Roundtable

The UK has had six leaders in the past ten years and now Keir Starmer's position is looking untenable after disastrous local election results and many of his own MPs calling for him to step down with rival circling.

Why has there been such a high turnover of Prime Minister's after several long-term leaders serving our more than their five-year terms.

In a country once seen as a model of political stability, is it now becoming ungovernable?

Joining Enda Brady for this discussion:

James Lyons, Former Director of Strategic Communications in the Keir Starmer ministry

Cindy Yu, Columnist at The Times and The Sunday Times

Freddy Gray, Deputy Editor of The Spectator

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The European Union has announced sanctions on illegal Israeli settlers in the occupied West Bank - but do the measures go far enough or are they merely symbolic?

Expansion has increased since Benjamin Netanyahu returned to power as the head of a pro-settler right-wing government.

But with the UN documenting about 1,800 settler attacks in 2025 alone, will these sanctions make any difference?

Joining Enda Brady for this discussion:

Gideon Levy

Journalist

Jane Kinninmont

Chief Executive Officer at the United Nations Association

Nimer Sultany

Reader in Public law at SOAS University of London

Yousef Alhelou

Political Analyst

To access the back catalogue of Roundtable discussions https://www.youtube.com/@RoundtableTRTWorld

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Romania’s government has fallen. Parliament voted overwhelmingly to remove Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan.

The vote exposed a stunning political split. The Social Democrats, once central to Bolojan’s coalition, joined forces with the far-right nationalist AUR party to bring down the government.

Their shared target was the government’s austerity programme, which critics say has deepened economic hardship and fuelled public anger.

Polls show the far-right AUR party are leading in the polls.

AUR leader George Simion accused the government of creating a recession and deepening hardship for ordinary Romanians.

President Nicusor Dan is now racing to appoint a new prime minister. Chronic political instability has plagued Romania since its 2012 constitutional crisis.

Joining Enda Brady for this discussion:

Eusebiu Slavitescu

Former Romanian Diplomat and Political Analyst

Ana Otilia Nutu

Policy Analyst for the Expert Forum

Radu Magdin

Former Prime Ministerial Adviser in Romania and Moldova

and Global Analyst

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The World Health Organization has warned global cases of the Hantavirus will probably rise.

The virus has already killed at least three people on the MV Hondius cruise ship at the centre of the outbreak.

The rare Andes strain of Hantavirus, found mainly in the Americas, is the only known variant capable of human-to-human transmission.

The incident has renewed fears over how quickly rare zoonotic diseases can spread through international travel and whether the world is prepared for the next global pandemic.

Joining Enda Brady for this discussion:

Dr Margaret Harris, Former World Health Organization Spokesperson

Muhammad Munir, Virologist

Souwie Buis, Journalist

To access the back catalogue of Roundtable discussions https://www.youtube.com/@RoundtableTRTWorld

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On this episode of Roundtable, we look at the feud between Friedrich Merz and President Trump after the German Chancellor said America was being "humiliated" by Iran.

In response President Trump has announced the removal of 5,000 US troops from Germany and threatened to impose extra tariffs on EU car exports.

After a year in power, Merz is struggling to revive his country’s stalling economy and his popularity is declining with the country's far right party, the AfD is surging in the polls.

So can Merz turn it around - or is the German economy - and his own fortune - about to go from bad to worse.

Joining Enda Brady to discuss:

Frank-Christian Hansel, Member of the AfD for Berlin parliament 

John Kampfner, author and journalist.

Veronica Anghel, Assistant Politics Professor at the European University Institute.

Edward Knudsen, Doctoral Researcher of International Relations at Oxford University

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In this episode, Roundtable looks at the US withdrawal of 5,000 Germany as Washington looks to scale down its military presence in Europe.

President Trump is also considering taking troops out of Spain and Italy following criticism over the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Is this the latest sign of a NATO break-up?

Joining Enda Brady for the discussion:

Riccardo Alcaro

Political scientist and head of the research programme at the Italian Institute of International Affairs

Patrick Bury

Former NATO analyst

Jamie Shea

Former Deputy Assistant Secretary General of NATO

Souwie Buis

Journalist

To access the back catalogue of Roundtable discussions https://www.youtube.com/@RoundtableTRTWorld

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In this episode, Roundtable unpacks King Charles’ historic four-day trip to America as part of its 250th anniversary celebration.

On his first official visit to the United States, the King addressed Congress and underlined the enduring UK-US ties, stating that both nations always find ways to come together. 

The trip comes at a tense time for transatlantic relations with the US President repeatedly hitting out at UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer over his refusal to assist with the war on Iran.

So, did the King and Queen’s ‘soft power’ bridge the current divide between the two nations and its so-called 'special relationship'?

Joining me to discuss this is:

Royal Editor Sarah Hewson

Political broadcaster Adam Boulton 

Jennifer Ewing, Spokesperson for Republicans Overseas

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In this episode, Roundtable looks at Scotland’s energy dilemma. Scots face soaring bills in a resource-rich nation, as the US-Israeli war on Iran pushes up prices. 

With an election days away, voters are split between backing renewables and ramping up North Sea drilling.

As reserves decline, can green energy replace oil wealth and finally cut bills?

Joining Enda Brady for the discussion:

James Dornan, Former Scottish National Party, Member of the Scottish Parliament 

Clare Muldoon, Broadcaster and Political Commentator 

Kevin Schofield, HuffPost UK's Political Editor

And Chris Aylett, Research Fellow in the Environment and Society Centre at Chatham House

To access the back catalogue of Roundtable discussions https://www.youtube.com/@RoundtableTRTWorld

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In this episode, Roundtable explores the growing divide between Israel and the EU over the genocide on Gaza and war in Lebanon.

Spain, Ireland and Slovenia are pushing to suspend a major EU-Israel trade deal, while Germany and Italy are blocking this move. 

So, is this a temporary fracture or the point of no return for EU-Israel relations?

Joining Enda Brady for the discussion:

Pablo Calderon Martinez

Associate Professor in Politics and International Relations at Northeastern University London

Yossi Mekelberg

Guest Professor at University of Roehampton

Gregoire Roos

Director of the Europe, Russia and Eurasia Programmes at Chatham House

And Marta Grande, Former President of the Foreign Affairs Committee at the Chamber of Deputies of Italy 

To access the back catalogue of Roundtable discussions https://www.youtube.com/@RoundtableTRTWorld

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European nations are looking at a NATO without the US if President Trump follows through on his threats to walk away.

Trump is furious at NATO members for refusing to join the war on Iran and assist in the Strait of Hormuz.

It has prompted European allies to accelerate a fallback defence plan in case the US leaves.

The idea is a ‘European Nato’ where leadership would come from within the continent and would maintain deterrence against Russia.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte has downplayed fears of a US exit.

For decades, Nato has depended on American military dominance. Can Europe step up and replace the US in the alliance?

Joining Enda Brady for this discussion:

Leo Michel

Former Director for NATO Policy at the Pentagon and Non-Resident Fellow at the Finnish Institute of International Affairs

Gerlinde Niehus

Former Deputy Director, Defence and Security Cooperation at NATO and an Independent NATO and International Security Analyst

Jean-Francois Belanger,

Assistant Professor at the Royal Danish Defence College

And Paul Ingram

Director of the Global Stability Network

To access the back catalogue of Roundtable discussions https://www.youtube.com/@RoundtableTRTWorld

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