HARDtalk
1,752 episodes - English - Latest episode: 14 days ago - ★★★★ - 291 ratingsIn-depth, hard-hitting interviews with newsworthy personalities.
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Episodes
Julius Malema: What would he do with power?
June 02, 2023 08:15 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MBThe African National Congress has dominated South African politics for the last 29 years, but the party of Nelson Mandela is in trouble. A power crisis is doing new damage to an economy already hit by shocking levels of poverty, inequality and corruption. If the ANC is faltering, who stands best placed to offer an alternative? Stephen Sackur speaks to the leader of the radical populist Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema. What will happen to South Africa if he gets even a share of power?
Roxane Gay: An unflinching memoir
June 02, 2023 07:30 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MBStephen Sackur speaks to American writer, academic and cultural commentator Roxane Gay. Her unflinching, extraordinary memoir Hunger deals with her experience of rape and obesity. How scary is the level of self-exposure in much of her writing? (Photo: Roxane Gay in the Hardtalk studio)
Martin Amis: The 2013 interview
May 31, 2023 07:30 - 24 minutes - 11.1 MBComing up after the news from the BBC World Service, it’s HARDtalk with me Stephen Sackur. The influential British author Martin Amis has died at his home in Florida aged 73. Stephen Sackur interviewed him in 2013 after the release of his novel Lionel Asbo: State of England. He was pigeon-holed early in his career as the ‘enfant terrible’ of the British literary world and throughout his career he remained one of the most closely scrutinised novelists of his generation. His books were filled...
John Steenhuisen: Is he a credible alternative to the ANC?
May 29, 2023 08:00 - 3 minutes - 1.75 MBStephen Sackur speaks to John Steenhuisen, the leader of South Africa’s biggest opposition party, the Democratic Alliance. He thinks South Africans are ready to throw out the ANC thanks to their failure to fix the economy, the energy sector and corruption, but is he a credible alternative?
Fikile Mbalula: Will the ANC pay the price of failure?
May 24, 2023 08:00 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBThe ANC has ruled in South Africa since the racist apartheid system was overthrown. But right now the country is in a big mess, with a protracted energy crisis, unemployment, inequality and systemic corruption. Stephen Sackur is in Johannesburg to speak to Fikile Mbalula, secretary general of the ANC. Many South Africans feel their country is failing. With elections looming, will the ANC pay the price?
Sir Isaac Julien: The lasting impact of art
May 19, 2023 08:00 - 23 minutes - 11 MBZeinab Badawi speaks to the British artist and filmmaker Sir Isaac Julien, whose forty year career is steeped in powerful cultural and political messages. What is more important to him: Art or activism?
Jane Horrocks: The pathway to empowerment
May 17, 2023 08:00 - 21 minutes - 9.99 MBStephen Sackur speaks to the actor Jane Horrocks, whose extraordinary range has seen her star in musicals, comedies and gritty dramas. In a capricious, sometimes cruel industry, she embraced writing as well as performing. Was that her pathway to empowerment?
Hartmut Dorgerloh: Where do colonial treasures belong?
May 11, 2023 23:00 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MBThe Humboldt Forum is one of Germany’s great cultural institutions, housing a collection of thousands of works of non-European art. Germany, like many former imperial powers, is now asking itself whether treasures grabbed by European colonisers should be returned to their countries of origin. Stephen Sackur interviews the director of the Humboldt, Hartmut Dorgerloh. Is Germany taking the lead in the restoration movement?
Wavel Ramkalawan: Are the Seychelles becoming paradise lost?
May 10, 2023 08:00 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBStephen Sackur talks to Seychelles President Wavel Ramkalawan. His tiny nation is a tourist magnet, but there are huge challenges: climate change, a shocking rate of heroin addiction and a political culture tainted by corruption allegations. Is this a case of paradise lost?
Karin Kneissl: Vienna’s ties to Moscow and the impact of Austrian neutrality
May 08, 2023 07:30 - 24 minutes - 11.2 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Austria’s former foreign minister, Karin Kneissl. Her ties to Moscow are close - Vladimir Putin attended her wedding, she sat on the board of a Russian energy company, and condemns Europe's arming of Ukraine on Russian TV. What does her story say about Vienna’s close ties to Moscow and the impact of Austria’s neutrality?
Penpa Tsering: Preserving Tibet's identity
May 05, 2023 08:00 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBIt is more than 60 years since the Dalai Lama fled Tibet and set up a government-in-exile, hopeful of one day going back. Since then, China has banned any mention of the spiritual leader in his homeland, and there are reports of widespread human rights abuses. Sarah Montague speaks to the president of that self-declared government-in-exile, Penpa Tsering. Will he ever get to see his ancestral homeland, let alone govern it?
Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann: Has war in Ukraine led to a rethink in Germany?
May 03, 2023 07:30 - 24 minutes - 11.2 MBStephen Sackur is in Berlin to talk to the influential chair of the German parliament's defence committee, Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann. Has Russia’s invasion of Ukraine really led to a fundamental strategic rethink in Berlin?
Niels Annen: Germany's new foreign policy
April 27, 2023 23:00 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MBStephen Sackur is in Berlin for a special interview with Niels Annen, Germany’s State Secretary for Economic Co-operation. For decades Germany built its economic power on Russian energy and trade with China – that has left Germany looking vulnerable. So what is the new strategy? (Photo: Niels Annen, State Secretary for Economic Co-operation)
Baaba Maal: Can the Sahel overcome its challenges?
April 26, 2023 08:00 - 21 minutes - 9.85 MBStephen Sackur speaks to the acclaimed Senegalese musician Baaba Maal. His records and musical collaborations have won him millions of fans worldwide, and he’s intent on helping his native Sahel region overcome its many challenges. Can this music icon make a difference?
John Cooper Clarke: Punk and poetry
April 24, 2023 07:06 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur speaks to the pioneering performance poet John Cooper Clarke. From his early days as the bard of punk to a decade lost to heroin and then the worldwide success of his poem I Wanna Be Yours and now a new tour, John Cooper Clarke has used words, rhythm and rhyme to find humour and truth in the chaos of everyday life. Where does his word magic come from?
Vladimir Kara-Murza: Defying Putin
April 21, 2023 07:06 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBEarlier this week, Russian political activist Vladimir Kara-Murza was sentenced to 25 years in prison in Russia for charges linked to his criticism of the war in Ukraine. He was found guilty of treason, spreading "false" information about the Russian army and being affiliated with an "undesirable organisation" – charges he denied. In 2017, HARDtalk spoke to him as he recovered in the US from what he said was a poisoning attempt in Moscow. Shortly before, he had been rushed to hospital in the...
Péter Szijjártó: Is Hungary alienating the EU and Nato?
April 19, 2023 07:06 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Péter Szijjártó, Hungary’s foreign minister. Budapest is an outlier in both the EU and Nato, unwilling to arm Ukraine, eager to maintain close ties with Moscow, and dismissing demands to respect EU values. Will its defiance come at a price?
Christo Grozev: Investigating Russia
April 16, 2023 23:00 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Christo Grozev, Bellingcat's lead Russia investigator. His work has exposed crimes and embarrassed the Kremlin. What motivates this digital detective?
Danny Danon: Is Netanyahu jeopardising Israel’s future?
April 13, 2023 23:12 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Israeli MP and former UN ambassador Danny Danon. Amid political turmoil at home, a deteriorating security situation and stinging criticism from Israel’s allies overseas is the Netanyahu administration now jeopardising Israel’s future?
Ben Ferencz: The last Nuremberg trials prosecutor
April 11, 2023 23:00 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MBBen Ferencz, the last surviving prosecutor from the Nuremberg Nazi trials, has died aged 103. He also helped liberate the death camps of Europe when he was serving in the US military. In 2017, Zeinab Badawi travelled to Florida to interview him at his home. Did he believe the Nuremberg trials have made genocide and crimes against humanity less likely to be committed in the world today?
Richard Neal: How Northern Ireland affects US-UK relations
April 09, 2023 23:01 - 24 minutes - 11.2 MBAs President Biden visits Belfast and Dublin to mark 25 years of the Good Friday Agreement, Stephen Sackur speaks to Congressman Richard Neal, an influential voice when it comes to US policy on Northern Ireland. Will US/UK relations be tied to what happens next in Northern Ireland?
Geoffrey Robertson: The case for international justice
April 03, 2023 07:06 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBStephen Sackur speaks to the renowned lawyer and author Geoffrey Robertson KC, who has long experience as an international human rights defender and a war crimes trial judge. Is the fact that President Vladimir Putin faces war crimes charges while still sitting in the Kremlin a sign of how far we’ve come, or how far we have to go when it comes to global justice?
David Beasley: Can the world afford to feed its most vulnerable?
March 31, 2023 07:30 - 24 minutes - 11.2 MBSarah Montague speaks to David Beasley, the outgoing head of the World Food Programme. During his tenure, the agency’s budget has more than doubled but the number of those close to famine is growing and conflict is disrupting food supply. How can the world’s most hungry be fed? (Photo: David Beasley, executive director of the World Food Programme appears via videolink on Hardtalk)
Bogdan Aurescu: How is Romania handling the pressure from the war on Ukraine?
March 29, 2023 08:00 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBThe fallout from Putin’s war on Ukraine is having a big impact on Romania, from the refugee crisis to fears of conflict spreading to neighbouring Moldova. How is Romania handling the pressure? Stephen Sackur speaks to the country’s Foreign Minister, Bogdan Aurescu. (Photo: Bogdan Aurescu in the Hardtalk studio)
Petr Pavel: Can Ukraine still count on Europe's support?
March 27, 2023 08:00 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur is in Prague for an exclusive interview with the newly elected president of the Czech Republic, Petr Pavel. What does the election of this former NATO General tell us about the resolve of Europeans to continue their economic and military support for Ukraine?
Evgeny Popov: Are cracks appearing at the Kremlin?
March 22, 2023 00:29 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Russian MP and pro-Kremlin TV host Evgeny Popov. The Ukraine invasion is beset with problems and Putin faces war crimes charges. Are cracks appearing?
James Daunt: Is the books industry a place where creativity and diversity truly thrive?
March 20, 2023 08:30 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBStephen Sackur speaks to the hugely successful bookseller James Daunt. From Waterstones to Barnes & Noble he has fought off ebooks and online retail to revive bricks and mortar bookstores. But is the books industry a place where creativity and diversity truly thrive? (Photo: James Daunt in the Hardtalk studio)
Mustafa Barghouti: Can Palestinians improve their situation?
March 17, 2023 00:00 - 24 minutes - 11 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Palestinian politician, physician and civil rights activist Mustafa Barghouti. The seemingly endless Israeli-Palestinian conflict could be on the brink of getting a lot worse. If the two-state solution is dead, what option do the Palestinians have? (Photo: Mustafa Barghouti, leader of the Palestinian National Initiative, appears via videolink on Hardtalk)
Sergei Pugachev: Inside Putin's rise
March 13, 2023 00:36 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur is in Nice to speak to the former Russian oligarch and billionaire businessman Sergei Pugachev. He was once dubbed Putin’s banker, a close confidant who helped Putin reach the top. But their relationship soured. Pugachev was accused of massive financial crimes; he renounced his Russian citizenship and now lives with armed guards in the south of France. What does his extraordinary story tell us of Putin’s strengths and weaknesses?
Simcha Rothman: Is Israel plunging into chaos?
March 10, 2023 08:23 - 24 minutes - 11.1 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Israeli politician Simcha Rothman, a key architect of the Netanyahu government’s controversial legal reforms aimed at radically overhauling the country’s judicial system. Critics say the plans threaten Israel’s democracy. This, alongside the rising violence in the occupied West Bank, raises questions about the strategic direction of Netanyahu’s ultra-nationalist government. Is Israel plunging into chaos?
Notis Mitarachi: Has Greece's government lost the confidence of the people?
March 08, 2023 08:30 - 24 minutes - 11.2 MBThe devastating train crash in Greece which killed 57 people generated a wave of grief and anger. Many Greeks see the disaster as symptomatic of a failing state, characterised by a lack of investment in public infrastructure and a lack of accountability at the heart of government. Other aspects of public policy are also facing harsh scrutiny, from migration to internal security. Stephen Sackur speaks to Greece’s asylum and migration minister Notis Mitarachi. Has his government lost the confi...
Félix Maradiaga: Standing up to Nicaragua's president
March 03, 2023 00:00 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Félix Maradiaga, the former opposition leader and presidential candidate imprisoned by Nicaragua’s veteran autocrat Daniel Ortega. Maradiaga was recently released, deported to the US and stripped of his Nicaraguan citizenship. Ortega is trying to eliminate all Nicaraguan opposition - could he succeed?
Tikhon Dzyadko: Is there an audience for independent news in Russia?
March 01, 2023 09:00 - 24 minutes - 11 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Tikhon Dzyadko, editor-in-chief of Russia’s independent TV news channel Dozhd (or TV Rain). Closed down in Moscow, now they are broadcasting online from Latvia, using YouTube to reach Russians. Is there a Russian audience for this alternative to Putin’s propaganda machine? (Photo: Tikhon Dzyadko, editor-in-chief of Dozhd TV appears via videolink on Hardtalk)
Ece Temelkuran: Is Erdogan's control of Turkey under threat?
February 24, 2023 09:00 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Ece Temelkuran, a prominent exiled Turkish writer and critic of President Erdogan. Erdogan has dominated Turkey for two decades but after the terrible earthquakes, with economic and political problems mounting and an election imminent, could his opponents finally bring him down? (Photo: Ece Temelkuran in the Hardtalk studio)
Olesya Khromeychuk: Conflict and identity
February 22, 2023 08:06 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur speaks to the British-Ukrainian historian and author Olesya Khromeychuk. She's written a book and a play about her brother Volodya, a soldier killed defending Ukraine in the Donbas long before Russia’s all out invasion began last year. Has Putin’s assault on Ukrainian identity strengthened what he set out to destroy?
Stefanie Green: The ethics of assisted dying
February 20, 2023 00:00 - 22 minutes - 10.5 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Dr Stefanie Green, a leading advocate for Canada’s liberal assisted dying laws, who has herself overseen more than 300 deaths by euthanasia. Is Canada at ease with its role as a testing ground for complex ethical and medical arguments about assisted dying?
Waris Dirie: The fight against FGM
February 17, 2023 09:00 - 24 minutes - 11.1 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Waris Dirie, the Somali born model, writer and activist. She was raised in poverty, and later became the muse of big fashion houses in New York and beyond. She chose campaigning over the catwalk, speaking out against female genital mutilation, which she experienced and is now determined to eliminate. Is this a fight she can win?
Mick Lynch: Strife, strikes and workers' rights
February 15, 2023 08:06 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Mick Lynch, leader of Britain’s biggest rail union the RMT. His members are striking for inflation proofed pay and job protection. It is a test case in a new era of worker versus employer fights with resonance across the world. But can the workers win?
Kenneth Roth: Is the fight for human rights being lost?
February 13, 2023 00:01 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Kenneth Roth, who spent three decades leading the campaign group Human Rights Watch. Why is the fight for human rights being lost in so many places?
Kira Rudik: Can Ukraine win this war?
February 09, 2023 09:00 - 23 minutes - 10.8 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Kira Rudik, a Ukrainian MP and leader of the opposition party Golos. As the first anniversary of Putin’s invasion looms, does Ukraine have the external support and the internal cohesion it needs to win this war?
Pervez Musharraf: Power in Pakistan
February 08, 2023 08:30 - 24 minutes - 11.1 MBPervez Musharraf, the former Pakistani army chief who masterminded a coup in 1999 and ruled the country for nine years, has died in Dubai aged 79 after a long illness. Stephen Sackur spoke to General Musharraf in 2014, after he had returned from exile to Pakistan in an attempt to revive his political career. What did his rise and fall tell us about the realities of power in Pakistan? Image: Pervez Musharraf, pictured in 2013 (Credit: Mian Khursheed/Reuters)
Zsuzsanna Szelényi: How strong is Viktor Orbán's grip on Hungary?
February 06, 2023 09:00 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Zsuzsanna Szelényi, a former ally, and now prominent opponent, of Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Has Orbán found a political formula, illiberal democracy, for which his opponents have no answer?
Sergey Karaganov: Is Putin placing bets he cannot win?
February 03, 2023 08:06 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur speaks to the Russian foreign policy strategist and sometime Kremlin adviser Sergey Karaganov. Russia is widely expected to launch a major new offensive in Ukraine very soon, but this war has already exposed Moscow’s vulnerabilities. Is Putin placing bets he cannot win?
Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah: How should international aid work?
February 01, 2023 08:06 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBStephen Sackur speaks to the boss of Oxfam Great Britain, Dhananjayan Sriskandarajah. He took over after Oxfam was hit by scandal with staff abusing their positions and power in Haiti. He promised to reimagine how international aid should be done and to put a new focus on global economic justice. Is his approach working?
Robert Malley: What next for US policy on Iran?
January 30, 2023 08:06 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Robert Malley, US special envoy for Iran. He’s an experienced diplomat facing a looming crisis. The attempt to revive a deal to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions appears to be dead, Tehran is repressing protests at home and arming Putin’s Russia in Ukraine. What can the US and its allies do about it?
Leopoldo Lopez: Has Venezuela’s opposition been outmanoeuvred?
January 27, 2023 08:30 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Leopoldo Lopez, a key leader of Venezuela’s opposition. Once a political prisoner, now in exile in Spain, his efforts to topple the socialist regime led by Nicolas Maduro have been thwarted. Has Venezuela’s pro-democracy movement been outmanoeuvred?
Dmytro Kuleba: Is the West's hesitation undermining Ukraine?
January 25, 2023 00:00 - 23 minutes - 10.7 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba. The war with Russia has hit a winter stalemate, but what will spring bring? From battle tanks to air defences, Ukraine wants more help from its allies. Is Western wavering undermining Kyiv’s strategic options?
Ruben Vardanyan: Nagorno-Karabakh and Putin
January 23, 2023 09:00 - 24 minutes - 11 MBStephen Sackur speaks to Ruben Vardanyan, state minister of the disputed enclave of Nagorno-Karabakh, run by ethnic Armenians but surrounded by Azerbaijan and the subject of years of conflict. The Armenians have traditionally been backed by Russia, but is Putin a reliable ally?
Celso Amorim: Is Brazil becoming ungovernable?
January 20, 2023 07:06 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBBrazilian President Lula must figure out whether another assault on government institutions is likely, and hold those responsible to account. All of that while he faces a mountain of economic, social and political challenges. How close is Brazil to being ungovernable? Stephen Sackur interviews Celso Amorim, formerly Brazil's foreign minister, now President Lula’s foreign policy advisor.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala: Is global free trade possible?
January 18, 2023 00:32 - 23 minutes - 10.9 MBStephen Sackur is in Geneva to speak to Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, director general of the World Trade Organization. Her job is to maximise free and fair trade across the world. How is that possible in this age of big power tension and increased suspicion of globalisation?