The Debate

By FRANCE 24 English

The Debate episodes

May 13, 2021 Deadly spiral: Fears of civil war between Arab Israelis and Jews
Could Israel really face the spectre of civil war? After the tension that erupted in East Jerusalem and now the potential of a ground war with Gaza, Arab Israelis and hardline Jews have clashed openly, with motorists beaten unconscious, a pregnant woman sent to hospital and a synagogue torched. Both the country's president and the mayor of the flashpoint town of Lod near Tel Aviv have even used the term "civil war".
42 min
May 12, 2021 Who to stop it? Scramble to prevent all-out war in the Middle East
As tension over Jerusalem continues to spiral, neighbours like Egypt and Qatar are attempting to broker a truce. The current crisis, which now includes Israeli Arabs protesting, is also a reminder of how much has changed since the last time Israel and Gaza fought a war in 2014.
41 min
May 11, 2021 How far will it go? Jerusalem tension spirals into Israel-Gaza escalation
Will spiralling tension in Jerusalem lead to all-out war between Israel and Gaza? Israel's outgoing prime minister has announced a stepping up of air strikes on Gaza that have already killed more than two dozen Palestinians, this after Palestinian rockets killed two women in the southern city of Ashkelon. It is already the worst cross-border fighting in seven years and what is particularly alarming is the timing.
41 min
May 10, 2021 Slavery then and how: How does France address its colonial legacy?
The discussion got heated in this very studio last week when we asked about the French president commemorating the bicentenary of the death of Napoléon, a reformer but also a tyrant who restored slavery. This Monday, the same Emmanuel Macron took part in ceremonies for the 15th annual national day of commemoration of enslavement and its abolition.
40 min
May 07, 2021 Colombia's boiling point? Crackdown on tax revolt sparks wider social unrest
Why the violence? In Colombia, what started out last week as protests against tax hikes has spiralled, with at least 24 killed so far. Protesters themselves have sometimes got out of hand, like with the firebombing of a Bogota police station. But it is images of law enforcement firing on unarmed demonstrators, plus the use of tanks and assault weapons that have drawn the most condemnation from the international community.
39 min
May 05, 2021 Reformer or tyrant? Napoléon commemorations put legacy under scrutiny
France has a president who is big on remembrance. Emmanuel Macron has put historians to work on Algeria and Rwanda as well as calling for conversations on colonialism and slavery. Now, exactly a year before the presidential election, Macron is going all in on Napoléon, with a wreath-laying ceremony at the emperor's tomb at Paris's Les Invalides armoury.
40 min
May 05, 2021 Changing of the guard: Northern Ireland status quo upended by Brexit?
Which way do the political winds blow in Northern Ireland? The centennial of the decision to remain in the United Kingdom has been overshadowed by the infighting within the Democratic Unionist Party of the now outgoing First Minister Arlene Foster, pushed out by her own rank and file. We ask if that signals a further tack to the right for the Christian fundamentalist, pro-Brexit DUP, which opposed Theresa May's trade deal but with Boris Johnson now finds itself with a trade border in the Irish Sea.
39 min
May 03, 2021 Which way for Ethiopia? Abiy cracks down on regional revolts ahead of elections
Can the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia keep it together? Change has become increasingly bloody it seems since the 2012 death of longtime leader Meles Zenawi, a Tigrean whose home region is now in open revolt against the central government. There, conventional fighting is morphing into guerrilla warfare with reprisals against civilians fuelling a vicious circle. Elsewhere, regional and ethnic tensions are also on the rise.
42 min
April 29, 2021 Biden's ‘New Deal’: Massive recovery plan signals radical change
Donald Trump called him “Sleepy Joe”, a has-been who had been around Washington for too long. Now, after his first 100 days in office, Joe Biden is being touted as the new Franklin D. Roosevelt, as his recovery plan is seen as the most ambitious since the “New Deal” of the 1930s which redefined the role of the United States government.
40 min
April 28, 2021 Chad after Idriss Déby: A choice between stability and democracy?
The dust is far from settled in Chad. Ten days after longtime strongman Idriss Déby died after being wounded on the battlefield, more protests have broken out in the capital after Déby’s son was named the head of a transitional military council. We discuss the deadly crackdown on those banned demonstrations. We also take a look at France’s firm condemnation of the violence. The former colonial power cannot afford to see anti-French sentiment grow there at a time when Chad remains the centerpiece of Paris-led regional efforts to combat jihadist insurgencies.
42 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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