The Debate

By FRANCE 24 English

The Debate episodes

January 25, 2022 War at what price? Russia, NATO weigh cost of Ukraine showdown
The West still doesn't know why war in Ukraine might happen, but it increasingly seems like it's happening. Kiev is trying to keep calm and rally support while being surrounded on three sides and being the recent victim of a cyberattack that feels like a dry run. Meanwhile, NATO countries are sending weapons and advisors while deploying fresh troops elsewhere in Eastern Europe. But that's small compared to the 100,000-plus forces amassed by Moscow.
41 min
January 24, 2022 Coup in Burkina Faso: What next after ouster of President Kaboré?
Saying they feel exposed in the face of an Islamist insurgency rampant across the Sahel region, soldiers in Burkina Faso have taken to national television to confirm the ousting of President Roch Marc Christian Kaboré. But what will a coup change in yet another poor, landlocked nation where radicals seem to prey on weak institutions? Seven years ago, young people were instrumental in the popular uprising that led to the downfall of strongman Blaise Compaoré. Do these soldiers represent a different generation, or a return to the past?
53 min
January 20, 2022 Can the party last? Johnson defies calls for leadership challenge
Is he living on borrowed time, or does Boris Johnson's brand of populism make the British PM scandal-proof? It's certainly not great optics when a Tory MP crosses the aisle to join the Labour opposition benches during Prime Minister's Questions, but that seems to have at least stalled a backbench revolt against Johnson for now. We ask why, and whether he can ride out the storm.
39 min
January 19, 2022 Powerless Europe? Soaring prices expose EU's energy dependence
With prices at the pump surging and a showdown looming with major gas supplier Russia, the French president addressed the European Parliament to mark France's rotating presidency of the bloc. We ask about what Emmanuel Macron said and didn't say about the highest fuel prices in seven years with some of Paris's petrol stations asking two euros a litre at the pump.
41 min
January 18, 2022 If Russia did invade: How far would the West go to support Ukraine?
How strong is the West's resolve when it comes to Ukraine? A steady diet of diplomacy is so far failing to lift the uncertainty over Vladimir Putin's true intentions when it comes to those 100,000 troops amassed at the border.
39 min
January 17, 2022 China in a bubble: Can Winter Olympics keep out Omicron?
Call it an Olympic-sized gamble. Ahead of Chinese New Year holiday travel and the Winter Games, authorities there are sticking to their zero-Covid policy. As Omicron tears through much of the rest of the world, can the coronavirus really be barred from the Beijing Olympics?
38 min
January 13, 2022 All about the unvaccinated? How to manage the Omicron wave
Authorities in Europe are being very cautious, but it seems the record-breaking infection rate of the Omicron variant could soon be followed by a sharp decline in Covid-19 cases. This scenario still leaves the most vulnerable at risk, such as the elderly, those with pre-existing conditions and the unvaccinated.
41 min
January 12, 2022 Kazakhstan's changing of the guard: What next for former Soviet republic after crackdown?
Order has been restored in Kazakhstan after protests turned to open revolt in clashes last week. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev calls it an attempted coup, blaming foreign terror networks, but he's also arrested the former head of security left over from his once all-powerful predecessor. At 81, Nursultan Nazarbayev is out as head of the country's ruling supreme council. We ask about his whereabouts and his exit from the limelight. From Angola to Uzbekistan, controlling your legacy is tricky when you run an oil-rich oligarchy.
40 min
January 11, 2022 Mali under embargo: Why is regional bloc ECOWAS coming down hard on junta?
Why are Mali's neighbours coming down hard? A harsh embargo has been decided after coup leaders in that landlocked West African state reneged on their promise of a quick return to civilian rule. How harsh? We talk border closures and trade embargoes. It's not as if the region has never seen a putsch before: look no further than neighbouring Guinea.
40 min
January 10, 2022 On Putin's terms? From Ukraine escalation to US-Russia talks
Is it better than Putin bargained for? Critics of Geneva talks between Cold War rivals say they reward the Kremlin for its massive troop build-up on the Ukrainian border. Would the United States be sitting down with Russia without the threat of an invasion? Is it better to talk or not to talk?
40 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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