The decision of French president Emmanuel Macron to call for snap elections on 30 June and 7 July took everyone by surprise and exposed the weaknesses of his political brand. From far-right Rassemblement National’s lead in the polls, to the collapse of the country’s mainstream right party Les Republicains and unexpected unity of the usually fractious left - these legislative elections could mark a historic turn in French politics. In this episode we make sense of the political quagmire that Macron’s call has sent the French political system into, and chronicle the different episodes of this unfolding psychodrama. To help us make sense of Macron’s move and its consequences, we talked with Marta Lorimer, a lecturer in politics at Cardiff University.Meanwhile in Europe is a weekly podcast from The European Correspondent, hosted and produced by Vlad Iavita and Charles Cohen. The podcast aims to break down complex European stories and make sense of where our continent is headed next. Executive production by Viktorya Muradyan and Julius E. O. Fintelmann. The European Correspondent, established in 2022, is a community-funded digital media organisation dedicated to reporting the stories that have an impact across borders. With a network of more than 170 journalists and media makers spanning the continent, the fully remote newsdesk delivers a daily newsletter curated by local journalists from every European country. Sign up for The European Correspondent's newsletter here.

While the European elections did not bring the continent-wide far-right tidal wave some were expecting, far-right parties have emerged more powerful in many member states as the number of liberal-centrist seats has shrunk. Since election season is over, let's discuss how we can encourage politicians to be accountable to their voters beyond the campaign period. This new European Parliament will be around until 2029, so it's a great time to share some tools you could use to make your voice heard and push for policies you believe in during the next mandate.Following some insights from our editorial director, Julius E. O. Fintelmann, who was reporting from the European Parliament when the first results came in on Sunday evening, we talk with María Rodríguez Alcázar, the outgoing president of the European Youth Forum, on how young generations can advocate for a cause and turn their activism into tangible policies.The European Youth Forum Advocacy Handbook, mentioned in the podcast, is available here.Meanwhile in Europe is a weekly podcast from The European Correspondent, hosted and produced by Vlad Iavita and Charles Cohen. The podcast aims to break down complex European stories and make sense of where our continent is headed next. Executive production by Viktorya Muradyan and Julius E. O. Fintelmann. The European Correspondent, established in 2022, is a community-funded digital media organisation dedicated to reporting the stories that have an impact across borders. With a network of more than 170 journalists and media makers spanning the continent, the fully remote newsdesk delivers a daily newsletter curated by local journalists from every European country. Sign up for The European Correspondent's newsletter here.

Far-right parties are expected to win big in these European elections, possibly achieving the best result since the formation of the EU. While the rise of the far-right in Europe is not breaking news, we need to make sense of its tactics, strategies, and how they impact EU policymaking. We talk with political analyst Catherine Fieschi about the essence of the far-right and populism, as well as about what is at stake in these elections. We then zoom into different member states with successful populist parties to take the pulse of the debate at the end of this campaign, with three of our correspondents: Nathan Domon in the Netherlands, Tamara Kanuchová in Slovakia, and Amélie Reichmuth in Sweden. Meanwhile in Europe is a weekly podcast from The European Correspondent, hosted and produced by Vlad Iavita and Charles Cohen. The podcast aims to break down complex European stories and make sense of where our continent is headed next. Executive production by Viktorya Muradyan and Julius E. O. Fintelmann. The European Correspondent, established in 2022, is a community-funded digital media organisation dedicated to reporting the stories that have an impact across borders. With a network of more than 170 journalists and media makers spanning the continent, the fully remote newsdesk delivers a daily newsletter curated by local journalists from every European country. Sign up for The European Correspondent's newsletter here.

Six months in, the pro-European government in Poland seems to be making progress on its reform programme: billions of euros from the EU are flowing in again, and Donald Tusk’s cabinet is actively working on dismantling the political capture of the justice system. On key social issues, though, the Polish government seems stuck on making good on its campaign pledges. On-demand abortion was supposed to be legalised within the first 100 days in government, while same-sex couples were promised immediate legal recognition. In this episode, we are talking with activists who have tirelessly championed these issues over the past years, ensuring they remain on the agenda. Now, they are keeping a close eye on the new government to make sure that their promises are respected. Our guests are Marta Lempart, co-founder of Strajk Kobiet (Women’s Strike), and Miłosz Przepiórkowski, board president at Lambda Warszawa, Poland's oldest operating LGBTQ+ rights association.This podcast was first published on 29 May 2024.Meanwhile in Europe is a weekly podcast from The European Correspondent, hosted and produced by Vlad Iavita and Charles Cohen. The podcast aims to break down complex European stories and make sense of where our continent is headed next. Executive production by Viktorya Muradyan and Julius E. O. Fintelmann. The European Correspondent, established in 2022, is a community-funded digital media organisation dedicated to reporting the stories that have an impact across borders. With a network of more than 170 journalists and media makers spanning the continent, the fully remote newsdesk delivers a daily newsletter curated by local journalists from every European country. Sign up for The European Correspondent's newsletter here.

Have you ever wondered why most of what you see in your local cinema comes from Hollywood? When was the last time you saw a movie from Spain or Hungary? As the Cannes Film Festival wraps up on Saturday, we are looking at where European cinema is today. Can productions from Europe ever become as commercially successful as US ones? Are streaming platforms influencing us and what we choose to watch? Is all European cinema art, and how can the cinema industry better promote commercial European films?To answer all these questions, we are talking to Christopher Meir, a professor at the Department of Journalism and Audiovisual Communication of Universidad Carlos III in Madrid.Meanwhile in Europe is a weekly podcast from The European Correspondent, hosted and produced by Vlad Iavita and Charles Cohen. The podcast aims to break down complex European stories and make sense of where our continent is headed next. Executive production by Viktorya Muradyan and Julius E. O. Fintelmann. The European Correspondent, established in 2022, is a community-funded digital media organisation dedicated to reporting the stories that have an impact across borders. With a network of more than 170 journalists and media makers spanning the continent, the fully remote newsdesk delivers a daily newsletter curated by local journalists from every European country. Sign up for The European Correspondent's newsletter here.

The Russian advances in Ukraine are forcing European leaders to reckon with difficult questions about their countries’ ability to support Kyiv – and even defend themselves. Meanwhile, the EU is dipping its toes into military territory by attempting to bring its member states together to produce more ammunition, faster than ever before. To better understand the challenges that we in Europe have to reckon with, we will talk with two former ministers and MEPs who have been involved in shaping EU security and defence policy in the past years: French MEP Nathalie Loiseau from the Renew Europe Group and Lithuanian MEP Rasa Juknevičienė from European People’s Party.This podcast was first published on 14 May 2024. Meanwhile in Europe is a weekly podcast from The European Correspondent, hosted and produced by Vlad Iavita and Charles Cohen. The podcast aims to break down complex European stories and make sense of where our continent is headed next. Executive production by Viktorya Muradyan and Julius E. O. Fintelmann. The European Correspondent, established in 2022, is a community-funded digital media organisation dedicated to reporting the stories that have an impact across borders. With a network of more than 170 journalists and media makers spanning the continent, the fully remote newsdesk delivers a daily newsletter curated by local journalists from every European country. Sign up for The European Correspondent's newsletter here.