The Debate

In a crowded Paris metro car or at the counter of a bustling café, it’s easy to forget what loomed over us just five years ago. Yet, on the fifth anniversary of the first Covid-19 lockdown in Wuhan, China, the headlines tell a different story: Donald Trump, on his first day back in office, signing an order for the United States to withdraw from the World Health Organization. 

We’ll examine why the UN health body might lose its largest donor and discuss the grievances surrounding global health leadership. Are we dealing with fringe anti-vaccine groups—or a more profound dissatisfaction? 

And just as many who fell ill in the early days of the pandemic continue to battle long Covid, have the fear, isolation, and anxiety from lockdowns left a lasting mark on our politics? Five years on, Covid is barely part of the conversation. What crucial issues remain unresolved? 

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Guillaume Gougeon and Annarosa Zampaglione.

Do they stand firm or bow to the pressure? Europe is facing a clear message: Donald Trump’s administration isn't just pushing liquefied natural gas exports. The US is demanding that the continent adjust to a new reality. From walking away from multilateral efforts on climate change and global tax standards, to charting its own course on regulating tech – especially artificial intelligence – Washington is making its priorities clear. 

Trump's domestic AI initiative showcases America's edge, leveraging deep pockets and abundant cheap energy to lead the digital transformation race. Meanwhile, Europe faces tough questions. Can its leaders muster the collective strength to protect their consensus-driven welfare model and chart their own path forward? Or will they be forced to follow the lead of the planet's most powerful nation? 

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Guillaume Gougeon and Annarosa Zampaglione.

With a few strokes of the pen, it’s as if he never left. Or is it? On day one of his second term, Donald Trump pardoned nearly all those convicted in the January 6, 2021 assault on the Capitol. Has the 45th and now 47th president succeeded in rewriting the narrative?

His diehard supporters are cheering, hailing the pardoned as "hostages" of a political witch hunt and celebrating his promise of mass deportations targeting "criminal aliens". But can Trump keep his coalition intact? From populist voters to billionaire tech titans like Elon Musk, do their interests truly align? 

And in Washington, where his party controls Congress and the Supreme Court is stacked with his appointees, can the disrupter-in-chief truly crush his enemies and solidify his legacy?

Produced by François Picard, Rebecca Gnignati, Guillaume Gougeon and Annarosa Zampaglione.

It's a second coming and a very different Washington. Four years after his unseating at the ballot box and an insurrection that rattled the world's most powerful nation, a victorious Donald Trump returns to the White House with the promise of radical change. François Picard's panel of guests give us their take on his inaugural address and what we can expect from Trump 2.0.

Read moreTrump's inaugural address: The main takeaways

How should US allies deal with Donald Trump's return? His inauguration, featuring far-right figures, signals a US president-elect who's intent on shaking up alliances and settling scores. Critics warn he could hand concessions to leaders like Binyamin Netanyahu or Vladimir Putin to dismantle the Washington consensus. 

But early moves, like pressuring Israel towards a Gaza ceasefire, complicate the picture. Will Trump push Ukraine into a rushed deal that favours Moscow, scale back Europe's defence or take an entirely different approach?

For NATO allies, what does "America First" mean now, as Trump's far-right fanbase grows across Europe? 

Produced by François Picard, Théophile Vareille, Guillaume Gougeon and Ilayda Habip.

It's a done deal for some; close but not quite over the line for others. After so many false starts since the last ceasefire 14 months ago, a deal finally appears at hand for the guns to go silent in the Gaza Strip.

Could the difference be the imminent return of Donald Trump? His return comes in the wake of the fall of the Assad regime in Syria and the pummelling of Iran proxy Hezbollah at the hands of Israel. What leverage is left for Hamas? And who to pick up the pieces of a conflict that has killed tens of thousands of people and a territory that is largely destroyed?

A truce would also prove a moment of truth for Israeli PM Binyamin Netanyahu. Do his personal fortunes depend on prolonging the war, or is this a window of opportunity to pivot away from the far right and prolong the political shelf life of Israel's longest-serving leader?

Force majeure is defined as an event that's above and beyond our control. That expression is borrowed by insurers from the French to describe what may otherwise be described as an act of God. Los Angeles's devastating wildfires certainly qualify as force majeure: the explosive cocktail of prolonged drought, low humidity and hurricane-force winds together sparking an unprecedented disaster. But is it all down to Mother Nature?

What does it take to prevent and put out wildfires in times of global warming? There is what insurers should cover in earthquake, mudslide and fire-prone Southern California, and what authorities should do – from building codes and safety norms, to how much tax should be raised to fund rescue services.

The well-to-do in the posh Pacific Palisades neighborhood will almost certainly land on their feet. Some can even pay for private firefighters. But what about the rest of the population?

More broadly, are we ready for the new normal?

It's not just Elon Musk. Be they cabinet picks, ambassadors or advisers, Donald Trump’s roster of nominees is stacked with a record number of billionaires. What does that say about the times we live in? And if Trump's first stint as US president is anything to go by, it's safe to predict more deregulation and tax cuts that will serve his team nicely. But does success in making money imply success in serving the common good?

Four years ago, captains of industry and tech titans were distancing themselves from Trump's brand of politics after the storming of the Capitol that attempted to stop the January 6 certification of his defeat.

Last week, Facebook's boss Mark Zuckerberg announced that he was ditching US-based fact-checkers on his platforms. Will kissing the ring be good for Meta and will the rest of the world feel the impact of what is happening across the Atlantic?

At a time when the world needs to come together on issues of environmental norms and artificial intelligence, what response will there be if things get adversarial?

Is it more than the final sendoff for a long-gone one-term president? With Jimmy Carter's passing, Washington is marking two legacies: that of a peanut farmer-turned-governor of a southern state whose rise to power embodied a backlash after the Vietnam War and Watergate scandal; and that of a leader voted out of the White House after a hostage and energy crisis but whose second act in life made him a moral authority on issues such as peacebuilding, election monitoring and affordable housing. 

Carter's funeral comes in the final days before another one-term president leaves office. And just as Carter's loss begat the Reagan years and a backlash against his vision of the social contract between citizens and their government, what does the coming presidency mean at this moment, both for the US and for the world?

Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Ilayda Habip. 

Imagine if Vladimir Putin or Xi Jinping threatened a hostile takeover of Greenland or the Panama Canal. So what about the president-elect of the United States? Is Donald Trump serious? Trump's growing fixation comes two weeks ahead of Inauguration Day. He even sent his son to Greenland, much to the dismay of Denmark. That EU member has ruled Greenland for two centuries. Today it needs US-led NATO support to stare down the more pressing threat of the Russians in the Baltic Sea.

Trump has goaded other allies, again suggesting a merger with Canada on the day when his liberal opposite to the north, Justin Trudeau, announced his resignation. Meanwhile, Trump vexed his neighbour to the south by saying he wants to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. How do the Trudeaus of this world react?

Beyond performative politics, what is it all about? Is the man who wants a Ukraine deal on Day One an isolationist or an imperialist at heart? What sets him apart from his Russian and Chinese counterparts?

Produced by Alessandro Xenos, Rebecca Gnignati and Ilayda Habip.