Why are Europeans so bad at imagining the future?

When it comes to envisioning the future, what’s your type? The Positive? The Negative? The Uncertain? The Disconnected? No, these aren’t characters in a pop group or a teen movie – they’re the four ways of imagining a European future. So says Paweł Zerka of the European Council on Foreign Relations, a three-peat guest and true Friend of the Podcast. Paweł is back once more to walk us through this year’s European Sentiment Compass, “Future Nostalgia: Europe’s Unfinished Song”. Come for the Dua Lipa reference, stay because you’re a polling nerd like the rest of us. We’re also talking about British lawmakers’ quest to figure out why the UK does quite so badly at Eurovision and what the seizure of Nestlé and Auchan’s Russian assets says about the Kremlin’s finances.

You can read this year’s European Sentiment Compass – which is, like us, supported by the European Cultural Foundation – and have fun categorising yourself here.

FREE ON MONDAY NIGHT? Join Katy and Paweł for discussion and documentary-watching in Brussels on 28 September, or Dominic and Wojciech for a little post-truth democracy in The Hague. We have two tickets to give away to the event with Katy and Paweł, courtesy of our friends at Newframes. They’ll go to the first person who emails hello@europeanspodcast.com with TICKETS in the subject line, so get in there quick!

There’s plenty more to our excellent conversation with Paweł. Supporters of the show who are signed up to our private feed can hear the second half of our chat, including the revelation that Poland, of all places, is a surprisingly optimistic corner of Europe. Sign up over here.

Supporters also get lots of cool perks and the warm glow of supporting independent European journalism. So if you haven’t already, get in for the glow!

This week’s Inspiration Station recommendations are Wojciech’s upcoming performance in The Hague(!) and Sorcha Richardson’s new album, “Draw the Outline”.

Resources for this episode:

• Leave-Russia.org
• "The Russian assets of Nestlé, Auchan and the former Leroy Merlin have been transferred to the management of a company led by an interior ministry general" – Novaya Gazeta, 17 September 2026
• “Moose on the loose at Warsaw’s main station brings trains to a standstill” – Notes from Poland, 14 September 2026

Co-hosts: Katy Lee and Dominic Kraemer

Senior producer: Katy Lee

Producers: Morgan Childs and Wojciech Oleksiak

Mixing and mastering: Wojciech Oleksiak

Music: Jim Barne and Mariska Martina

Intern: Inês Ruivo

The Europeans is proudly produced using Europe’s own Hindenburg.

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