The Debate

By FRANCE 24 English

The Debate episodes

December 05, 2018 Maybe not: Parliament curbs prime minister's powers ahead of Brexit vote
There's been so much grandstanding over Brexit that it's easy to overlook the significance of Tuesday's session of the House of Commons. In living memory, good luck finding another instance where a sitting prime minister was voted down three times - including a contempt of parliament motion against Theresa May ordering full disclosure on negotiations. Has power now swung back to Westminster?
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December 04, 2018 Too little or too much? 'Yellow Vests': Macron suspends carbon tax
Emmanuel Macron's mantra was never to back down. Not once in his 18 months in power had he backed down on a reform... until this Tuesday. On the heels of two straight weekends of rioting in the capital, PM Édouard Philippe announced the delay of a new carbon tax on fuel from January to July, with more measures to follow. Not enough, say the "Yellow Vests", who are still manning roadblocks across the country and who vow to return to the capital next Saturday. So what's the way out for Macron?
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December 03, 2018 Macron's options: What response to Yellow Vests fury?
What's Emmanuel Macron's answer to the Yellow Vests movement? All eyes are turning to the French president as Paris cleans up and counts the damage from a second straight Saturday of rioting, the worst since May 1968 according to the mayor. Why the violence? With more protests planned in the capital next weekend, is it a choice between caving in and cracking down?
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November 29, 2018 War in Yemen: US taking distance from Saudi Arabia, but will it help end the war?
A vote in the US Senate has made the international newsrooms sit up and take notice. The Republican-dominated Senate this week voted to end US support for the conflict in Yemen, going against President Donald Trump. Trump has made his support for the Saudi-led coalition clear and has loudly defended his arms deals by using his now characteristic "America First" rhetoric.
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November 28, 2018 How far will it go? No de-escalation in Russia-Ukraine standoff
Where's the de-escalation between Russia and Ukraine? After Sunday's direct standoff between the two nations' fleets off the coast of Crimea, the general conclusion is that there was quite a bit of grandstanding for domestic reasons on both sides and that neither Moscow nor Kiev stand to benefit from a spiral that could lead to all-out war. What are the perils of ignoring what's become a permanent state of conflict in eastern Ukraine? What does it say about the world order as it stands?
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November 27, 2018 Macron and the ‘yellow vests’: The real costs of France's energy transition plan
Will France's grand plan to go green squeeze out the little guy? When President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday announced his long-awaited energy policy for the decade to come, it was with one eye to the “yellow vests” protest movement. The leaderless anti-fuel tax movement, representing a frustrated white middle class, descended on the capital last Saturday, resulting in violent clashes on the Champs-Élysées. Can Macron restore his connection with the people who’ve been forced out of the cities?
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November 26, 2018 Sea of trouble: Russia seizes Ukrainian vessels
It was a blowup that had been brewing for months: Moscow on Sunday seized three Ukrainian naval ships after firing across the bow near the new bridge that links annexed Crimea to mainland Russia. It's the very first time since the 2014 takeover and that the Kremlin has owned up to in a direct confrontation with Kiev. According to Moscow, the vessels violated a "prohibited area." We piece together what, exactly, happened, and what could be expected to happen next.
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November 22, 2018 What's the deal? The consequences of Europe's closed-door policy
The closing of Europe's borders to the Libyan migrant route has drastically reduced the numbers of those trying to cross the Mediterranean. But it's also included what aid agencies call Faustian pacts with local authorities whose legitimacy is up for discussion. What are the consequences of cutting deals with Libya's competing factions? The UN says both Fayez al-Sarraj in Tripoli and Khalifa Haftar in the east want to be part of the political process. So how do you put Libya back together again?
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November 21, 2018 Her way or the highway? Theresa May and the rocky road to Brexit
Unlike some predicted, Theresa May is still the UK prime minister. In fact, it's a bolstered Conservative leader visiting Brussels after hard Brexiteers in her own camp failed in their bid to oust May over the draft Brexit agreement, due to be confirmed at a special EU summit on Sunday. How far will this plan get May when she tries to sell the deal to the UK parliament in the coming weeks? We also discuss the strength of EU unity, as last-minute objections are raised in France and Spain.
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November 20, 2018 The fall of Carlos Ghosn: Japanese accuse Renault-Nissan boss of tax fraud
It's a fall from grace as brutal as is it is sudden. Carlos Ghosn, the all-powerful boss of Renault-Nissan-Mitsubishi, was arrested on suspicion of tax fraud as he got off his private jet in Tokyo. The boss of the world's biggest auto alliance is due to be out of a job before the end of the week, leaving a sometimes uneasy partnership hanging in the balance.
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A live debate on the topic of the day, with four guests. From Monday to Thursday at 7:10pm Paris time.

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