Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

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Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

Weekly podcast on the events, policies and ideas that will shape the world.World in 30 minutes is curated by Mark Leonard, Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), and features top-level speakers from across the EU and beyond to debate and discuss Europe’s role in the world. It was awarded “Best podcasts on EU politics” by PolicyLab in 2019.Member of the EuroPod network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

  1. Election countdown: New Germany, new Europe, new podcast

    4 DAYS AGO

    Election countdown: New Germany, new Europe, new podcast

    With just five weeks remaining until the German federal election, Friedrich Merz's CDU is leading in the polls. But significant shifts in geopolitics—and opinion—can occur in weeks and days: and this election will take place in the aftermath of Donald Trump’s inauguration and amid the stagnation of the Franco-German engine. Now, recognising the importance of German leadership in Europe, Searching for Deutschland explores the foreign policy dimensions of Germany’s electoral campaign. This week Mark Leonard welcomes editorial director and senior policy fellow Jeremy Cliffe, and ECFR’s Berlin office head and senior policy fellow Jana Puglierin, to discuss their new podcast, and Merz’s foreign and domestic policies. What exactly is the “Merz Doctrine”? How might Merz deal with the second Trump administration? And what are his views on Russia and Ukraine? The podcast was recorded on January 16th 2025 Bookshelf: The Divider Trump in the White House, 2017-2021by Peter Baker and Susan Glasser Alone in a Trumpian world: The EU and global public opinion after the US elections by Timothy Garton Ash, Ivan Krastev, Mark Leonard  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
  2. Poland’s presidency: A new European leadership

    JAN 10

    Poland’s presidency: A new European leadership

    On 1 January, Poland assumed presidency of the EU Council. But it steps into the spotlight during a period of seismic geopolitical shifts. With the war in Ukraine raging and Donald Trump’s imminent return to power, Poland faces immense pressure to lead while navigating Europe’s complex security landscape. This week Mark Leonard welcomes Joanna Bekker, deputy managing director at leading Polish think-tank Polityka Insight, Piotr Buras, head of ECFR’s Warsaw office, and Marta Prochwicz Jazowska, deputy head of ECFR’s Warsaw office, to discuss Poland’s presidency of the EU Council. What does its motto of “security” mean for Europe in practice? Will the upcoming Polish presidential election impact its direction? And, with France and Germany missing in action, can Poland seize the moment to assume greater leadership in Europe?   Bookshelf: Smart Brevity: The Power of Saying More with Less by Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz Kaput: The End of the German Miracle by Wolfgang Münchau Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder   This podcast was recorded on 8 January 2025 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    31 min
  3. Ten foreign policy predictions for 2025

    JAN 3

    Ten foreign policy predictions for 2025

    2024 was a year of intense geopolitical shifts and growing uncertainty. But one thing remains consistent: ECFR’s ever-popular predictions podcast. In our first outing for 2025, Mark Leonard and ECFR research director Jeremy Shapiro team up to reflect on the accuracy of last year’s predictions—and, with crystal balls in hand, try to decipher which forces will shape 2025. Is this the year they finally achieve 10/10? Let us know if you think they missed something! Write your own predictions in to Mark via mark.leonard@ecfr.eu. Bookshelf: A Nasty Little War: The West's Fight to Reverse the Russian Revolution by Anna Reid Regime Change: Toward a Postliberal Future by Patrick J. Deneen 2024: The year we embrace predictable surprise by Mark Leonard and Jeremy Shapiro   This podcast was recorded on 27 December 2024 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    18 min
  4. Forging peace: Europe’s role in Ukraine’s future

    12/20/2024

    Forging peace: Europe’s role in Ukraine’s future

    As Donald Trump’s return to the presidency looms, European leaders are intensifying their diplomatic efforts. Emmanuel Macron has met with Donald Tusk to discuss European troop deployments, while a high-stakes meeting in Brussels with Ukraine’s president Volodymyr Zelensky, NATO secretary general Mark Rutte and EU leaders included discussions on potential peacekeeping missions. Europe seems determined to secure Ukraine’s future, offer it meaningful security guarantees, and maintain regional stability. This week Mark Leonard welcomes Camille Grand, distinguished policy fellow at ECFR and former assistant secretary general for defence investment at NATO, Jana Kobsova, visiting fellow at ECFR and foreign policy advisor to Slovak president Zuzana Caputová, and Nicu Popescu, former Moldova foreign minister and distinguished policy fellow at ECFR, to discuss the ongoing negotiations. Which different scenarios are being discussed? What stage are these discussions at? Can Europeans help to shore up Ukraine at this critical stage—and, crucially, can the EU provide it with long-term security guarantees?   Bookshelf: The Anatomy of a Moment: Thirty-Five Minutes in History and Imagination by Javier Cercas Faustian Bargain: The Soviet-German Partnership and the Origins of the Second World War by Ian Ona Johnson Talks with T. G. Masaryk by Karel Čapek How to Talk About Books You Haven't Read by Pierre Bayard   This podcast was recorded on 18 December 2024 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    37 min
  5. A fragmented world: Europe’s geoeconomic dilemmas

    12/13/2024

    A fragmented world: Europe’s geoeconomic dilemmas

    As the world becomes increasingly disordered and fragmented, Europe faces mounting geoeconomic challenges on multiple fronts: Russia’s war in Ukraine, China’s ambitions in Taiwan, and the uncertain future of transatlantic relations under Donald Trump. To remain relevant, European policymakers must step up and approach supply chains, trade rules, investment flows, and energy policy as indispensable elements of statecraft. This week Mark Leonard welcomes Agathe Demarais, ECFR’s geoeconomics lead, and Abraham Newman, professor at the School of Foreign Service and the Department of Government at Georgetown University, and co-author of Underground Empire: How America Weaponized the World Economy, to discuss how Europe can overcome its internal dysfunction when it comes to geoeconomics. How can Europe remain relevant in geoeconomics? What are the main obstacles to it doing so? And what risks does Europe face by sticking to business as usual?   Bookshelf: The Nightingale Gallery by Paul Doherty Europe Must Unlock Its Geoeconomic Power by Agathe Demarais and Abraham Newman The Other '68ers: Student Protest and Christian Democracy in West Germany by Anna Von Der Goltz Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    35 min
  6. Live from the Doha Forum: The Middle East after Assad

    12/09/2024

    Live from the Doha Forum: The Middle East after Assad

    Given the turbulence across Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, and Iran, conversations at this year’s Doha Forum highlighted a Middle East region, and a world order, in flux. Now the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria and the upcoming Donald Trump administration will shape American relations in the Middle East – and changing regional priorities and dynamics will likely impact the future international order. This week Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of ECFR’s MENA programme, Ellie Geranmayeh, deputy director of ECFR’s MENA programme, and Vali Nasr, Majid Khadduri professor of international affairs and Middle East studies at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, to discuss the Middle East and changing global dynamics. How might the fall of the Assad regime reshape the region’s political and security landscape? What does the development mean for Syria? And how are regional powers adapting to the uncertainty of the second Trump administration? This podcast was recorded on 7 December 2024  Bookshelf: Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell In Praise of Hatred by Khaled Khalifa Why War ? By Richard Overy   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    33 min
  7. Trump’s return: What’s next for the war in Ukraine

    12/06/2024

    Trump’s return: What’s next for the war in Ukraine

    Its almost three years after Russia invaded Ukraine and, despite small Russian gains in the east, the war looks no closer to reaching a military conclusion. But with Donald Trump’s re-election, change is in the air. Talk of a ceasefire, once taboo, is now common in Washington and even in eastern European capitals – not to mention among government officials in major cities such as Berlin, Paris, and London. This week Mark Leonard welcomes Marie Dumoulin, director of ECFR’s Wider Europe programme, and Jeremy Shapiro, head of ECFR’s Washington office, to discuss how Trump’s re-election could affect the war in Ukraine, international efforts for peace, and potential end-game scenarios. Which tools could a Trump administration use to bring both sides to the negotiating table? Who is Keith Kellogg, Trump’s pick as Ukraine envoy? How might Europeans help Ukraine defend itself if the US is out of the picture? And how will the different sides use the period until Trump’s inauguration to advance their positions? This podcast was recorded on 4 December 2024 Bookshelf: L'Ukraine, la République et les oligarques by Sébastien Gobert Notre homme à Washington by Régis Genté The Embrace of Unreason: France, 1914-1920 by Frederick Brown Imagining Trump 2.0: Six scary policy scenarios for a second term by Célia Belin, Majda Ruge and Jeremy Shapiro   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    43 min
  8. Ceasefire in Lebanon

    11/28/2024

    Ceasefire in Lebanon

    After weeks of negotiations, US president Joe Biden announced that Israel and Hezbollah have agreed to a ceasefire in Lebanon. However, it remains unclear whether the development will really help end the Middle East conflict which started 14 months ago and became even deadlier following Israel’s ground invasion of Gaza in October. This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of ECFR’s MENA programme and interim director of the Africa programme, to discuss the recent agreement. Why did Israel and Hezbollah agree to the ceasefire now? What are the terms? What makes this ceasefire different in terms of enforcement? What does a potential end to the conflict mean for Hezbollah’s role in Lebanon? And what are the chances of a ceasefire in Gaza? Bookshelf: The Wager by David Grann Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

    25 min
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4.6
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About

Weekly podcast on the events, policies and ideas that will shape the world.World in 30 minutes is curated by Mark Leonard, Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), and features top-level speakers from across the EU and beyond to debate and discuss Europe’s role in the world. It was awarded “Best podcasts on EU politics” by PolicyLab in 2019.Member of the EuroPod network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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