The Debate

By FRANCE 24 English

The Debate episodes

November 30, 2017 2017-11-30 19:31 THE DEBATE Part 2
François Picard and his guest panel debate the topic of the day. Viewers and web users can interact directly with the team using the #F24Debate hashtag.
27 min
November 30, 2017 The New Normal? The consequences of Trump's anti-Muslim tweets
Is the president of the United States propagating religious intolerance? The short answer is yes, according to critics, after he retweeted videos from a British fringe far-right group, sparking a full-scale diplomatic row with Britain. It's the latest in a string of anti-Muslim controversies surrounding Donald Trump - Is he a bigot? As the former star of a reality TV show, is Trump's use of social networking redefining the limits of free speech? Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Van MAGUERDITCHIAN.
48 min
November 29, 2017 Emmanuel Macron's exclusive F24/RFI interview at EU-Africa Summit
Is Emmanuel Macron attending the Africa-EU summit as the president of France or as the interim king of Europe? FRANCE 24 and sister station Radio France Internationale sit down with Macron on the sidelines of an unprecedented gathering for the African continent, where Macron's role looms large on migration, security, development... And the script for this long-planned summit didn't anticipate a German chancellor weakened by coalition talks back home. How will Macron handle the spotlight? Produced by Charles WENTE, Maya-Anaïs YATAGHÈNE, Van MEGUERDITCHIAN and François PICARD.
35 min
November 28, 2017 Macron and Africa: French president touts new relationship with former colonies
That first major tour of Africa is a rite of passage for any new French president. The one that was kicked off in Burkina Faso by 39-year old Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday included the usual trimmings: A nod to multiparty democracy and “the big speech” which perennially promises an end to what the French call "la Françafrique" - the uniquely symbiotic relationship between Paris and its former colonies.
Produced by Daniel BARNEY, Alessandro XENOS, Van MEGUERDITCHIAN.
46 min
November 27, 2017 Can Pope Francis help the Rohingya return to Rakhine State?
Pope Francis is in Burma and this could be a tricky trip, as the pontiff has been advised not to mention the word "Rohingya" during the visit. A few months ago, he referred to them as "our Rohingya brothers and sisters". Since August, over 600,000 people have been forced to run for their lives. A deal has now been hatched between Burma and Bangladesh to allow the Rohingya refugees to go back to Rakhine State but few feel safe enough to return. Can the pope help that happen safely? Produced by Daniel BARNEY, Maya-Anaïs YATAGHÈNE Van MEGUERDITCHIAN and Mark OWEN.
40 min
November 23, 2017 Palestinian reconciliation: Will Fatah, Hamas agreement succeed?
The two leading Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas have agreed to hold general elections by the end of 2018. The decision is being seen by some as a milestone, since the last Palestinian parliamentary polls took place over a decade ago. In a joint statement on Wednesday, the rival factions praised a unity deal signed in Cairo last month, calling it a "realistic start to end divisions". But sceptics warn that similar agreements have stalled at the last hurdle in the past. Will this one succeed? Produced by Charles WENTE, Ivana SCATOLA and Rochelle FERGUSON-BOUYAHI
0 min
November 22, 2017 Hard bargaining: Lebanon prime minister returns and suspends resignation
Two weeks after he stunned everyone by announcing from Saudi Arabia that he was quitting, Saad Hariri finally returned to Beirut to tender his resignation to the country's president. Except he then agreed to suspend that offer of resignation. It's still unclear if Hariri really wants to quit. For now, he's agreed to pursue consultations with partners in his national unity government. In other words, he hopes to obtain concessions from Hezbollah. Produced by Charles WENTE, Selina SYKES and Van MEGUERDITCHIAN.
0 min
November 21, 2017 Enslaved in Libya: What to do about exploited African migrants?
A slave auction - in 2017. The video aired last week on CNN, confirming what had come out in a long string of reports and testimony: that Libyans were preying on sub-Saharan migrants trying to make their way to Europe. A nation with rival governments and a whole myriad of militias has been prey to lawlessness since the 2011 fall of Muammar Gaddafi. But this reportedly happened in the capital, Tripoli. After the outrage that's seen demonstrations and the recalls of ambassadors, what next? Produced by CHARLES WENTE, Selina SYKES and Van MEGUERDITCHIAN.
43 min
November 20, 2017 Has Merkel still got it? German chancellor weakened as coalition talks collapse
Should the rest of Europe worry? Germany's president called on cooler heads to prevail after he received Angela Merkel the day after coalition talks collapsed. She's still in the driver's seat to form the next government but after nearly two months of negotiations, the odds of uncertainty have shot up in Germany. Political rivals are quick to blame the Liberals. But is it the FDP's Christian Lindner that's the problem? Or an Angela Merkel who's been known to eat coalition partners for breakfast? Produced by Charles WENTE, Maya-Anaïs YATAGHÈNE, Van MEGUERDITCHIAN and François PICARD.
0 min
November 16, 2017 Clearing the air: How to make Paris climate agreement stick?
The planet's getting warmer, faster; China's carbon emissions are back on the rise; India's capital is blanketed in what feels like record smog; and the United States is not only pulling out of the Paris Agreement, but also slashing its funding for UN research to stop the planet from overheating. So if scientists insist we need to act fast to save the planet, what's the plan? As the COP23 conference wraps up in Bonn, our panel takes stock of the situation. Produced by Daniel BARNEY, Alessandro XENOS, Van MEGUERDITCHIAN.
0 min

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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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