Inside Europe

40 Episodes
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By: DW

The original European current affairs podcast from Germany’s international broadcaster. Bringing you expert analysis and on-the ground reporting from the European capitals and beyond. Join host Kate Laycock and DW’s network of seasoned correspondents for your weekly dose of euro-politics and culture. Published every Thursday.

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Germany's Gen Z joins the protests
Yesterday at 5:54 PM

Gen Z youth-quake reaches Germany, what do the US midterm results mean for Europe? Hungary lifts the lid on Soviet-era spying secrets, Drug Facilitated Sexual Assault, and Russia’s war economy.


Serbia after Vucic: Can the students deliver?
10/29/2026

A historic victory leaves Serbia facing tough choices. Hungary tries to restore its public broadcaster's independence, while protests in France echo 1968. Plus: Norway’s borrowed sunshine and rituals of remembrance.


French riots: An early Christmas gift for Le Pen?
10/22/2026

As young people hit the streets across Europe, we take stock of the protests and riots shaking France. Plus, we feature DW’s new 'Call Sign Condor' podcast, exploring why so many Latin Americans are fighting for Ukraine.


Attacked without warning: what did the US know?
10/15/2026

Will the US still warn Ukraine of Russian attacks? Why is Ukraine's Hungarian minority so influential? Life in prison for phone theft? Is Serbia's Vucic on the way out? Where can Ukrainian abuse survivors turn in Poland?


Pupils vs Police: Macron’s teaching moment?
10/08/2026

Why students are protesting across France and scientists are sounding the alarm over EU pesticide rules. Plus, Spain’s wildfire damage and efforts to restore affected areas, and a UK special on Burnham’s bid for Britain.


Maricarmen vs the real estate vultures
10/01/2026

Spain's octogenarian housing hero, Trump's shadow over Bosnian politics and a word with Norwegian Death. Then: all things Euro-Canadian, an unusual Czech voter-push and Rome's viral graffiti remover.


The trials and tribulations of Friedrich Merz
09/24/2026

A punishing week for Germany’s chancellor, Istanbul’s shipyards pivot from cereals to salvage, the UK plans a parliamentary hearing to establish why it kind of sucks at Eurovision and Oulu's climate clock keeps ticking.


Russia's salsa-dancing spy handler
09/17/2026

DW's investigation into disposable agents and why Russia won't let some of its own soldiers find rest. Then: could Berlin soon be governed by The Left? As well as Turkey's crackdown against the LGBTQ+ community—and more.


AfD debrief: after the election is before the election
09/10/2026

Veteran journalist Hans Pfeifer on covering the AfD and what might be next. Then: from Norway's popular monarchy and Russia’s struggling coal industry to a macabre Berlin opera and the Women’s Basketball World Cup.


The divisions that outlived war criminal Mladic in the Balkans
09/03/2026

The legacy of war criminal Ratko Mladic, and Icelanders reject EU entry talks. Also: Could the far-right AfD soon govern its first state? And why is an iconic moped part of its campaign? Plus, a data center special.


What's left of Russia's political opposition?
08/27/2026

Ukraine marks 35 years of independence, the state of Russia's opposition ahead of elections, the debate about whether to ban the far-right Alternative for Germany party, and underground spaces in Rome to cool down. Then: Turkey's controversial regional ambitions, Belarusian students targeted abroad, how a French town inspired communism in China, and a dangerous plunge in Munich.


Is the European Commission a toxic golden cage?
08/20/2026

Why a job at the European Commission is a dream for many, but a disappointment for some. Plus, why fast fashion audit reports often miss the reality of working conditions in factories. And a migration special starting with the Pope's remarkable stance and why that matters at a time when Europe is implementing more restrictive rules. ++ https://shorturl.at/YmTsY https://shorturl.at/Lazzj ++ ?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss


Hungary's new president: reconciliation or revenge?
08/13/2026

The controversy surrounding Hungary’s election of a new president and Turkey’s move to reintegrate Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK) militants into society. Then, a brutal attack in Belgrade raises questions about political violence in Serbia. And a ratty special on why rodents are thriving in cities around the world. ++ https://shorturl.at/tJxGL ++?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss


AfD: Anatomy of a takeover
08/06/2026

Germany's far-right AfD believes itself to be on the cusp of power in Saxony-Anhalt. What would the AfD's manifesto look like if put into practice? Then: Why Reform UK's Nigel Farage is spending his summer battling a bin and how a tragedy in Ceuta became a crisis in Brussels. Plus, FIFA boss Gianni Infantino's latest scandal and Estonia's musical soft-power.


Fire-clouds and terror attacks: how safe are Europe's cities?
07/30/2026

Europe's wildfires reach the outskirts of major cities, plans to curb Germany's Freedom of Information Act, and what police knew about Berlin's Pride killer. Then: a place for senior queer people in Lyon, an interview with the president of George Soros' Open Society Foundations, and statue squabbles: Prague's controversial colossus.


Gen Z vs. the general
07/23/2026

A two-part look at the power of Ukrainian civil society: Part 1: The generational conflict which toppled a general. Part 2: How war is shaping Ukrainians’ relationship with the state. Plus, a German surrogacy scandal, France cashes in on the US academic exodus, the military history of carrier pigeons, AI music fakes and unwanted UNESCO status. ++https://matseilertsen.bandcamp.com/++?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss


Could Europe's football union ditch FIFA?
07/16/2026

Could the European football union step up its game and show FIFA the red card? Then: Inside Europe's correspondents pick their player of the World Cup, France legalizes assisted dying, Albania's Gen Z keep protesting, wildfires rage in Southern Europe, and a hidden Prague collection records disability in Europe. ++ https://tinyurl.com/4za5z2tc and https://tinyurl.com/rphv2khn ++ &maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss


Marine Le Pen: guilty but free to run
07/09/2026

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen resumes her bid for president, the ongoing feud between Poland and Ukraine, FIFA's red card saga, and the world's first business for women-only football gear. Then: the German village that slashed its electricity bills by becoming energy self-sufficient.


Extended Interview: Glyn Morgan on 'The Rise and Fall of American Europe'
07/05/2026

Inside Europe marks the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the American Declaration of Independence with an extended conversation with Glyn Morgan, author of "The Rise and Fall of American Europe." If Europe as we know it is an American creation, where does that leave us now, in this moment of rupture?


Albania's Edi Rama on Inside Europe
07/02/2026

An exclusive DW interview with Albanian PM Edi Rama, a crackdown on Turkey's opposition ahead of the NATO summit in Ankara, and a spat about who gets to lead the Czech delegation. The US celebrates 250 years of independence: two journalists detained at an event in Brussels and Glyn Morgan on the "Rise and Fall of American Europe". Plus: Ireland takes over the rotating Council presidency.


Why the UK can't keep calm and carry on
06/25/2026

Keir Starmer resigns, 10 years of Brexit, postcards from a heatwave. Plus: Spanish corruption, DW's Freedom of Speech Award, Czech media strike and a banned Russian ballet.


Law or politics? Citizenship and Palestine Action
06/18/2026

The removal of German citizenship and its history, the UK's Palestine Action ban, and an exclusive interview with the EU's Culture Commissioner. Then: a dark week for Norwegian royalty, Albania's flamingo protests, a check-in with post-election Hungary, Italy's depopulation issue, and Vienna's social housing. ++ Archive credits: Deulig Woche 370, Bundesarchiv, 79343.


Immigration debate, Swiss-style
06/11/2026

Switzerland's knife-edge referendum, Kosovo's former president on the country's post-election malaise, and questions over Irish exports to Russia. Then: a night and dream special featuring a Berlin-based sleep doctor, Amsterdam’s night mayor, DW's sleep-deprived Kyiv correspondent, and a whole load of Norwegians drunk on the midnight sun. ++ https://tinyurl.com/4jswz8zs ++?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss


Cory Doctorow's digital jail-break
06/04/2026

As the EU publishes its digital sovereignty plans, we've come up with a little techno-utopian package of our own. Our guest throughout is tech and solar-punk author Cory Doctorow: join us as we explore queer social media take-backs, French AIs, Finish super-computers, Croatian Wikipedia and all the reasons why this might just be the moment in which things start to change for the better.


Turkish democracy – the endgame?
05/28/2026

Another blow to Turkey's embattled democracy, the Czech kick-boxing champion turned anti-bullying activist, the inside story of Finland's gamer-industry boom, and the iconic moped disappearing from Italy's streets. Then: music in exile and what we got wrong about Pinocchio.


Who is Andy Burnham, the man with his eye on Britain's top job?
05/21/2026

Who is Andy Burnham—and is he ready to challenge Keir Starmer? PBS' Alexander Heffner on the growing power of mayors. What’s at stake in Cyprus’ elections? Then—Turkey’s warning over French troop plans, social media bans for minors, red deer vs. Loch Lomond, and Spain’s renewable energy edge. https://www.pbs.org/show/open-mind/&maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss


Euro(di)vision: where glamour meets geopolitics
05/14/2026

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hanging by a thread. An investigation uncovers troubling ties between a professor at Germany’s Federal Police Academy and the far right. And Eurovision returns, amid fresh controversy. Plus: a former pilot calls for a ban on private jets as Cannes gets underway, and how Ukraine is transforming its energy system under fire.++ https://shorturl.at/nAuU4 ++?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss


The end of the two-party system in the UK?
05/07/2026

What the UK local elections could mean for the country’s political system, how troop and tariff disputes are worsening relations between Germany and the US, and controversies surrounding a new report on France’s public media. Then: a deep dive into bioacoustics and how AI can support biodiversity research.


Of Trump and Europe whisperers
04/30/2026

Trump whispering and attempts to save NATO, Giorgia Meloni's push to reassert political dominance, and a conversation with ECFR Director Mark Leonard on "Surviving Chaos". Then: German apprenticeships under strain, a new ban on communist symbols in Czechia, and a newspaper in Tromsø using AI to its advantage.


Is Palantir unstoppable?
04/23/2026

Concerns about Palantir in the UK, Bulgaria's incoming prime minister, and the power of magic mushrooms. Then: DW's Delayland goes in search of Germany's lost mojo, women's role in Spain's progressive milestones, and Germany's handling of its colonial past.


Hungary: Who is Peter Magyar and what does he want?
04/16/2026

How incoming prime minister Peter Magyar could change Hungary as well as the EU, and what a romantic liaison between France's far-right Jordan Bardella and an Italian princess could mean for the country's presidential elections. Then: a Greenlandic perspective on Greenland, Ireland's basic income scheme for artists, and a Berlin choir aiming to advance democracy.


Hungary’s election: Could JD Vance save Viktor Orban?
04/09/2026

US Vice President JD Vance backs Viktor Orban in Hungary just days before elections that could have far-reaching ramifications — also across Central Europe. What’s next for NATO, and could the Iran war help resolve a long-standing conflict in the Caucasus? Plus: a high-protein environmental special.


How to "hack" women's underrepresentation in politics
04/02/2026

Ukraine's Bucha massacre anniversary fuels push for justice, the Dutch organization with a voting hack to boost women's representation in politics, and the EU-Slovakia dispute over fuel. Then: a special investigation into chemical recycling and its limits.


Thwarted: What now for Meloni?
03/26/2026

Italy's failed referendum, trial by jury at risk in the UK, and elections in Denmark and France. Then: what a mutiny at high sea tells us about (un)freedom, North Korea's forced labor program, Central Asian migrants' exodus from Russia, and FC Barcelona's labor violations. + https://shorturl.at/iUMhD +?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss


Extendend interview: Dr Roham Alvandi on Iran, Britain, and the futures that might have been
03/23/2026

From Cold War power games to the cultural aspirations of the Pahlavi era, this extended conversation pulls back the curtain on the global forces that continue to shape - and be shaped by - Iran today. Dr Roham Alvandi is Director of the Iranian History Initiative at the London School of Economics and Political Science.


Iranian history and the future that might have been
03/19/2026

How European intersections with Iran's past might help us understand our collective present and how Turkey might hold the key to an exit strategy from the Iran conflict. Then: European elections from Denmark and Slovenia to rural France. Plus: the intriguing story of one of the most controversial deaths in Czech political history. + https://shorturl.at/h7PDP + ?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss


Sirens on Cyprus: how war is reawakening the island's past traumas
03/12/2026

Cyprus on alert as Middle East tensions spill into Europe; Orban turns anti‑Ukrainian rhetoric into campaign fuel; and Paris heads to the polls in a tight left‑right showdown. Plus: Turkey’s AI‑driven protest surveillance, Spain’s weather reporters under attack, Tromso’s tourism troubles, and a taste of tradition from Bologna.


Trump-Sanchez spat tests European unity
03/05/2026

European responses to the war in the Middle East, where Spain is the outlier once again; compulsory military service in Croatia, and home concerts in Prague. Then: an International Women’s Day special connecting past feminist milestones with the present.


President Erdogan, let our colleague go!
02/26/2026

DW's investigative journalist Alican Uludag arrested in Turkey, four years of war in Ukraine, and Ukraine's freedom song. Then: what Quentin Deranque's killing might mean for the French Left, Turkey's earthquake anniversary, the Berlinale Teddy Award turns 40, and an art exhibition exposes Robert Fico's tightening grip on Slovak cultural institutions.


More trouble for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer?
02/20/2026

A UK by-election that could spell trouble for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, a wrap-up of the Munich Security Conference, a look at the Berlinale and whether it’s still political, and France’s last newspaper hawker. Then: efforts to rebuild Aghdam, US trans people seeking asylum in the Netherlands, and a pagan tradition seeing a revival — wassailing. + film.macht.kritisch https://shorturl.at/OTkz1 +?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss