THE CONTINENT is a weekly commentary podcast on the one story that matters most in European politics and society right now — traced properly, connecting Brussels, the national capitals, and the wider world. Each episode takes a single development and argues it out: what actually happened, why the obvious reading is incomplete, and what is genuinely still unresolved. It speaks with an institutional editorial voice — a considered point of view that belongs to the show, not headline-reading and not both-sides hedging. Made for listeners who already follow the news and want to understand what it means. New episodes every week.
Latest episodes
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8 min
70,000 police and 35,000 marchers in France
France deployed 70,000 police officers as protests spread across French cities and into Italy and Greece, with the interior minister reporting 35,000 marchers and 135 arrests. Stud…
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8 min
300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel and Washington’s sanctions pause
The United States paused a sanctions law while a deal brought more than 300,000 tonnes of Russian diesel toward delivery, even as Washington framed the move as part of efforts to e…
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8 min
Nobel Prize and US sanctions hit the ICC in 2026
Navi Pillay, the South African jurist and former International Criminal Court judge, won the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize for advancing international criminal justice, while the Trump ad…
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8 min
Madrid’s Housing Revolt Tests Spain’s Political Credibility
Thousands protested in Madrid and cities across Spain on Saturday after parliament rejected two Socialist-led housing decrees on Friday. Authorities put the Madrid crowd at 70,000;…
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9 min
Italy’s Classroom Crackdown: Migration, Identity, and 30%
Italy’s government approved a decree on Thursday setting a 30% ceiling in classrooms for students who do not adequately know Italian, alongside a ban on burqas and niqabs in school…
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8 min
Cyprus Left Out as EU Builds Defence Shield ⚔️
In Brussels on 16 September, the European Commission unveiled a new defence push: a European Security Strategy, an Emergency Security Protocol, and EISE, the European Instrument fo…
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8 min
Trump’s Ireland Remarks Shake Northern Ireland Peace Deal
In Ireland, Donald Trump suggested unification with Northern Ireland “may as well happen now” during a visit that also drew protest in Dublin. The remarks put the Good Friday Agree…
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8 min
72-Hour Ukraine Pause: Peace Talk, War Pressure, Moscow
Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner arrived in Moscow carrying a new American attempt to restart Ukraine negotiations, with both Russia and Ukraine agreeing to halt airstrikes during t…
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7 min
Bardella, Farage, and Europe’s New Far-Right Alliance 🌍
French National Rally president Jordan Bardella, 30, is due in Birmingham next week to address Reform UK and hold a joint press conference with Nigel Farage. The visit comes as Mar…
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8 min
Bardella, Farage, and Europe’s New Far-Right Alliance 🌍
French National Rally president Jordan Bardella, 30, is due in Birmingham next week to address Reform UK and hold a joint press conference with Nigel Farage. The visit comes as Mar…
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7 min
Ukraine’s Election Dilemma: Democracy Under Fire and Delay
In wartime Ukraine, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy rejected calls for a presidential election as martial law continues under Russia’s full-scale invasion. His mandate formally ended…
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7 min
Germany’s Spy Revolution: Security Power, Digital War, Democracy 🇩🇪⚠️
Germany is expanding spy powers, hack-back capabilities, and AI surveillance—raising a major question: how far can democracy go in the grey zone?
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6 min
Europe’s Holiday Shock: War, Heat, and Last-Minute Fear ✈️🌍
Europe’s travel boom hides deeper unease: war, inflation, and climate change are reshaping when—and whether—people dare to book holidays.