
The Europeans | European news, politics and culture
The Europeans is a fresh and entertaining weekly podcast about European politics and culture, recorded each week between Paris and Amsterdam with fascinating guests joining from across Europe. This multiple award-winning podcast fills you in on the major European politics stories and other European news of the week, as well as fun and quirky nuggets that have been missed by most media outlets.
Hosted by Katy Lee, a journalist based in Paris, and Dominic Kraemer, an opera singer in Amsterdam, The Europeans covers everything from elections and climate policy to the best new European films and TV shows. We also produce investigative podcasts about everything from the European farming lobby to oat milk. Yes, oat milk.
Katy and Dominic are old friends, and the warmth and intimacy of their conversations will soon make you feel like you’ve known them a long time too. They approach topics with a light and humorous tone that makes The Europeans stand out from other European news podcasts, while remaining journalistically rigorous and meticulously fact-checked. The Europeans has been recommended by The New York Times, The Guardian, Buzzfeed, The Financial Times, and many other outlets.
Katy Lee, a British-French reporter, has written for major outlets including The Guardian, Politico Europe, Agence France-Presse (AFP), Foreign Policy and The New Statesman for more than a decade, covering French and European politics and more recently, climate change. Dominic Kraemer, a British-German opera singer, performs across Europe when he is not co-hosting The Europeans, with roles recently at the Staatsoper in Berlin, the Dutch National Opera and the Münchener Biennale. The Europeans’ team is completed by producers Katz Laszlo in Amsterdam and Wojciech Oleksiak in Warsaw. You’ll hear them joining Katy and Dominic from time to time, particularly during investigative episodes like ‘The Oatly Chronicles’ and ‘The Big-Agri Bully Boys’.
The Europeans’ breezy, informal approach to covering European news has won awards such as a Covering Climate Now award for an episode about the Swiss women who sued their government at the European Court of Human Rights demanding more climate action; Germany’s prestigious CIVIS Media Prize for ‘Mohamed’, an episode that explores the everyday life of a young undocumented man in Amsterdam; and best LGBTQIA+ short at the MiraBan UK Film Awards for ‘Josh and Franco’, the coming-of-age story of a father and son, both gay.
Our guests have included everyone from major figures in European politics such as Alexander Stubb, now the President of Finland, and Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament, to star chefs Asma Khan and Christian Puglisi, celebrated illustrator Christoph Niemann, and environmentalist George Monbiot. Since launching in 2017, we’ve talked about everything from elections in France, Italy and many more countries besides, to the politics of halloumi cheese in Cyprus, to why Donald Trump is so hard for TV interpreters to translate.
We pride ourselves on covering European politics, European news and European culture from a pan-European perspective. You’ll often hear stories on The Europeans from parts of the continent that don’t usually receive enough attention from major international media outlets, especially Central, Eastern and Southern Europe.
You might enjoy The Europeans if you also enjoy one of these other podcasts: The News Agents, On the Media, Today in Focus, Inside Europe, The Journal, EU Confidential, The Daily, The Globalist, Reasons to be Cheerful, The Media Show, Power Play, and The New Statesman. Whether you’re already a European news nerd, or simply someone who’d like to be better informed about what’s happening across Europe, The Europeans is the podcast for you.
Support us on Patreon: https://patreon.com/europeanspodcast
Latest episodes

Apr 17, 2025 • 55min
Inside Europe: Exploring Grief
We're away this week, but you're in good company: our friends at Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany's international broadcaster, are here to fill in for us. On this special edition of DW's weekly podcast Inside Europe, the team takes a break from the news to explore grief as a lens for understanding global events. Author Sarah Jaffe joins host Kate Laycock to unpack how loss — from COVID to deindustrialisation — shapes politics, protest, and our shared humanity. A powerful journey through mourning, memory, and hope.
You can find Inside Europe at pod.link/insideeurope.
The Europeans will be back next week. If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting us. 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.
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Apr 10, 2025 • 57min
Tesla, Turkey, and unnecessary trash
We're taking the Schadenfreude approach to the chaos that Trump's tariffs have unleashed upon Europe (and the rest of the world). This week, our favourite Luxembourger Nina Lamparski joins Dominic to explain why sales of Elon Musk's Tesla cars have already plunged in Europe and could now fare even worse thanks to his best bud's trade policies. We're also joined by Turkish political scientist Ezgi Başaran to discuss why President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan is feeling liberated in a time that's been dubbed 'springtime for autocrats' — and whether the huge protests against him could change that. Plus, is Spain's clever new food waste law as good as it sounds?
This episode was recorded on Tuesday night, before the EU's announcement of retaliatory tariffs... and before the White House's announcement of a 90-day pause on higher tariffs for dozens of countries. At any rate, at the time of publication the world economy is still looking decidedly chaotic, so we hope you still find this an enjoyable and useful listen.
Thanks for listening. After some rather troubling financial news, this independent podcast needs your support more than ever. If you enjoy our work, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting us. 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: 'Criminal Record' and 'Rural Fictions', an essay in The Dial by Bartolomeo Sala. Nina's bonus recommendations: 'Inspector Ellis' and 'The Bay'.
00:33 Moien, a wëllkomm bei den Europäer
05:09 Bad Week: Tesla in Europe
19:28 Good Week: Spain's new food waste law
33:03 Interview: Ezgi Başaran on Turkey's protests
49:25 The Inspiration Station: Criminal record and Bartolemo Sala's essay on farming in European fiction
54:33 Happy Ending: Hooray for shingles vaccines
Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Apr 3, 2025 • 54min
Rockets, recipes and Le Pen(itentiary)
Marine Le Pen has been banned from running for the French presidency after this week's bombshell court ruling finding her guilty in a huge embezzlement case. But does she have any chance of a comeback? And could the far-right win the presidency without her? This week we're discussing the earthquake in French politics, as well as Europe's space ambitions. Plus, a delightful interview with Greek podcaster and hungry man Thom Ntinas, about what ancient Europeans ate.
Thom is the host of The Delicious Legacy podcast. Find it here, or wherever you're listening to this.
Thanks for listening. After some rather troubling financial news this week, this independent podcast needs your support more than ever. If you enjoy our work, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting us. 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: @forkranger on Instagram and 'How Stockholm Stuck' from Radiolab.
00:33 Damn clocks
03:43 Good Week: Marine Le Pen's enemies
20:36 Bad Week (?): The Spectrum rocket launch
33:59 Interview: Thom Ntinas on what the Ancients ate
46:27 The Inspiration Station: @forkranger and 'How Stockholm Stuck'
49:55 Happy Ending: The best place to lose your wallet
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Mar 27, 2025 • 1h 3min
How would Europe's €800 billion defence plan actually work?
In this discussion, Marina Henke, a Professor of International Relations at the Hertie School in Berlin and director of the Centre for International Security, shares her insights on Europe’s ambitious €800 billion defense plan. She breaks down the financing challenges and the varying enthusiasm among member states. The conversation also touches on the rising military preparedness in Poland and the critical role of independent journalism, alongside the implications of AI misinformation that can complicate public discourse on defense. It's a blend of serious analysis and humor!

Mar 20, 2025 • 54min
Should Canada join the EU?
Europe and Canada have a lot in common, from their headaches over Donald Trump to a shared belief in welfare states. If Australia can be a part of Eurovision, is there anything stopping us from welcoming our Canadian friends into the EU?! This week we talk to Stanley Pignal, The Economist's semi-Canadian Brussels bureau chief, about what would be in it for both sides. We're also looking at the escalating political crisis in Bosnia, and the places in Europe where you're likely to live the longest.
You can read Stanley's article about the case for Canadian EU membership here and find his Charlemagne column on European politics here. He posts on Bluesky 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 Agency' and writing a letter to a Russian political prisoner via OVD-Info (an initiative discovered via this essay in The Dial by Francesca Mastruzzo).
Other resources for this week's episode
'The Economics Show' podcast by the Financial Times: 'Can societies age gracefully?' - January 13, 2025 https://www.ft.com/content/8ce0571d-06f0-40de-8579-4446d1fb07f3
'The EU needs a proactive approach in Bosnia' - editorial in Politico Europe by Arminka Helić, March 17, 2025 https://www.politico.eu/article/eu-bosnia-western-balkans-europe-war-bih-crisis-serbia/
00:34 Spring Is Real
02:50 Good Week: Europeans are living longer
15:00 Bad Week: Bosnia and Herzegovina
28:54 Interview: Stanley Pignal on the case for Canadian EU membership
45:38 The Inspiration Station: The Agency and letters to Russian political prisoners
50:46 Happy Ending: Germany's economy could be wurst
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Mar 13, 2025 • 1h
Putin's African antics, the death of Skype, and a Eurovision c-bomb
Beverly Ochieng, a senior analyst focused on Francophone Africa, dives into Russia's stealthy maneuvers across the continent, unraveling the intricacies of the Wagner Group's involvement. She discusses Moscow's motivations and strategic goals amid the Ukraine conflict. The conversation also takes a humorous detour into the Eurovision controversy over a provocative song title, melding art and social commentary. Plus, they reflect on the nostalgic end of Skype, exploring European tech's struggle against American giants.

Mar 11, 2025 • 17min
Big news for The Europeans!
Producers Katz and Wojciech join Katy and Dominic to share a couple of nuggets of exciting news for The Europeans.
You can find out all about our new partners at Euranet Plus, a network of radio stations across Europe, here.
And you can read all about our crowdfunded mini-series 'Who Does It Best?' — and contribute, if you'd like! — here.
Maja and Uršula's show, Šala za starše, can be found here and you can find Jasmin's work here.
Thanks so much 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.
Producer: Katy Lee
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Feb 27, 2025 • 45min
Germany's elections: should we freak out or not?
Germany just staged one of Europe's most crucial elections this year. The results are simultaneously shocking and not-shocking: shocking because the far-right made huge gains; not shocking because they are likely to deliver a coalition between the country's two legacy mainstream parties. So, to what extent should we be freaking out right now? In this election special, we ring up Germanysplainer extraordinaire Tarik Abou-Chadi to unpack that question. Plus, we speak to the writer and activist Emilia Roig about what it feels like to be a long-term immigrant in Germany right now — and how to think about the fightback.
Tarik is a professor of European politics at the University of Oxford. You can follow him on Bluesky here.
You can find out more about Emilia's work here and follow her on Instagram here.
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting our work in 2025. 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.
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
03:50 Tarik Abou-Chadi untangles the German election results for us
27:34 Emilia Roig on how to think about the fight against the far-right
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Feb 20, 2025 • 1h 7min
Euro-defence, euro-booze and euro-TV
This week, the great transatlantic break-up. How can we make sense of the seismic shift in Europe's relationship with the US since Trump took power? What does it mean for Ukraine, and Europe's ability to defend itself from Russia? As a palate-cleanser, we're also hearing all the secrets of the international TV trade. Why do people in so many countries end up watching national versions of the same reality and game shows? Jean Chalaby joins us to explain how this fascinating industry works. Plus, Europe's changing relationship with booze.
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting our work in 2025. 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.
Jean is a professor of international communication at City University London, and the author of The Format Age.
This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: 'Prezidentka' and 'The Taste of Things' ('La Passion de Dodin Bouffant').
Other resources for this week's episode
'I Really Believe That Time Has Come: The Armed Forces of Europe Must Be Created – Speech by the President at the Munich Security Conference' - Website of the Ukrainian Presidency, February 15, 2025 https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/viryu-sho-cej-chas-nastav-neobhidno-stvoriti-zbrojni-sili-ye-96089
'Vance uses half-truths to lecture a European audience well aware of the threat of authoritarian rule' - CNN, February 14, 2025 https://edition.cnn.com/2025/02/14/world/vances-speech-upsets-european-leaders-intl-latam/index.html
'Alcohol labels should warn of cancer risk, says new WHO/Europe report' - World Health Organization, February 14, 2025 https://www.who.int/europe/news-room/14-02-2025-alcohol-labels-should-warn-of-cancer-risk--says-new-who-europe-report
'Secret love lives of crickets revealed' - The Slovenia Times, February 14, 2025 https://sloveniatimes.com/42509/secret-love-life-of-crickets-revealed
Producers: Morgan Childs and Katy Lee
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
00:00:22 Don't be koi
00:03:15 Bad Week: Transatlantic relations
00:28:52 Good Week: Our livers
00:40:38 Interview: Jean Chalaby on the secrets of the TV format trade
00:57:01 The Inspiration Station: 'Prezidentka' and 'The Taste of Things'
01:02:22 Happy Ending: Sexy vibracoustics
YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Feb 13, 2025 • 52min
Dark skies, cheap shopping and an EU laser show
Nocturnal tourism is supposedly one of the big travel trends of 2025, and from star-gazing to truffle-hunting, there are plenty of places in Europe to do it. But where is this craving for darkness coming from? This week we speak to Anna Levin, author of two beautiful books about the impact of artificial light on the world around us, about why Europe's night skies deserve much better protection. We're also talking about the Baltic countries' move to cut their electrical cords with Russia, and the EU's attempt to tackle our cheap Chinese shopping addiction.
Anna is the author of 'Incandescent' and 'Dark Skies'. You can find out more about her work here.
This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: 'The Day of the Jackal' and 'Italia Express' from Radiooooo.
Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting our work in 2025. 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.
Other resources for this week's episode
'Baltic Energy Independence Day' aka the amazing EU laser show - European Commission livestream, February 8, 2025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeU829DcoKQ&t=24s
'EU toolbox for safe and sustainable e-commerce' aka the EU's proposed crackdown on cheap shopping websites, February 5, 2025 https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/library/e-commerce-communication-comprehensive-eu-toolbox-safe-and-sustainable-e-commerce
DarkSky International: All international Dark Sky Places https://darksky.org/what-we-do/international-dark-sky-places/all-places
'"Must-have genre" for uncertain times: why spy thrillers have taken over TV' - The Guardian, February 2, 2025 https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/feb/02/spy-thrillers-television-must-have-genre-uncertain-world
'Beavers build planned dams in protected landscape area, while local officials still seeking permits' - Radio Prague International, January 31, 2025 https://english.radio.cz/beavers-build-planned-dams-protected-landscape-area-while-local-officials-still-8841536
Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina
00:22 Is Dominic ok?
03:48 Good Week: The Big Baltic Electricity Switch
13:58 Bad Week: Chinese e-commerce giants
26:19 Interview: Anna Levin on the magic of Europe's dark skies
44:42 The Inspiration Station: 'The Day of the Jackal' and 'Italia Express' by Radiooooo
49:01 Happy Ending: Industrious Czech beavers
Bluesky | Instagram | Mastodon | hello@europeanspodcast.com