Why is it so hard to fix Kosovo's problems?

Last week, dozens of NATO peacekeepers were injured after violent protests broke out in northern Kosovo. What is going on, and why do Kosovo's problems seem so hard to fix? This week we dig into the deeper context behind the unrest with political analyst Agon Maliqi. We're also talking about why much of Europe is antsy about who's going to be steering the EU next year, and a bizarre dispute in the art world.

Read More
Romania, Spain RTiiiKA Romania, Spain RTiiiKA

Europe's place in outer space

The last time we interviewed the physicist Meganne Christian, she was working on the French-Italian research base on Antarctica. Now she has her eye on outer space. We ring her up to find out more about her new life as a reserve astronaut for the European Space Agency, and Europe's role in the new commercial space era. We're also talking about Pedro Sánchez's Spanish election gamble and a hopeful court verdict for same-sex Romanian couples.

Read More
Switzerland RTiiiKA Switzerland RTiiiKA

The biggest climate case that ever was

We usually see young people as the face of climate activism. This week, 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.

Read More
Turkey, Ukraine, Germany RTiiiKA Turkey, Ukraine, Germany RTiiiKA

The naughty child of NATO?

We've been glued to the Turkish elections over the past week. But what does Recep Tayyip Erdoğan's victory in the first round mean for the country, and for Europe as a whole? This week we ring up political scientist Ahmet Erdi Öztürk to find out. We're also talking about a big boost in Germany's support for Ukraine, a fake tan controversy, and the teeny tiny bridge behind the Mona Lisa.

Read More
European Union, France, Lithuania RTiiiKA European Union, France, Lithuania RTiiiKA

Eurovision vs. The Champions League

This week is a bonanza for fans of Europe's two favourite competitions: the Champions League football tournament and the Eurovision Song Contest. Both are held up as events that bring Europeans together, but which one does the job better? This week we aim to settle the debate once and for all with a face-off between sports commentator Barbara Barend and Eurovision historian Dean Vuletic. We're also talking about a €300-million EU pension black hole and France's first rap awards.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

Brussels, that well-known comedy goldmine

The EU is a lot of things. But is it funny? And would Europe be a better place if we *could* find it funny? This week we're talking to Lise Witteman, one of the co-founders of live comedy show The Schuman Show, about finding humour in the Brussels machine. We're also talking about Pope Francis' face-off with Viktor Orbán and the Italian tourism campaign that spawned a thousand memes.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

How racial bias is messing with DNA research

Mapping our genes has already allowed humanity to make huge strides in medicine. But the vast majority of the genomes we’ve decoded are those of people of white European heritage. Why is that a problem, and how do we fix it? This week we talk to the Nigerian geneticist Segun Fatumo about fixing the genome gap. We’re also talking about Andalucía’s bid to protect flamenco, and why Europe’s most powerful media mogul is in hot water.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

Libraries: the safest spaces we have?

What comes to mind when you imagine a library? Rows of books, probably. But across the continent, libraries are transforming into places that serve communities in all sorts of other ways. This week we hear from two very different libraries about how they're doing just that: Bojana Grujic of the Novi Sad City Library in Serbia and Myrto Tsilimpounidi from the Feminist Library at the Feminist Autonomous Centre in Athens. We're also talking about the fallout from Macron's trip to China, the international fight against Hungary's homophobic law, and the hallucinogenic adventures of early Europeans.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

The great investment greenwash

Trillions of euros — trillions! — are currently invested in 'sustainable' investment funds across Europe. But how green really are these funds? This week we ring up El País journalist Daniele Grasso, part of the international team of reporters behind the Great Green Investment Investigation, to find out. We're also talking about Sanna Marin's defeat, Italy's move to ban ChatGPT, and courgette flowers.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

Suspicion machines and combustion engines

If you've claimed welfare benefits in Europe lately, there's a decent chance that authorities have used an algorithm to assess whether you might be trying to scam the system. The problem? All kinds of discrimination are baked into these calculations. This week we speak to Gabriel Geiger, one of the journalists behind an international investigation into these ‘suspicion machines’. We’re also looking back at a week of highs and lows for Europe’s climate policy, and celebrating Pompeii’s fluffy new recruits.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

Why would you flood a forest?

Last year, conservationists deliberately flooded a Slovakian forest. Why would you do such a thing? This week we ring up the co-founder of one of the organisations behind the project, Duarte de Zoeten of Mossy Earth, to find out. We're also talking about Italy's rainbow families, a kind-of-sort-of deal between Kosovo and Serbia, and Europe's first wild river national park.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

What is Putin up to in Moldova?

There've been a bunch of worrying reports from Moldova in recent weeks, from claims that Russia is fuelling street protests to fears of a coup d'etat. What exactly is going on, and what does Moscow have to do with it? This week we speak to Ivana Stradner, a specialist in Russian information warfare, to try to get to grips with Putin's strategy in the wider region. We're also talking about a teenager who may or may not have set up a non-existent airline, and what makes Swiss chocolate Swiss.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

So Nearly A Eurovision Hit

We're deep into the selection process for the world's most ridiculous music competition, with artists across the continent vying to be chosen as their nation's Eurovision entry. But what happens to the songs that don't actually make it to the contest? This week we've got a joyful interview with Monty Moncrieff, whose podcast Second Cherry gives some love to the nearly-Eurovision hits that still deserve a listen. We're also talking about Elly Schlein, Italy's new leader on the left, and an eyebrow-raising decision by Malta's prison service.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

Valeria

An overnight career change. Switching the language you love in. This week, how war transforms your life in ways you’d never expect.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

Spies, wolves and taxes

There's been a steady drip-drip of revelations for months now that an alarming number of people in Greece have had their phones tapped. Who is behind this mass snooping, and why are they doing it? This week we call up our favourite Greek-splainer Nick Malkoutzis to unravel a complicated scandal. We're also talking about oil and gas companies' bonanza profits, and the wolf that killed Ursula von der Leyen's pony.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

Germany's Gonna Germany

Germany’s government has faced international criticism in recent weeks for dithering over whether or not to send tanks to Ukraine. The Leopard 2s are finally on their way — but why is Europe’s richest country so reluctant to look like a military leader? This week we’re diving into the psychology of Germany’s foreign policy with Sophia Besch, Europe fellow at the Carnegie Endowment. We’re also talking about Czechia’s anti-populist new president, and a bitter row over wine labels.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

The dark side of fine dining

When legendary Copenhagen restaurant Noma announced that it's planning to close its doors, its star chef René Redzepi said that producing his kind of elite cuisine had become 'unsustainable'. The restaurant, and others like it, have faced vocal criticism over working practices ranging from exploitative unpaid internships to gruelling 16-hour days. This week we speak to Lisa Lind Dunbar, an industry veteran and critic of Denmark's restaurant working culture, to try to understand how fine dining went so wrong. We're also talking about Polish bison, why Turkey is blocking Sweden's NATO bid, and the Irish president's vision of a blissfully homework-free childhood.

Read More
Cyprus RTiiiKA Cyprus RTiiiKA

Andrea

This week, a story about being incredibly sure you’re right about something, and then realising you weren’t. We’re heading to Cyprus for the latest instalment of our award-winning mini-series This Is What A Generation Sounds Like.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

Merry Christmas And A Penis Morning To You

It's our final episode of 2022! This week we're getting into the festive spirit with Berlin-based historian Kathrin Schwarz, creator of an entire series of Christmassy European podcasts. We're also talking about Belgium's Sinterklaas postal failure, and why a 1970s Eurovision hit has gone viral in Ukraine.

Read More
RTiiiKA RTiiiKA

The Surprising Queer History of Poland

In 1932, Poland became one of the first countries in Europe to decriminalise homosexuality; today it's one of the most hostile on the continent when it comes to LGBTQ rights. This week historian Kamil Karczewski joins us to discuss Poland's little-known history as a queer pioneer, and what has changed since. We're also talking about France's crackdown on domestic flights and Ireland's amazingly successful experiment with the four-day week. Oh, and we pay a visit to the EU metaverse, so that you don't have to.

Read More