Inside Europe

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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100 episodes
Updated Thursday
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Episodes100

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March 23 · 17 min
Extendend interview: Dr Roham Alvandi on Iran, Britain, and the futures that might have been
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.
March 19 · 54 min
Iranian history and the future that might have been
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
March 12 · 54 min
Sirens on Cyprus: how war is reawakening the island's past traumas
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.
March 5 · 55 min
Trump-Sanchez spat tests European unity
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.
February 26 · 54 min
President Erdogan, let our colleague go!
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.
February 20 · 54 min
More trouble for UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer?
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
February 12 · 55 min
Why did 15 migrants die in Greece — again?
What happened off the Greek island of Chios, the war crime trial of former Kosovo president Hashim Thaci, and new Danish conscription rules. Then: the downfall of France's Jack Lang, Norway's ambitious agritech sector, Slovakia's embattled LGBTQ+ community, an inclusive swimming club in Madrid, and why British pubs are struggling — even after Dry January is over. + https://shorturl.at/pTbvF +?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss
February 5 · 55 min
Epstein, the British lord and the Norwegian princess
The verdict against German anti-fascist Maja T, Epstein's connections across Europe, and repression of Islam in Russia. Then: high tensions in the High North, the human rights music project Daughters of Donbas – Songs of Stolen Children, and Slovenian ski jumpers in the Winter Olympics.
January 29 · 55 min
Are Greenlanders watching Trump's ICE raids?
How the US shifted from Greenland’s natural partner to its most feared would-be colonizer — and why the American far right is now a liability for Europe’s. Plus: pre-election Hungary, the retrial in the Ján Kuciak murder, Serbia’s oil troubles, and a portrait of Austro-Mexican artist Tamara Flores.
January 22 · 55 min
Trump’s U-turn: What happened in Davos?
All eyes on Davos: Inside Europe's security and business correspondents take you through what happened at the World Economic Forum and what it all means, followed by a talk with human rights lawyer Wayne Jordash KC on Ukraine. Then: VAT fraud in Slovakia, Norwegian robots fighting isolation in schools, Winter Olympics preparations in Italy, and France's unlikely Catholic revival.
January 15 · 55 min
Could EU membership help save Greenland?
The case for EU membership for Greenland, why the exodus of Syrians from Turkey is a headache for businesses, and religion versus modernity in the Western Isles. Then: Nokia's comeback, an all-female Renaissance ensemble, and a profile of the young disability advocate fighting for more rights in Poland. + EU membership for Greenland Op-ed https://shorturl.at/eCwRb + ?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss
January 8 · 55 min
Anatomy of a black-out: five days that rocked Berlin
How is Europe handling Trump's renewed threats against Greenland and who is behind Berlin's five-day power outage? Then: A preview of Oulu's 2026 Capital of Culture program, the work of a young Ukrainian and member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, a visit to the new Byron museum in Italy, and the strange case of the Greek monks illegally occupying a mountain monastery.
January 1 · 55 min
Climate jokes and a world of transport
We’re still on our winter break, but whilst we’re away - here’s a treat we’ve been saving up for you: a Living Planet episode all about climate humour, plus a journey through the marvelous world of transportation, courtesy of our partners at GBH and PRX's The World podcast.
Dec 25, 2025 · 54 min
The magical world of fungi
This Living Planet takeover will take you on a magical journey into the world of fungi, the largely invisible organisms that are essential for our ecosystems but can also be dangerous. Then: How Norway has built a reputation as a climate leader while investing more than ever in its oil and gas industry.
Dec 18, 2025 · 54 min
How Gen Z toppled the Bulgarian government
How Gen Z-led protests toppled the Bulgarian government, a close look at Denmark's hardline asylum policies, and what should be done about the Dutch housing crisis. Then: A Scottish island castle for sale, Vilnius' bid to become Europe's biggest start-up hub, exhumations of political prisoners in Prague, and how the French Post Office tries to stay relevant.
Dec 11, 2025 · 54 min
European human rights under attack
The Netherlands honors international human rights defenders, whilst the Council of Europe moves to weaken the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights. Then: the Dayton Peace Agreement at 30, and the 22-year-old tackling medical inequality one skin-pic at a time. + skinforall.co.uk +
Dec 4, 2025 · 55 min
Spain's radically different migration approach
Spain's radically different approach to migration, how Norway is taking the fun out of gambling and a rare glimpse into an Italian prison amid a push to reform. Then: the brutal murder of journalist and environmental defender Hakan Tosun, NVIDIA's new AI hub in Armenia, and our first Age is Just a Number profile, featuring Lefteris Arapakis – a man on a mission to clean up the Mediterranean.
Nov 27, 2025 · 55 min
Talk of peace, preparation for war
Europe responds with caution to the latest peace-push in Ukraine. We’ll be looking at the EU’s military mobility plans and what Ukraine can teach Europe about total defence. Also on the show: Sir Nicholas Winton and the Kindertransport, the second coming of Milorad Dodik, Turkey's Balkans ambitions and fast-fashion vs wooly jumpers.
Nov 20, 2025 · 54 min
Ambitious climate targets, but what's the plan?
We zoom in on the EU's newly announced emissions reduction targets and two lithium mine projects in Serbia and Portugal facing tough resistance. Then: the battle of olive farmers against solar parks in Spain, the role of Greenland's glaciers in a crucial tipping point, and a trip to the first ever Venice Noir Festival.
Nov 13, 2025 · 54 min
Three stories at the intersection between defense and climate security
The sanctions loophole allowing EU countries to import Russian LNG, the climate knowledge gap left by war, and the EU’s largest rare-earth magnet factory… right on Estonia’s Russian border. Later: inter-European high-speed rail travel, reducing the carbon footprint of cement, French reforestation and UK wine. + LNG report https://shorturl.at/nj93t + Cement report https://shorturl.at/qeXYY + ?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss