The Europeans is an independent weekly podcast launched in 2017 by Katy Lee, a Paris-based reporter with experience at outlets like The Guardian and Politico Europe, and Dominic Kraemer, an Amsterdam-based opera singer. Both originally from England, they started the project as long-distance friends motivated by Brexit to explore European identity, politics, and culture through a pan-continental lens, often highlighting stories from Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe overlooked by major media.
The core team operates from Paris, Amsterdam, Warsaw, and Prague, collaborating with contributors across the continent to maintain editorial independence. Episodes feature interviews with diverse guests, from European Parliament President Roberta Metsola and Finnish President Alexander Stubb to chefs, artists like Christoph Niemann, and activists. Topics range from EU law-making and climate policy to niche subjects like the politics of halloumi cheese, oat milk production, and Greenland's potential EU accession.
In recent output, the podcast has examined Poland's post-populist political challenges, Finland's elections, the EU's migration strategy, and North Sea power grid plans amid U.S. energy shifts. It also produces investigative series, a newsletter called Good Week Bad Week, and live events including debates and workshops. Funded primarily by listener donations via Patreon and partnerships like Euranet Plus, the podcast has garnered recommendations from The New York Times and Financial Times, emphasizing approachable explanations of EU mechanisms alongside cultural insights. Over nearly a decade, it has released hundreds of episodes, fostering cross-border understanding without aligning to Brussels-centric narratives.