  Happy Ending: A condom masterpiece Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | [email protected]  

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• Is real change coming to Serbia?

  Serbia’s government has come under intense pressure since a deadly disaster at Novi Sad’s main railway station last November. Student-led protests have spiralled into a nation-wide resistance movement and for months, Serbians have been speaking out against corruption, a lack of accountability, and a culture of impunity in Aleksandar Vučić’s regime. But if you’re listening to this from Western Europe, or indeed much of the rest of the world, the odd headline is probably all you’ve seen.    What are these protests really about? And what makes them different? This week, an in-depth conversation about what it’s like to be living through a potential turning point in Serbian history.   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.   Co-hosts: Wojciech Oleksiak and Katy Lee Editorial support: Morgan Childs, Dominic Kraemer and Katz Laszlo Production, scoring and mixing: Wojciech Oleksiak  Music by Jim Barne, Mobygratis and Epidemic Sounds With thanks to Nikola Radić YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | [email protected]

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• Hungary's plight, kids' rights, and Spargelzeit

  Asparagus, lesbian family rights and Viktor Orbán’s latest power plays: like all good meals, this podcast episode is perfectly balanced. German food writer Ursula Heinzelmann joins us to explain the ‘Spargelzeit’ phenomenon that sees foodies going nutty for asparagus at this time of year. We’re also taking a look at LGBTQ rights in Italy and unpacking the Hungarian government’s plans to ‘starve and strangle’ civil society. Can Orbán be stopped?   You can find out more about Ursula’s work on her website and follow her on Instagram here.   Thanks for listening. If you have any spare cash this week, please consider donating to Hungarian civil society groups and independent media outlets before the planned passing of the ‘starve and strangle’ law in mid-June. UNITED for Intercultural Action, the NGO run by our former guest Philip Pollák, would be extremely grateful for your donations; you can also donate to any of the organisations on this list of Hungarian NGOs (get in touch if you have ideas of organisations to add to this list).   Still got some spare cash? 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: Rita Payés’ Tiny Desk Concert and CMAT.   Other resources for this episode:   The Convention on the Rights of the Child - United Nations, November 20, 1989   Sentenza 68/2025 (Italy’s constitutional court ruling on lesbian couples and IVF) - Corte Constituzionale - May 22, 2025   ‘A Threat to the Core: Why the New Hungarian Transparency Bill is an Attack on the Foundations of the European Union’ - Verfassungsblog, May 21, 2025   00:46 The Europeans: Pouring asparagus straight into your ears 02:49 Good Week: Lesbian mothers in Italy 12:47 Bad Week: Hungary's 'starve and strangle' law 37:10 Interview: Ursula Heinzelmann on the magic of Spargelzeit 49:58 The Inspiration Station: Rita Payés and CMAT 54:10 Happy Ending: Portugal's clever teen media strategy Producer: Morgan Childs Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | [email protected]

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• What the hell just happened in Romania (and at Eurovision)?

  Romania, Poland, Portugal... and of course, most importantly of all (?), Eurovision. It's been a huge week of voting across Europe! This week we're mostly diving into Romania's election drama with Codruţa Simina, a journalist with an extremely helpful specialism in online misinformation and disinformation. We're also tackling the controversy over Israel's continued participation in Eurovision, as well as the Pfizergate scandal: will we ever get to read the text messages Ursula von der Leyen sent to one of the world's most powerful pharmaceutical bosses?    Codruţa's excellent newsletter, Misreport, can be found 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 EU's personal carbon footprint calculator and 'Apeirogon' by Column McCann. You can find McCann's conversation with Bassam Aramin and Rami Elhanan, recorded in November 2023, here.   Other resources for this episode:    'Politics by WhatsApp? Even "Pfizergate" won’t end that' - Politico Europe, May 14, 2025   'The maths behind the public votes at Eurovision 2025' - RTE, May 18, 2025   'Wasted love?: broadcasting and fandom at a crossroads after Eurovision 2025' - Catherine Baker, May 18, 2025   'Why doesn't the EBU kick Israel out of Eurovision?' - Overthinking It, May 8, 2025   'Coal produces less than half of Poland’s power for first time' - Notes from Poland, May 13, 2025   00:00:46  An election bonanza hangover 00:06:58  Bad Week: Pfizergate 00:21:50  Good Week (?): Austrian Eurovision winner JJ 00:45:12  Interview: Codruţa Simina on Romania's election drama 01:02:51  The Inspiration Station: The EU's personal carbon footprint calculator, and 'Apeirogon' by Colum McCann 01:07:00  Happy Ending: Is Poland finally kicking its coal habit?   Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | [email protected]  

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