Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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?

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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

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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

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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 

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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 

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