logo
episode-header-image
Jul 2021
34m 53s

Europe’s next illiberal democracy?

Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer
About this episode

Slovenia, aka Katy's favourite country, is increasingly drawing comparisons with Hungary and Poland when it comes to the state of its democracy. Can this worrying direction of travel be reversed? This week we ring up our favourite Sloveniologist Aljaž Pengov Bitenc to find out. We're also talking about Bulgaria's political rock star, and a shocking attack on a Dutch crime journalist.

This week's Isolation Inspiration: Katla and an update from Death In Ice Valley. You should also check out our interview with Death In Ice Valley host Marit Higraff, from May 2018! Listen here.

You can follow Aljaž on Twitter here and read his blog here.

We're off on a little summer break! We'll be back in September. In the meantime, we think you'll love the visual version of our the first episode in our series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like, Josh and Franco, and the second episode, Denisa.

This episode was produced as part of Sphera, a collective of independent European media. Find out more at sphera-hub.com.

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 euros / dollars / pounds a month at patreon.com/europeanspodcast. You can also help new listeners find the show by leaving us a review.

Senior producer: Katz Laszlo

Producers: Priyanka Shankar and Andrei Popoviciu

Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina

This podcast is part of the Are We Europe family. Find more like-minded European podcasts at areweeurope.com/audio-family.

Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Up next
Jul 3
Hungary's Pride ban goes up in smoke (and glitter)
This year’s Budapest Pride was banned in March under the Orbán government’s contentious “child protection” law. Demonstrators were threatened with hefty fines for participating, and the government said it would employ facial-recognition technology to identify and potentially pros ... Show More
55m 50s
Jun 19
Toxic chemicals, abortion rights, and a Nazi-era train law
Depending on where you are in Europe, your right to a safe abortion — and reproductive care in general — can vary dramatically. This week, we speak to pioneering abortion activist Rebecca Gomperts about why she's hopeful that we can fight back against these inequalities as well a ... Show More
1h 12m
Jun 12
Could Europe switch off big tech's algorithms?
The EU supposedly has some of the world's toughest laws regulating big tech. So why does it still feel like Europeans are being sucked into increasingly polarised online communities, and manipulated during our elections? Can we do anything about it? This week's guest, the Irish i ... Show More
1h 3m
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2024
La Slovacchia al voto sceglie tra Europa e Russia. La malattia immaginaria che colpisce gli agenti segreti statunitensi.
Il 6 aprile la Slovacchia eleggerà il suo nuovo presidente e anche se si tratta di una figura che non ha particolare peso politico, quest’elezione ha assunto un significato molto rilevante per il paese. Un’inchiesta giornalistica condotta dal sito The Insider, dal settimanale ted ... Show More
23m 45s
Apr 2023
Vasall oder Alliierter: Wie sieht die neue US-Botschafterin Deutschland?
F.A.Z. Podcast für Deutschland Seit Februar vergangenen Jahres ist sie die neue amerikanische Botschafterin in Deutschland: Amy Gutmann. Im Exklusiv-Interview spricht sie über ihre persönliche Beziehung zu Deutschland, die Taiwan-Frage und was die USA von Europa erwarten. F+ http ... Show More
26m 39s
Sep 2020
Face à la Chine et au reste du monde, l'Europe se réveille enfin
Ce mercredi 16 septembre, la présidente de la Commission européenne Ursula Von Der Leyen prononçait son premier discours sur l'état de l'Union européenne devant les eurodéputé·es réuni·es à Bruxelles. Écologie, droits des personnes LGBT+, fin des accords de Dublin, appel pour une ... Show More
27m 5s
Feb 2021
Stefan Danziger: Germany's Merkel Steps Down, What Happens Now? I 218
German comedian Stefan Danziger joins the show from his home in Berlin to answer every question we have about Angela Merkel, and give his thoughts on which direction the country might head next now that she is stepping down in September. Stefan Danziger is one of the premier come ... Show More
1h 7m
May 2024
[Europa 2024] L'Europe est-elle trop libérale?
À l'heure où chaque traité de libre-échange est vécu comme une menace pour les citoyens, où les États-Unis de Joe Biden jouent la carte du protectionnisme et de la réindustrialisation, où se situe l'Europe? Elle reste dépendante du monde entier, en particulier la Chine. Comment a ... Show More
33m 48s
Apr 2024
Preparing for war: Is Europe getting ready?
The war in Ukraine has increased tensions in Europe as governments across the continent look to secure a peaceful existence. Expanding military service, increasing defence spending and joining Nato are only a few options available. But the importance of self-defence becomes clear ... Show More
24m 21s
May 2022
Litkai Gergely: Hungary Caught Between Russian Oil & EU Money I 270
Hungarian comedy legend Litkai Gergely joins us to explain the rise and reign of Hungarian strong-man Prime Minister Viktor Orban. PM Orban was just reelected in April to a third 4-year term, although he currently finds himself on shakier ground than ever as he can't survive ... Show More
1h 14m
Apr 2020
Europe: The final countdown
In our latest episode of Marxist Voice, we're joined by Josh Holroyd - of the Socialist Appeal editorial board - to discuss the national tensions that are rising between the different European Union member states. How much longer can the European project survive? Will the liberal ... Show More
38m 45s
May 2023
New Podcast: These Times
UnHerd political editor Tom McTague and Cambridge professor Helen Thompson team up to investigate the history of today’s politics — and what it means for our future. Each week they will explore the great forces, ideas and events that led us to where we are, whether in Britain, th ... Show More
52s
May 2018
Netta Barzilai & Eurovision 2018?
Today’s episode begins with the FINAL Most Markleous Headline of the Week and transitions into a VERY LONG SEGMENT ENTIRELY ABOUT THE WHOIEST ANNUAL SINGING SHOW ON THE PLANET: EUROVISION. YES: Lindsey and Bobby flew to Portugal to attend. NO: This isn’t spon. YES: There’s also a ... Show More
53m 24s