RTL Today - The Lisa Burke Show RTL Today

The Echternach Hopping Procession, on the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage list, celebrates the life of St. Willibrord. On today's show, Lisa is joined by guests from Ireland, the UK and Luxembourg — to discuss the life of St. Willibrord via his links with these three countries.



The Echternach Hopping Procession, on the UNESCO Intangible World Heritage list, celebrates the life of St. Willibrord. On today's show, Lisa is joined by guests from Ireland, the UK and Luxembourg — to discuss the life of St. Willibrord via his links with these three countries.



Despite the 'high humidity', as Raoul Scholtes put it, there was another exceptional turnout for this year's Sprangpressessioun (or 'Hopping Procession') in Echternach, which pays homage to Saint Willibrord. This Anglo-Saxon Benedictine monk is revered as the founder of Echternach Abbey and every year is honoured for his gift of curing illness.



Ambassador Jean McDonald, Ambassador of Ireland to Luxembourg, hosted a delegation from County Carlow, celebrating the links between Saint Willibrord and Carlow. Councillor Andrea Dalton and Dermot Mulligan, Curator of the Carlow Museum, also joined in studio to discuss the deepening re-connections between Luxembourg and Carlow through their shared history with Saint Willibrord.



HE Fleur Thomas, British Ambassador to Luxembourg, hosted HE Ambassador Christopher Trott, Britain's Ambassador to the Holy See, for their very first Sprangpressessioun experience. Providing a bit of background into St. Willibrord's ancestry — Ambassador Trott detailed the saint's Northumbrian origins, before his travels brought him to Ireland, the Netherlands and then Luxembourg.



Ambassador Trott also talks about his work as a diplomat in the Vatican, and the immense 'intelligence network' the Vatican has globally through priests on the ground, often in places where diplomats cannot visit or live.



Patrick Dondelinger, Head of Studies for Intangible Cultural Heritage at the Ministry of Culture of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, talks about the importance of the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage label for the Hopping Procession, and what this means for one who experiences the 'rite'.



Raoul Scholtes — a member of the procession's organisational committee and Vice-president of the Willibrodusbauveräin (Willibrod building society) organisation responsible for the procession — ends with a call for more volunteers! Help is always welcome, and indeed it would also be valuable to make a couple of positions professional (i.e. paid).



Read here for even more details on the history of Luxembourg's Echternach Hopping Procession.

Join us as we jump into another discussion about books and culture, with Vanessa Phelan, Sarah Tapp and Sasha Kehoe.



Hello and welcome to book show #2 with Vanessa Phelan and Sarah Tapp. This week Sasha Kehoe also joins us and we begin with a reflection of some of the news stories of the week.



As we move to books, I start with a little quiz of words relating to books and book lovers. Are you a ‘librocubicularist’ for instance? (Someone who loves to read in bed).



Now onto books with my ‘book bosomed’ friends (carrying a book at all times) and, as with our first episode, we manage to talk about a lot of books, but we also move onto art in places, and podcast recommendations.



Here are some of the books we talk about:





Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner



The Four Winds by Kristin Hannah



The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini



The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller



On Earth we’re briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong



The Wife’s Tale by Aida Edemariam



This is what is Sounds Like - What the music you love says about you by Susan Rogers



Yellowface by R. F. Kuang



Oh my God what a complete Aisling by Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen



A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne



The Women by Kristin Hannah



You are Here by David Nicholls



Funny Story by Emily Henry



One Day by David Nicholls



Book Lovers Emily Henry



Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman



Close to Death by Anthony Horowitz



Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout





Do let us know what books you enjoy and if there are any in particular from this list that stand out to you.



Additionally, we will throw in some podcasts and other cultural references from time to time.





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Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am.

Europe is aging, sagging in its efficiency, falling behind. How can we fix this?



Philippe-Emmanuel Partsch comes from a long line of Law Professors, who were forced to move country due to the changing political climate of Europe through the last century. He was raised knowing the fragility of Europe, alongside its potential.



Philippe-Emmanuel is a lawyer who has served at the European Court of Justice, private practice now at Arendt, university teaching and research. With over thirty years of working knowledge, he is well placed to consider how the European Union is functioning right now and its place in the context of global competition.



Brexit and increasing populism encouraged Philippe-Emmanuel to write a book due to his growing concern for the evolution of European society as it has steadily declined: ‘The Five Labours of Europe - a Europe that will make us Grow’.



Anne Calteux, Head of the European Commission Representation in Luxembourg, talks through a sizeable piece of commissioned work culminating in the paper by Enrico Letta, 'Much more than a market,

SPEED, SECURITY, SOLIDARITY Empowering the Single Market to deliver a sustainable future and prosperity for all EU Citizens'



There are large swathes of overlap in the conclusions reached by Philippe-Emmanuel and Enrico Letta. Notably, that the internal market is no longer fit for purpose and Europe is in danger of regression. Europe, if taken as a whole, has a population of about 450 million people, compared to 330 million in the USA. Our landmass is about half that of the USA. This could provide opportunity if handled more dynamically.



In his book, Philippe-Emmanuel talks about Europe's sluggish productivity and wealth per hour creation compared to other parts of the world and how we can break down barriers to trade with member states more efficiently. He reminds us that 99.2% of businesses in Europe are SMEs with 5-6 people employed. Philippe-Emmanuel sets out clear potential and reachable goals to increase income and GDP, reduce unemployment and poverty in the coming years.



Deficiencies in research and development and innovation (R&D&I) is another clear beacon in both the book and paper. Currently, not enough money is being put into R&D&I in Europe and this needs to change now if we are to hope to keep pace with other nations. The cost of patent registration is much greater in the EU compared to the US. Philippe-Emmanuel is a fan of the Nordic approach to have lower taxation on Intellectual Property income.



We talk about the need to change financial structures to reinvigorate seed investment and private funding. Philippe-Emmanuel believes Euorpe does set the gold standard for some regulations.



Energy and Defence are two major areas where Europe needs to become more self-sufficient - we all learned this is recent year. And we have needed stronger trans-European transport links for decades. Did you know that the train between Luxembourg and Brussels got slower over the last 30 years?!



And all of this conversation is capped with a round-up of the week's global news with Sasha Kehoe.

Europe for Europe – a wonderful opportunity for 18–23-year-olds to discover the EU together.



Ahead of Europe Day on 9 May, and the upcoming European elections, 6-9 June, my shows this week and next will have a distinctly European flavour.



To start with, Sasha is back with a chat about recent world news.



Anne Calteux, Representative of the EU Commission to Luxembourg, is entering a very busy period of work, sharing her passion and knowledge for the European Union. Anne is effectively the Commission’s voice in Luxembourg.



There were many steps, and setbacks to the European Union becoming what it is today. Luxembourg was one of the founding countries of the EU, along with Belgium, West Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. The creation of the ECSC (European Coal and Steel Community) was a pivotal step however. From 1952, Luxembourg, Brussels and Strasbourg became temporary meeting-places for the ECSC. Since 1992, these three cities have become the HQ for all our European institutions. And today, more than 14,000 European civil servants and agents work for the EU institutions in Luxembourg.



Europe for Europe



Europe for Europe (E4E) is a programme designed for 18 to 23 year olds to tour the founding six member states of the EU. There is only one participant from each of the 27 member states, plus the UK (despite Brexit), vetted by the Rotary Club who designed the programme.



https://europe4europe.com



This experience lasts for three intense weeks in July, allowing for 3 days in each country, and they all have their own themes:



Italy - future industrial developments

France - historical heritage

Belgium - social responsibility

Netherlands - inclusivity

Germany - Ariane Space Project

Luxembourg - EU institutions

Roberto Mancina was a co-founder of Europe for Europe, having been involved with the Youth Exchange for many years. Whilst attending an EEMA congress in Istanbul, he had lunch with some French Rotarians from Thionville. They wanted to find a way to honour the memory of Robert Schumann, who was from Thionville and Founding Father of the EU. And so the idea of E4E was born.



Roberto was particularly interested in developing this project as the Rotary Club is American in origin, and he felt it needed a greater European focus.



Ellen Spencer is Coordinator of Europe for Europe (E4E) for the Rotary Clubs of Luxembourg. Ellen first became involved with the Rotary Clubs here when she moved to Luxembourg. Ellen has a son and has observed the benefits to him growing up as an EU citizen. She continues to work passionately to support young adult programmes that focus on engagement towards a common future for a better world.



The EU Youth Strategy and Erasmus+ are other places to discover programmes for young people, to enhance European values, tolerance, enhance skills and employability. To find out more information just contact the Rotary Clubs of Luxembourg (or indeed other countries across Europe) and the European Youth Portal.



https://youth.europa.eu/home_en



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Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am.

This week, 1 May, marks 20 years of the rapid expansion of the EU with the accession of many former Soviet satellite states. Dr. Laima Andrikiené reflects on her role in the history of Lithuania's transformation and its current geopolitical challenges within the EU. While a well renowned Lithuanian choir are coming to Luxembourg.



20 years ago, the European Union grew bigger as, on 1 May 2004, the citizens of Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovakia and Slovenia became citizens of the EU.



Laima Liucija Andrikiené is an ex-politician, now working at the European Court of Auditors. She was instrumental to the independence of Lithuania, as a signatory of the Act of the Re-Establishment of the State of Lithuania.



In this conversation, Dr Andrikiené talks about the Lithuania of her youth, of her parents youth and how the hope for independence never dimmed. Laima poignantly describes her parents meeting in Siberia, when they were both sent to the Gulag amongst many other family members. Her Grandmother always believed that her children and grandchildren would live to see a free Europe. They were right.



Dr. Andrikiené remembers the day the last Soviet Troops pulled out of Lithuania and the work that had to be done then: starting an economy from scratch, giving people property back, opening up and processing tenders for foreign investment.



Given the proximity to Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, we also talk in depth about what is happening in Russia / Ukraine right now. Laima has a strong message for Russian people - they also hold responsibility for what is happening and can act.



For Lithuania, being a part of the European Union has meant 20 years of peace, security and financial aid- almost 30 billion euros of financial aid to build infrastructure, schools and hospitals. Life in Lithuania is now incomparable to the past under Soviet rule. Lithuanian youth recently ranked number one for happiness across the EU. It is a dynamic and competitive country .



Vilnius Choir



To mark 20 years of being part of the EU, a cultural delegation from Lithuania has come to Luxembourg, including Maestro Artūras Dambrauskas, the Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Vilnius Choir, along with Gitana Krikščiūnaitė, Concert Activity Manager. Vilnius Choir was founded in 1970 and is recognised as a curator and ambassador of Lithuanian choral music.



Professor Artūras Dambrauskas, Head of the Department of Music Theory and Pedagogy at the Kaunas Vytautas Magnum University, also conducts the Lithuanian Song Festivals, is a member of the Jury of the Lithuanian and International choral competitions, and is the Artistic Director of the International St James Festival.



The Lithuanian Song Festival (also known as The Baltic Song and Dance Celebrations) celebrates 100-years this summer. The Baltic Song and Dance Celebrations is included in the list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity since 2008.



You can hear their music at the end of the show and find out more here. http://en.chorasvilnius.lt/

From soft diplomacy to block voting, Luxembourg's last entrant in 1993 to Tali, this show is full of Eurovision fun & folklore before the big day in May!



Eurovision!



We’re almost there!



Eurovision 2024 will take place in Malmö, Sweden, on 11 May with semi-finals on 7 and 9 May. It is the third time that Malmö has hosted the Eurovision Song Contest following 1992 and 2013 editions, and the seventh for Sweden. It’s happening in Sweden of course because of Loreen’s win in Liverpool in 2023.



Tali Golergant, the artist representing Luxembourg, will be performing in the first of the two semi-finals. The ‘big five’ (France, Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK) are pre-qualified for the Grand Final.



The Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) is the single biggest event to bring Europeans (and a global audience) together. It was even sponsored by the European Commission for some time. More people vote in this competition than the European elections. It is a strong tool of cultural diplomacy.



Dr. Dean Vuletic has given the Eurovision Song Contest deep academic analysis. He designed the world’s first university course on Eurovision, which he taught at New York University. Whilst a researcher at the University of Vienna, he researched and wrote the first-ever scholarly book on the history of Eurovision, Postwar Europe and the Eurovision Song Contest. He currently teaches at the University of Luxembourg, amongst other roles. You can find Dean’s commentaries, interviews and op-eds across global media. Dr. Vuletic can also be seen featured in films such as ‘When Franco Stole Eurovision’ and ‘Eurovision: Secrets and Scandals’, amongst others.



The competition has been in existence since 1956, and Luxembourg will be taking part for the first time since 1993 when Jimmy Martin performed. Jimmy talks about performing in Millstreet, County Cork, and the changes to Eurovision since that time. Jimmy was already an established rock musician before Eurovision and has continued to make that his career.



The BBC used the phrase ‘United by Music’ and that’s now been taken as an official slogan for the contest going forward. The Eurovision Lights serve as the theme art which is meant to conceptualise the northern lights and sound equalizers.

And 37 public broadcasters will be present.



Eric Lehmann is Head of the Luxembourgish Delegation and has attended the ESC since 1998. Eric talks about building the necessary team to support Luxembourg’s re-entry to the Eurovision Song Contest, and the pre-selection process through the Luxembourg Song Contest. Part of the team Eric had to build around Tali includes hair & make-up. And in that position is the very talented Luca de Michèle who has worked on many fashion shows around the world.



Roger Saurfeld has attended Eurovision since 2000 and is one of the organisers for the Eurovision Previews such as that in Bissen on 19 April where all the Luxembourg Song Contest candidates will perform their entries with money donated to the LUkraine asbl.



Rafaela Teixeira, or Rafa Ela, one of the eight finalists of the Luxembourg Song Contest, talks about the family built through the competition process and her own music writing as a form of connection with others and to her own life experiences.



Let us know your thoughts on all things Eurovision! Will you be watching? Who’s your first choice? Do you believe Eurovision can be a cultural force for political good?



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Please do subscribe to the podcast on Apple and / or Spotify. It would be great if you could rate and review too - helps others find us.



Tune in on Today Radio Saturdays at 11am, Sundays at noon and Tuesdays at 10am.











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