Russia’s war in Ukraine has galvanised western alliances but many other countries feel no imperative to come down on either side. This new class of nations are the global swing states of the 21st century, enjoying a significant amount of sway on the world stage. What does it take to win them over? To examine the cases of South Africa, Brazil and Saudi Arabia, Andrew Mueller speaks to Tony Leon, Cecilia Tornaghi and Bernard Haykel. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global swing states: can the west win them over?

​Presented by ​Andrew Mueller, Monocle’s flagship global-affairs show features​ expert guests ​and in-depth analysis of the big issues of the week. Nominated for ‘Best Current Affairs’ show and the ‘Spotlight Award’ in the 2022 British Podcast Awards. 

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The African National Congress looks likely to win South Africa’s upcoming election, despite facing the prospect of securing less than 50 per cent of the vote for the first time in its history. Is this the inevitable result of being in power for too long, or something else? Andrew Mueller speaks to Nwabisa Makunga of the country’s national daily Sowetan, author William Gumede and former opposition leader Tony Leon. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Where did things go wrong for South Africa’s ANC?

France and New Caledonia have seen better days. Andrew Mueller explains France’s role in the South Pacific territory and why Paris is blaming a fresh round of unrest there on Azerbaijan. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Explainer 418: Big trouble in New Caledonia

Russia celebrated its annual Black Sea Fleet Day with a notably smaller fleet in Sevastopol than just a few years ago. How has Ukraine managed to win in the sea? What has the Nato military alliance learned from that success? And how does Turkey exercise control as the gateway country to the Black Sea? We speak to Hanna Shelest in Odessa, James Bergeron of Nato Maritime Command and Turkish-American political scientist Soner Cagaptay. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The Black Sea

Andrew Mueller explains how the most recent Catalonian elections show that voters’ nationalist appetites may be waning. 
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Explainer 417: Catalonia’s fading separatist spirit

Olaf Scholz visited the First German Brigade, which is stationed in Lithuania as part of Berlin’s new commitment to defend the Baltic states. But is Nato ready for Russia’s next move? We speak with Lithuania’s foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, Marion Messmer of Chatham House and General Richard Shirreff, former deputy supreme allied commander at Nato. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Global swing states: can the west win them over?

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