On this very special Democracy Sausage podcast extra, Mark Kenny talks to the noted Irish columnist and author Fintan O’Toole about Brexit and the Irish border, global leadership, and democratic systems in a time of global crisis.

Infection has driven major change in societies, including providing clean water and improved sanitation. So could the coronavirus pandemic crisis be the impetus for progressive and profound global change in public health systems and beyond? In this very special interview, Mark Kenny talks to Fintan O’Toole about the “brutal light” being shone on political systems from the crisis, global leadership, and how COVID-19 could push the world into an era of existential risk. They also discuss Brexit, Irish politics, and threats to the Irish peace process.

Professor Mark Kenny is a Senior Fellow in the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the university after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times.

Fintan O'Toole is one of Ireland's leading political and cultural commentators. He is a columnist and writer for The Irish Times, the 2017 winner of both the European Press Prize and the Orwell Prize, and author of Heroic Failure: Brexit and the Politics of Pain.

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This podcast is produced in partnership with The Australian National University.

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