Power Play

The U.N.-backed COVAX vaccine facility was supposed to be a game changer. But with less than ten percent of Africans vaccinated — well short of the African Union’s goal of 60% by the end of this year— Strive Masiyiwa, the head of the Union’s vaccination effort, says the continent can no longer rely on donations and vaccines produced abroad to fight disease. Masiyiwa tells POLITICO’s Ryan Heath about his negotiations with the Indian government after he realized they would no longer be exporting vaccines to Africa — and why that moment convinced him the only thing left to do was to build out a vaccine infrastructure back home. 

POLITICO couldn’t confirm a figure mentioned by our guest in this episode — that there has been $32b distributed in stimulus funds across Africa during the coronavirus pandemic. Strive Masiyiwa’s team did not respond to request for comment in time for broadcast.

Strive Masiyiwa is the head of the African Vaccine Acquisition Task Team and the founder and executive chairman of Econet. 

Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter. 

Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.” 

Irene Noguchi  edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

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

The Republican delegation went to COP26 with a clear message: both parties recognize the need to fight climate change. But did world leaders take them seriously? And how will Republican leaders sell that pivot to Republican voters? Fresh off his trip to Glasgow, Scotland, Rep. Garret Graves, a Louisiana Republican, spoke with POLITICO’s Ryan Heath. He shares — if not a commitment to the Build Back Better plan — his ideas on turning climate pledges into climate action.

Rep. Garret Graves is a Republican Congressman representing Louisiana’s sixth Congressional district. He is also the ranking member on the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis.

Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter. 

Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.” 

Irene Noguchi  edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

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

Last month, 136 countries agreed to a global treaty that would tax large companies at a rate of at least 15 percent. POLITICO’s Ryan Heath talks with the OECD’s Pascal Saint-Amans, who led negotiations on the historic deal, on stage at the annual Web Summit in Lisbon, Portugal, about when the tax kicks in and what loopholes he’s on high alert for. Plus: Saint-Amans dishes on a Biden Cabinet member who supports a global carbon price system. 

Pascal Saint-Amans directs the OECD’s Center for Tax Policy and Administration. 

Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter. 

Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.” 

Irene Noguchi  edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

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

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya was a former teacher and self-described housewife catapulted to run for president of Belarus when her candidate husband was arrested in 2020. Even in exile after the disputed election, she’s the biggest threat against strongman Alexander Lukashenko’s hold over Belarus. She has captivated Belarusians with her campaign for democracy and been nominated for the Nobel Prize. POLITICO’s Ryan Heath asks Tsikhanouskaya about how she plans to corral the international community for tighter sanctions and about how she’s working with informants within the Lukashenko regime to bring it down. 

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya is an opposition leader, fighting to bring Democracy to Belarus. 

Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter. 

Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.” 

Irene Noguchi  edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

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

Covid-19 has knocked the United Nations off schedule — it’s now running behind on meeting some Sustainable Development Goals and vaccination targets. As the head of the United Nations Development Program, Achim Steiner is on the front lines to catch up to those targets. He tells POLITICO’s Ryan Heath about why, even as countries are falling short of their COVAX and climate commitments, the United Nations is still the world’s best — and possibly only — bet to fight global problems.

Achim Steiner is the Administrator of the United Nations Development Program. 

Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter. 

Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.” 

Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

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

Imagine a world in which middle schoolers fact check presidential debates and public officials publish transcripts of every conversation they have. That’s the world that Audrey Tang, Taiwan’s digital minister, has helped create, thereby fortifying Taiwan’s democracy even as it faces increasing threats from China. Tang tells POLITICO’s Ryan Heath what it’s like to govern and live in the shadow of China.

Audrey Tang is Taiwan’s digital minister. 

Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter. 

Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.” 

Irene Noguchi 

edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

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

It looks like the European Union’s competition czar Margrethe Vestager has finally found her right hand partner in Lina Khan. She tells host Ryan Heath the Biden administration, with its commitment to regulating Big Tech, is a “dream come true.” But what will that EU-U.S. cooperation really look like? Also: Vestager’s game plan to protect whistleblowers, plus her own rules for tech at home. 

Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter. 

Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.” 

Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

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

China is on the rise, with the world’s largest navy and on track to have the world’s largest economy. Jens Stoltenberg, NATO’s Secretary-General, tells POLITICO’s Ryan Heath about his plan to stay one step ahead of China’s advances. Plus: he has a message for France on the recent U.S.-Australia submarine deal. 

Stay tuned after the interview for a debrief with POLITICO’s Usha Sahay, who gives her take on the contenders to replace Stoltenberg once his term ends next fall — and how the U.S.-Australia submarine deal could tip the scales. 

A big thanks to Nirmal Mulaikal for fact checking this episode. 

Jens Stoltenberg is the Secretary-General of NATO.

Usha Sahay is a senior editor at POLITICO Magazine.

Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and authors the newsletter. 

Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.” 

Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

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

Health workers who don’t get paid if they contract Covid-19. Over 6,000 migrant workers dead after helping with World Cup construction in the Middle East. As the head of the world’s largest union confederation, it’s Sharan Burrow’s priority to protect workers against abuses like these and hold offending governments accountable. But as she tells host Ryan Heath, she’s walking a tightrope between convincing governments to change and keeping her seat at the table.

Sharan Burrow is the General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation. 

Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and newsletter. 

Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.” 

Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

Cristina Gonzalez is POLITICO Europe’s Executive Producer for Audio.

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

Monica Geingos, the First Lady of Namibia, and Ryan Heath take a break from the chaos of UNGA for a cup of tea. Geingos opens up about how to start honest discussions about AIDS and sex in her home country, and reveals why she broke her silence against her online trolls. 

Stay tuned to the end for Ryan’s lesson on how to identify who’s the most powerful person in the motorcade. 

Monica Geingos is the First Lady of Namibia. 

Ryan Heath is the host of the "Global Insider" podcast and newsletter. 

Olivia Reingold produces “Global Insider.” 

Irene Noguchi edits “Global Insider” and is the executive producer of POLITICO Audio.

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