Daily news, traced to its consequences.
The gist
Thema des Tages treats the day’s headline as a starting point, then follows the money, law, institutions, and strategic consequences behind it. Its strength is calm questioning: guests are asked to clarify what changed, who benefits, and what listeners should watch next.
PRESS PLAY
Find your next episode
About Thema des Tages
Thema des Tages is a current-affairs interview show that starts from the news and keeps widening the frame. It rarely treats a headline as self-explanatory. A Trump speech becomes a question about NATO, Iran, oligarchic influence, corruption controls, and the legal limits of war. A debate over Austrian energy independence becomes a discussion of fossil fuels, heating systems, subsidies, bans, transport, and whether voluntary change can move fast enough. A railway interview becomes a test of what modernization means inside the ÖBB, not just a conversation about delays. The show’s method is steady and explicit. It sets the scene, names the conflict, then asks a guest to separate the plausible from the theatrical. That approach gives the episodes a newsroom seriousness without making them remote. The pacing is measured, but the stakes are often sharp. Recent subjects include Donald Trump’s second presidency, the Iran war, international law, Hungary under Viktor Orbán, the Artemis II moon mission, Austria’s dependence on oil and gas, and the future of the Austrian federal railway. The show is especially strong when institutions are under pressure. It looks at whether rules still hold, who can bend them, and what happens when political incentives point in the wrong direction. There is occasional dry humor, but it does not become the point. The appeal is in the structure: listeners get a clear path through complicated material, with enough detail to understand why the story matters beyond the day’s news cycle. Thema des Tages is best for people who want European and international politics explained through consequences, not slogans.
Made for: For listeners who follow Austrian, European, and international news and want clear context without theatrical outrage. It fits people who value policy detail, legal stakes, and careful questioning.
What sets it apart: The show’s edge is its interview discipline: it frames the issue, tests the assumptions, and keeps returning to practical consequences. Similar daily news shows summarize; this one interrogates the machinery behind the event.
In their own words
"Thema des Tages" ist der Nachrichten-Podcast vom STANDARD. Wir stellen die brennenden Fragen unserer Zeit. Die Redaktion liefert die Antworten und die Hintergründe. Von Politik und Wirtschaft bis Chronik, Wissenschaft und Sport. Neue Folgen erscheinen jeden Werktag um 17:00 Uhr. Moderation & Produktion: Tobias Holub, Margit Ehrenhöfer, Zsolt Wilhelm, Antonia Rauth
As heard by us
Based on 5 episodes we listened to · July 2026
One news story per episode, handed to a guest and pressed by a rotating host, reaching from Austrian politics into European and US affairs.
Thema des Tages is der Standard's daily news podcast, and it works the News & Politics beat like a newsroom. Each episode takes the day's biggest story and hands it to a guest who can explain it, while the host keeps the questions coming.
Why you'd press play
The Ikea-cabinet comparison arrives just as your mental picture of a 'small' reactor gives up.
Press play if you want
- an ORF resignation headline followed by the harder question of what the broadcaster faces next
- Daniel Retschitz-Egger to ask whether people would actually accept a plan to replace oil and gas
Talks about
Podcasts like Thema des Tages
AlarmCzech politics with culture still in the room.
The DigLeft politics with history under the floorboards.
Fifteen Minutes of FascismFast briefings on authoritarian politics worldwide.
Episodes
- 1
Wie wir unabhängig vom Gas und Öl der Diktatoren werden | Katharina Rogenhofer
Thema des Tages host Daniel Retschetzeker interviews Katharina Rogenhofer, director of the Kontext environmental policy institute, about Austria's plan to end dependence on fossil fuels amid rising energy prices linked to the Iran war.
Apr 10, 2026·36m·3 clips - 2
Wie Trump die USA ausraubt | Sandra Navidi
This episode of Thema des Tages, the news podcast of the Austrian newspaper Der Standard, features German-American lawyer and finance expert Sandra Navidi discussing how Donald Trump and his inner circle are financially enriching themselves during his second presidency.
Apr 9, 2026·53m·4 clips - 3
Verliert Donald Trump den Iran-Krieg und den Verstand?
This episode analyzes Donald Trump's mental state and decision-making during the Iran war conflict, examining his chaotic approach and potential loss of political refinement.
Apr 8, 2026·36m - 4
"Iran auslöschen": Wird Trump zum Kriegsverbrecher? Ralph Janik
This episode discusses the legal implications of Donald Trump's threats to attack civilian infrastructure in Iran and whether such actions could constitute war crimes under international law.
Apr 7, 2026·47m - 5
ÖBB-Chef Andreas Matthä: Verspätungen, Klimawandel, Parteibücher | CEO
This episode features an interview with ÖBB CEO Andreas Matthä discussing his plans to modernize the Austrian railway company, his career transition, and challenges like delays and political influences.
Apr 5, 2026·1h 14m - 6
Krieg, Krise, Korruption: Bringt Trump sich selbst zu Fall?
This episode analyzes Donald Trump's second presidency, focusing on his recent speech about the Iran war, threats to withdraw from NATO, and the upcoming midterm elections in the USA.
Apr 3, 2026·32m - 7
Wie gefährlich ist die Rückkehr zum Mond?
This episode discusses the recent Artemis II moon mission launch, exploring its challenges, safety concerns for astronauts, and broader questions about returning to the moon.
Apr 2, 2026·25m - 8
Ist das Regime Orbán am Ende? | Ernst Gelegs
This episode discusses whether Viktor Orbán's long rule in Hungary could end due to a strong challenge from opposition candidate Peter Magyar in the upcoming parliamentary election.
Apr 1, 2026·38m - 9
Warum berichtet ihr so viel über Krieg? | Eure Fragen
The hosts address listener questions about why their podcast focuses heavily on war, explaining that recent conflicts like those in Ukraine, Gaza, and Iran are unavoidable topics due to their global impact and audience demand for guidance during uncertain times.
Mar 31, 2026·23m - 10
Israels Todesstrafe nur für Palästinenser, erklärt
This episode examines Israel's parliamentary move to reintroduce the death penalty specifically for Palestinian terrorists while exempting Jewish perpetrators, exploring its legal contradictions and potential Supreme Court intervention.
Mar 31, 2026·24m - 11
Startet Trump jetzt die Bodenoffensive im Iran?
This episode discusses the likelihood and implications of a potential US and Israeli ground offensive in Iran, featuring analysis from military expert Gerald Kanner.
Mar 30, 2026·39m - 12
Wie ein Monat Iran-Krieg alles ins Chaos stürzt | Walter Posch
Mar 28, 2026·34m - 13
Wie Trumps Krieg im Iran die Weltwirtschaft zerstört | Tim Bartz
Mar 27, 2026·30m - 14
Ist die Abhängigkeit vom Öl unser Untergang? | Claudia Kemfert
Mar 26, 2026·39m - 15
Wöginger-Prozess: Warum DER STANDARD jetzt Ticker-Verbot hat
Mar 25, 2026·26m - 16
Wie Trumps irre Kriegspropaganda funktioniert
Mar 24, 2026·27m - 17
Hat Trump die Kontrolle über den Iran-Krieg verloren? | Nico Lange
This episode discusses Donald Trump's ultimatum to Iran regarding the Hormuz Strait and its potential devastating consequences, featuring security expert Nico Lange.
Mar 23, 2026·39m - 18
Remus-Chef Stephan Zöchling: "E-Mobilität war ein großer politischer Schmäh" | CEO
Der Standard's CEO podcast features Remus exhaust systems co-owner and CEO Stephan Zöchling in a wide-ranging interview with editor-in-chief Petra Stulber covering Austrian and European politics, energy policy, and his dispute with KTM founder Stefan Pierer.
Mar 22, 2026·1h 14m·6 clips - 19
Ein Dorf nur für Weiße in Trumps Amerika
Mar 21, 2026·25m - 20
Soll sich Europa am Iran-Krieg beteiligen? | Gerald Karner
Mar 20, 2026·36m - 21
Sind wir Putin ohne Atombomben ausgeliefert? | Claudia Major
Mar 19, 2026·35m - 22
Ist Kuba Trumps nächstes Ziel?
Mar 18, 2026·29m - 23
Zerstört der Iran-Krieg Trumps Regierung? | Reinhard Heinisch
Mar 17, 2026·43m - 24
Ist Putin der größte Gewinner des Iran-Kriegs? | Carlo Masala
Mar 16, 2026·26m - 25
Stirbt die Pressefreiheit? | Europa im Diskurs
Mar 15, 2026·1h 29m - 26
Russlands unheimliche Mikrowellen-Waffe
Mar 13, 2026·30m - 27
War der Atomkraft-Ausstieg ein Fehler?
Thema des Tages host Daniel Retschitzeker and Der Standard science editor Tanja Traxler examine the 15th anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster and ask whether Europe should reverse the nuclear phase-out.
Mar 12, 2026·26m·2 clips - 28
Wird das Tanken bald unleistbar?
Mar 11, 2026·30m - 29
Ist Trumps Krieg im Iran richtig? | Hasnain Kazim
Mar 10, 2026·57m - 30
Wie der Weißmann-Rücktritt den ORF erschüttert
Thema des Tages examines the sudden resignation of ORF Director General Roland Weismann, forced out by the supervisory board on a Sunday morning over 2022 sexual harassment allegations he disputes, weeks before the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.
Mar 9, 2026·29m·2 clips