Get it on Google Play

Hungary's plight, kids' rights, and Spargelzeit

Hungary's plight, kids' rights, and Spargelzeit

Author: Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer May 29, 2025 Duration: 56:59
The Europeans | European news, politics and culture
NewsCultureSocietySociety & Culture

Asparagus, lesbian family rights and Viktor Orbán’s latest power plays: like all good meals, this podcast episode is perfectly balanced. German food writer Ursula Heinzelmann joins us to explain the ‘Spargelzeit’ phenomenon that sees foodies going nutty for asparagus at this time of year. We’re also taking a look at LGBTQ rights in Italy and unpacking the Hungarian government’s plans to ‘starve and strangle’ civil society. Can Orbán be stopped?

 

You can find out more about Ursula’s work on her website and follow her on Instagram here.

 

Thanks for listening. If you have any spare cash this week, please consider donating to Hungarian civil society groups and independent media outlets before the planned passing of the ‘starve and strangle’ law in mid-June. UNITED for Intercultural Action, the NGO run by our former guest Philip Pollák, would be extremely grateful for your donations; you can also donate to any of the organisations on this list of Hungarian NGOs (get in touch if you have ideas of organisations to add to this list).

 

Still got some spare cash? If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting our work. You can chip in to help us cover the weekly research and production of The Europeans at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (many currencies are available), or gift a donation to a super fan here. We'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast!

 

This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus, the leading radio network for EU news.

 

This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: Rita Payés’ Tiny Desk Concert and CMAT.

 

Other resources for this episode:

 

The Convention on the Rights of the Child - United Nations, November 20, 1989

 

Sentenza 68/2025 (Italy’s constitutional court ruling on lesbian couples and IVF) - Corte Constituzionale - May 22, 2025

 

‘A Threat to the Core: Why the New Hungarian Transparency Bill is an Attack on the Foundations of the European Union’ - Verfassungsblog, May 21, 2025

 

00:46 The Europeans: Pouring asparagus straight into your ears

02:49 Good Week: Lesbian mothers in Italy

12:47 Bad Week: Hungary's 'starve and strangle' law

37:10 Interview: Ursula Heinzelmann on the magic of Spargelzeit

49:58 The Inspiration Station: Rita Payés and CMAT

54:10 Happy Ending: Portugal's clever teen media strategy


Producer: Morgan Childs
Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak
Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina

YouTube | Bluesky | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | hello@europeanspodcast.com


Every week, Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer sit down to untangle the stories shaping the continent, moving beyond the headlines to find the human threads within European news, politics, and culture. Their conversations feel like joining two well-informed friends who are genuinely curious, offering clarity on complex political shifts in Brussels one moment and diving into a compelling film from Berlin or a novel from Lisbon the next. This isn't about dry analysis; it's about understanding the forces that define daily life from Dublin to Sofia. In this The Europeans podcast, you'll hear interviews with policymakers, artists, and everyday people, all contributing to a richer, more nuanced picture of a region in constant motion. The tone is engaging and accessible, designed for anyone who feels that Europe's narrative is too often reduced to stereotypes or institutional jargon. By weaving together current affairs with deeper cultural trends, each episode builds a more complete and surprisingly relatable portrait. If you've ever wanted to feel more connected to the ideas and debates circulating across the Channel and beyond, this is a consistent and thoughtful guide.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Official website RSS
instagramyoutubespotifypatreon
The Europeans | European news, politics and culture
Podcast Episodes
Small Ex-Soviet Satellite State My Ass [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:24
This week, we're heading to a small country with a big bold foreign policy. Czechia, aka the Czech Republic, has won international praise by negotiating a desperately-needed ammunition deal for Ukraine. Why did it succee…
The Portuguese Constitution Is Delicious [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:33
Scandal-hit Socialists, a surging far-right, and winners that no one can get excited about — Portugal has just delivered some of this year's trickiest European election results. This week, we ring Politico reporter Aitor…
YOLO, Swiss pensioners [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:25
This week: two referendums and some dodgy criminal reforms. We're talking about Swiss voters' decision to treat themselves to bigger pensions, and Slovakia's battle to stop cronyism under populist prime minister Robert F…
Army Boots [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 14:00
In February 2022, as Russian tanks rolled across the border, the writer and historian Olesya Khromeychuk told us the story of the boots she had bought for her brother, serving at the front in eastern Ukraine. This week,…
Orbán’s biggest crisis? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 39:29
Hungary has seen its biggest anti-government protests in years over the past couple of weeks. But just how dangerous is this moment for Viktor Orbán? This week our favourite Hungarysplainer Viktória Serdült joins us to d…
Two Parallel Polands [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:40
Poland's rightwing populists are finally out of power. But what happens now? This week, our producer Wojciech Oleksiak and Warsaw-based journalist Claudia Ciobanu join us to explain why restoring Polish democracy is easi…
Toxic air and toxic politicians [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:01
Last weekend, Parisians voted to triple parking fees for SUVs in a bid to remove some of the city's more polluting vehicles. It's just one of many policy ideas that are being tested out in European cities to clean up the…
Why are Europe’s farmers so angry? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:41
From France to Romania, Germany to Bulgaria, angry farmers have been blocking the roads. What's behind this wave of agricultural protests across the continent? This week we're getting to grips with the policies behind th…
What actually happens to Europe’s recycling? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:06
A lot of us are pretty diligent when it comes to throwing our plastic into the dedicated bin. But how much of that stuff actually gets recycled? This week we're digging into the truth behind Europe's trash with Nico Schm…

«1...678910