EU Scream

Protecting the climate and ordinary working people is a delicate exercise. Look at the huge Yellow Vests protests in France where President Macron mishandled an environmental tax and the far-right exploited the discontent. Bas Eickhout, a Dutch Green lawmaker vying for a top job in Brussels, says smarter climate policies can avoid more burning cars, flying cobblestones and mass deployments of police. Eickhout also dings far-right lawmakers for hypocrisy over fossil fuels and wasting taxpayer money. First we play a round of There Are No Good Answers featuring the British far-right lawmaker who wrote a draft opinion for a European Parliament committee denying climate science. “Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125” by Papalin is licensed under CC by 3.0. “Stimmen im Kopf” by Hans Atom is licensed under CC BY-NC 3.0. “Muscovite No. 9” is played by Lara Natale. Support the show

Citizen-focused movements and parties like DiEM25 and Volt Europa are looking for ways to challenge politics-as-usual. But are they a smart way to fight populism and shore up the European project? Colombe Cahen-Salvador, a one of Volt's three founders, explains why participatory budgets and software linking voters with representatives in the European Parliament are on her party's agenda. Tom says he likes Volt's optimism. He also says he's already given €25 to DiEM25. James warns of the dangers of direct democracy. Pelle Christy, an EU affairs expert from Denmark with a Eurosceptic past, says the new parties are going to have to make tough compromises if elected — or risk making Europe’s problems with populism worse. "Een Laaste Liedje" by Tres Tristes Tangos is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0. "Exotica" by Les Juanitos is licensed under CC BY 2.0 FR. "Muscovite No. 9" is played by Lara Natale.Support the show

Tom interviews Proud Bear, the masters of political satire who are turning the logic of Brexit on its head. Lukas and Andrei – not their real names – masquerade as Russian military intelligence officers who helped swing the vote for Brexit. In reality, Proud Bear want to highlight the need for a full inquiry into suspected Russian meddling. Brexiteers promised to take back control from the EU. James talks with Professor Anu Bradford of Columbia Law School about why that may never happen. Hint: look at The Brussels Effect. First, Tom talks about how Leave.EU raised money to spread lies about Europe ahead of the Brexit vote. James contrasts that campaign with the EU's relatively ineffectual political messaging. "L.T.H. (AA's Refix)" by Abstract Audio is licensed under BY CC 3.0"Muscovite No. 9" is played by Lara NataleSupport the show

A new generation of far-right Europeans is deploying slick techniques to avoid being called neo-Nazis. David Ibsen, the executive director of the Counter Extremism Project, says far-right groups in France are among those to have borrowed heavily from a playbook developed in the United States. First, James and Tom discuss Marine le Pen’s refusal to undergo a psychiatric test. If the leader of the French far-right is a little crazy, what kind of crazy is she? "L.T.H. (AA's Refix)" by Abstract Audio is licensed under BY CC 3.0"Muscovite No. 9" is played by Lara NataleSupport the show

James and Tom talk about fighting incivility with incivility after an EU minister slaps down Italy’s Matteo Salvini for migrant-bashing. Respect. Far-right activist Lauren Southern tells her half-million followers she helped save Europe from refugees. James unpacks Southern’s claims — and her antics on the Mediterranean — with Karen Mets of Save the Children. Far-right Internet trolls have used a photograph of Ukrainian human rights campaigner Lyudmyla Kozlovska to give the false impression Christine Blasey Ford met George Soros. Kozlovska shares her strange tale, which offers another glimpse into post-truth politics."Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125" by Papalin is licensed under CC BY 3.0"They're coming" by Zapac is licensed under CC BY 3.0 license"Muscovite No. 9" is played by Lara Natale Support the show

James talks to a psychologist in Germany confronting one of the most startling strategies used by the far-right: homonationalism. The concept of homonationalism was developed by Jasbir Puar, a professor at Rutgers. It's often used to describe how far-right parties like the Alternative for Germany ally with LGBT community to vilify Muslim immigrants. Homonationalism is a critical lens for analysing the hypocrisy of far-right politicians like Beatrix von Storch and Nicolaus Fest who pledge to protect homosexuals from Muslims while seeking to curtail homosexual rights. First, Tom and James talk about populism and pop music. Kanye West, Lorde and Taylor Swift are among stars who’ve plunged into politics. Plus, who knew Mick Jagger spoke Polish?At EU Scream we do all we can to protect the safety of our interviews. It's with that in mind that we have removed the sound file for this episode following a request from one of the participants. For access to this episode please contact EU Scream. Support the show

James is in Amsterdam to pick the brains of Dutchman Frits Bolkestein, a giant of conservative liberalism. Bolkestein reflects on whether his effort to discredit multiculturalism helped lay the ground for populist firebrands like Viktor Orban and Geert Wilders. Bolkestein says he was merely responding to the concerns of citizens "in the pub and in the church." Bolkestein also says it’s time for Mark Rutte, the Dutch prime minister, to take a top European job. In post-match analysis, Tom laments Bolkestein’s failure to change stance on cultural diversity. First, James and Tom focus on a Flemish extremist student association, Schild & Vrienden, and the links some its members have with the N-VA, the nationalist party in the Belgian governing coalition. "Beethoven Symphony No. 9 in D minor, Op. 125" by Papalin is licensed under CC BY 3.0"Sky Scraper" by Geographer is licensed under CC BY 4.0 Support the show