Do you also have a Monstera in your living room?

Ten years on, can we talk about 'the B word'?

Long-time listeners will know that in the early days of The Europeans, we had a semi-official ban on talking about a certain topic: Brexit, or as we liked to call it, ‘the B word’. A whole decade after the UK’s seismic referendum vote to leave the EU, have Katy and Dominic made their peace with the split? What kind of damage has it done, and is there any chance that it might one day be reversed? This week, with the help of some of our listeners, we’re facing the B word head on. We also hear from someone whose experience mirrors that of our British-born, EU-dwelling hosts: Polish-born Londoner Piotr Cieplak, a writer, film-maker and academic. We chat to Piotr about his experience as an Eastern European in the UK, and why he decided to set his debut novel during the heady days of the referendum. Piotr’s novel Zofia Nowak’s Book of Superior Detecting [https://www.piotrcieplak.com/copy-of-familiar-faces] is out in paperback on 25 June and available to pre-order now. FREE TONIGHT? COME HANG OUT WITH US! We’re holding our first ever Office Hour tonight (Thursday 18 June) at 9pm CET. Commune with us in silence about Brexit or ask 15 different questions, it’s up to you. Access is open to all listeners, not just subscribers. We’ll post a link on our website and all our social media channels an hour before the event. This week’s Inspiration Station picks are Middle England [https://jonathancoewriter.com/book/middle-england/] by Jonathan Coe and Autumn [https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/285171/autumn-by-smith-ali/9780241973318] by Ali Smith. GOT A FAVOURITE SUMMER TUNE? Contribute to our Summer Playlist! We’re looking for uplifting songs from across the continent, especially from lesser-known artists who sing in less widely spoken languages. Send your picks to hello@europeanspodcast.com [hello@europeanspodcast.com] or @europeanspodcast on Instagram/Mastodon. Resources for this episode: * “Waking up to Brexit [https://correspondent.afp.com/waking-brexit]” – Katy’s blog post from the morning after the referendum, Agence France-Presse (AFP), 24 June 2017 * “How Brexit has made Britain poorer – in charts [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jun/14/how-uk-economy-changed-since-brexit-vote-charts#:~:text=Brexit%20has%20left%20the%20UK,8%25%20smaller%20than%20other%20countries&text=Based%20on%20performance%20relative%20to,gap%20in%20output%20opened%20up]” – The Guardian, 14 June 2026 * “Measuring Brexit’s Economic Toll on the United Kingdom [https://www.nber.org/digest/202602/measuring-brexits-economic-toll-united-kingdom?page=1&perPage=50]” - US National Bureau of Economic Research * “To rejoin the EU, the UK must first understand it [https://timothygartonash.substack.com/p/to-rejoin-the-eu-the-uk-must-first]” – Timothy Garton Ash on Substack, 17 June 2026 This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus [https://euranetplus-inside.eu/], the leading radio network for EU news. But it’s contributions from listeners that truly make it all possible—we could not continue to make the show without you! If you like what we do, you can chip in to help us cover our production costs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast [http://patreon.com/europeanspodcast]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (in many different currencies), or you can gift a donation to a superfan. You can also donate via our website [https://www.europeanspodcast.com/support-us] if you prefer. And finally: we'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number. Produced by Monika Proba, Wojciech Oleksiak and Katy Lee Mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne and Mariska Martina The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg [https://hindenburg.com/]. YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@europeanspodcast] | Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/europeanspod.bsky.social] | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/europeanspodcast/] | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://mastodon.social/@europeanspodcast] | Substack [https://europeanspodcast.substack.com/] | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Every @#$%ing quirk of the English language

After a triggering event we’re calling Legislativegate, producer Wojciech has a bone to pick with the English language and all of its irregularities. This week, Katy arranges a therapy session for Wojciech with Rob Watts, the Berlin-based host of the wildly popular YouTube channel RobWords, to discuss the peculiarities of the English language and the joys of being a “word nerd”. We’re also talking about Nikol Pashinyan’s ✨pivotal✨win in Armenia’s election, and whether or not we can forgive Dua Lipa for her Sicilian destination wedding. GOT A HOT TAKE ABOUT BREXIT? If you have a personal experience to share for our next episode, or just something (Brexit-related!) to get off your chest, we want to hear from you. Record a voice memo at your earliest convenience and send it to hello@europeanspodcast.com [hello@europeanspodcast.com]. JOIN OUR FIRST-EVER OFFICE HOUR! Next week, come hang out with Katy and Dominic, have a friendly chat, ask questions, and get to know a few more members of the Europeans family. You don’t even have to be a Patreon member to join. The first Office Hour is 18 June at 9pm CET, and you’ll find a link to join the call on our website and all our social media channels an hour before the event. This week in the Inspiration Station, listener Federico recommended the Free Refugee Week Film Festival [https://refugeeweek.org/free-refugee-week-2026-film-festival/]. Contribute to the EUROPEANS SUMMER PLAYLIST! We’re rounding up our favorite tracks that keep the summery vibes going in dozens of languages from across the continent. Special credit will go to songs by lesser-known artists that aren’t in Europe’s most widely spoken languages. Send your picks to hello@europeanspodcast.com [hello@europeanspodcast.com] or @europeanspodcast on Instagram/Mastodon. Resources for this episode: * Macron’s recent jam session with Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-9A2jqEDuM] * Our inaugural book club podcast (just as good as Dua Lipa’s) [https://www.europeanspodcast.com/all-episodes/do-you-also-have-a-monstera-in-your-living-room] * RobWords on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@RobWords/featured] and his podcast Words Unravelled [https://audioboom.com/channels/5128892-words-unravelled-with-robwords-and-jess-zafarris] * RobWords Live [https://www.edfringe.com/tickets/whats-on/robwords-live] at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival * “The Chaos” [https://ncf.idallen.com/english.html] (poem) by Gerard Nolst Trenité * Investigation suggesting Karapetyan had ties to Russia’s FSB [https://oc-media.org/investigation-suggests-karapetyan-had-ties-to-russias-fsb/] * EVN Report [https://evnreport.com/elections/armenia-votes-2026-live-updates/] – a great news source for anyone who wants to stay up to date with the Armenian election. This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus [https://euranetplus-inside.eu/], the leading radio network for EU news. But it’s contributions from listeners that truly make it all possible—we could not continue to make the show without you! If you like what we do, you can chip in to help us cover our production costs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast [http://patreon.com/europeanspodcast]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (in many different currencies), or you can gift a donation to a superfan. You can also donate via our website [https://www.europeanspodcast.com/support-us] if you prefer. And finally: we'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number. Co-hosts: Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Produced by Morgan Childs Mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne and Mariska Martina The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg [https://hindenburg.com/]. YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@europeanspodcast] | Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/europeanspod.bsky.social] | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/europeanspodcast/] | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://mastodon.social/@europeanspodcast] | Substack [https://europeanspodcast.substack.com/] | hello@europeanspodcast.com

The world's funniest superstate?

The European Union is many things: an economic powerhouse, an improbably successful peace project, or a bureaucratic hellscape, depending on who you ask. Most people would probably agree on one thing that it isn’t: funny. So when Susanna Kierkegaard set out to write Sweden’s first genuinely entertaining book about the EU, many might have dismissed the idea as a fool’s errand. And yet she has somehow pulled it off. This week, we call up Susanna to share some of the best bits from her book Superstaten : EU och framtiden [https://arenaide.se/bocker/superstaten-eu-och-framtiden/], from the MEP who expensed 250 kilograms of chocolate to the Italian whose unpaid electricity bills changed the course of European law. Susanna is a columnist for Aftonbladet. You can read her work here [https://www.aftonbladet.se/av/susanna-kierkegaard], and follow her on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/kyrkogaarden/?hl=en] as well as TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@kyrkogaarden]. This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus [https://euranetplus-inside.eu/], the leading radio network for EU news. But it’s contributions from listeners that truly make it all possible—we could not continue to make the show without you! If you like what we do, you can chip in to help us cover our production costs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast [http://patreon.com/europeanspodcast]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (in many different currencies), or you can gift a donation to a superfan. You can also donate via our website [https://www.europeanspodcast.com/support-us] if you prefer. And finally: we'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number. Produced by Katy Lee Mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne and Mariska Martina The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg [https://hindenburg.com/]. YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@europeanspodcast] | Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/europeanspod.bsky.social] | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/europeanspodcast/] | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://mastodon.social/@europeanspodcast] | Substack [https://europeanspodcast.substack.com/] | hello@europeanspodcast.com

What is life really like for Russians right now?

The predictions began soon after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine: the collapse of the Russian economy was imminent. Four years later, it still hasn’t happened. And yet, the cracks are appearing: Ukrainian drones that are now capable of striking critical targets in Moscow; economic data that even the Kremlin can’t spin as positive. But what do these changes actually feel like for Russian citizens? This week, Wojciech calls people with friends and family in Moscow to find out. We’re also talking about why your bar of Milka is 10 grams lighter than it was. Oh, and we’re calling up the winner of the Microsoft Excel World Championships. No biggie. Check out Diarmuid Early’s YouTube videos here [https://www.youtube.com/@DimEarly], including this one, which starts with an introduction to competitive spreadsheeting [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Mx_xhiIRpw&t=9s]. This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are Aleksandar Vučić’s interview with The Rest Is Politics: Leading [https://alastaircampbell.org/2026/04/186-president-aleksandar-vucic-russia-china-and-how-serbia-could-join-the-eu/], and Francesco Pacifico’s essay in The Dial: Are You Enjoying Our Linguine? [https://www.thedial.world/articles/news/american-tourists-rome] Resources for this episode: * The Milka ruling [https://www.vzhh.de/sites/default/files/medien/171/dokumente/484598%20-%20Urteil_LG_Bremen_13_05_26.pdf] from Bremen in full (German) * “Russia blocks Telegram and cracks down on VPNs” [https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2026-04-17/russia-blocks-telegram-and-cracks-down-vpns] – Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich, 17 April 2026 * “Moscow bans publication of Ukrainian drone strike damage without official permission” [https://kyivindependent.com/moscow-bans-publication-of-drone-strike-aftermath-without-official-approval/] – The Kyiv Independent, 13 May 2026 * “Ukraine conflict in January 2026” [https://www.levada.ru/en/2026/02/04/ukraine-conflict-in-january-2026/] – Levada-Center, 4 February 2026 * “Ukrainian attacks on Russia’s oil export infrastructure” [https://www.osw.waw.pl/en/publikacje/analyses/2026-04-01/ukrainian-attacks-russias-oil-export-infrastructure] – Ośrodek Studiów Wschodnich, 1 April 2026 * “Turning Point in the War in Ukraine?” [https://www.kyivpost.com/post/76416] – Kyiv Post, 19 May 2026 * “Disentangling effects of protection on seabed organic carbon and biodiversity in a rare highly protected mud-dominated MPA” [https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0272771426001769] – Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science, August 2026 issue * “Dutch court rules bottom trawling in Dogger Bank is unlawful” [https://oceanographicmagazine.com/news/dutch-court-rules-bottom-trawling-in-dogger-bank-is-unlawful/] – Oceanographic, 11 May 2026 This podcast was brought to you in cooperation with Euranet Plus [https://euranetplus-inside.eu/], the leading radio network for EU news. But it’s contributions from listeners that truly make it all possible — we could not continue to make the show without you! If you like what we do, you can chip in to help us cover our production costs at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast [http://patreon.com/europeanspodcast]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ (in many different currencies), or you can gift a donation to a superfan. You can also donate via our website [https://www.europeanspodcast.com/support-us] if you prefer. And finally: we'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number. Produced by Katy Lee Mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne and Mariska Martina The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg [https://hindenburg.com/]. YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@europeanspodcast] | Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/europeanspod.bsky.social] | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/europeanspodcast/] | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://mastodon.social/@europeanspodcast] | Substack [https://europeanspodcast.substack.com/] | hello@europeanspodcast.com

Do you also have a Monstera in your living room?

Vinyl records, coffee table books, low-maintenance pot plants: from Dublin to Dubrovnik, all good hipsters have the same stuff. The Italian writer Vincenzo Latronico captures this boring international aesthetic beautifully in his hit novel ‘Perfection’, while skewering millennial life in general. Do you like hearing about Lisbon food, the internet vs real life, and everything that’s wrong with the word ‘expat’? Then you’ll love our inaugural book club conversation, even if you haven’t read the book. We’re also talking this week about a fugitive Polish politician’s transatlantic dash, and the questionable Frenchness of a celebrated giraffe. Listen to the end if you want to know why we are launching a side-business importing sun loungers. Our book club is brought to you in collaboration with the European Review of Books, featuring the magazine’s co-founder Wiegertje Postma along with Portuguese bookworm Teresa Bandeira de Carvalho. The latest issue of the European Review of Books is out today [https://europeanreviewofbooks.com/]! You can subscribe to Teresa’s excellent Substack here [https://definitelynotteresa.substack.com/], and read her viral post on the word ‘expat’ here [https://definitelynotteresa.substack.com/p/expats-privilege-and-the-myth-of]. This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are the Zenodot website [https://zenodot.app/], where you can check if a book has been translated into your language, and the European Press Prize shortlist [https://www.europeanpressprize.com/shortlists/year-2026/]. NEED MORE BOOK CHAT? Subscribers of The Europeans have access to an extended version of our book club conversation – twice as long and packed with thoughtful observations about everything from whether or not this story has a happy ending, to... how to run a book club. If you’re not yet a supporter of the podcast but you’d like to hear the longer version of the conversation, you can sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠patreon.com/europeanspodcast [http://patreon.com/europeanspodcast]. The Europeans is made possible by listener contributions – we could not continue to make the show without you! If you like what we do, you can chip in to help us cover our production costs on Patreon [http://patreon.com/europeanspodcast] in many different currencies, or you can gift a donation to a superfan. You can also donate via our website [https://www.europeanspodcast.com/support-us] if you prefer. And finally: we'd also love it if you could tell two friends about this podcast. We think two feels like a reasonable number. Produced by Katy Lee and Wojciech Oleksiak Mixing and mastering by Wojciech Oleksiak Music by Jim Barne and Mariska Martina The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg [https://hindenburg.com/]. YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@europeanspodcast] | Bluesky [https://bsky.app/profile/europeanspod.bsky.social] | Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/europeanspodcast/] | Mastodon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ [https://mastodon.social/@europeanspodcast] | Substack [https://europeanspodcast.substack.com/] | hello@europeanspodcast.com [hello@europeanspodcast.com]