Roundtable

The UN recently declared that the population of the world has passed 8 billion people, but the EU is not adding to that number.

In fact as a bloc, the countries of the European Union have recently seen an overall fall in its population. However the full story is more complex, because some European nations are growing, while others are shrinking. So what’s behind these changes?

Guests:

David Coleman

Emeritus Professor of Demography, Oxford University

Francesco Billari

Professor of Demography in Department of Social and Political Sciences, Bocconi University

Sergei Scherbov

Director of Demographic Analysis at Wittgenstein Centre for Demography and Global Human Capital

Top European Union officials are accusing the United States of profiting from the war in Ukraine through high natural gas prices and weapons sales, while Europe struggles with rampant inflation and a cost of living crisis.

Amidst rising tensions, a meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and his American counterpart in Washington saw both attempt to send a message of unity. So can the united front against Russia actually stay united? And is the United States really taking advantage of the conflict in Ukraine?

Guests:

Nicholas Lokker

Research Assistant at the Centre for a New American Security

Marie Jourdain

Visiting Fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Europe Center

Thomas O’Donnell

Energy and Geopolitics Analyst

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.

There have been more than a few demonstrations calling for Europe to end its support for Ukraine and bring an end to the conflict whatever it takes. Some protests are just outright pro-Russian. Is the discontent because the conflict is causing the high energy bills and cost of living crisis that are causing pain to Europeans, or is something else at play?

GUESTS:

Jana Kazaz

Research Fellow at Globsec

Anna Matveeva

Visiting Senior Research Fellow at King’s College London

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.

Russian soldiers have been gathering in Belarus for the past month, reopening the debate about what exact role Minsk is playing in the Ukraine conflict. Belarussian troops have not been actively involved in the fighting, but the country still serves as a launching pad for Russian attacks, and thousands more of Moscow’s troops are set to be deployed along the border with Ukraine.

So does Belarus’s President Alexander Lukashenko simply take his orders from the Kremlin, or is he playing a much more complex geopolitical game?

Guests:

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

Leader of the Belarusian democratic opposition

Hanna Liubakova

Non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council

Katia Glod

Fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis

Valery Kavaleuski

Representative on foreign affairs of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya

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.

French forces were warmly welcomed when they first arrived in Mali nine years ago, but relations have since soured. Several coups ruined relations between Paris and Mali, and opened the door to Russian-linked mercenaries who are accused of killing hundreds of civilians. Are we just seeing an old school battle of colonial powers in the Sahel, and will it be the locals caught in the middle? Has France achieved anything with its intervention?

GUESTS:

Alex Vines

Director of Africa Programme at Chatham House

David Otto

Director for Geneva Centre for Africa Security & Strategic Studies

Jean-Loup Samaan

Senior Research fellow at the Middle East Institute in Singapore

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.

Relations between France and the UK have been tense for some time now. Britain’s short-lived Prime Minister Liz Truss even questioned whether French President Emmanuel Macron was really an ally at all..

: A tough winter lies ahead for Europe as the Kremlin curbs gas supplies. That’s got Europe scrambling to keep the light and heat on this winter. So, what can Europe do to avert a future energy crisis?

Guests:

Catalina Spataru

Professor in Global Energy and Resources at the UCL Energy Institute

James Waddell

Head of European Gas at Energy Aspects

Nienke Busscher

Research Coordinator at the knowledge Platform

This new microblogging site is especially popular among left wing and liberal Twitter users who are worried about Musk’s proposed changes in the name of freedom of speech. Mastodon has now surpassed 1 million daily active users, but can it really take on the might of Twitter, which is up to 250 times bigger?

GUESTS:

Gareth Tyson

Computer Science Researcher

Karin Wahl-Jorgensen

Professor at Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture

Glyn Moody

Author of ‘Walled Culture’

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.

Suella Braverman was already under pressure to resign over reports of dire conditions at a Kent detention centre when she made her comments about an ‘invasion’. Her critics say she’s not telling the truth and that the number of asylum seekers coming to Britain is not only manageable, but is also lower than almost any other EU country. So does the UK really have a migrant crisis?

GUESTS:

Daniela Nadj

Senior Lecturer at St Mary’s University

Peter William Walsh

Senior Researcher at The Migration Observatory

Rakib Ehsan

Social Policy Analyst and Writer

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.

After Russian troops withdrew from the city of Kherson, the only regional capital it had taken during its conflict with Ukraine, there was a feeling of euphoria in the city. Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelensky even visited the area and declared this was the beginning of the end of the conflict.

But realistically speaking, has anything on the ground actually changed?