The Debate

By FRANCE 24 English

The Debate episodes

April 10, 2023 After Ukraine, Taiwan? Pacific spike in tensions
Surely Ukraine is not the prelude. As Emmanuel Macron was departing Guangzhou, Chinese warships were cruising towards the Taiwan strait. We ask about the three-day show of force staged as a show of displeasure with last week's visit by the Taiwanese president to California, and about the US Navy destroyer dispatched to what China claims are its territorial waters.
46 min
April 05, 2023 Macron in the middle? French president in China amid superpower showdown
The French president has landed in Beijing for his first post-Covid visit. Emmanuel Macron is accompanied by the European Commission president, who last week went on the offensive over unfair trade practices and Chinese backing of Russian President Vladimir Putin. Will Ursula von der Leyen speak for other recent EU visitors?
46 min
April 04, 2023 All eyes on Trump: Former US president's indictment unleashes media frenzy
Justice may be blind, but can it block out the noise? Somewhere between spectacle and tribal rage comes the first-ever criminal indictment of a president of the United States. There are Donald Trump’s supporters energised for his return to New York City and the glee of detractors, with both sides using the hashtag #TrumpMugShot on Twitter. We ask about the media circus.
47 min
April 03, 2023 Starting to sting? Putin denounces sanctions as oil revenues contract
Are those sanctions starting to bite? On the surface, it's business as usual for a Russia that on Saturday took over the rotating presidency of the UN Security Council and still enjoys plenty of support from the likes of China. But last week, President Vladimir Putin for the first time told his cabinet to expect trouble ahead.
46 min
March 30, 2023 Too late to regulate? Alarm over phenomenal rise of artificial intelligence
Maybe we are not as smart as we think we are. We thought technology would set us free, liberate us from menial tasks, democratise access to information and knowledge. We marvelled at our ability to connect instantaneously to whoever, wherever, whenever. We even fell for the illusion that each one of us is our own brand with a global reach. But beyond the way the digital age plays tricks on the human mind comes an even bigger threat.
45 min
March 29, 2023 Breaking point? Biden warns Netanyahu over Israel's judicial overhaul
"They cannot continue down this road." Joe Biden's blunt talk on Israel ended speculation that the US president would reward Benjamin Netanayhu with a White House visit, this after the prime minister paused his controversial overhaul of the judiciary. It's not the first time that Biden has crossed swords with Netanyahu, whose own son – without proof – accuses Washington of fomenting the mass protests against the reform.
47 min
March 27, 2023 Defining moment: What next for Israel's democracy?
It's a moment of truth for Israel and its democracy. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced he will pause the second and third readings of a contentious judicial reform bill that has seen hundreds of thousands of Israelis take to the streets for months. So what happens next?
39 min
March 22, 2023 To indict or not to indict? Donald Trump vs the courts
If a Manhattan grand jury hands up a criminal indictment against Donald Trump, that will make him the first US president – sitting or former – to face felony charges. We ask about the case of alleged hush money paid to former porn star Stormy Daniels and whether fingerprinting and a possible perp walk for the cameras helps or hurts Trump's chances in the race for 2024.
46 min
March 21, 2023 Mismatch? Russia's growing dependence on China
"In love, there is always one who kisses, and one who offers the cheek." That French proverb was borrowed by Winston Churchill's daughter to describe the British prime minister's relationship during World War II with US president Franklin D. Roosevelt. When observing the optics of Xi Jinping's three-day state visit to Moscow, we ask about the stakes of the first trip to Russia by China's president since Vladimir Putin's decision to launch an all-out invasion of Ukraine.
46 min
March 20, 2023 Victory at what cost? French govt survives no-confidence vote despite pensions fury
A nation is up in arms, but Emmanuel Macron still fancies his chances. By turning the passage of a highly unpopular pension reform bill into a vote of confidence, the French president convinced enough conservatives to avoid bringing down the government. But it was close, with PM Élisabeth Borne's government clinging on by just nine votes. We ask about the lasting impact on the rest of Macron's term-limited four years in office.
45 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