The Europeans

We make an appearance in the new BBC documentary series Travels in Euroland, hosting a debate about the ever-controversial Dutch blackface tradition that is Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). This week: what happened when we sat down with the warring sides to debate history, racism and what it means to be Dutch. Also this week: Salvini, sardines, and sockets of the annoying Apple variety. Part 1 of Travels of Euroland is available to watch here if you’re in the UK.  Enjoyed the show? Please consider chipping into our Patreon fund to keep us going. Every little helps and we’re sending postcards to everyone who signs up or increases their pledges before the end of January! More info at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. Thanks for listening. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | hello@europeanspodcast.com

This week, Katy heads to the forest in Lithuania. Ahead of International Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27, we're talking about memory politics with a formidable 97-year-old. This is the last podcast in our mini-series Postcards from Europe, featuring intimate portraits of lives and places across the continent. It was made possible by the European Cultural Foundation, who support initiatives that rethink Europe as an open and democratic space. This podcast was written, produced and edited by Katy Lee, with help from Sonia Zhuravlyova, Dominic Kraemer and Katz Laszlo. Voiceover by Haya Vardy. Music provided by Moni Ovadia, Yad Vashem and Blue Dot Sessions. Artwork by La Kingsbeer. Thanks for listening. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Patreon europeanspodcast.com | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Monarchies might seem out of date on a continent that prides itself on its democratic values, but nearly a third of Europeans still live in countries that have them. This week the drama in the British royal family finally convinced Katy to lift her ban on the topic. She and Dominic are joined by Bob Morris ⁠— constitutional expert at UCL and co-editor of a forthcoming book comparing European monarchies ⁠—   to talk about why the royals are still a thing in the 21st century. Plus, flight-shaming, Federer-shaming, and Hungary's quest for a baby boom. Fancy a postcard from Paris or Amsterdam? Chip in to our Patreon fund before the end of the month! Thanks to the amazing donors who are already keeping this show running: patreon.com/europeanspodcast. Thanks for listening. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | hello@europeanspodcast.com

This week, a story that puts the romance back into European policy negotiations. What does a ninth-generation Catalan fisherman have to do with a law that affects an entire continent? Quite a lot, it turns out. This is the third in our series of original reported podcasts, Postcards from Europe, featuring intimate portraits of lives and places across the continent. It was made possible by the European Cultural Foundation, who support initiatives that rethink Europe as an open and democratic space. This podcast was written, produced and edited by Katz Laszlo. Editing and production assistance from Katy Lee, Dominic Kraemer and Valentina Vivona. Voiceover by Kike Molares. Music by Martí Batalla i Busquets and Blue Dot Sessions. Artwork by La Kingsbeer. With thanks to the Tarridas family, Alfons Garrido and our amazing Patreon supporters. hello@europeanspodcast.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Patreon

In Budapest, going out for a drink can be a political act. For the final episode of 2019, Dominic takes us to Auróra, a very special bar at the heart of the fightback against Hungary's authoritarian government. This is the second in our new series of original reported podcasts, Postcards from Europe, featuring intimate portraits of lives and places across the continent. This series was made possible by the European Cultural Foundation, who support initiatives that rethink Europe as an open and democratic space. Thank you also to our generous Patreon supporters and to Budapest band Jü for the music you heard in this episode. Looking for the infamous Instagram pics of police officers posted outside the bar? You can find them here. Happily, Gyuri says they haven't had to post on the account for two months. Reporter and producer: Dominic Kraemer. Assistant producer: Philip Pollak. Editors: Katz Laszlo and Katy Lee. Artwork: La Kingsbeer. Thanks for listening. We'll see you in 2020! Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | hello@europeanspodcast.com

“There are crooks everywhere you look now," Malta's top investigative journalist wrote on her blog in 2017. "The situation is desperate.” Half an hour later, Daphne Caruana Galizia was dead. The fallout from her murder has now tipped Malta into a full-blown political crisis. Ranier Fsadni, columnist for The Times of Malta and The Shift, is on the line to help us untangle the situation. Also this week: ancient wood transportation and the slashing of Danish art. Thanks to our generous Patreon supporters for keeping the show going. You can chip in at patreon.com/europeanspodcast, or leave us a review to help other people find us. Thanks for listening. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | hello@europeanspodcast.com

This week we travel to the heart of the continent to ask: who is Ursula, and should you give a damn about her? This special episode was made with help from the European Cultural Foundation, who support projects that promote Europe as an open and democratic space. Liked the show? Please leave us a review or help keep us going by chipping in to our Patreon fund at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. Thanks for listening. Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Europe's museums are facing growing calls to give back treasures stolen during the colonial era. But what about colonial hand-me-downs that can be found in ordinary households? Elliot Ross, who covers Everyday Colonialism for The Correspondent, is here to explain why this ugly part of our past is still very much a part of our present. We're also talking about a scandal that has been rocking Iceland and nuggets of good news for the planet. You can follow Elliot on Twitter here and check out his work for The Correspondent here. Thanks for listening! If you like the show, please leave us a review to help other people find us! And if you're feeling extra generous, you can chip in to our Patreon fund to help us keep the show running at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | hello@europeanspodcast.com 

For this special episode, we're taking you inside Herstedvester, a maximum-security prison in Denmark. Herstedvester houses prisoners with serious mental health issues, as well as those who are considered a danger to others. Lene Bech Sillesen went to meet some inmates who are facing a choice with drastic consequences. This is the first in our new series of original reported podcasts, Postcards from Europe, featuring intimate portraits of lives and places across the continent. It was made possible by the European Cultural Foundation, who support initiatives that rethink Europe as an open and democratic space. A note on this week's show: we do not explore the inmates' crimes in this episode. Our aim is not to vindicate them, but we want to show what life is like for Greenlandic prisoners in the Danish penal system. That said, if you or people close to you have been affected by serious crime in Greenland, you might want to skip this episode. Hosts: Dominic Kraemer and Katy Lee. Reporter and producer: Lene Bech Sillesen. Editor: Katz Laszlo. Voice actors: Peter Frederik Olsen and Vivi Nielsen. Artwork by La Kingsbeer. hello@europeanspodcast.com | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | Patreon

This week we’re celebrating Europeans who refused to let boundaries get in the way of things. The historian Orlando Figes is here to talk about the continent-crossing lovers at the heart of his new book, the brilliantly-named ‘The Europeans’. The poet Christopher Hütmannsberger reads us a beautiful new work to mark 30 years since the fall of the Berlin Wall. Plus, wild borders and the Gentle Revolution. Thanks to our amazing Patreon supporters for keeping us going! You can chip in at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | hello@europeanspodcast.com Thanks for listening.

This week, the fight for Romania's forests. Two of the country's forest rangers have been suffered brutal deaths since September. Who would do such a thing? The answer may lie in the lucrative illegal trade for wood in Romania, home to more than half of Europe's remaining primeval forests. Environmental activist Gabi Paun is here to explain why protecting trees has become so dangerous. We're also talking about Belgium's first female PM and wounded French pride. You can find out more about Gabi's activist group, Agent Green, here. Like the show? You can chip in to help us keep it running at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. Thanks for listening! Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Renia's diary spent decades locked in a bank vault. Like many teenagers, she had used it to vent about stupid fights with her friends and to record the thrill of her first kiss. And when the war came, she used it to document the relentless killing of Jews in the town where she lived. Ania Jakubek is on the line from Warsaw to tell us the extraordinary story of Renia Spiegel, and why it stayed unknown for so long. We're also talking about promising signs that Europeans are becoming less bigoted. Oh, and there's a dog. You can read Ania's article about Renia here. For beautiful drawings, you should also follow Ania on Instagram. If you, like Dominic's mum, would like to get your hands on a limited edition Angry Macron tote bag, consider signing up for our Patreon top tier! All donations big and small are very welcome at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | hello@europeanspodcast.com Thanks for listening.

This week, the female writers that Europe forgot. Carme Font Paz is leading a fascinating project aimed at uncovering the scribblings of European women from centuries ago and giving them their rightful place in the literary canon. Plus, Poland's election, posthumous comedy and why the EU won't be expanding east any time soon. You can find out more about Carme's project here. Thanks for listening! If you liked the show, please give us five big gold stars on Apple Podcasts or help us grow by chipping in on Patreon. See you next week. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | hello@europeanspodcast.com

This week, the fight for LGBT rights in Poland. A horrible pattern has been repeating itself in Polish cities: far-right thugs turning up to hurl eggs, bottles, blows and insults at Pride protesters. Our guest, the poet and novelist Jacek Dehnel, is on the line from Warsaw to reflect on what bishops and politicians have to do with it, as well as why there are reasons for hope. Plus, nitrogen and warm-hearted drug smugglers.   You can read Jacek's account of what happened at the Pride march in Białystok here in the Guardian.  His novel Lala and the first volume of the murder mystery series co-written with his husband, Mrs Mohr Goes Missing, are now available in English along with his poetry collection Aperture. Enjoying the show? Join the generous souls helping us to make it better at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. You can also help out by leaving us a (nice!) review on Apple Podcasts. Thanks for listening! Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | hello@europeanspodcast.com

This week, the beauty of the Irish language. Our guest is Darach Ó Séaghdha, whose wonderful book and podcast are a celebration of a language that may only have about 74,000 daily speakers but is very much alive and kicking. Also: the right to be forgotten, the Ukrainian side of the Trump impeachment inquiry, and treasures hidden in plain sight. Check out Darach's book, 'Motherfoclóir: Dispatches from a Not So Dead Language' and his podcast of the same name. And follow @TheIrishFor if you know what's good for you. Thanks as always to the hugely generous Patreon supporters who are keeping this show going. You can sign up at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | hello@europeanspodcast.com Thanks for listening. europeanspodcast.com