The Europeans' Christmas Party!

It’s the only revolution in world history (that we know of) that began with a Eurovision song. This week, Portugal marks 50 years since the Carnation Revolution ended decades of dictatorship. We speak to Alex Fernandes, author of a new accessible history of the revolution, about the day that changed everything. We’re also talking about the UK’s missed opportunity to give an entire generation fun memories (and skills, but mostly fun memories) and Milan's ice cream uproar.  Alex’s book, ‘The Carnation Revolution: The Day Portugal’s Dictatorship Fell’ is out now. You can find him on Twitter here and read his article on the music of the revolution here. Inspiration Station offerings: ‘E Depois Do Adeus’ by Paulo de Carvalho; Grândola, Vila Morena by José Afonso and MARO on tour. Bonus entry: the ‘Feat. NATURE’ playlist. Other resources for this episode:  ‘What is behind the UK’s labour shortage?’ - UK in a Changing Europe, February 2024 ‘Percentage of businesses experiencing a shortage of workers in the United Kingdom in 2023, by industry sector’ - Statista, November 2023 ‘Nature is an artist! Inside AKQA’s design for mammoth Spotify and UN project, Sounds Right’ - It’s Nice That, April 2024 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Bluesky ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

A group of Swiss women, all aged 64 and over, made history last week by winning the first ever climate case heard by the European Court of Human Rights. But what does their victory mean for climate policy across Europe? We ring up international courts reporter Molly Quell to find out. We're also talking about an artistic sense-of-humour failure, a Swedish app controversy, and why Polish kids are particularly big fans of the new government.  FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/why-the-swiss-womens-climate-victory-is-such-a-big-deal You can find Molly on Twitter here. This week's Inspiration Station offerings: 'Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)' - tickets for London's Criterion Theatre; 'Two Strangers' cast recording; the 'Goulash' newsletter. Producer: Katz Laszlo Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

We are re-airing one of our all time favourite episodes following this week's landmark verdict on the biggest climate case that ever was: KlimaSeniorinnen vs. Switzerland. We reported on the case in depth last year, shortly after the hearing. And now, the court rules: KlimaSeniorinnen win! We usually see young people as the face of climate activism. In this episode, we find out how 2,000 Swiss women, all over the age of 65, took their government to court in a case that could change climate laws across Europe. And along the way, we figure out once and for all how the European Court of Human Rights actually works. This is a special episode made in cooperation with the⁠ Allianz Foundation⁠, one of several podcasts we're making about sustainability with their support. Stay tuned to hear more. You can find out more about the KlimaSeniorinnen ⁠here⁠.  Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast and would like to help us keep making it, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.  FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: ⁠https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/the-biggest-climate-case-that-ever-was⁠ Reporter and producer: Katz Laszlo Editor: Katy Lee Editorial support: Dominic Kraemer and Wojciech Oleksiak Sound design, mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne, Epidemic Sound and Blue Dot Sessions ⁠Twitter⁠ | ⁠Instagram⁠ | [email protected]

We all know this continent has major issues with social mobility. But having a rich ancestor from *six centuries ago* shouldn't make it more likely that you're rich today... should it? This week we speak to Guglielmo Barone, one of the economists behind some fascinating research into this question in Florence. We're also talking about Ursula von der Leyen's 'jobs for the boys' scandal and the road to a shared European cycling policy.  FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/nepo-great-great-great-grand-babies Guglielmo is a professor of economics at the University of Bologna. You can find his study on intergenerational mobility in Florence here, and an article he co-wrote about the research here. This week's recommendations: 'Today in Focus - Should the UK stop arming Israel?' and 'Have You Heard George's Podcast - Francophone Pt. 1'.  Other resources for this episode:  Social mobility in Europe across generations - EU Science Hub Intergenerational mobility in the UK - Institute for Fiscal Studies' What is the point of inheritance tax?' - The New Statesman' Von der Leyen accused of playing favourite over EU SMEs envoy nomination' - EURACTIVThe European Declaration on Cycling 'How safe is walking and cycling in Europe' - European Transport Safety Council Eurobarometer - Mobility and transport, 2019  The Copenhagenize Index'Paris’s Picasso Museum Will Show Work by Françoise Gilot in Permanent Collection Galleries for the First Time' - ARTnews Producers: Katz Laszlo and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

This week, music and politics collide. We're talking about Greece's plan to enforce quotas for Greek-language lyrics on the radio, and the racist backlash against Aya Nakamura's rumoured booking for the Paris Olympics. Plus, a great interview with Politico's senior climate reporter Zia Weise about the EU's once-trumpeted nature restoration law. Can the EU still claim to be a world leader when it comes to going green? FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/less-beyonce-more-bouzouki You can find Zia on Twitter here and read her reporting here. The soundtrack to this week's episode: 'Doggy' by Aya Nakamura; 'Zari' by Marina Satti; 'White Foxes' by Susanne Sundfør. Also recommended this week: 'Smoke Sauna Sisterhood' and Utrecht's fish doorbell. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.  00:22 Velkommen til The Europeans podcast!02:23 Good Week: Aya Nakamura10:35 Bad Week: The plan for Greek-language radio quotas22:38 Interview: Zia Weise on the EU's nature restoration law35:15 The Inspiration Station: Susanne Sundfør and 'Smoke Sauna Sisterhood'38:43 Happy Ending: Utrecht's fish doorbell Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech OleksiakMixing and mastering: Wojciech OleksiakMusic: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

This week, we're heading to a small country with a big bold foreign policy. Czechia, aka the Czech Republic, has won international praise by negotiating a desperately-needed ammunition deal for Ukraine. Why did it succeed where others have failed? And why is its government so much less scared of China than most others in Europe? We ring up Jakub Janda, Czech security expert and author of a certain viral tweet, to find out. We're also talking about a glimmer of hope for some of Italy's rainbow families, and the scandal rocking Finnish journalism.  Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.  Jakub is the director of the European Values Center for Security Policy. You can find him on Twitter here. Resources for this episode: European Tree of the Year https://www.treeoftheyear.org/ Aamulehti's apology for Matti Kuusela's dabblings in fiction https://www.aamulehti.fi/uutiset/art-2000010312503.html  Jakub's viral tweet https://twitter.com/_jakubjanda/status/1769350483695522197?s=46&t=yPKV1bu1u0kKSIiRrTkIXg  00:22 Once more with feeling03:19 Good Week: Padua's rainbow families09:35 Bad Week: When fact meets fiction in Finland19:52 Interview: Jakub Janda on 'small ex-Soviet satellite states' and Czechia's bold foreign policy36:51 Inspiration Station: A tree scandal special edition41:14 Happy Ending: Germany's extra-relaxed Easter Monday  Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Scandal-hit Socialists, a surging far-right, and winners that no one can get excited about —  Portugal has just delivered some of this year's trickiest European election results. This week, we ring Politico reporter Aitor Hernández-Morales to untangle the situation. We're also talking about how ChatGPT could speed up Albania's EU membership bid, and Denmark's attempt to fix its horrible gender inequality (when it comes to statues at least).  FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/the-portuguese-constitution-is-delicious Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.  You can follow Aitor on Twitter here.  This week's Inspiration Station picks: 'Europapa' by Joost Klein; 'Don't Drink the Milk'  Other resources for this episode:  'People in Albania are tired of Brussels' lip service' https://respublica.edu.mk/blog-en/politics/people-in-albania-are-tired-of-brussels-lip-service/?lang=en 'Albania to speed up EU accession using ChatGPT' https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/albania-to-speed-up-eu-accession-using-chatgpt/ 'Irish voters reject bid to rewrite constitution’s view of women and family' https://www.politico.eu/article/irish-voters-reject-bid-to-rewrite-constitutions-view-women-family/ 'Five reasons why the Yes side failed and the No campaign won the day' https://www.irishtimes.com/politics/2024/03/09/how-the-government-lost-and-the-no-side-won-the-care-and-family-referendums/ 00:22 Fresh and fruity 01:56 Bad Week: Human translators 11:00 Good Week: Denmark steps up on statues 35:28 The Inspiration Station: 'Europapa' and 'Don't Drink The Milk' 40:24 Happy Ending: A blast from the seedy past Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠Mastodon⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

This week: two referendums and some dodgy criminal reforms. We're talking about Swiss voters' decision to treat themselves to bigger pensions, and Slovakia's battle to stop cronyism under populist prime minister Robert Fico. And ahead of Ireland's vote on International Women's Day, the historian Caitríona Beaumont joins us to ask: why, according to the Irish constitution, is a woman's place still in the home?  You can follow Cait on Twitter here and read her article for The Conversation about the 'woman in the home' clause here. This week's Inspiration Station offerings: this Swiss study on the power of live music; Dominic on tour, and the studio cast recording of 'Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)'. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.  Other resources for this episode:  Cultural Deal for Europe: An Open Letter Ahead of the EP Elections https://culturalfoundation.eu/stories/cultural-deal-for-europe-open-letter-ep-elections/ 'Nederland Europees kampioen zitten': TNO https://www.tno.nl/nl/newsroom/2024/02/nederland-europees-kampioen-zitten/ Eurobarometer's 2022 report on physical activity across Europe: https://europa.eu/eurobarometer/surveys/detail/2668IMPACT newsletter https://lesglorieuses.fr/les-newsletters/impact-eng/ Abortion in Europe - Deutsche Welle documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSB6oCza2k8  00:22 Are you sitting comfortably? 03:33 Bad Week: Robert Fico 12:38 Good Week: Swiss pensioners 21:40 Interview: Caitríona Beaumont on Ireland's sexist constitution 38:35 The Inspiration Station: live music and the 'Two Strangers' cast recording 42:19 Happy Ending: Tiny but very very loud Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Mastodon⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

In February 2022, as Russian tanks rolled across the border, the writer and historian Olesya Khromeychuk told us the story of the boots she had bought for her brother, serving at the front in eastern Ukraine. This week, we're sharing her story again.  Olesya's book, ' The Death of a Soldier Told by His Sister', is available in print and as an audiobook. You can find her on Twitter here. Sound design, mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak.  EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/army-boots-feb-2024 Thanks for listening. If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠Mastodon⁠⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

Hungary has seen its biggest anti-government protests in years over the past couple of weeks. But just how dangerous is this moment for Viktor Orbán? This week our favourite Hungarysplainer Viktória Serdült joins us to decipher the scandal that has shaken his government. We're also talking about the legalisation of gay marriage in Greece (finally!) and a Dutch court case that could have far-reaching consequences for the war in Gaza.  FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT HERE: https://europeanspodcast.com/episodes/orbans-biggest-crisis Viktória is a journalist at hvg.hu. You can find her on Twitter here and her article about Hungary's EU elections can be found here in EUObserver.  This week's Inspiration Station offerings: 'Navalny' and 'Lost on Me' (Niente di vero) by Veronica Raimo. The Dutch court ruling can be found here and Euronews' piece on European military supplies to Israel can be found here. Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcast, we'd love it if you'd consider chipping in a few bucks a month at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available). You can also help new listeners find the show by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠leaving us a review⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ or giving us five stars on Spotify.  00:22 Spending *most* of the week reading about Europe 02:29 Good Week: Gay marriage is now legal in Greece 07:47 Bad Week: European defence companies? 17:01 Interview: Viktória Serdült on Hungary's pardoning scandal 32:33 The Inspiration Station: 'Lost on Me' by Veronica Raimo and 'Navalny' 36:33 Happy Ending: Why kids monkey around Producers: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Threads⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ |⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | ⁠Mastodon⁠ | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠