Depending on where you are in Europe, your right to a safe abortion — and reproductive care in general — can vary dramatically. This week, we speak to pioneering abortion activist Rebecca Gomperts about why she's hopeful that we can fight back against these inequalities as well as crackdowns on abortion access in other parts of the world. We're also talking about a rebel campaign in Germany to defeat a draconian Nazi-era law, and some disturbing research into the weedkillers used by many of the farmers who grow our foods.

Note: We updated this episode's audio on June 20, 2025. The original version incorrectly stated that glyphosate is sprayed directly on many European crops, which is not the case.

'EWG’s 2025 Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides in Produce' (USA) - Environmental Working Group, June 11, 2025

'Here’s why some people still evade public transport fares – even when they’re 50 cents' - The Conversation, February 13, 2025

00:00:46 Is it a Smörgåsbord? Is it a charcuterie board? No, it's The Europeans 00:04:56 Bad Week: Glyphosate 00:21:41 Good Week: Germany's freed fare-dodgers 00:35:22 Interview: Rebecca Gomperts on the state of reproductive rights in Europe 01:01:46 The Inspiration Station: Secrets We Keep and The Outlaw Ocean Podcast 01:07:10 Happy Ending: Beavers are back in Portugal

The EU supposedly has some of the world's toughest laws regulating big tech. So why does it still feel like Europeans are being sucked into increasingly polarised online communities, and manipulated during our elections? Can we do anything about it? This week's guest, the Irish internet campaigner Johnny Ryan, argues that a pretty radical solution is within the EU's reach. We're also talking about the Dutch government's collapse, and why bear meat may soon be on the menu in Slovakia.

Serbia’s government has come under intense pressure since a deadly disaster at Novi Sad’s main railway station last November. Student-led protests have spiralled into a nation-wide resistance movement and for months, Serbians have been speaking out against corruption, a lack of accountability, and a culture of impunity in Aleksandar Vučić’s regime. But if you’re listening to this from Western Europe, or indeed much of the rest of the world, the odd headline is probably all you’ve seen.

What are these protests really about? And what makes them different? This week, an in-depth conversation about what it’s like to be living through a potential turning point in Serbian history.

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

Co-hosts: Wojciech Oleksiak and Katy Lee

Editorial support: Morgan Childs, Dominic Kraemer and Katz Laszlo

Production, scoring and mixing: Wojciech Oleksiak

Music by Jim Barne, Mobygratis and Epidemic Sounds

With thanks to Nikola Radić

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