The Debate

By FRANCE 24 English

The Debate episodes

November 24, 2016 Battle for France's Right: Conservative Fillon vs. Moderate Juppé (part 1)
We're in the week between a first round of French conservative primaries and next Sunday's run-off where Nicolas Sarkozy's former prime minister François Fillon is on track to seal the deal against the more moderate Alain Juppé. Ahead of a televised debate, we ask: is France really falling for a Catholic conservative who professes his love for Margaret Thatcher and wants to take an axe to half a million civil service jobs? Click here for PART TWO.
PRoduced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Laure FOURQUET.
19 min
November 23, 2016 Facebook Democracy: When venom goes viral (part 1)
Are the likes of Facebook friends with democracy? In its short existence, the social network has become so ubiquitous that Donald Trump's campaign spent more money there than on TV advertising. Now Facebook is looking to expand to China, raising questions over censorship and freedom of speech. We ask how several essentially US-owned digital giants have come to dominate the global media and news landscape. Has the internet of 2016 morphed into Big Brother? Click here for PART TWO.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Laure FOURQUET.
19 min
November 23, 2016 China courts region as Trump pulls back on free trade (part 2)
Is it the end of free trade as we know it? After a campaign where he promised the return of jobs lost abroad, Donald Trump announced that on day one of his presidency he'll scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Will US workers be better off with it or without it? Russia and China, both left out of TPP, see reason to smile. Could this lead to a new era of protectionism or even a trade war? Click here for PART ONE.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Christopher DAVIS.
27 min
November 23, 2016 Facebook Democracy: The limits of an open internet? (part 2)
Are the likes of Facebook friends with democracy? In its short existence, the social network has become so ubiquitous that Donald Trump's campaign spent more money there than on TV advertising. Now Facebook is looking to expand to China, raising questions over censorship and freedom of speech. We ask how several essentially US-owned digital giants have come to dominate the global media and news landscape. Has the internet of 2016 morphed into Big Brother? Click here for PART ONE.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Laure FOURQUET.
26 min
November 22, 2016 China courts region as Trump pulls back on free trade (part 1)
Is it the end of free trade as we know it? After a campaign where he promised the return of jobs lost abroad, Donald Trump announced that on day one of his presidency he'll scrap the Trans-Pacific Partnership. Will US workers be better off with it or without it? Russia and China, both left out of TPP, see reason to smile. Could this lead to a new era of protectionism or even a trade war? Click here for PART TWO.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Christopher DAVIS.
19 min
November 21, 2016 France's next president? Fillon flattens centre-right rivals (part 1)
He came out of nowhere to nearly score a first-round knockout: François Fillon flattened the field in France's first-ever conservative primaries. Who is this 62-year-old who mounted a late surge that stole Sarkozy's thunder? With 44% of the vote, next Sunday's run-off may seem a formality for Fillon, but in May he'll likely face National Front leader Marine Le Pen, who's taken her party away from stigmatising homosexuals and more towards safeguarding the social safety net. Click here for PART TWO.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Van MEGUERDITCHIAN.
17 min
November 21, 2016 France's next president? Fillon flattens centre-right rivals (part 2)
He came out of nowhere to nearly score a first-round knockout: François Fillon flattened the field in France's first-ever conservative primaries. Who is this 62-year-old who mounted a late surge that stole Sarkozy's thunder? With 44% of the vote, next Sunday's run-off may seem a formality for Fillon, but in May he'll likely face National Front leader Marine Le Pen, who's taken her party away from stigmatising homosexuals and more towards safeguarding the social safety net. Click here for PART ONE.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Van MEGUERDITCHIAN.
27 min
November 17, 2016 Cash Chaos in India: Should Modi roll back black money crackdown? (part 1)
It was a bold move to catch counterfeiters and tax cheats off guard: India's prime minister made a surprise televised announcement to pull all 500 and 1000 rupee banknotes. In a nation where two thirds of all transactions are in cash, Narendra Modi knew there would be unruliness in the days and weeks that followed. Is it a big blunder or the only hard remedy to cracking down on the black market in a nation where only three percent of the population pays income tax? Click here for PART TWO.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Laure FOURQUET.
18 min
November 17, 2016 Cash Chaos in India: Should Modi roll back black money crackdown? (part 2)
It was a bold move to catch counterfeiters and tax cheats off guard: India's prime minister made a surprise televised announcement to pull all 500 and 1000 rupee banknotes. In a nation where two thirds of all transactions are in cash, Narendra Modi knew there would be unruliness in the days and weeks that followed. Is it a big blunder or the only hard remedy to cracking down on the black market in a nation where only three percent of the population pays income tax? Click here for PART ONE.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Laure FOURQUET.
26 min
November 16, 2016 Movement in Moscow: Is a win for Trump a win for Putin? (part 2)
Russia's economic development minister Alexei Ulyukayev has been arrested for extortion in the highest-level detention Moscow's seen since the 1991 failed coup. An anti-corruption crusade? Or was he collateral damage in the Kremlin rivalry between the military and intelligence brass and the suits working to keep Russia open for business in times of sanctions and low oil prices? And now that Donald Trump's elected, will it be win-win and a toning down of rivalries all around in Europe and Syria? Click here for PART ONE.
Produced by Charles WENTE, François WIBAUX and Laure FOURQUET.
28 min

About The Debate

From the publisher's feed

A live debate on the topic of the day, with four guests. From Monday to Thursday at 7:10pm Paris time.

Share The Debate

Sign up to save your podcasts

The Debate

The Debate episodes

About The Debate

More shows like The Debate

Global News Podcast

The Gray Area with Sean Illing

Fareed Zakaria GPS

Intelligence Squared

Newshour

Amanpour

The Documentary Podcast

The Interview

arts24

People & Profit

Access Asia

Talking Europe

The 51%

Fashion

Inside Europe

Tech 24

Down to Earth

Business

Inside the Americas

Europe Rendezvous

The World This Week

GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

Reporters

Focus

Banlieue Project

The Ezra Klein Show

The Observers

Press Review

Ones and Tooze

The Observers Direct

The Foreign Affairs Interview

The Global Story