In recent years, Europe's China strategy "change through trade" has faced reality: China is simultaneously a partner, an economic competitor, and a systematic rival. As the EU struggles to find its footing between a rising China and an increasingly unreliable US, this episode explores the EU's struggles of "de-risking" its relationship with China and its quest for strategic autonomy.

To navigate this complex maze, we are joined by two core members of the MA Politics and International Relations of East Asia: Dr. Gordon Cheung, an Associate Professor in International Relations of China, who looks at how the EU's integration history serves as both a blueprint and a warning for new trade blocs in East Asia and how it shaped EU-China relations in past decades, and Dr. Ferran Perez-Mena, an Assistant Professor of International Relations of East Asia, who pulls back the curtain on the internal political tug-of-war within the EU. From the high-voltage "EV war" to the influence of "national spoilers" like Hungary, we delve into the complex, often contradictory forces shaping the future of EU-China relations.

To learn more about Durham's revised MA Politics and International Relations of East Asia, see https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/academic/school-government-international-affairs/postgraduate-study/taught-courses/ma-politics-and-international-relations-of-east-asia/

To learn more about Drs. Cheung and Perez Mena's research visit their websites: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/g-c-k-cheung/ and https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/ferran-perez-mena/

Literature:

Fix, L. (2026). Europe's Next Hegemon: The Perils of German Power. Foreign Affairs. Online at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/germany/europes-next-hegemon-liana-fix [Last accessed: 19 February 2026].

Lamour, C. (2024). Orbán Placed in Europe: Ukraine, Russia and the Radical-Right Populist Heartland. Geopolitics, 29(4), 1297–1323.

Lavery S. and D. Schmid (2021). European Integration and the New Global Disorder. Journal of Common Market Studies 59(5), 1322-1338.

Livermore, D. (2024). Orbán’s ‘Diplomacy’ reveals a vulnerable West. Europe’s Edge. Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). Online at https://cepa.org/article/orbans-diplomacy-reveals-a-vulnerable-west/ [Last accessed: 19 February 2026].

Miró, J. (2023). Responding to the global disorder: the EU’s quest for open strategic autonomy. Global Society, 37(3), 315–335.

Sanahuja, J. A., & López Burian, C. (2024). Variations in the geopolitics of the neo-patriotic far-right and the challenge to the international order. CEBRI-Journal, 3(11), 17–36.

Segal, G. (1999). Does China Matter? Foreign Affairs. Online at https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/asia/1999-09-01/does-china-matter [Last accessed: 19 February 2026].

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In this episode, we peel back the curtain on the "hidden geography" of American global power: the network of concrete and steel ground installations that serve as the eyes and ears of the US military. While aircraft carriers often dominate the headlines, the true foundation of US dominance lies in sites like Pituffik Space Base in Greenland and RAF Menwith Hill in the UK, which act as critical up- and downlinks for the world's most sensitive satellite networks.

Dr. Bleddyn Bowen, an Associate Professor in Astropolitics in the School of Government and International Affairs and co-director of the Durham University Space Research Centre (SPARC) joins to discuss:

- The reality of the "pointer list empire" and why the US relies on an international "empire of dots" to maintain global reach.

- The logic—and contradictions—behind Donald Trump’s proposal to acquire Greenland and its link to the "Golden Dome" missile defence system.

- The "two-way street" of intelligence sharing between the US and its Five Eyes allies.

- What to really focus on to judge transatlantic military cooperation.

To learn more about Bleddyn's research, visit his website at: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/bleddyn-e-bowen/

To listen to Dr. Bowen's evidence in the House of Lords on the UK Engagment in Space, see https://parliamentlive.tv/event/index/574c0630-e9b6-4cb8-8983-64263c26a3fe [Last accessed on 13th February 2026].

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Do political scandals contribute to the decay of liberal democracy, are they a sign of democracy working, or both? In this episode, Prof. Patrick M. Kuhn dives into the political science behind the headlines to unpack the dynamics and consequences of political transgressions. From the recent unsealing of the Epstein files to the falls of prime ministers and mass ministerial resignations across Europe, we explore why some scandals erupt while others disappear, why not all politicians are affected equally, how polarization undermines accountability, and what the consequences of political scandals are for popular support and trust in democracy.

To learn more about Patrick's research, visit his website: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/p-m-kuhn/

Literature:

Christensen, T., & Lægreid, P. (2025). Cabinet turbulence and political scandals—Accountability under pressure. Scandinavian Political Studies.

Close, C., Dodeigne, J., Hennau, S., & Reuchamps, M. (2023). A scandal effect? Local scandals and political trust. Acta Politica, 58, 212–236.

Doherty, D., Dowling, C. M., & Miller, M. G. (2011). Are financial or moral scandals worse? It depends. PS: Political Science & Politics, 44(4), 749–757.

Doherty, D., Dowling, C. M., & Miller, M. G. (2014). Does time heal all wounds? Sex scandals, tax evasion, and the passage of time. PS: Political Science & Politics, 47(2), 357–366.

Dziuda, W., & Howell, W. G. (2021). Political scandal: A theory. American Journal of Political Science, 65(1), 197–209.

Gulati, J., & Brown, L. M. (2021). The personal is political: Reconsidering the impact of scandals on congressional incumbents. Congress & the Presidency, 48(1), 25–49.

Guo, C. (2025). Do voters still care? The effect of polarization on scandal tolerance [Doctoral dissertation, The University of Texas at Austin].

Hamel, B. T., & Miller, M. G. (2019). How voters punish and donors protect legislators embroiled in scandal. Political Research Quarterly, 72(1), 117–131.

Invernizzi, G. (2016). Political scandals [Working paper/Mimeo]. Columbia University.

Just, M. R., & Crigler, A. N. (2019). Media coverage of political scandals: Effects of personalization and potential for democratic reforms. In H. Tumber & S. Waisbord (Eds.), The Routledge Companion to Media and Scandal. Routledge.

Nyhan, B. (2009). Strategic outrage: The politics of presidential scandal [Doctoral dissertation, Duke University].

Nyhan, B. (2015). Scandal potential: How political context and news congestion affect the president’s vulnerability to media scandal. British Journal of Political Science, 45(2), 435–466.

Nyhan, B. (2017). Media scandals are political events: How contextual factors affect public controversies over alleged misconduct by U.S. governors. Political Research Quarterly, 70(1), 223–236.

Praino, R., & Stockemer, D. (2022). The electoral consequences of scandals: A meta-analysis. Parliamentary Affairs, 75, 469–491.

Rottinghaus, B. (2014). Surviving scandal: The institutional and political dynamics of national and state executive scandals. PS: Political Science & Politics, 47(1), 131–140.

Rottinghaus, B. (2023). Do scandals matter? Political Research Quarterly, 76(4), 1932–1943.

Saxton, G. W., & Barnes, T. D. (2022). Sex and ideology: Liberal and conservative responses to scandal. Journal of Elections, Public Opinion and Parties, 32(2), 396–407.

Stockemer, D., & Praino, R. (2019). The good, the bad and the ugly: Do attractive politicians get a ‘break’ when they are involved in scandals? Political Behavior, 41, 747–767.

Tumber, H., & Waisbord, S. R. (2004). Introduction: Political scandals and media across democracies, Volume II. American Behavioral Scientist, 47(9), 1143–1152.

von Sikorski, C. (2018). The aftermath of political scandals: A meta-analysis. International Journal of Communication, 12, 3109–3133.

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Can a democracy use autocratic methods to save itself without losing its soul? In this episode, Prof. Patrick M Kuhn explores the "constitutional paradox"—the idea that liberal democracies may occasionally adopt the very autocratic tools they are built to prevent to survive existential threats. Starting from President Trump's threat to invoke the Insurrection Act of 1807, this episode draws on legal-political models of emergency powers, current empirical research revealing when and under what conditions the use of extraordinary powers results in democratic erosion, and previous uses of the Insurrection Act in U.S. history to illuminate the thin line between decisive leadership and the erosion of constitutional order.

To learn more about the host and his research interests, visit Patrick's website: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/p-m-kuhn/

Relevant Literature:

Bjørnskov, C., & Voigt, S. (2018). Why do governments call a state of emergency? On the determinants of using emergency constitutions. European Journal of Political Economy, 54, 110–123.

Bjørnskov, C., & Voigt, S. (2021). You don’t always get what you’d expect: On some unexpected effects of constitutional emergency provisions (Working Paper). SSRN.

Bjørnskov, C., Voigt, S., & Khesali, M. (2022). Unconstitutional states of emergency. Journal of Legal Studies, 51(2), 455–481.

Genovese, M. A. (1979). Democratic theory and the emergency powers of the president. Presidential Studies Quarterly, 9(3), 283–289.

Goupy, M. (2018). The state of exception theory of Carl Schmitt and the ambivalent criticism of liberalism. Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft, 28, 395–408.

Humphreys, S. (2006). Legalizing lawlessness: On Giorgio Agamben’s State of Exception. European Journal of International Law, 17(3), 677–687.

Kurian, G. T. (Ed.). (2011). Emergency powers. In The Encyclopedia of Political Science. CQ Press.

Laebens, M. G. (2023). Beyond democratic backsliding: Executive aggrandizement and its outcomes (V-Dem Working Paper Series 2023:54). Varieties of Democracy (V-Dem) Institute.

Lazar, N. C. (2006). Must exceptionalism prove the rule? An angle on emergency government in the history of political thought. Politics & Society, 34(2), 245–275.

Lijphart, A. (1978). Emergency powers and emergency regimes: A commentary. Asian Survey, 18(4), 401–407.

Loevy, K. (2021). Emergency powers. In The Oxford Handbook of Comparative Constitutional Law. Oxford University Press.

Lowande, K., & Rogowski, J. C. (2021). Executive power in crisis. American Political Science Review, 115(3), 911–927.

Lührmann, A., & Rooney, B. (2021). Autocratization by decree: States of emergency and democratic decline. Comparative Politics, 53(4), 617–649.

Nunn, J., & Goitein, E. (2025, November 12). The Insurrection Act, explained. Brennan Center for Justice.

Peltz, P. (2023). The abuse of emergency provisions: How and under which conditions declared states of emergency foster democratic decline (Working Paper). Institute of Law and Economics, University of Hamburg.

Poyet, C., Niemikari, R., & Raunio, T. (2024). What makes democratic institutions resilient to crises? Applying a novel analytical framework to the case of Finland. Journal of Contemporary European Studies, 32(1), 246–261.

Reynolds, J. (2012). The political economy of states of emergency. Oregon Review of International Law, 14(1), 85–130.

Rooney, B. (2019). Emergency powers in democracies and international conflict. Journal of Conflict Resolution, 63(3), 644–671.

Scheuerman, W. E. (2000). The economic state of emergency. Cardozo Law Review, 21(5-6), 1869–1894.

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This episode explores the rapid disintegration of the post-1945 international order during the second term of the Trump presidency. Following extraordinary recent events, such as the military capture of President Nicolas Maduro and the US’s interest in Greenland, this episode (building on the earlier episode linked below) discusses what might come next. 

Dr. Dennis Schmidt and Prof. John Williams draw on the new US National Security Strategy, the emergence of the so-called “Donroe Doctrine”, and the racialised imageries underpinning current US foreign policy to sketch out key features what a new international order might look like. They also examine the precarious position of the UK and Europe, discussing how Britain’s "special relationship" and independent nuclear deterrent are being tested as the United States shifts from a global guarantor to an unpredictable, and at times hostile, actor.

To listen to our episode from March 2025 on the changing international order click here: https://open.spotify.com/episode/4wrsLXcqfwEnuuU4RX0BMV

To learn more about our guests and their research, check out their websites:

Dr. Dennis Schmidt: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/dennis-schmidt/

Prof. John Williams: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/j-c-williams/

Following this episode, Prof. Williams and Dr. Schmidt wrote the following blog post in the Global Policy Journal, elaborating on how the international order might change: https://www.globalpolicyjournal.com/blog/10/02/2026/empire-yes-19th-century-not-so-much [Last accessed 10th February 2026].

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How can Hannah Arendt's work help us make sense of today's politics? In this episode, we bridge the gap between her "dark times" and our "post-truth" era to discover why her scholarship is the ultimate survival guide for modern democracy. Dr Oliver Belcher, Prof. Ilan Baron, Prof. Maria Dimova-Cookson, Prof. Christopher Finlay, and Prof. John Williams illuminate how Arendt's lived experience and scholarship on power and violence, "earth alienation", politics and her distinction between liberty and freedom can illuminate the politics of our time.

To learn more about our guests and their research visit their websites:

- Dr. Oliver Belcher: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/oliver-belcher/

- Prof. Ilan Baron: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/ilan-baron/

- Prof. Maria Dimova-Cookson: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/maria-dimova-cookson/

- Prof. Christopher Finlay: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/christopher-j-finlay/

- Prof. John Williams: https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/j-c-williams/

For a Conversation piece Prof. Finaly wrote on how Arendt can help us understand this new age of far-right populism, see https://theconversation.com/how-hannah-arendt-can-help-us-understand-this-new-age-of-far-right-populism-269626 [Last accessed: 16 Janaury 2026]

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This episode covers the ongoing mass protests in Iran, which started in December 2025 and spread to multiple cities in several provinces, involving an unusually wide range of social groups. Dr. Marzieh Kouhi-Esfahani, Assistant Professor in Politics and International Relations of the Middle East at Durham University's School of Government and International Affairs, discusses the causes of the current anti-government protests, the regime's reaction to date, how they relate to previous waves of protests, and what they might mean for the regime in Tehran.

To learn more about our guest and their research visit their website at https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/marzieh-kouhi-esfahani/

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This episode discusses a significant political event that remained largely outside the media spotlight: the White House visit of Ahmed Al-Sharaa, the former al-Qaeda insurgent and leader of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), who ended Syria’s brutal 13-year civil war. How did a man once listed as a US terrorist end up shaking hands with the American President?

Joining the show is Dr. William Plowright, an Assistant Professor of International Security in the School of Government and International Affairs at Durham University, to explore the motivations behind the Trump administration's pragmatic decision. We take a close look at Al-Sharaa’s radical transformation "from jihad to politics," examining whether his moderate image is reliable or merely a political performance, and discuss the internal challenges Al-Sharaa faces in governing the country.

Discover the immense regional challenges, from dealing with Israel over the Golan Heights to preventing instability that could breed a new wave of extreme jihadism across the Middle East and Europe. Tune in to understand the immense stakes involved in Syria's future.

Link to Dr. Plowrights article in The Conversation: https://theconversation.com/how-former-jihadist-ahmed-al-sharaa-ended-up-being-welcomed-to-the-white-house-269631

To learn more about our guest and their research visit their website at https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/william-plowright/

In November 2025, the Trump government designated Nigeria a 'Country of Particular Concern' (CPC) under the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, threatening to end aid or even launch a military attack. Is this merely a policy decision, or part of a deeper geopolitical dynamic? This week, we explore the complex intersection of US foreign policy, religious freedom, and international order with the author of the Duck of Minerva article entitled "Bullies, Follies, and the Decadent Orders", Dr. Kodili Chukwuma. He argues that these actions illustrate "bullying as a discourse and practice of international ordering". Tune in to understand the powerful, paradoxical, and often destabilizing effects of naming, shaming, and ordering the world.

Link to the discussed Duck of Minerva article: https://www.duckofminerva.com/2025/11/bullies-follies-and-decadent-orders-constructing-nigeria-as-a-country-of-particular-concern.html [Last accessed 28/11/2025].

To learn more about the research of our guest, visit their website at https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/kodili-chukwuma/

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The upcoming UK Budget statement is more than an accounting or economic exercise—it’s politics in action. Chancellor Reeves faces a defining challenge of modern governance: how to finance public demands and defence commitments while adhering to strict fiscal rules and Labour’s promise not to raise Income Tax, VAT, or National Insurance rates for working people. This episode explores the politics of taxation, arguing that tax choices are fundamentally political and at the heart of a state's capacity. Drawing on comparative analysis with countries like Sweden and the United States, Prof. Patrick M Kuhn looks at how the institutional structure and commitment devices structuring UK fiscal politics affects tax choices, including the abrupt Income Tax U-turn in the run-up to the budget statement. Discover how self-imposed constraints and the political necessity of keeping highly visible manifesto pledges force governments to pivot toward less visible revenue streams, like the highly effective but regressive “fiscal drag”. While politically pragmatic, this approach leads to an increasingly complicated, less efficient, and less progressive tax structure. Tune in to uncover why UK policy choices are politically predictable but economically perilous, locking the government into incoherent tax adjustments to avoid political self-immolation.

To learn more about Patrick and his research, visit his website at https://www.durham.ac.uk/staff/p-m-kuhn/

Literature:

House of Commons Library 2025. Tax Statistics: An Overview. Online at https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-8513/ [Last accessed on 21/11/2025].

Kiser, Edgar and Steven M Karceski 2017. The Political Economy of Taxation. Annual Review of Political Science 20, 75-92.

Schumpeter, Joseph A. 1991 (1918). The Crisis of the Tax State. In Joseph A. Schumpeter: The Economics and Sociology of Capitalism, edited by Richard Swedberg, pp. 99–140. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Steinmo, Sven H. 1996. Taxation and Democracy: Swedish, British and American Approaches to Financing the Modern State. New Haven; Yale University Press.

Swank, Duane and Sven Steinmo 2002. The New Political Economy of Taxation in Advanced Capitalist Democracies. American Journal of Political Science 46(3), 642-655.

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