In an otherwise miserable week, this podcast is delighted to bring you a joyful interview with a drag cow. At least, an interview with the person behind the cow: the Swiss artist, performer and animal rights activist Daniel Hellmann. We chat to Daniel about why he decided to channel his campaigning side into something so wonderfully silly. We're also talking about a trigger-happy Croatian politician and Ursula von der Leyen's return from hospital. 

 

Thanks for listening! If you enjoy our podcasts, we'd love it if you'd consider supporting our work in 2025. 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. 

 

You can follow Soya the Cow here and find out more about Daniel's work here. 

 

This week's Inspiration Station recommendations: 'The Outrun', Danish spruce cookbook 'Mad med gran', and European TikTok. 

 

Other resources for this episode 

'Što društvo može napraviti da spriječi porast nasilja?' (What can society do to prevent the rise in violence?') - HRT, January 16, 2025 https://vijesti.hrt.hr/hrvatska/otvoreno-659-11963849

'A Brit Explains Wagatha Christie To An American' - Bustle, October 19, 2023 https://www.bustle.com/entertainment/wagatha-christie-explained-by-a-brit-to-an-american

 

Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak 

Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak

Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina

 

00:23 An (attempted) orange-man free zone

03:08 Good Week: Ursula von der Leyen

10:32 Bad Week: Croatia's government

21:40 Interview: Daniel Hellmann (Soya the Cow) on the case for joyful activism

39:05 The Inspiration Station: 'The Outrun', 'Mad men gran', and European TikTok

44:23 Happy Ending: A social network making a good decision, for once?!

 

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