Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes
497 episodes - English - Latest episode: 13 days ago - ★★★★★ - 83 ratingsWeekly podcast on the events, policies and ideas that will shape the world.World in 30 minutes is curated by Mark Leonard, Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), and features top-level speakers from across the EU and beyond to debate and discuss Europe’s role in the world. It was awarded “Best podcasts on EU politics” by PolicyLab in 2019.Member of the EuroPod network.
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Episodes
From crisis to crisis: evaluating Biden’s foreign policy
April 05, 2024 05:00 - 38 minutes - 52.6 MBWith the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, and the war in Gaza, US president Joe Biden has been forced to deal with some major foreign policy crises. Guiding him through these, a team of seasoned foreign policy professionals, among which Antony Blinken, Bill Burns, Avril Haines, and Jake Sullivan, were brought on to “restore” America’s foreign policy after four years of Donald Trump’s presidency. In this week’s episode, following the launch of ECFR...
The role of international law and justice in a fragmented world
March 29, 2024 06:00 - 40 minutes - 56.2 MBThe wars in Ukraine and Gaza have led questions of international law and justice to filter into everyday discourse. Both conflicts are deeply rooted in complicated and at times controversial discussions concerning the validity of territorial claims, the permissibility of use of force, the role of the International Criminal Court and the International Court of Justice in prosecuting wrongdoers, and the complexities of international humanitarian law. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard w...
Under fire: Unpacking Germany’s defence policy drama
March 22, 2024 05:15 - 39 minutes - 54.3 MBIt has been a rocky month for German defence policy. With a naval frigate almost shooting down a US drone in the Red Sea by mistake, discussions of military officers on the deployment of Taurus missiles leaking, and Olaf Scholz and Emmanuel Macron openly arguing about military aid to Ukraine, Germany’s policy on European defence is embroiled in internal and external intrigue. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes senior policy fellow Ulrike Franke and senior policy fellow and head ...
De-risking and its impact on the global economy
March 15, 2024 06:00 - 36 minutes - 49.7 MBA few years ago decoupling was all the rage, but Western economies are now moving towards de-risking as they strive to reduce their economic reliance on China. A United States keen to preserve its technological superiority leads the way – and aims to bring its allies along for the ride. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes ECFR senior policy fellow, Agathe Demarais, and senior director at risk advisory firm Global Counsel, Stephen Adams, to discuss de-risking and its impact on E...
The future of the war in Gaza
March 08, 2024 06:00 - 37 minutes - 51.1 MBThe death toll in Gaza now exceeds 30,000. Five months into the war, much of the sympathy the international community had for Israel following the 7 October attacks has evaporated amid such violence and destruction. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes senior policy fellow Hugh Lovatt, director of ECFR’s Middle East and North Africa programme Julien Barnes-Dacey, and research director and director of ECFR’s new US programme Jeremy Shapiro. Together, they discuss the current situati...
Ukraine’s future in NATO
March 01, 2024 06:00 - 24 minutes - 22.8 MBThe conflict in Ukraine has crystallised into a war of attrition. As military losses pile up on both sides, Russia could take advantage of this year’s electoral uncertainty in the West to strike a settlement deal on its terms. To ensure a durable peace, Europeans must make clear what red lines Moscow is not allowed to cross. And the history of the cold war may provide Europeans with some valuable lessons on how to do that. In this episode, Mark Leonard welcomes ECFR’s board member Ivan Kras...
Two long years of war in Ukraine
February 23, 2024 06:00 - 36 minutes - 50.2 MBTomorrow the war in Ukraine will enter its third year. Kyiv’s counteroffensive has proved much less successful than the Ukrainian government had hoped. And as Western support threatens to dry up, Ukraine’s setbacks are mounting. Last weekend, while speaking at the Munich Security Conference, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky was forced to admit that the town of Avdiivka in the Donetsk region had fallen to the Russians, which he blamed on a lack of ammunition and, by implication, on a la...
How Europe can prepare for America’s withdrawal
February 19, 2024 11:35 - 37 minutes - 51.7 MBIn the past weeks, Donald Trump caused alarm bells to go off in the European capitals, stating that he would “encourage” Russia to punish his European NATO allies that do not reach the spending requirements, were he elected US president for the second time. Shortly after, Estonian intelligence revealed Russia has plans to beef up its military presence near Finland and the Baltic states. In this episode, recorded live from the Munich Security Conference, Mark Leonard welcomes ECFR board memb...
A life in the American century
February 09, 2024 06:00 - 37 minutes - 51 MBWith the United States’ presidential election just a few months away, the stakes go far beyond domestic politics. The results will decide the future of American foreign policy, at least for the next four years. In the corridors of power in Washington, US policymakers will need to adapt to a new leadership and navigate the complexities of today’s international system accordingly. In this episode, Mark Leonard welcomes political scientist Joseph Nye, who served as the former assistant secreta...
A new defence strategy for Europe
February 02, 2024 05:45 - 36 minutes - 50.1 MBFacing a major war in Europe, as well as an expanding conflict in the Middle East, it is increasingly important for European leaders to meet the security challenges of tomorrow. This week, the inaugural event of ECFR’s new defence initiative brought together a strategic community of leaders and practitioners to think creatively and practically about how Europe can strengthen its role as a geopolitical actor and global power From the event in Brussels, Mark Leonard welcomes distinguished pol...
The future of the Red Sea
January 26, 2024 06:00 - 27 minutes - 38.3 MBTwo weeks ago, the United States and the United Kingdom launched airstrikes against Houthi targets in Yemen in response to the group’s continued attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea. While the intervention degraded some of the Houthis’ military capabilities, the airstrikes were insufficient to sustainably secure the Red Sea and encourage a return of international shipping. Meanwhile, the Houthis have vowed to continue with their attacks, claiming to act in solidarity with Gaza. In ...
Live from Davos: The 2024 emergency watchlist
January 19, 2024 06:00 - 31 minutes - 42.8 MBEvery year, the International Rescue Committee publishes an emergency watchlist, an assessment of the 20 countries at greatest risk of humanitarian emergency. According to the IRC’s report for 2024, the scope of this year’s challenges is broad: Gaza and the West Bank rank only second on the watchlist, behind Sudan. And Ukraine, Syria, Yemen, and Afghanistan don’t even make the top ten. In this week’s podcast, recorded at the World Economic Forum in snowy Davos, Mark Leonard welcomes David Mil...
Ten foreign policy predictions for 2024
January 12, 2024 06:00 - 14 minutes - 20 MBChange is inevitable, and so is our beloved predictions episode. As always, Mark Leonard and ECFR’s research director Jeremy Shapiro start the year off by revisiting the ten predictions they made last year and then look into their crystal ball at the forces that will shape the upcoming one. Their predictions for 2023 left them with a score of 7/10. Will they do better this year? Let us know if you think they missed something! You can write your own predictions to [email protected]. This po...
Africa and the changing global order
December 29, 2023 06:00 - 37 minutes - 51.2 MBThis month, ECFR’s Africa Forum brought together African and European policymakers and thinkers for discussions on the two continents’ strategic partnerships in the changing global order. In this new episode, Jeremy Shapiro welcomes the head of ECFR’s Africa programme, Theo Murphy. They are joined by ECFR visiting fellow, Adebayo Olukoshi, who is a distinguished research professor at the Witts School of Governance in South Africa; and Brian Kagoro, managing director of programmes at the Open ...
Understanding the current military situation in Ukraine
December 22, 2023 06:00 - 37 minutes - 51.8 MBGoing into the holiday season, the mood among Ukraine’s supporters far from festive. It is difficult to escape a sense that general war fatigue is kicking in, as Europeans bicker over military aid, dysfunction paralyses the US Congress, and the war in Gaza continues to hog the world’s attention. What is more, the frontiers of the Ukraine war have barely budged since last year.In this week’s episode, Jeremy Shapiro welcomes Michael Kofman, senior fellow at Carnegie Endowment’s Russia and Euras...
The role of the Persian Gulf in the war in Gaza
December 15, 2023 06:00 - 32 minutes - 45.3 MBSecond only to the United States, the Gulf countries have emerged as key players in the Israel-Hamas war. Qatar has been a crucial go-between in negotiating the recent hostage return and seven-day ceasefire, but has also come under fire for its chummy relationship with Hamas. The United Arab Emirates, for its part, has maintained a studious neutrality and appears more keen on preserving economic ties with Israel than getting pulled into the conflict. And as the region’s biggest player, Saudi ...
Digital empires: The global battle to regulate technology
December 08, 2023 06:00 - 32 minutes - 45 MB“Digital empires” – the geopolitical entities that wield their influence and control in the digital landscape – shape much of how we interact with the online world. Currently, the United States, China, and the European Union are taking the lead, with their substantial investments in technology, innovation, and digital infrastructure, and their efforts to shape and regulate the digital economy. In this week’s episode, Jeremy Shapiro welcomes Anu Bradford, author and Henry L. Moses professor ...
Views from Moscow
December 01, 2023 06:01 - 35 minutes - 48.9 MBThe West perceives Russians as either indifferent or supportive of the war being waged on their doorstep. But a sharp decrease in on-the-ground reporting since February 2022 means that the country has become poorly understood.In this week’s episode, Jeremy Shapiro welcomes senior policy fellow Kadri Liik and Valerie Hopkins, an international correspondent for The New York Times covering the war in Ukraine as well as Russia and the countries of the former Soviet Union. Together, they discuss h...
What the war in Gaza means for Turkey
November 24, 2023 06:00 - 31 minutes - 43 MBSince the war in Gaza, Turkey’s president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has raised eyebrows among his Western allies for his strident criticism of Israel and refusal to condemn Hamas. Likewise, the atmosphere in Turkey has been heated, with attempts to storm an airbase hosting US troops as well as the Israeli consulate in Istanbul.In this week’s episode, Jeremy Shapiro welcomes senior policy fellow Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, a visiting fellow at the Brookings Institute, and Dimitar Bechev, a nonresident senior...
Living in an à la carte world: What European policymakers should learn from global public opinion
November 17, 2023 06:00 - 34 minutes - 47.3 MBECFR’s new global opinion poll reveals that many people outside the West want Europe and the US in their lives for all they have to offer – but that does not translate into full political alignment. In this week’s episode, ECFR’s research director Jeremy Shapiro welcomes council member Timothy Garton Ash, who is a bestselling author and professor of European studies at Oxford University; Ivan Krastev, who is a founding board member of ECFR and chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies in ...
The consequences of the war in Gaza for Ukraine
November 10, 2023 06:00 - 33 minutes - 45.6 MBFor Kyiv, the war in Gaza couldn’t have come at a worse time. It has taken the global spotlight just as the fighting between Russian and Ukrainian forces has reached a stalemate (as top Ukrainian general Valery Zaluzhny wrote in The Economist last week) and division in the US Congress threatens to sever its military aid lifeline.In this week’s episode, Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR’s research director, seizing control from Mark Leonard over the next few weeks, welcomes Gustav Gressel, senior policy fe...
What Europe can expect from the next US president
November 03, 2023 06:00 - 32 minutes - 44.1 MBOn 5 November 2024, America will elect its next president. As of now, the race for the White House is shaping up to be a replay of the 2020 presidential election – with Joe Biden and Donald Trump standing out as the likely candidates for their opposing parties. This time around, however, the United States’ engagement in the Middle East and in Ukraine, coupled with its global competition with China, could play a significant role in defining the outcome of the election. In this week’s episode,...
The blindsided: How France and Germany cleared the way for Russia
October 27, 2023 07:22 - 34 minutes - 47.3 MBOn 24 February 2022, Russia blindsided most of Europe with its all-out invasion of Ukraine. This forced an overdue reckoning for Europeans on the failures of their Russia policy and the realities of Vladimir Putin’s agenda. In particular, France and Germany had been hoodwinked by promises of cheap Russian energy supplies, as well as the pipe dream of a common European security architecture with Moscow. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes ECFR board and council member, Sylvie Kauffma...
How the Polish elections will change Europe
October 20, 2023 05:00 - 34 minutes - 47.5 MBPoland is returning to European politics as a constructive player. The country’s National Electoral Commission confirmed on Tuesday morning that the Polish opposition has gathered enough votes to form a government and end the Law and Justice party’s eight-year rule of illiberalism and Eurosceptism. The results also hold two key lessons for Europe: a country’s illiberal turn can be reversed, and polarisation is an insufficient tool to mobilise progressive voters.In this week’s episode, Mark Le...
Podcast special: Hamas’s surprise attack on Israel
October 10, 2023 10:58 - 42 minutes - 58.7 MBOn Saturday morning, Hamas carried out an unprecedented attack on Israel, firing thousands of rockets, but also infiltrating cities, towns, and kibbutzim in the south of the country. It is the first time a hostile power has taken Israeli territory since the Yom Kippur war in 1973. This surprise offensive – which has already killed more than 800 Israelis and left over 400 Palestinians dead in Gaza after initial Israeli military reprisals – marks a significant turning point in the Israeli-Pales...
Spain and Poland at the ballot box: what’s next for Europe?
October 06, 2023 05:00 - 29 minutes - 40.5 MBLast week, Alberto Núñez Feijóo, leader of Spain’s People’s Party, lost his second bid at leading the country’s government. All eyes are now on Pedro Sánchez, acting prime minister and leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers’ Party, as he tries to gather enough support to hold his office for another term.Across the continent, Poland is preparing for the next parliamentary election on 15 October – and the rising far-right party Confederation is set to swing the balance between right-wing incum...
Understanding the multipolar Middle East with Ellie Geranmayeh and Alistair Burt
September 29, 2023 05:00 - 35 minutes - 48.5 MBFor the past few months, the United States has been trying to broker a groundbreaking bilateral deal between Saudi Arabia and Israel. Iran, meanwhile, is forging an ever closer and ever more dangerous partnership with Russia. Finally, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Egypt were invited to join the BRICS this summer – and are turning more and more towards the east. In short, the Middle Eastern order has shifted towards multipolarity. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes El...
The End of Germany's China Illusion
September 22, 2023 05:00 - 33 minutes - 46.6 MBIn her state of the union address, European Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, announced an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric cars. This summer, the German government released its first comprehensive China strategy, noting that “China has changed, and therefore we must change our approach.” These events mark a turning point in EU-China relations.In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Janka Oertel, director of ECFR’s Asia programme, to discuss her new book “End o...
Defending the open society with Mark Malloch-Brown
September 15, 2023 05:00 - 39 minutes - 54.8 MBGlobal freedom has been declining for 17 years. Authoritarian turns are increasing, and current events – such as the rise of populism and Russia’s war on Ukraine – are shaping the future of democracy across the globe. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes the president of the Open Society Foundations (OSF), Mark Malloch-Brown – who previously served as UN deputy secretary-general under Kofi Annan – to discuss open societies and OSF’s role in promoting justice, democratic governance, a...
The great reset? How the EU and the UK can rethink their security and defense cooperation
September 08, 2023 05:00 - 31 minutes - 43 MBWar has returned to the European continent, putting many previous divisions into perspective. This has caused European leaders to think afresh about their politics – and raised the question of the United Kingdom’s role in European foreign policy. Seven years after the Brexit referendum, the EU and the UK have finally resolved some of their differences through the Windsor Framework. The possibility of a reset between the UK and the EU on foreign policy could be on the horizon. In this year’s m...
The Great Reset? Challenges and opportunities for EU-UK cooperation
September 01, 2023 05:00 - 31 minutes - 43.8 MBWar has returned to the European continent, putting many previous divisions into perspective. This has caused European leaders to think afresh about their politics – and raised the question of the United Kingdom’s role in European foreign policy. Seven years after the Brexit referendum, the EU and the UK have finally resolved some of their differences through the Windsor Framework. The possibility of a reset between the UK and the EU on foreign policy could be on the horizon. In this year’s m...
Podcast special: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death
August 25, 2023 09:40 - 30 minutes - 42.1 MBOn 23 August, Wagner leader Yevgeny Prigozhin’s private jet crashed, leading Russian state media to declare his death. The enigmatic circumstances surrounding the event raise crucial questions about the incident itself, but also about its potential ramifications, which could extend well beyond Russia. In this special episode, Mark Leonard welcomes the head of ECFR’s Africa programme, Theodore Murphy, senior policy fellow, Kadri Liik, and visiting fellows Pavel Slunkin and Kirill Shamiev to di...
The great reset? How the EU and the UK can rethink their cooperation on foreign policy - Ivan Rogers
August 18, 2023 05:00 - 36 minutes - 50.5 MBWar has returned to the European continent, putting many previous divisions into perspective. This has caused European leaders to think afresh about their politics – and raised the question of the United Kingdom’s role in European foreign policy. Seven years after the Brexit referendum, the EU and the UK have finally resolved some of their differences through the Windsor Framework. The possibility of a reset between the UK and the EU on foreign policy could be on the horizon. In this year’s m...
The great reset? How the EU and the UK can rethink their cooperation on foreign policy - Ivan Rogers
August 18, 2023 05:00 - 36 minutes - 50.5 MBWar has returned to the European continent, putting many previous divisions into perspective. This has caused European leaders to think afresh about their politics – and raised the question of the United Kingdom’s role in European foreign policy. Seven years after the Brexit referendum, the EU and the UK have finally resolved some of their differences through the Windsor Framework. The possibility of a reset between the UK and the EU on foreign policy could be on the horizon. In this year’s m...
The Great Reset? How the EU and the UK can rethink their cooperation on climate and energy
August 11, 2023 05:00 - 27 minutes - 37.8 MBWar has returned to the European continent, putting many previous divisions into perspective. This has caused European leaders to think afresh about their politics – and raised the question of the United Kingdom’s role in European foreign policy. Seven years after the Brexit referendum, the EU and the UK have finally resolved some of their differences through the Windsor Framework. The possibility of a reset between the UK and the EU on foreign policy could be on the horizon. In this year’s m...
The great reset? How the EU and the UK can rethink their cooperation on foreign policy - Nick Butler
August 11, 2023 05:00 - 27 minutes - 37.8 MBWar has returned to the European continent, putting many previous divisions into perspective. This has caused European leaders to think afresh about their politics – and raised the question of the United Kingdom’s role in European foreign policy. Seven years after the Brexit referendum, the EU and the UK have finally resolved some of their differences through the Windsor Framework. The possibility of a reset between the UK and the EU on foreign policy could be on the horizon. In this year’s m...
The Great Reset? The view from Brussels
August 04, 2023 05:00 - 38 minutes - 53.5 MBWar has returned to the European continent, putting many previous divisions into perspective. This has caused European leaders to think afresh about their politics – and raised the question of the United Kingdom’s role in European foreign policy. Seven years after the Brexit referendum, the EU and the UK have finally resolved some of their differences through the Windsor Framework. The possibility of a reset between the UK and the EU on foreign policy could be on the horizon. In this year’s m...
The great reset? How the EU and the UK can rethink their cooperation on foreign policy
July 28, 2023 05:00 - 33 minutes - 46.7 MBWar has returned to the European continent, putting many previous divisions into perspective. This has caused European leaders to think afresh about their politics – and raised the question of the United Kingdom’s role in European foreign policy. Seven years after the Brexit referendum, the EU and the UK have finally resolved some of their differences through the Windsor Framework. The possibility of a reset between the UK and the EU on foreign policy could be on the horizon. In this year’s m...
The great reset? How the EU and the UK can rethink their cooperation on foreign policy
July 28, 2023 05:00 - 33 minutes - 46.7 MBWar has returned to the European continent, putting many previous divisions into perspective. This has caused European leaders to think afresh about their politics – and raised the question of the United Kingdom’s role in European foreign policy. Seven years after the Brexit referendum, the EU and the UK have finally resolved some of their differences through the Windsor Framework. The possibility of a reset between the UK and the EU on foreign policy could be on the horizon. In this year’s m...
Climate and geopolitics: What role for the EU?
July 21, 2023 05:00 - 37 minutes - 51.1 MBJuly has seen extreme weather events ravage all of the world’s continents, reinforcing – yet again – the urgency of collective action on climate change. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Kate Hampton, CEO of the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation and former head of policy at Climate Change Capital to delve into the complexities of that action within a competitive global landscape – marked by inequalities between the global north and south. Together, they consider possible pathw...
NATO’s Vilnius summit: The highlights and the future challenges
July 14, 2023 05:00 - 29 minutes - 39.9 MBThis week, the leaders of NATO member countries gathered in Vilnius for the organisation’s annual summit. The summit addressed crucial issues and implications for international security. From Sweden’s accession to NATO and Ukraine’s aspirations for membership to new defence plans and security guarantees, this week’s episode explores the summit’s highlights and potential impact on the global security landscape. Mark Leonard welcomes Alex Stubb, former prime minister of Finland, Lykke Friis, fo...
Immigration, identity, and Europe: Lessons from post-Brexit Britain
July 07, 2023 05:00 - 40 minutes - 55.1 MBWhat does it mean to be patriotic in 2023? Following the significant population movements of recent years, leaders in European states are increasingly trying to foster a sense of identity that can hold together their diverse societies. In his recent book, “How to be a patriot: Why love of country can end our very British culture war”, Sunder Katwala draws on many years of research and scholarship in the UK to consider what collective identity without division, fear of immigration, and racism ...
Podcast special: Wagner v Putin
June 27, 2023 07:09 - 34 minutes - 31.8 MBThe past two days will surely go down in Russian history. What started on Saturday as an armed rebellion within Russia by Yevgeny Prigozhin’s Wagner mercenaries ended in something of a whimper, with Vladimir Putin’s former caterer-turned-warlord agreeing to leave for Belarus in exchange for some ambiguous concessions from the Kremlin. Was this a coup, a mutiny, a rebellion, or something else? What were Prigozhin’s goals? What does this mean for Putin’s domestic reputation and his political su...
The great reset? How the EU and UK can rethink their cooperation on foreign policy
June 23, 2023 05:00 - 35 minutes - 49.2 MBWar has returned to the European continent, putting many previous divisions into perspective. This has caused European leaders to think afresh about their politics – and raised the question of the UK’s role in European foreign policy. Seven years after the Brexit referendum, the EU and the UK have finally resolved some of their differences through the Windsor Framework. The possibility of a reset between the UK and the EU on foreign policy could be on the horizon. In this year’s mini-series, ...
Keeping America close, Russia down, and China far away: How Europeans navigate a competitive world
June 16, 2023 05:00 - 32 minutes - 45 MBEuropean citizens are adapting slowly to the new geopolitical landscape. But leaders have an opportunity to build public consensus on the EU’s approach to China, the US, and Russia. ECFR’s latest polling report – based on data from 11 EU member states – analyses what European citizens think about Europe’s place in the world and its relationship to these other powers. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes the two authors of the report: Jana Puglierin, senior policy fellow and head of...
Democracy in the age of polycrisis with Adam Tooze
June 09, 2023 05:00 - 35 minutes - 81.2 MBThis week, European decision-makers and opinion-shapers gathered in Stockholm for ECFR´s annual council meeting.There, they discussed how democracy might survive the complex interaction of multiple overlapping crises: from covid-19 to climate change and Russia´s war on Ukraine.In this week´s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes ECFR trustee and director of the European Institute and professor of history at Columbia University, Adam Tooze, to examine the notion of polycrisis.What exactly does the te...
Israeli politics with Merav Michaeli
June 02, 2023 05:00 - 30 minutes - 24.6 MBEarlier this month, Israel marked its 75th birthday amid one of the biggest crises of democracy the country has ever experienced. Since returning to power in December last year, prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has introduced a set of controversial judicial reforms, resulting in mass protests on the streets of Tel Aviv and beyond.This week, Mark Leonard welcomes member of the Knesset and leader of the Israeli Labor Party, Merav Michaeli, to discuss what is at stake with these reforms and how...
The Sudan conflict and its impacts on the region
May 26, 2023 05:00 - 33 minutes - 46.4 MBThe crisis in Sudan is now in its sixth week, with no end in sight. Neither the Sudanese Armed Forces nor the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces have been able to gain decisive victories in the capital, Khartoum. On 22 May, the two sides signed a seven-day ceasefire, sponsored by the United States and Saudi Arabia. So, what are the current scenarios for negotiation, and what role should the West play in this process? This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Theodore Murphy, Julien Barnes-Dacey, a...
World order with Ayse Zarakol
May 19, 2023 05:00 - 27 minutes - 38.3 MBEven if China’s priorities might be different from those of the West, it embraces many of the ontological assumptions of the current world order. In her recent book “Before the West: The Rise and Fall of Eastern World Order”, Ayse Zarakol conceptualises world order as a non-Western concept and puts forward an alternative model of sovereignty. In this week’s episode of the World in 30 Minutes, Mark Leonard is joined by Ayse Zarakol, author and professor of international relations at the Unive...
The future of European politics
May 15, 2023 06:00 - 32 minutes - 29.7 MBA year ahead of the EU elections, commentators are already feverishly speculating about whether Ursula von der Leyen will stay on as president of the European Commission. Meanwhile, others lament the ongoing lethargy of the Franco-German motor. But focusing too much on these questions risks ignoring key players outside the traditional halls of European power, some of whom have been growing in influence. What can these countries and their domestic politics tell us about the future of the EU? ...