On 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 dissect the aftermath of the development.

To what extent will the Wagner group be able to maintain its autonomy from the Kremlin following Prigozhin’s death? How might Prigozhin’s death affect the power dynamics within Russia’s security apparatus and intelligence agencies? And what could the implications be for the future of Wagner, both in Ukraine and in Africa? 

The podcast was recorded on Thursday 24 August 2023.

Bookshelf:
The Redline podcast – episode 95: The Death of the US Dollar?
Russian archive about the Revolution and the Civil War

Podcast special: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death

Weekly 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

News

A key priority for both the European Union and the United States is to reduce dependencies on China in green industries. Only this week, the United States announced a ramping up of tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, solar panels, steel, and other goods. However, with China’s dominant position in the production of green technologies, European policymakers are facing difficult decisions when it comes to de-risking. Again and again, national security and domestic economic considerations have to be weighed against the effects of climate change.  
In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Robbie Diamond, founder and CEO of SAFE, and of its European Initiative for Energy Security (EIES), and Janka Oertel, director of ECFR’s Asia programme and co-author of ECFR’s upcoming policy brief on de-risking, to discuss de-risking and the future of Europe’s green industries. How should the EU tackle the issue of dependency on China? Is it possible to find a sweet spot between successful de-risking and not slowing down the green transition? And how is the US response different from the EU’s? 
This episode was recorded on 15 May 2024  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The sweet spot: Between de-risking from China and Europe’s green future

When Europe’s single market was first conceived in the 1980s, the number of member states was half of what it is today, the Soviet Union still existed, Germany was not yet reunified, and the Chinese and Indian economies comprised less than 5 per cent of the global economy. Now, the European Union’s economic, political, and demographic landscape is almost unrecognisable. While the single market continues to be a cornerstone of European integration, it urgently needs strengthening to adapt to this changing global order.
In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes former Italian prime minister and ECFR council member Enrico Letta to discuss his report examining the European single market’s future. Why is the single market so important? How can it be improved to meet today’s geopolitical challenges? And what are the dangers if the EU doesn’t adapt?
This podcast was recorded on 26 April 2024.
Bookshelf Salviamo l’Europa: Otto parole per riscrivere il futuro by Michele Bellini L’Europe enfla si bien qu’elle creva: De 27 à 36 États? by Sylvie Goulard 
 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A vision for the future: Adapting Europe’s single market

With the European Parliament election only one month away, there is feverish speculation about who will get the top jobs of Commission President, President of the Council, and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. With predictions of a far-right surge and the influence of domestic politics, this electoral cycle will be crucial in shaping the very future of European politics. 
Live from the ECFR staff retreat in Bologna, Mark Leonard welcomes Jana Puglierin, Célia Belin, José Ignacio Torreblanca, Arturo Varvelli, Maria Simeonova, and Piotr Buras, the heads of our Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Sofia, and Warsaw offices, respectively, to discuss the election. In addition to giving their best guesses as to who will get what jobs, they will take a closer look at how domestic politics is likely to influence the elections and shape the Europe that emerges from them. 
The podcast was recorded on 28 April 2024
Bookshelf  Battle redux: Macron, Le Pen, and France’s European election campaign by Célia Belin  The long shadow of the populists: Donald Tusk’s first 100 days by Piotr Buras  Turning point or turning back: German defence policy after Zeitenwende by Jana Puglierin  Hanging in the balance: How to save Bulgaria’s foreign policy from political turmoil by Maria Simeonova  La hora más crítica de la Unión Europea by José Ignacio Torreblanca  The Atlantic is not enough: The Italian government’s difficult relations in Europe by Arturo Varvelli   The European Union as a War Project: Five Pathways toward a Geopolitical Europe by Mark Leonard   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The European pulse: the election and beyond

Taiwan has come to represent a strategic flashpoint in US-China relations. As Beijing ramps up its political and military pressure on Taipei, any escalation could trigger a major conflict between the two powers. Unlike Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China may have to reckon with direct US intervention if it chose to invade Taiwan. Alongside this, the US-China strategic competition is rising, with the United States’ strategic approach involving aggressive export controls, maintaining tariffs, and creation of alliances in the Indo-Pacific. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and chairman of national security think-tank Silverado Policy Accelerator, to discuss US-China competition and the likelihood of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. What would the consequences of an invasion be? What can the US do about it? And what role should Europeans play in all of this?
This episode was recorded on 25 April 2024
Bookshelf: To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power by Sergey Radchenko Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

High stakes in the strait: US -China competition and Taiwan’s future

As the world awaits Israel’s response to Iran’s Saturday attack, the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza persists and the territory remains on the brink of famine. While Israel’s attention is momentarily diverted towards Iran and its proxies, prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu insists he is still planning an offensive on Rafah, discussions around a ceasefire and hostage exchange remain in deadlock, and a possible two state-solution recedes further into the distance.  
In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes senior policy fellow Hugh Lovatt and chief of programmes and communications at the Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor, Muhammad Shehada from Gaza, to discuss the war in Gaza and the prospects for Palestinian statehood. What pathways for a solution to the conflict remain? Should the emphasis continue to be on Palestinian statehood, or on self-determination in a broader sense? Can Europeans play a constructive role in finding a peaceful solution? 
This episode was recorded on 17 April 2024 
 Bookshelf: 
Crossing the Divide: Intergroup Leadership in a World of Difference by Todd Pittinsky  The Bank Manager and the Holy Grail: Travels to the Weirder Reaches of Wales by Byron Rogers   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Podcast special: Yevgeny Prigozhin’s death

Download our free app to listen on your phone