Avsnitt
-
ECFR is live from the WEF 2025 in Davos, where top business leaders are gathered to discuss the state of the world. After Donald Trump’s inauguration just three days ago, attendees eagerly await the absent US president's video address on Thursday afternoon.
This week Mark Leonard welcomes Carl Bildt, co-chair of ECFR’s council and former prime minister and foreign minister of Sweden, and Arancha González, dean of the Paris School of International Affairs at Science Po and former foreign minister of Spain, to discuss their insights from public conversations and private meetings at this year’s WEF. What is most striking about the 2025 edition? How is the mood around the global economy? And does Trump’s return mean for the threat of tariffs and war in Ukraine?
Bookshelf:
Open but Secure: Europe’s Path to Strategic Interdependence by the World Economic Forum in collaboration with ECFR
This podcast was recorded on January 23rd 2025
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
With just five weeks remaining until the German federal election, Friedrich Merz's CDU is leading in the polls. But significant shifts in geopolitics—and opinion—can occur in weeks and days: and this election will take place in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s inauguration and amid the stagnation of the Franco-German engine. Now, recognising the importance of German leadership in Europe, Searching for Deutschland explores the foreign policy dimensions of Germany’s electoral campaign.
This week Mark Leonard welcomes editorial director and senior policy fellow Jeremy Cliffe, and ECFR’s Berlin office head and senior policy fellow Jana Puglierin, to discuss their new podcast, and Merz’s foreign and domestic policies. What exactly is the “Merz Doctrine”? How might Merz deal with the second Trump administration? And what are his views on Russia and Ukraine?
The podcast was recorded on January 16th 2025
Bookshelf:
The Divider Trump in the White House, 2017-2021by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser
Alone in a Trumpian world: The EU and global public opinion after the US elections by Timothy Garton Ash, Ivan Krastev, Mark Leonard
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Saknas det avsnitt?
-
On 1 January, Poland assumed presidency of the EU Council. But it steps into the spotlight during a period of seismic geopolitical shifts. With the war in Ukraine raging and Donald Trump’s imminent return to power, Poland faces immense pressure to lead while navigating Europe’s complex security landscape.
This week Mark Leonard welcomes Joanna Bekker, deputy managing director at leading Polish think-tank Polityka Insight, Piotr Buras, head of ECFR’s Warsaw office, and Marta Prochwicz Jazowska, deputy head of ECFR’s Warsaw office, to discuss Poland’s presidency of the EU Council. What does its motto of “security” mean for Europe in practice? Will the upcoming Polish presidential election impact its direction? And, with France and Germany missing in action, can Poland seize the moment to assume greater leadership in Europe?
Bookshelf:
Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz
Kaput: The End of the German Miracle by Wolfgang Münchau
Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder
This podcast was recorded on 8 January 2025
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
2024 was a year of intense geopolitical shifts and growing uncertainty. But one thing remains consistent: ECFR’s ever-popular predictions podcast. In our first outing for 2025, Mark Leonard and ECFR research director Jeremy Shapiro team up to reflect on the accuracy of last year’s predictions—and, with crystal balls in hand, try to decipher which forces will shape 2025. Is this the year they finally achieve 10/10?
Let us know if you think they missed something! Write your own predictions in to Mark via [email protected].
Bookshelf:
A Nasty Little War: The West's Fight to Reverse the Russian Revolution by Anna Reid
Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future by Patrick J. Deneen
2024: The year we embrace predictable surprise by Mark Leonard and Jeremy Shapiro
This podcast was recorded on 27 December 2024
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
As Donald Trump’s return to the presidency looms, European leaders are intensifying their diplomatic efforts. Emmanuel Macron has met with Donald Tusk to discuss European troop deployments, while a high-stakes meeting in Brussels with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte and EU leaders included discussions on potential peacekeeping missions. Europe seems determined to secure Ukraine’s future, offer it meaningful security guarantees, and maintain regional stability.
This week Mark Leonard welcomes Camille Grand, distinguished policy fellow at ECFR and former assistant secretary general for defence investment at NATO, Jana Kobsova, visiting fellow at ECFR and foreign policy advisor to Slovak president Zuzana Caputová, and Nicu Popescu, former Moldova foreign minister and distinguished policy fellow at ECFR, to discuss the ongoing negotiations. Which different scenarios are being discussed? What stage are these discussions at? Can Europeans help to shore up Ukraine at this critical stage—and, crucially, can the EU provide it with long-term security guarantees?
Bookshelf:
The Anatomy of a Moment: Thirty-Five Minutes in History and Imagination by Javier Cercas
Faustian Bargain: The Soviet-German Partnership and the Origins of the Second World War by Ian Ona Johnson
Talks with T. G. Masaryk by Karel Čapek
How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Pierre Bayard
This podcast was recorded on 18 December 2024
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
As the world becomes increasingly disordered and fragmented, Europe faces mounting geoeconomic challenges on multiple fronts: Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s ambitions in Taiwan, and the uncertain future of transatlantic relations under Donald Trump. To remain relevant, European policymakers must step up and approach supply chains, trade rules, investment flows, and energy policy as indispensable elements of statecraft.
This week Mark Leonard welcomes Agathe Demarais, ECFR’s geoeconomics lead, and Abraham Newman, professor at the School of Foreign Service and the Department of Government at Georgetown University, and co-author of Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy, to discuss how Europe can overcome its internal dysfunction when it comes to geoeconomics. How can Europe remain relevant in geoeconomics? What are the main obstacles to it doing so? And what risks does Europe face by sticking to business as usual?
Bookshelf:
The Nightingale Gallery by Paul Doherty
Europe Must Unlock Its Geoeconomic Power by Agathe Demarais and Abraham Newman
The Other '68ers: Student Protest and Christian Democracy in West Germany by Anna Von Der Goltz
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Given the turbulence across Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and Iran, conversations at this year’s Doha Forum highlighted a Middle East region, and a world order, in flux. Now the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and the upcoming Donald Trump administration will shape American relations in the Middle East – and changing regional priorities and dynamics will likely impact the future international order.
This week Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of ECFR’s MENA programme, Ellie Geranmayeh, deputy director of ECFR’s MENA programme, and Vali Nasr, Majid Khadduri professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, to discuss the Middle East and changing global dynamics. How might the fall of the Assad regime reshape the region’s political and security landscape? What does the development mean for Syria? And how are regional powers adapting to the uncertainty of the second Trump administration?
This podcast was recorded on 7 December 2024
Bookshelf:
Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
In Praise of Hatred by Khaled Khalifa
Why War ? By Richard Overy
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Its almost three years after Russia invaded Ukraine and, despite small Russian gains in the east, the war looks no closer to reaching a military conclusion. But with Donald Trump’s re-election, change is in the air. Talk of a ceasefire, once taboo, is now common in Washington and even in eastern European capitals – not to mention among government officials in major cities such as Berlin, Paris, and London.
This week Mark Leonard welcomes Marie Dumoulin, director of ECFR’s Wider Europe programme, and Jeremy Shapiro, head of ECFR’s Washington office, to discuss how Trump’s re-election could affect the war in Ukraine, international efforts for peace, and potential end-game scenarios. Which tools could a Trump administration use to bring both sides to the negotiating table? Who is Keith Kellogg, Trump’s pick as Ukraine envoy? How might Europeans help Ukraine defend itself if the US is out of the picture? And how will the different sides use the period until Trump’s inauguration to advance their positions?
This podcast was recorded on 4 December 2024
Bookshelf:
L'Ukraine, la République et les oligarques by Sébastien Gobert
Notre homme à Washington by Régis Genté
The Embrace of Unreason: France, 1914-1920 by Frederick Brown
Imagining Trump 2.0: Six scary policy scenarios for a second term by Célia Belin, Majda Ruge and Jeremy Shapiro
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
After weeks of negotiations, US president Joe Biden announced that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon. However, it remains unclear whether the development will really help end the Middle East conflict which started 14 months ago and became even deadlier following Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza in October.
This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of ECFR’s MENA programme and interim director of the Africa programme, to discuss the recent agreement. Why did Israel and Hezbollah agree to the ceasefire now? What are the terms? What makes this ceasefire different in terms of enforcement? What does a potential end to the conflict mean for Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon? And what are the chances of a ceasefire in Gaza?
Bookshelf:
The Wager by David Grann
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
On Monday, the world’s 20 largest economies descended on Rio de Janeiro for the annual G20 summit. But Brazil’s wider role in the shifting world order is frequently misperceived in Western discourse. Many tend to categorise it either as a close partner of Russia and China, or as a staunch supporter of the international order established by the West. In fact, however, it aligns with neither.
This week, Mark Leonard welcomes José Ignacio Torreblanca, senior policy fellow and head of ECFR’s Madrid office, and Pawel Zerka, senior policy fellow, to discuss Brazil’s role in a changing world order. What are the main takeaways from this year’s G20, and how does Brazil view its role in such summits? How is Brazil positioning itself in the world? What types of relationships does Brasilia seek with global south countries, and how does Europe fit into this? And what do Brazilians think about Donald Trump?
Bookshelf:
Forgotten Continent: A History of the New Latin America by Michael Reid
The Tech Coup: How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley by Marietje Schaake
La France, tu l aimes mais tu la quittes: Enquête sur la diaspora française musulmane by de Collectif, Olivier Esteves, Alice Picard
Jak biały człowiek by Oliwia Bosomtwe
Brazil: Europe’s bridge to the global south by Carla Hobbs, José Ignacio Torreblanca, Pawel Zerka
This podcast was recorded on 21 November 2024
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Donald Trump's first stint as president – with his “America First” stance and isolationist foreign policy – disrupted relations between the US and Europe, especially over NATO, trade, and the climate. Now the world is faced with further challenges, such as the war in Ukraine: and Trump’s return could prompt European countries to seek greater military and economic independence from the US while collaborating to become a more unified front.
This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Célia Belin, head of ECFR’s Paris office; Piotr Buras, head of ECFR’s Warsaw office; Anna Kuchenbecker, ECFR’s senior director of strategic partnerships; Maria Simeonova, head of ECFR’s Sofia office; and Arturo Varvelli, head of ECFR’s Rome office, to provide a view from the ECFR capitals. How have they reacted to the election result? How should their country governments prepare for Trump? Which challenges does Trump's return to the White House pose for Ukraine in the wider context of European security? How might Trump’s return affect the economy, escalate trade tensions, and reshape relations with China? And, crucially, what does his reelection mean for Europe?
The podcast was recorded on 13 November 13 2024
Bookshelf:
Imagining Trump 2.0: Six scary policy scenarios for a second term by Célia Belin, Jeremy Shapiro, and Majda Ruge
Trump’s return is terrible news for Ukraine. Europe should step into the breach – but will it? by Timothy Garton Ash
Art of the deal: Four ways Europeans can find new trade partners in the Trump era by Alberto Rizzi
Living in Trump’s world by Mark Leonard
Dangerous manoeuvers: How Israel and Iran are preparing for Trump 2.0 by Julien Barnes-Dacey, Ellie Geranmayeh, and Hugh Lovatt
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
On 6 November, the same day that Donald Trump was re-elected as US president, Germany’s chancellor Olaf Scholz dismissed his minister of finance, Christian Lindner – and the country’s ‘traffic light’ coalition government collapsed. Since then, an interim government has been in place: but its future is uncertain amid a rapidly changing world.
This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Jeremy Cliffe, ECFR’s editorial director, Janka Oertel, ECFR senior policy fellow and director of its Asia programme, and Jana Puglierin, senior policy fellow and head of ECFR’s Berlin office, to discuss the collapse of the German government coalition. What are the plans for the interim government? Who is Jörg Kukies? What happens if CDU leader Friedrich Merz doesn’t help Scholz out? What does the coalition collapse mean for budget, spending, and the debt break? And how will it impact Germany’s foreign policy, especially considering the war in Ukraine and Trump’s imminent return to the White House?
This podcast was recorded on 8 November 2024
Bookshelf:
Ein deutscher Kanzler: Olaf Scholz, der Krieg und die Angst | Der Kanzlerberichterstatter schreibt das Porträt des Kanzlers aus nächster Nähe by Daniel Brössler
No Trade Is Free: Changing Course, Taking on China, and Helping America's Workers by Robert Lighthizer
Freiheitsschock: Eine andere Geschichte Ostdeutschlands von 1989 bis heute by Ilko-Sascha Kowalczuk
Better firefighting: Readying Europe for an age between war and peace by Nicu Popescu and Laurence Boone
Democracy and war: Politics and Identity in a time of global threats by Norbert Röttgen
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
The polls have closed, the counting is almost over, and it is certain: there will be a second Donald Trump administration. With his historic and unprecedent second victory, the Republican party not only won the electoral college, but also regained control of the Senate – and look set to gain control of the House of Representatives and win the popular vote, too. In swing states Trump’s voter based turned out in force, while demographic shifts away from the Democrats paint a gloomy picture for Kamala Harris.
This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, ECFR associate senior policy fellow, and Jeremy Shapiro, research director and ECFR’s US programme director, to discuss the results of the US election 2024. Who turned out for Trump and why? What did Trump do right and what did Harris do wrong? What will a second Trump administration mean for international relations and US foreign policy? How should European leaders respond to the changing political landscape in the US? And what mistakes should they avoid in the era of Trump 2.0?
This podcast was recorded on 6 November 2024
Bookshelf:
Polostan by Neal Stephenson
Imagining Trump 2.0: Six scary policy scenarios for a second term by Célia Belin, Majda Ruge, and Jeremy Shapiro
Trust by Hernan Diaz
Leurs enfants après eux by Nicolas Mathieu
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
The recent elections in Georgia and Moldova were marred by significant Russian interference, including disinformation campaigns and vote-buying. As the Kremlin seeks to undermine the candidate countries’ EU futures, Brussels needs to take action.
This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Tefta Kelmendi, deputy director of the ECFR Wider Europe Programme, and Nicu Popescu, distinguished policy fellow at ECFR, to discuss what was at stake in these elections. What do the results mean for Georgia and Moldova’s EU accession? How did disinformation schemes and vote-buying under Russian influence impact the votes? And what actions should the EU take in response?
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
EU member states have voted to implement proposed tariffs of up to 45 per cent on Chinese electric vehicles. Germany was among five member states to vote against this, isolating itself among its counterparts. In response to the vote, China imposed anti-dumping measures on European brandy imports. But if geopolitical tensions escalate, the EU’s most substantial leverage might involve limiting China’s access to its markets.
This week Mark Leonard welcomes Agathe Demarais, ECFR geoeconomics programme lead, and Janka Oertel, director of ECFR’s Asia programme, to discuss the implications of EU economic sanctions on China. What does the vote mean for Beijing? Given Germany’s objection to EV tariffs, how might Berlin react to these measures? Does it have the potential to become a trade war? And what lessons on sanctions can Europeans learn from the Russia-Ukraine experience?
Bookshelf:
Hard, fast, and where it hurts: Lessons from Ukraine related sanctions for a Taiwan conflict scenario by Agathe Demarais
The Idea of China by Mark Leonard, Alicia Bachulska, and Janka Oertel
A Midsummer’s Equation: A detective Galileo novel by Keigo Higashino
This podcast was recorded on 18 October 2024
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Since the Sudanese civil war began in 2023, millions of people have been displaced, and thousands killed or injured: as European governments focus on crises in the Middle East and Ukraine, the brutal conflict has led to a humanitarian catastrophe. Now, while various actors such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the United States variously mediate in Sudan, Europe remains on the sideline.
This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Will Brown, senior policy fellow at ECFR’s Africa programme; Jonas Horner, ECFR visiting fellow; and Raga Makawi, associate at the Alameda Institute, to discuss the humanitarian and diplomatic dimensions of the crisis in Sudan, and why and how European countries should intervene. Why should Europeans pay more attention to Sudan? What are the implications of this conflict in the region, and for Europe? How does it involve external actors, and what are they pushing for? How likely is a settlement that also addresses the humanitarian situation? And what is the prospect of future peace and order in Sudan?
This episode was recorded on 10 October 2024
Bookshelf:
Sudan’s humanitarian catastrophe demands a surge in European support for its civil society by Jonas Horner
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
One year on from the murderous attacks of 7 October 2023, the Middle East is in the middle of an escalating regional war. This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of ECFR’s MENA programme; Ellie Geranmayeh, deputy director of ECFR’s MENA programme and Iran expert; and Hugh Lovatt, senior policy fellow in ECFR’s MENA programme and an expert on Israel-Palestine, to discuss the present and future of the Middle East.
How will Israel respond to Iran’s recent attacks? Will it seek to press home its advantage and attack its nuclear programme? How might Iran try to recreate its deterrence after the decapitation of Hizbullah? How is it thinking about the role of proxies, public opinion, and nuclear weapons? What are the longer-term prospects for the region and for Israel and Palestine? And what is the role of the United States in the region?
This podcast was recorded on 8 October 2024.
Bookshelf:
River of Smoke: A Novel (The Ibis Trilogy, 2) by Amitav Ghosh
The Son of Prophecy: The Rise of Henry Tudor by Nathen Amin
Israel’s ‘Mission Accomplished’ Moment in the Middle East by Stephen M. Walt
The Journey by Francesca Sanna
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
With only a month to go before the US election, much ink has been spilled writing about how US foreign policy might change if Trump returned to the White House. This is made easier because there is a wealth of information out there for analysts to go on. Harris, on the other hand, is a bit of a foreign policy enigma. With little to no foreign policy experience before becoming vice-president, she has stuck closely to the administration’s line on every major foreign policy issue of the Biden presidency thus far, at least publicly, which has made it especially difficult to guess what a “Harris doctrine” might look like.
In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Célia Belin, head of ECFR’s Paris office and a fellow in the US programme, and Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR’s research director and head of the US programme. Together, they discuss what a President Harris’s foreign policy might look like. What’s the one thing European policymakers should take away from this episode? On what issues would Harris likely pursue continuity with the current administration? And where might she want to take a different approach?
The podcast was recorded on 3 October, 2024.
Bookshelf:
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Intermezzo by Sally Rooney
Good as gold by Joseph Heller
Swamp Chronicles with Jeremy Shapiro and Asli Aydintasbas
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
Italy’s prime minister Giorgia Meloni is playing a central role in the country’s recent significant political developments. Her right-wing coalition government, which is inter alia focused on tightening immigration policies and promoting an Italian nationalist agenda, continues to draw national and international attention – as well as derision. But, despite her Eurosceptic stance, Meloni maintains a pragmatic approach in dealing with the European Union.
This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Lykke Friis, director of Think Tank Europa; Sylvie Kauffmann, editorial director at Le Monde; and Arturo Varvelli, head of ECFR’s Rome office and senior policy fellow, to discuss Meloni’s ideas to prevent the ‘decline’ of the West. How does she view the trajectory of Western civilisation, and Europe’s future global role? What does Meloni’s rise mean for European politics? Does Meloni truly envisage her political project fitting into prevailing Western ideologies? And how do France and Denmark view the current state of Italy?
This episode was recorded on 25 September 2024
Bookshelf:
Vaterländer by Sabin Tambrea
The Wizard of the Kremlin by Giuliano da Empoli
Chernobyl: The History of a Nuclear Catastrophe by Serhii Plokhy
Meloni's speech at the Atlantic Council’s Global Citizen Awards ceremony in New York
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
-
After a period of stalemate between Russia and Ukraine, direct military action has recommenced. Heightened tensions have led to discussions on Europe’s readiness for a ‘war economy’ and the United States is also reportedly considering lifting its ban on Ukraine’s use of American weapons to strike Russian territory; the Kremlin has responded with its usual bluster. But amid the rhetoric and battlefield manoeuvring, Ukraine’s leadership has also begun a tentative discussion regarding a diplomatic end to the war.
This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Jana Kobsova, ECFR visiting fellow and recently foreign policy advisor to Slovakian president Zuzana Caputová, and Nicu Popescu, former foreign minister of Moldova and distinguished policy fellow at ECFR, to discuss the domestic state of Ukraine, development of Europe’s war economy, and if and how the conflict could end. Have Ukraine or Russia’s aims – or red lines – changed? What role could Europe play in concluding the war? But how might the EU also prepare for potential further Russian aggression?
This episode was recorded on 16 September 2024
Bookshelf:
Faustian Bargain: The Soviet-German Partnership and the Origins of the Second World War, by Ian Ona Johnson
War and Punishment: The Story of Russian Oppression and Ukrainian Resistance, by Mikhail Zygar
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
- Visa fler
