Britain Debrief with Ben Judah Ben Judah

Can Europe catch up in the EV race?
As the EU works to implement its new green industrial strategy, I spoke with Elettra Ardissino, Senior Europe Analyst at Greenmantle, to discuss how China’s dramatic surge in electric vehicle production is reshaping world markets. 
How is electrification changing the global car market? How did EU policies accidentally encourage more China-based EV manufacturing? Should Europe lower its targets for domestic manufacture of key green goods?
Thumbnail image is a modified version of a photo originally created by Julian Herzog, available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Car2Go_Charging_Station_Stuttgart_2013_01.jpg.

Does Europe end or fade away?
Following the release of his book Homelands: A Personal History of Europe, I spoke with Timothy Garton Ash, Professor of European Studies in the University of Oxford, on his European journey, the limits of Europe, and the place of Britain, Russia and Ukraine.
Is migration changing the very essence of Europe? Could the European Union become the tool of right-wing populists? Is it possible for Britain to rejoin the European Union under a future Labour government?
The thumbnail was modified from a picture taken by Sue Ream. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:BerlinWall-BrandenburgGate.jpg

Are we thinking about climate breakdown in the wrong way?
As we face the concurrent threats of pandemics, climate change, and other existential threats, I spoke with Dougald Hine, author of "At Work in the Ruins: Finding Our Place in the Time of Science, Climate Change, Pandemics and All Other Emergencies," to discuss how perceptions are changing in response to these challenges.
Did we become overly reliant on a science-based solutionist paradigm to conceptualise these crises? Is modernity itself in crisis? Are local activist groups like Extinction Rebellion able to take the lead on climate mitigation?
The thumbnail was modified from a picture taken by David Holt available at https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:London_November_23_2018_(19)_Extinction_Rebellion_Protest_Tower_Hill.jpg

What does it now mean to call yourself European?
 
Who makes up this population of some 750 million, sprawled from Ireland to Ukraine, from Sweden to Turkey? Who has always called it home, and who has newly arrived from elsewhere? Who are the people who drive our long-distance lorries, steward our criss-crossing planes, lovingly craft our legacy wines, fish our depleted waters, and risk life itself in search of safety and a new start?
 
In a series of vivid, ambitious, darkly visceral but always empathetic portraits of other people’s lives, journalist Ben Judah invites us to meet them. Drawn from hours of painstaking interviews, these vital stories reveal a frenetic and vibrant continent which has been transformed by diversity, migration, the internet, climate change, Covid, war and the quest for freedom.
 
Laid dramatically bare, it may not always be a Europe we recognize – but this is Europe.
 
REVIEWS:
 
"Imagine Ballard and Houellebecq teaming up on a Grand Tour, and you will have some idea of just how vivid, urgent and unsettling this superbly written book is." ― Tom Holland
 
"Thrilling, first-hand tales that explore the danger and ambitions of life in Europe." ― The Financial Times
 
"Unflinching . . . a powerful piece of reportage." ― The Guardian
 
"Makes you expand the boundaries of your sympathies and your understanding. It’s an astonishing achievement." ― Evening Standard
 
"An extraordinary series of interviews" ― Rory Stewart ― The Rest Is Politics
 
"Brilliantly vivid." ― Daily Mail
 
"Illuminating . . . a bold literary and journalistic experiment. Judah knows how to tell a story and does so with panache." ― The Spectator
 
"Superb . . . a compelling read." ― The New European
 
"A hallucinatory tour de force . . . life affirming." ― The Jewish Chronicle
 
"Brilliantly told . . . highly readable" ― The Times
 
"Such an ambitious project it automatically deserves applause . . . reminds us that below every system and conflict there are human beings." ― Irish Times
 
"A singular journalistic achievement." ― The Fence

What kind of diplomat is Rishi Sunak? Following Sunak’s first visit to DC since becoming PM, I spoke with Lucy Fisher, the Whitehall Editor of the Financial Times, on the biggest takeaways from Sunak’s first visit to DC and what it means for him domestically.
How does Sunak’s diplomacy differ from that of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss? Have Sunak’s diplomatic successes, like the Windsor Framework, impacted his popularity at home? Is a visit to DC as important for Britain as it is for other European countries?

Will Charles III be a radical king? As his coronation ceremony approaches, I spoke with Will Lloyd, Commissioning Editor and Writer at the New Statesman, to discuss his recent cover article about the King’s views and his relationship with the UK public at large.
Is Charles a modernizing figure for the monarchy? Why have Charles III’s philanthropic ventures gone largely unnoticed? Is it fair to say that Charles III even likes Britain?
Thumbnail modified from a photo taken by fergusburnett.com. Original available at https://www.flickr.com/photos/foreignoffice/52368400337.