The Debate

By FRANCE 24 English

The Debate episodes

April 19, 2022 The battle of Donbas: What's Putin's plan for Ukraine now?
They're calling it the battle of Donbas. After nearly two months of mishaps and setbacks, Russia is putting all its might into a bid to capture the entire east of Ukraine. But will it capture it or flatten it? We ask our guests about the Kremlin's endgame and the scramble to re-arm the Ukrainians.
44 min
April 18, 2022 What if the left stays home? French voters split over Macron-Le Pen rematch
What if the French left stays home next Sunday? Two-thirds of those who actively support Jean-Luc Mélenchon see no reason to choose centrist incumbent Emmanuel Macron over the far-right's Marine Le Pen in the presidential run-off. In a nation where the president enjoys outsized powers, this is the election that matters. Why are so many of his supporters unfazed by the prospect of Le Pen beating Macron? She's the leader of a party whose roots go back to Vichy France and the 1961 attempted coup to keep Algeria French.
45 min
April 14, 2022 Wave of setbacks: Russia regroups as Ukraine braces for more bombing
What happened to the Moskva? Russia's flagship cruiser in the Black Sea is out of action. Moscow claims there was a fire on board, while Kyiv is crowing that it was due to a Neptune anti-naval missile. Either way, how will it impact the Kremlin's designs on the entire Ukrainian coast?
45 min
April 13, 2022 A world apart: Macron and Le Pen split over Ukraine, Europe
When French voters cast their ballots in the April 24 presidential run-off, the result will be watched well beyond our borders. For now, Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen are serving up opposing visions of France's place on the world stage. He is for ratcheting up concerted EU sanctions against Vladimir Putin, while she is against any oil or gas embargo. The incumbent backs working together on defence, while his far-right rival wants France to quit NATO's integrated military command. Amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, who is the right candidate for this moment?
46 min
April 12, 2022 The battle for Mariupol: Allies call for probe after allegation of chemical weapons use
There are calls from the US and Britain for an investigation after Ukrainian soldiers of the Azov regiment were reportedly injured by a "poisonous substance" during a Russian attack on the port city of Mariupol. No evidence has yet been gathered. The UK foreign secretary says it would be "a callous escalation" of the war. The Pentagon says it's "deeply concerning". Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky has already expressed his fears that Russia could deploy chemical weapons in his country.
41 min
April 11, 2022 Not so easy this time: Can Le Pen upset Macron in French run-off vote?
And so begins a mad dash to the finish in the French presidential race. After a surprisingly sluggish start to the campaign, the first round served up the predicted outcome but also its fair share of surprises. The April 24 runoff is incumbent Emmanuel Macron's to lose, say the pollsters. But in a rematch of the 2017 second round, the centrist incumbent has his weaknesses that the far-right's Marine Le Pen astutely exploited in a campaign where she has been out pounding the flesh while Macron has been attending summits.
45 min
April 07, 2022 Race for the Élysée 2022: Macron's lead narrows ahead of first round of French election
All of a sudden it's neck and neck in the race for the French presidential election. Emmanuel Macron was sitting pretty and on course for a second term. So how has April turned into the cruellest month for the sitting French president? Macron's second term is facing a real threat from far-right candidate Marine Le Pen, as polls show a closing of the gap between the incumbent and his main rival. Could he really lose?
46 min
April 06, 2022 Suspected war crimes in Ukraine: How can the guilty be brought to justice?
More evidence is emerging of what happened when towns around Kyiv were under Russian occupation after heavy bombardment. Ukraine's president is warning that there are more shocking revelations to come. The Ukrainian president is warning that the deaths in Bucha could be only the beginning and says he has intelligence that even more civilians have been killed in places like nearby Borodyanka.
44 min
April 05, 2022 Can Moscow ignore the outrage? Russia rejects mounting evidence of Ukraine war crimes
Moscow has so far shrugged off hard evidence of summary executions in the liberated Kyiv suburb of Bucha, evidence which continues to mount. As the West dials up sanctions and arms shipments, as Ukraine's president makes his case to the UN Security Council, we gauge the mood in the room. Will blanket denials be enough to keep on board nations big and small who by necessity or principle see it in their interest to give equal air time to the Kremlin?
46 min
April 04, 2022 Scorched earth? West weighs stiffer sanctions as Russia denies war crimes in Ukraine
Is it a turning point? There's outrage over the carnage and desolation left behind by retreating Russian forces north of Ukraine's capital. We discuss war crimes accusations in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha and ask – now that the war's set to last – whether the Kremlin's ultimate objective is to occupy Ukraine or reduce it to rubble.
45 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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