Show Notes
This week, we’re attempting to solve some tricky problems. How can the EU tackle the ballooning housing crisis? Can we revive a cinema industry on death’s door? And how on earth can we get bureaucrats to communicate like human people in order to really, truly get something done? We’re unpacking plans for a new Affordable Housing Act and Macron’s attempt to save le cinéma, and we’re also getting an exclusive from the EU’s Directorate General of Memes, Satire, and Sober Fun, a.k.a. Fabio Mauri, the meme-maker who loves nothing more than to poke fun at Europe’s policymakers on Twitter and Instagram. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, et cetera.
GET IN ON THE ACTION. Don’t just listen – get in on the fun! Did you know that just a small monthly donation to The Europeans helps us keep the good time rolling? AND… Did you know that that small monthly donation comes with cool perks? So much fun! Check us out at patreon.com/europeanspodcast and see what’s cookin’. You can also make a donation via our website.
This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are the participatory art performance Make Noise taking place in Amsterdam this weekend (with thanks to the Belarusian poet Hanna Komar for calling it to our attention) and the European Citizens’ Initiative Right to Housing! Now and Forever.
Resources for this episode: “Macron rallies to save the movies, imperiled by free platforms and generative AI” – Le Monde, 9 September 2026 “French Box Office Surges Nearly 20% in First Half of 2026 as Local Films and Hollywood Hits Drive Recovery” – Variety, 10 July 2026 “Malgré une année en demi-teinte avec près de 157 millions d’entrées dans ses salles de cinéma, la France demeure largement le premier marché européen” – Centre national du cinéma et de l'image animée, 30 December 2025 “The European Affordable Housing Plan” – The European Commission “Affordable Housing Act: European hosts need legal certainty too” – Airbnb, 9 September 2026 Katz Laszlo’s reporting on Europe’s housing policies from our mini-series “Who Does It Best?” “Swimming pigs draw tourists to Greek island” – France 24, 11 September 2026 Adorable swimming piglets via @trident_boats
Co-hosts: Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer Producers: Katy Lee and Morgan Childs Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina Intern: Inês Ruivo
The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg.
Substack | Instagram | Mastodon | Bluesky | YouTube | [email protected]
More from The Europeans | European news, politics and culture
Europe is getting bigger, and so, it seems, are its problems. This week, Katy gives us a report from her home country of France, which for weeks has been embroiled in protests, some of which have brought significant destruction to French buildings and businesses. What began as a series of student demonstrations in early September has grown into a movement that has captured France’s growing anger over its government and the cost of living – grievances that are being echoed in similar protests across many other European countries as well.
Europe is in chaos, but we’re here to talk about it all, as long as the wifi holds out! This week, we’re chatting about Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s call for a snap election in light of his country’s recent housing demonstrations and a host of other controversies roiling Madrid. Please note: this podcast was recorded before news broke on Wednesday night of the death of Maricarmen Abascal, the 87-year-old whose eviction sparked Spain’s massive housing protests.
When it comes to the future of AI, we – like seemingly everyone else – have way more questions than answers. Could European legislation do anything to protect us from job losses and “rogue” models? Can the chatbots created on this continent compete with those being developed by the US and China? What would it mean to win (or lose) the “AI race”? And most importantly: how doomed are we?
When it comes to envisioning the future, what’s your type? The Positive? The Negative? The Uncertain? The Disconnected? No, these aren’t characters in a pop group or a teen movie – they’re the four ways of imagining a European future. So says Paweł Zerka of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a three-peat guest and true Friend of the Podcast. Paweł is back once more to walk us through this year’s European Sentiment Compass, “Future Nostalgia: Europe’s Unfinished Song”. Come for the Dua Lipa reference, stay because you’re a polling nerd like the rest of us. We’re also talking about British lawmakers’ quest to figure out why the UK does quite so badly at Eurovision and what the seizure of Nestlé and Auchan’s Russian assets says about the Kremlin’s finances.
Last week, tech giant Meta reached a settlement in a lawsuit with nearly every state in the US over claims that it had knowingly harmed children with its addictive apps. It was a major turn of events in the growing movement to protect kids online – but what does it mean for those of us on this side of the Atlantic? This week, we’re bringing you a fascinating chat with Leanda Barrington-Leach, the executive director at 5Rights, an international NGO that seeks to protect children’s rights and wellbeing on the internet. We’re also unpicking the CIA chief’s visit to Moscow and the surprisingly effective tariff placed on small parcels from China.