The Europeans | European news, politics and culture

The manosphere, the 'TikTok messiah', and 132 hamsters

Dec 5, 2024

This week’s guests are Andrei Popoviciu, an award-winning investigative journalist skilled in navigating Romanian politics, and Chris Ntonis, a Greek-Albanian student in Sweden with insights on gender perceptions across cultures. They dive deep into Romania’s political shift with the rise of the 'TikTok Messiah' and explore the generational divide on feminism among young Europeans. Expect laughter over an incident involving 132 runaway hamsters and a discussion on combating online misogyny in a digital age!

54:28

Creator website

Episode guests

Chris Ntonis

Andrei Popoviciu

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Episode notes

Podcast summary created with Snipd AI

Quick takeaways

The rise of far-right candidate Călin Georgescu in Romania highlights the significant influence of TikTok on political campaigns and voter behavior.

Young voices from Greece, Ireland, and Lithuania reveal a generational divide over feminism, exacerbated by social media's impact on public perception.

The need for open dialogues about controversial topics like gender equality is essential for fostering understanding and shifting societal views.

Deep dives

Political Stability in Europe

The podcast highlights the current political stability in certain European countries, specifically mentioning the UK and Ireland. In Ireland, the incumbent ruling parties seem to consistently receive the same voter support, indicating a reassuringly stable political climate. This contrasts sharply with the broader European political landscape, which is characterized by uncertainty and upheaval. The speaker suggests that such stability is comforting amid widespread governmental turmoil on the continent.

Intro

2min

Romania's Political Shift: Rising Far-Right and Democracy in Question

16min

Navigating European Politics and Gender Equality

6min

Shifting Perspectives on Gender Equality

11min

Challenging Misogyny in the Digital Age

17min

Exploring Finnish Cuisine with a Salmon Soup Recipe

2min

Hamster Hijinks and Social Media Shenanigans

3min

We've got a heady mix of Romanian politics, online misogyny and animal-based chaos for you this week. Friend of the show Andrei Popoviciu joins us to explain why his dad and many other voters backed the TikTok-fuelled campaign of far-right Romanian presidential candidate Călin Georgescu. And we ring up three young people from Greece, Ireland and Lithuania to ask: what's it like being part of a generation that's increasingly divided over whether feminism is a good thing? Plus, hamsters. Lots of hamsters. This week's interview with Siloé Musoke, Goda Skiotytė and Chris Ntonis was produced in collaboration with the European Institute for Gender Equality. You can find out all about the Gender Equality Forum 2024, and sign up to attend online, here. You can follow Andrei on Twitter here and Bluesky here. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, 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 show at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available), and even gift a donation to a super fan of The Europeans here!

We're also crowdfunding our new series for 2025, 'Who Does It Best?', which will delve into the most imaginative policies around Europe. We're three-quarters of the way there! You can find out all about our plans for the series, and help us start making it, at https://4fund.com/z/europeanspodcast.

This week's Inspiration Station offerings: 'Nature Manifesto' by Björk and Aleph; lohikeitto. Other resources for this episode Anna Sale - 'Let's Talk About Hard Things 'Capturados hamsters que pararam avião da TAP' - Correio da Manhã, November 18, 2024 (video at the bottom) Producers: Morgan Childs and Katz Laszlo Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
00:23 Which country's got quiet, boring politics right now?
02:42 Good Week, Romania, Bad Week, Romania
20:52 Interview: Siloé Musoke, Goda Skiotytė and Chris Ntonis on the rising divide over feminism in young Europeans
46:08 The Inspiration Station: 'Nature Manifesto' by Björk and Aleph at the Centre Pompidou; lohikeitto
50:53 Happy Ending: Hamsters on a plane Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Bluesky | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Twitter | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@europeanspodcast.com

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