Roundtable

The demolition of a village in Germany to allow the expansion of a coal mine has, unsurprisingly, turned out to be hugely controversial.

Police clashed with climate change activists trying to stop the bulldozing of Lützerath. Government ministers argue that with gas supplies from Russia now cut off because of the conflict in Ukraine, coal power is needed to ensure the lights stay on. But are there no other alternatives?

Guests:

Andris Piebalgs

Former European Commissioner for Energy

Sulti Mandel

LützerathLebt Spokesperson

Thomas O’Donnell

Global Fellow of the Kennan Institute at the Wilson Center and energy and political analyst based in Berlin

Roundtable is a discussion programme with an edge. Broadcast out of London and presented by David Foster, it’s about bringing people to the table, listening to every opinion, and analysing every point of view. From fierce debate to reflective thinking, Roundtable discussions offer a different perspective on the issues that matter to you. Watch it every weekday at 15:30 GMT on TRT World.

At the Davos meeting of the World Economic Forum this year, the heads of global politics and finance wrestled with the question of whether the era of globalisation is coming to an end.

The conclusion? It depends on who you ask.

Guests:

Inderjeet Parmar

Professor of International Politics

Stella Ladi

Queen Mary University of London

James Mittelman

Professor Emeritus, American University

Roundtable is a discussion programme with an edge. Broadcast out of London and presented by David Foster, it’s about bringing people to the table, listening to every opinion, and analysing every point of view. From fierce debate to reflective thinking, Roundtable discussions offer a different perspective on the issues that matter to you. Watch it every weekday at 15:00 GMT on TRT World.

Britain’s government is responding to record levels of strikes by passing laws aimed at restricting the right of workers to walk out.

Trades unions accuse the Conservative government of acting like “a dictator” and carrying out a “horrific attack” on workers’ rights. Ministers say the legislation is essential to maintaining public safety. But is the government simply trying to ban strikes?

Guests:

Tim Skeet

Member of the UK Conservative Party

Pollyanna Ruiz

Author of ‘Articulating Dissent: Protest and the Public Sphere’

Tonia Novitz

Professor of Labour Law at the University of Bristol

Roundtable is a discussion programme with an edge. Broadcast out of London and presented by David Foster, it’s about bringing people to the table, listening to every opinion, and analysing every point of view. From fierce debate to reflective thinking, Roundtable discussions offer a different perspective on the issues that matter to you. Watch it every weekday at 15:00 GMT on TRT World.

The British museum says it's negotiating what it calls a ‘cultural exchange’ with Greece to return the Elgin Marbles. Also known as the Parthenon sculptures, the ancient works of art have been on display in London for more than 200 years.

However, their presence is a diplomatic flashpoint, amid claims and counterclaims about how Britain got hold of them in the first place. So are the Elgin Marbles heading home, and should cultural artefacts always be sent back to their place of origin?

Guests:

Alexi Kaye Campbell

Member of the British Committee for the Reunification of the Parthenon Marbles

Tatiana Flessas

Associate Professor of Cultural Heritage at LSE

Tiffany Jenkins

Author of Keeping Their Marbles

Mario Trabucco della Torretta

Classical Archaeologist

(pre-recorded)

Roundtable is a discussion programme with an edge. Broadcast out of London and presented by David Foster, it’s about bringing people to the table, listening to every opinion, and analysing every point of view. From fierce debate to reflective thinking, Roundtable discussions offer a different perspective on the issues that matter to you. Watch it every weekday at 15:00 GMT on TRT World.

Germany’s new defence minister has little military or ministerial experience, and takes up the job at a historic crunch point. Boris Pistorius has already overseen a decision which has seen Germany relent and agree to send main battle tanks to Ukraine. But can he survive in such a toxic job in the long term?

GUESTS:

Alim Baluch

Lecturer in German Politics and Society at University of Bath

Domitilla Sagramoso

Senior Lecturer at King's College London

Glen Grant

Military analyst at the Baltic Security Foundation

Roundtable is a discussion programme with an edge. Broadcast out of London and presented by David Foster, it’s about bringing people to the table, listening to every opinion, and analysing every point of view. From fierce debate to reflective thinking, Roundtable discussions offer a different perspective on the issues that matter to you. Watch it every weekday at 15:30 GMT on TRT World.

The arrest of Andrew Tate in Romania for suspected rape and sex offences has intensified the controversy about the social media superstar. He’s an icon to schoolboys and young men, with his playboy lifestyle and macho advice on how to strike it rich - and attract women.

His opponents see him as a dangerous misogynist who boasts of abusing women and making a fortune by radicalising young men. So how is this notorious so-called ‘moral entrepreneur’, and others like him, able to exert so much influence?

Guests:

Paul French

Lecturer in Criminology, University of Chester

Dan Ward

Lecturer in Media, University of Sunderland

Marcus Maloney

Assistant Professor in Sociology, Coventry

Roundtable is a discussion programme with an edge. Broadcast out of London and presented by David Foster, it’s about bringing people to the table, listening to every opinion, and analysing every point of view. From fierce debate to reflective thinking, Roundtable discussions offer a different perspective on the issues that matter to you. Watch it every weekday at 15:30 GMT on TRT World.

The French are rebelling at government plans to raise the retirement age. President Emmanuel Macron says pension reforms are “essential and vital” to balance the budget. Trade union leaders are promising what they’re calling 'the mother of all battles' using strikes and protest rallies.

That threatens a repeat of the chaos of last year when petrol stations ran dry during weeks of industrial action at oil refineries. So can Macron push his plan through this time, or has he lost France?

Guests:

Charlotte Minvielle

Co-chair French Green Party UK

Renaud Foucart

Senior Lecturer in Economics at Lancaster University

Pierre Maurin

Member of the French Centrist Party

Roundtable is a discussion programme with an edge. Broadcast out of London and presented by David Foster, it’s about bringing people to the table, listening to every opinion, and analysing every point of view. From fierce debate to reflective thinking, Roundtable discussions offer a different perspective on the issues that matter to you. Watch it every weekday at 15:30 GMT on TRT World.

Young people's mental health in the UK has been increasing. The NHS says that nearly half- a-million children a month are receiving treatment for mental health problems. So what’s behind this crisis? And what can be done to help these children?

Britain is sending Challenger Two tanks to Ukraine, and Poland plans to send a company of its German made Leopard 2 tanks.

Berlin is now under severe political pressure to follow suit and send its own Leopard 2’s, amid severe criticism that it is failing to help Kiev fight back against Russian forces. So, if those tanks arrive, can they change the face of the conflict in Ukraine, and why is Germany so reticent?

Guests:

Klaus Larres

Professor of History and International Affairs

Wojciech Przybylski

Editor-in-Chief at Visegrad Insight

Peter Roberts, Senior Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute

Roundtable is a discussion programme with an edge. Broadcast out of London and presented by David Foster, it’s about bringing people to the table, listening to every opinion, and analysing every point of view. From fierce debate to reflective thinking, Roundtable discussions offer a different perspective on the issues that matter to you. Watch it every weekday at 15:30 GMT on TRT World.

The visit by a far-right Israeli government minister to the third-holiest site in Islam has caused an international outcry. However the European Union’s response has remained curiously muted.

The Palestinian leadership denounced Itamar Ben-Gvir for “deliberate and unprecedented provocation” at the Al Aqsa mosque compound in occupied East Jerusalem. Arab allies including the UAE and Egypt backed calls for action at the United Nations, as well as Turkiye and even more notably China. But the question is where’s Europe?

Guests:

Ramzy Baroud

Journalist

Nasim Ahmed

Political Analyst at Middle East Monitor

Giorgio Cafiero

CEO of Gulf State Analytics

Guy Burton

Brussels School of Governance

Roundtable is a discussion programme with an edge. Broadcast out of London and presented by David Foster, it’s about bringing people to the table, listening to every opinion, and analysing every point of view. From fierce debate to reflective thinking, Roundtable discussions offer a different perspective on the issues that matter to you. Watch it every weekday at 15:30 GMT on TRT World.