Inside Europe - 5 October 2023

An International Women's Day Special, featuring the voices of Russian opposition figurehead Yulia Navalnaya, female NATO recruits as they take to the skies, and a French abortion activist celebrating a constitutional victory. Also in the show: pioneering business anchor Karen Tso, the only female watchmaker in Bosnia, Spanish football players and Estonia's Smoke Sauna Sisterhood.

NATO membership and the shift in the Swedish psyche, Russian fishing vessels in Norwegian ports, and refugee-led mental health interventions in Prague. Also: quantifying extremism in Germany's AfD, enshrining abortion in the French constitution, dealing with the aftermath of ISIS terror in Turkey and bringing refugee children and their peers together through music.

On the 2nd anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we look at the security and funding situation and talk to DW’s Kyiv correspondent, Nick Connolly. Also: The delicate issue of Norway’s relationship with Russia, how Russia is using cryptocurrency to by-pass international sanctions, and we meet Mstyslav Chernov, director of the BAFTA award winning documentary, 20 Days in Mariupol.

Hungary resignations - the pedophile scandal that toppled a president. Green giggles - French ecologically conscious comedy. Memorial politics - what to do about Bulgaria’s communist era monuments? All that, plus a deep-dive into the controversial world of homeopathy in the company of DW's Don't Drink The Milk team.

Dutch coalition talks break down leaving Wilders in limbo, Northern Ireland gets its first Republican first minister and the death knoll for gas-guzzling cars in Paris. Also: Kosovo's new currency rule irritates minority Serbs, we visit Turkey's Hatay a year after the earthquakes, southern Estonia begins its culture capital year and a trip to the magical dragon festival in the Bavarian forest.

The EU reaches a deal with Orban, farmers threaten to blockade Paris, and a new report sets out a vision of two very different agro-futures. Then: Norway’s Prime Minister puts his full weight behind the Arctic Council, open source aficionados gather in Brussels, Estonian teachers go back to work, Italian villages get a lease of new life, and Madrid celebrates sustainable tourism.

Turkey green-lights Sweden's NATO bid, a wake-up call for the EU elections, and Finland prepares to elect a president. Also: French politics and the fickle capital of youth, a journey to the heart of Germany's Zeitenwende, and leaning tower of… Bologna. Links - ECFR report: https://shorturl.at/jxzQ9, Tania Roettger in The Dial: https://shorturl.at/dkpuD?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

Germany's far-right and the secret master-plan to deport millions of people, Can Dundar calls for a ban on the AfD, and Turkey's civil society crackdown continues. Also: Volodymyr Zelenskyy's Davos address, Spain's plastic pellet problem, France’s Depardieu dilemma, and a bracing encounter with Oslo's floating saunas… Correctiv investigation link: https://shorturl.at/kmKQS?maca=en-podcast_inside-europe-949-xml-mrss

Germany’s winter of discontent, the plight of hundreds of British sub-postmasters falsely accused of theft, NATO is looking for a new Secretary General, and Denmark has a new monarch. Also: Turkish espionage arrests, Republika Srpska’s controversial national holiday, Abkhazia’s government in exile, and Spain’s economic gamble.

A look ahead to 2024’s mega election year, with country specific briefings from a selection of our correspondents in different European capitals and a conversation with Sarah Wheaton, host of Politico’s EU Confidential podcast. All that, plus an introduction to one of Europe’s 2024 capitals of culture - Bodø in Norway!