Inside Europe

General elections put the Netherlands back on a centrist course, Ireland elects a leftwing independent candidate as President, and why European leaders are keen to visit Turkey. Then: the world's largest dance music summit in Amsterdam, classical music's most prestigious prize in Stockholm, and 80 years of the Moomins.

In this special "Alternative Economies" edition, we take a break from the news to rethink business as usual. This episode features concrete examples of European business and budget experiments, ranging from the reformist to the downright radical.

All you need to know about Laszlo Krasznahorka: the Hungarian winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize for Literature, a gloriously anarchic celebration of an Italian children’s classic, an Icelandic murder mystery set on the Spanish island of Tenerife, poet and musician Matthew McDonald, and a race up a Slovenian mountain, pursued by Tadej Pogacar.

All you need to know about Laszlo Krasznahorka: the Hungarian winner of the 2025 Nobel Prize for Literature, a gloriously anarchic celebration of an Italian children’s classic, an Icelandic murder mystery set on the Spanish island of Tenerife, poet and musician Matthew McDonald, and a race up a Slovenian mountain, pursued by Tadej Pogacar.

Why France is stumbling from one political crisis to the next, a new report on homelessness across Europe, and a Housing First project in the UK. Then: Flotilla activists speak of abuse, what Czechia's political future holds, Dutch feminists reclaim the night, and a Fish and Chips shop with a twist. + FEANTSA report on homelessness: https://tinyurl.com/3uxmxf3t +?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

Post-election relief in Moldova, upcoming elections in Czechia with similar concerns over Russian interference, and drone start-ups in Tallinn offering agile, quicker and cheaper solutions. Then: ex-French President Sarkozy's verdict, a deep dive into plastic waste exports and their deadly consequences, and how Croatian nationalism is on the big stage.

24 hours in the life of Emmanuel Macron in New York, how far NATO is prepared to go to defend its airspace, and why you should care about the Moldovan elections. Then: Russian training camps in Serbia, a message from the Global Sumud Flotilla to Gaza, the UK's political malaise, a Czech-German history project, and a cheesy festival in Italy.

Donald Trump’s controversial state visit to the UK, a closer look at how Spain and the Netherlands are keeping Palestine in the spotlight, and a Swedish Spy Church. Then: new recruits join a military bootcamp outside Paris, an audio-tour of the world of Czech composer Antonin Dvorak and why Turkey's opposition fear the worst. ++ link to the UN report on Gaza: https://shorturl.at/mVIVO ++?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

Anger on the streets across France, the National Rally's Trump problem, and a Danish political scientist's plan to fix "democracy's back door." Then: Lithuania steps up its border controls and an island special on Corsican autonomy, the Outer Hebrides' demographic struggle, and Greenland's tourism.

GPS jamming: how worried should Europe be? Pipeline wars: what does the bombing of Russian oil infrastructure mean for Hungary? Confidence vote in France: will this be the end of Bayrou’s government? Parliamentary elections in Norway: what’s on the ballot on September 8th?

Chronicle of a death live-streamed, all aboard the Alpbach Express, fear and loathing in the British provinces, Turkey cashes in on the Syrian reconstruction bonanza and an Inside Europe Sports Special featuring Slovenian cycling legend Tadej Pogacar (yes - you heard that right!). **Content warning: our first item contains reference to physical and psychological abuse**

EU leaders back Ukraine in DC, what the 39% tariffs mean for Switzerland and Norway’s Momentum festival focusses on sounds. Then: France's first incel to be charged with terrorism and a deep dive into the manosphere.

EU diplomacy on behalf of Ukraine, rapprochement between Turkey and Armenia, and European reactions to Israel's war in Gaza. Then: wildfire devastation in southern Europe, a Schindler factory becomes a museum, sustainable aviation and Italy's cartoon icon Pimpa turns 50.

Azerbaijan, Russia and Turkey… who’s allied with whom? Radical countryside – are innocuous sounding rural meetings hiding a darker agenda? Plus all the latest on Czechia’s hottest infrastructure debate. Then: welcome to a glorious European summer, complete with river diving, bears, camper vans, and traditional alcoholic beverages. Seeding Reparations research link: https://linktr.ee/seedrep &maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

In this special edition, we take a break from the news to explore grief as a lens for understanding global events and as a force for social change. Author Sarah Jaffe joins host Kate Laycock to unpack how personal and communal loss – from COVID-19 and Hurricane Katrina to deindustrialization – shape politics, protests and solidarity. A powerful journey through mourning, memory and hope.

A press freedom special with Georgian journalist Tamar Kintsurashvili, on the worsening situation for media workers in the country gripped by protests. Also: Natalia Belikova, international lawyer at Press Club Belarus, on how Belarusian exile journalists are fairing. Then, Olga Rudenko, editor-in-chief of the Kyiv Independent, talks about the situation for journalists during the war in Ukraine.

30 years since Srebrenica, Hanno Hauenstein on why language matters when reporting on Gaza, Wayne Jordash KC on gathering war crimes evidence in Ukraine, PKK fighters disarm, and a personal account of Kosovo’s past and present.

More mayors under arrest in Turkey, and press freedom takes centre stage at the DW Global Media Forum. Later in the show: spotlight on journalists in the post-Soviet space, from pens to protest: a portrait of the Italian cartoonist Gianluca Costantini, and what can Germany learn from Estonia when it comes to digitalisation? ++ Check out Gianluca's drawrings: https://www.channeldraw.org/ ++&maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

More mayors under arrest: Turkey’s anti-opposition clampdown intensifies, and solidarity in adversity: press freedom takes centre stage at the DW Global Media Forum. Later in the show: spotlight on journalists in the post-Soviet space, from pens to protest: a portrait of the Italian cartoonist Gianluca Costantini, and what can Germany learn from Estonia when it comes to digitalisation?

A protest special as we look at recent events in Budapest and Belgrade - two cities experiencing mass-scale demonstrations in defiance of strongman leaders. And, as the UK parliament votes to proscribe Palestine Action, the UN’s Special Rapporteur on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights outlines his concerns.