The Foreign Desk

Although they have not achieved a majority, Austria’s Nazi-linked FPÖ party claimed victory after receiving the highest amount of votes at the weekend’s election. Andrew Mueller explains the group’s past and what we may learn for the present. 

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The Foreign Desk is live in the immediate hours after Israel announced the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah. Andrew Mueller speaks with David Wood of the International Crisis Group in Beirut, and analysts Lina Khatib and Yossi Mekelberg of Chatham House. Plus: we hear from Hezbollah scholar Aurélie Daher.

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Andrew Mueller explores the reasons why Sri Lankans ditched their traditional leaders and plumped for Anura Kumara Dissanayake instead.

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It has been more than a decade since a Western Balkan nation joined the European Union and long-simmering tensions between neighbours in the region are beginning to fray. In this special episode, largely recorded at the Globsec conference in Prague, we speak to those keeping the peace including Miroslav Lajčák, Christian Schmidt and former Croatian president Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović.

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Andrew Mueller explains the significance of holding local elections in Jammu and Kashmir. 

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After the election of US president Donald Trump in 2016 and Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, a consensus has formed that Europe needs to do more – and spend more – to look after itself. But at a time when the cost of living and other domestic issues remain a priority for many governments, there is little appetite to spend on something that might never be used. In this special episode recorded at the recent Globsec forum in Prague, we speak to Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, Denis Mercier, Lieutenant General Piotr Blazeusz and Jiri Sedivy to consider threats to Europe and their necessary responses.

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As Germany enforces tougher checks on all its borders, Andrew Mueller questions what this will mean for the Schengen Area. 

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The first edition in our special series recorded at the Globsec Forum in Prague. We hear a selection of highlights including an insight into defending a country during active conflict with Ukraine’s former defence minister, Oleksii Reznikov; EU harmony with Czechia’s foreign minister, Jan Lipavský; Nato’s priorities with General Chris Badia; and the struggles of democratic journalism as the far-right rises with editor in chief of ‘SME’ Beata Balogová. 

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Andrew Mueller explains why Brazil has banned the social media platform X. 

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Amid this year’s elections, protests, frustrations and rise in authoritarianism, we explore what centrism really stands for – and whether it is on the march or in retreat. Andrew Mueller speaks with Monocle’s Paris bureau chief, Simon Bouvier, author and Israeli advisor Yair Zivan and former US defence official Michèle Flournoy.

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