Europe to Date

They’re complicated, chaotic, and just a little bit dull– the European elections may not have been on your radar, but they should be. The vote is one of the biggest democratic exercises on earth, and this year it’s also something of a referendum on the European project. But what does the European parliament even do? How does it work? And what does it mean to ride the gravy train? Clare and Rebecca talk to Ryan Heath, political editor at POLITICO Europe, for an inside take on what to expect.

Spring forward, fall back– as sure as the changing of the seasons, twice a year our clocks must be reset by an hour. But now Europe may have had enough. The EU set out legislation to scrap Daylight Saving Time after its citizens voted against the biannual switch in a public poll, but the idea has hit a stumbling block. Why is one hour causing such a fuss? And how did we get Daylight Saving Time in the first place? Clare and Rebecca talk to the Washington Post’s foreign affairs reporter in Europe, Rick Noack, to find out.

More Turks live in Germany than any other country outside of Turkey, and they’re often blamed for backing President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and his increasingly authoritarian regime. But did the Turkish diaspora really vote in droves to give him sweeping powers? Why would residents of a model European democracy support a power grab abroad? Clare and Rebecca talk to journalists Isil Nergiz and Burçin Tetik about racism against Turks in Germany, and why some see the Turkish leader as their savior.

When the human impact of millions of people fleeing war hit Europe’s shores in 2015, Germany allowed some one million people across its borders– a move that won Chancellor Merkel both widespread praise and condemnation. How could a country of some 80 million people manage so many newcomers? Throughout the debate, some voices were often conspicuously missing. Clare and Rebecca speak to student Oula Suleiman and chef Malakeh Jazmati about what it was like arriving in Germany from Syria and what challenges they face nearly four years later.

Angela Merkel is on her way out after more than thirteen years as chancellor. She’s been praised as a pragmatist and defender of liberal democracy in increasingly turbulent times, but many Germans are ready for something new. Who could possibly fill her shoes? Clare and Rebecca ask supporters of her CDU party about Merkel’s legacy and find out from Boris Vormann, professor of politics at Bard College Berlin, what decades of “politics of no alternatives” have meant for the rise of fringe movements.

Brexit is less than three months away, and the United Kingdom looks like it could go crashing out of the European Union without a deal on March 29. The British parliament is voting this week on whether to accept an agreement with the EU that makes almost nobody happy. The alternative could be total chaos. With the clock ticking, a record number of Brits are becoming German citizens to keep their European status. Clare and Rebecca talk to two who took the plunge and find out how we got here from Anand Menon, Professor of European Politics and Foreign Affairs at King's College London.

Clare and Rebecca visit one of Europe’s famous markets for mulled wine and Christmas spirit. But some of the continent’s traditions aren’t such shining examples of good will to mankind. Half-goat monsters, defecating cartoon logs, and Dutchies wearing black face are also part of the tradition.

Sexual harassment in the workplace is nothing new. So why is everyone so surprised by the #MeToo movement in the wake of the Harvey Weinstein scandal? Clare Richardson and Rebecca Ritters talk to WIRED editor and feminist journalist Chris Köver about the hashtag’s German predecessor and whether Europe lives up to its egalitarian reputation when it comes to women's rights.

The car-bomb attack on investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia shines a spotlight on corruption in a European Union member state. Clare Richardson and Rebecca Ritters talk to a local journalist about the case that has shocked the nation. We also check in on how pro-independence Catalans are feeling after last week’s tumult.