The Debate

By FRANCE 24 English

The Debate episodes

March 16, 2017 After the Dutch Vote: Traditional parties suffer in general elections (part 2)
The populist winning streak that started with Brexit and Trump has been snapped. Incumbent Dutch centre-right Prime Minister Mark Rutte has emerged as the big winner as he chastised what he called "the wrong kind of populism," a dig at far-right leader Geert Wilders who faded slightly in the polls but still picked up seats. Wilders lost the election but did he in fact win the argument, what with other parties toughening their stances during the campaign? Click here for PART ONE.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Christopher DAVIS.
27 min
March 15, 2017 Above the law? Fillon still running despite formal investigation (part 1)
Now it's official: Conservative presidential candidate François Fillon - who had initially promised to drop out of the race if placed under formal investigation - has been handed the French equivalent of an indictment. Yet polls still have him within the margin of error for reaching the second round of voting against Marine Le Pen, who faces her own legal troubles. So what makes French voters so much like Trump supporters, who shrug off the alleged rule-breaking of their champion? Click here for PART TWO.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Christopher DAVIS.
18 min
March 15, 2017 Above the law? Fillon, Le Pen dismiss corruption probes (part 2)
Now it's official: Conservative presidential candidate François Fillon - who had initially promised to drop out of the race if placed under formal investigation - has been handed the French equivalent of an indictment. Yet polls still have him within the margin of error for reaching the second round of voting against Marine Le Pen, who faces her own legal troubles. So what makes French voters so much like Trump supporters, who shrug off the alleged rule-breaking of their champion? Click here for PART ONE.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Christopher DAVIS.
27 min
March 14, 2017 Modi magic: India's PM turns cash crunch into selling point (part 1)
It's not just his supporters who are calling it Modi Magic. India's prime minister has put himself front and centre and carried Uttar Pradesh for his Hindu nationalist BJP, a stunning win in the country's most populous state. It's a victory that hardly seemed possible when back in November, he surprised even his own cabinet when he suddenly scrapped 87 percent of the country's currency as part of a bid to crack down on tax cheats. Our panel discuss the reasons for Modi's win. Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Charles Wente, Christopher Davis.
20 min
March 14, 2017 Modi magic: India's PM turns cash crunch into selling point (part 2)
It's not just his supporters who are calling it Modi Magic. India's prime minister has put himself front and centre and carried Uttar Pradesh for his Hindu nationalist BJP, a stunning win in the country's most populous state. It's a victory that hardly seemed possible when back in November, he surprised even his own cabinet when he suddenly scrapped 87 percent of the country's currency as part of a bid to crack down on tax cheats. Our panel discuss the reasons for Modi's win. Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Charles Wente, Christopher Davis.
24 min
March 13, 2017 What will the Dutch decide? (part 1)
It's been branded a bellwether election. The Dutch pick a parliament on Wednesday and even before a row with Turkey started escalating, the rest of Europe was already wondering just how much the far-right's Geert Wilders would drive the agenda of the campaign. It may not be the only issue, but identity is certainly one key issue. How has one of Europe's most open societies handled successive waves of immigration? What does it mean to be Dutch in 2017? Produced by Alessandro XENOS, Charles WENTE, Christopher DAVIS.
19 min
March 13, 2017 What will the Dutch decide? (part 2)
It's been branded a bellwether election. The Dutch pick a parliament on Wednesday and even before a row with Turkey started escalating, the rest of Europe was already wondering just how much the far-right's Geert Wilders would drive the agenda of the campaign. It may not be the only issue, but identity is certainly one key issue. How has one of Europe's most open societies handled successive waves of immigration? What does it mean to be Dutch in 2017? Produced by Alessandro XENOS, Charles WENTE, Christopher DAVIS.
27 min
March 09, 2017 Macron Mania: What to make of surprise frontrunner in France 2017 race? (part 2)
For the first time, a poll has put Emmanuel Macron ahead of the far-right's Marine Le Pen in the first round of France's presidential election. The 39-year-old centrist, who served as François Hollande's economy minister, would rout Le Pen in a run-off. And then what? June legislative elections will follow the presidential poll. Would we be headed for a hung parliament, or can Macron muster from scratch a new kind of coalition that can reform France? Click here for PART ONE.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Christopher DAVIS.
27 min
March 09, 2017 Macron Mania: What to make of surprise frontrunner in France 2017 race? (part 1)
For the first time, a poll has put Emmanuel Macron ahead of the far-right's Marine Le Pen in the first round of France's presidential election. The 39-year-old centrist, who served as François Hollande's economy minister, would rout Le Pen in a run-off. And then what? June legislative elections will follow the presidential poll. Would we be headed for a hung parliament, or can Macron muster from scratch a new kind of coalition that can reform France? Click here for PART TWO.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Christopher DAVIS.
19 min
March 08, 2017 WikiLeaks' CIA data dump: Spying in Silicon Valley (part 1)
The sting of the latest WikiLeaks revelations will be felt well beyond the likes of Samsung and WhatsApp. They highlight the uneasy relationship between an internet that's largely shaped in Silicon Valley and US spy agencies. Is Russia a player in the revelations? It's the first big data dump on the watch of a new president who seemed to praise WikiLeaks on the campaign trail. Will people simply shrug off this invasion of privacy as the new normal? Click here for PART TWO.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Laure FOURQUET.
20 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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