Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

Many Europeans see the war in Ukraine as an attack on the ‘rules-based order’. But to many people in other parts of the world, there is no consensus on a set of rules to govern global affairs – and no sense of order. In this mini-series, Mark Leonard will go on an intellectual tour of the world, talking to key thinkers about how order is being defined by different powers. He explores how the clash between these different notions plays into the big shocks facing the world – from climate change and future pandemics to geopolitical struggles and technological disasters – and what this means for national and global politics.---In this fourth instalment, Leonard is joined by Fyodor Lukyanov – chair of the Council on Foreign and Defense Policy and editor-in-chief of the Russia in Global Affairs journal – to learn more about the Russian perspective on global order. Why is the Kremlin so keen on regional integration? How can power guarantee freedom and achieve justice in a rules-based order? And finally, what role do the Soviet Union and notions of imperial greatness play in Vladimir Putin’s ideal of Russia?Bookshelf:• Russia in Global Affairs journal, Issue 3 2022 July/September and Issue 4 2022 October/November• “Europe, Russia and the Liberal World Order: International Relations after the Cold War” by Timofei Bordachev• Complete works of Nikolai Gogol Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many Europeans see the war in Ukraine as an attack on the ‘rules-based order’. But to many people in other parts of the world, there is no consensus on a set of rules to govern global affairs – and no sense of order. In this mini-series, Mark Leonard will go on an intellectual tour of the world, talking to key thinkers about how order is being defined by different powers. He explores how the clash between these different notions plays into the big shocks facing the world – from climate change and future pandemics to geopolitical struggles and technological disasters – and what this means for national and global politics.---In this third episode, Leonard is joined by Pratap Bhanu Mehta – Laurance S Rockefeller visiting professor at Princeton University and former president of the Centre for Policy Research, a New Delhi-based think tank – to discuss the Indian perspective on order. What is the link between civilisational power and Hindu nationalism? Why is the concept of development so important for a just international order? And finally, how does the deep memory of independence and partition shape contemporary Indian politics? Bookshelf• “The Burden of Democracy” by Pratap Bhanu Mehta• “Public Institutions in India: Performance and Design” by Devesh Kapur & Pratap Bhanu Mehta• “Non-Alignment 2.0: A Foreign and Strategic Policy for India in the 21st Century” by Sunil Khilnani et al. • PM Modi's speech at foundation stone laying ceremony of development projects in Ayodhya• “The Mirror & The Light” by Hilary Mantel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many Europeans see the war in Ukraine as an attack on the ‘rules-based order’. But to many people in other parts of the world, there is no consensus on a set of rules to govern global affairs – and no sense of order. In this mini-series, Mark Leonard will go on an intellectual tour of the world, talking to key thinkers about how order is being defined by different powers. He explores how the clash between these different notions plays into the big shocks facing the world – from climate change and future pandemics to geopolitical struggles and technological disasters – and what this means for national and global politics.--In this second instalment, Leonard is joined by Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, associate senior policy fellow and in-house Turkey expert at ECFR, to talk about the country’s understanding of order. Does Russia’s control and presence in Turkey's backyard pose a strategic problem? How can the Pax Ottomana push back against a Western-dominated world order? And finally, what role do narratives about the Battle of Independence and the Conquest of Istanbul play in repositioning Turkey’s greatness?Bookshelf:• “The Balance Game” by Selim Deringil• “The Dangerous Decade: A Foreign Policy for a World in Crisis” by Richard Haas• “The Ministry for the Future” by Kim Stanley Robinson Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Many Europeans see the war in Ukraine as an attack on the ‘rules-based order’. But to many people in other parts of the world, there is no consensus on a set of rules to govern global affairs – and no sense of order. In this mini-series, Mark Leonard will go on an intellectual tour of the world talking to key thinkers about how order is being defined by different powers. He explores how the clash between these different notions plays into the big shocks facing the world – from climate change and future pandemics to geopolitical struggles and technological disasters – and what this means for national and global politics.--In this first episode, Leonard is joined by Rana Mitter, vice-president of the British Academy and professor of the history and politics of modern China at the University of Oxford, to talk about the Chinese understanding of order. How are economic inequalities and covid-19 challenging Chinese stability? What is the role of multilateralism in the international system? And finally, how do narratives of the past shape understandings of ‘order’ today?Bookshelf•“China’s Good War: How World War II Is Shaping a New Nationalism” by Rana Mitter• “Is the Growing Pessimism About China Warranted?” (2016) ChinaFile Conversation• “In the Name of the People” (2017) TV series Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The success of Giorgia Meloni's Brothers of Italy in the recent Italian general election has sent shudders around Europe. With Meloni set to form a coalition of right-wingers and Eurosceptics, her foreign policy agenda could call into question the very foundations of the European project. Alongside Poland and Hungary, Italy could join calls for greater national sovereignty, aiming to shift the balance of power away from Brussels technocracy. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard is joined by ECFR council members Nathalie Tocci, who is the director of Italy's Istituto Affari Internazionali, and Marta Dassu, senior advisor for Europe at the Aspen Institute, as well as Arturo Varvelli, head of ECFR´s Rome Office and senior policy fellow. They discuss the implications of the new government in Rome and whether it does indeed point to a shift to the right. What will be the new government's stance be on Russia and its war in Ukraine? And how could constraints such as debt and the coherence of the coalition challenge Meloni’s government? This podcast was recorded on 27 September 2022. Further reading:The Draghi effect: Italy’s new-old national interest by Arturo Varvelli https://buff.ly/3SpBirt Bookshelf - “Italy Transformed: Politics, Society and Institutions at the End of the Great Recession” by Martin J. Bull & Gianfranco Pasquino - “Bloodlands” by Timothy D. Snyder - “A Green and Global Europe” by Nathalie Tocci - “Il mago del Cremlino” by Giuliano da EmpoliImage by picture alliance / EPA | CLAUDIO PERI © Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Vladimir Putin’s announcement of a partial military mobilisation in Russia reinforces the idea that the Ukraine war will not end quickly and that Ukraine and its partners need to prepare for a long war. The Kremlin is sending a clear signal to the West that it will do whatever it takes to succeed—or at least not to fail. For Ukraine to survive and thrive in the long-war, the EU and its member states should formulate a comprehensive mechanism to support their eastern neighbour. In doing so, Europeans can lay the foundations for a functioning Ukraine, deter Russia from further aggression, and perhaps even point the way toward a settlement of the conflict. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard is joined by ECFR's Piotr Buras, Gustav Gressel, Kadri Liik, and Jeremy Shapiro to describe and debate the potential military, security, and economic aspects of the long-war plan. Why is investment in industrial warfare supply chains so crucial? How can security assurances for Ukraine enhance deterrence and reduce the potential for escalation? And finally, why should the EU provide medium-term access for Ukraine to the European single market? This podcast was recorded on 20 September 2022. Further reading:Survive and thrive: A European plan to support Ukraine in the long war against Russia, by Piotr Buras, Marie Dumoulin, Gustav Gressel & Jeremy Shapiro https://ecfr.eu/publication/survive-and-thrive-a-european-plan-to-support-ukraine-in-the-long-war-against-russia/Bookshelf - “Essays” by George Orwell - “Jerusalem: The Biography” by Simon Sebag Montefiore - “The Habsburg Empire: A New History” by Pieter M. Judson - “The Found and the Lost: The Collected Novellas of Ursula K. Le Guin” by Ursula K. Le Guin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week's Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit makes tangible the existence of an alternative international community. Featuring leaders from Russia, China, and India it is the organisation's first face-to-face meeting since the Russian invasion of Ukraine. There is a clear goal at the core of the discussions: power politics and the race to multipolarism as an alternative to Western liberalism. In this week’s episode, Jeremy Shapiro joins an all-star ECFR panel of experts to discuss the summit's geopolitical implications. How is SCO “dialogue partner” Turkey using the Ukraine war to get the best of both worlds? How much will Iran's imminent membership advance its security? And finally, what would be the implications for Beijing if Putin were to lose power, and how can China support the Kremlin? This podcast was recorded on 16 September 2022. Further reading:Rogue NATO: The new face of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, by Aslı Aydıntaşbaş, Marie Dumoulin, Ellie Geranmayeh & Janka Oertel: https://buff.ly/3xuLMOaBookshelf - “Jamais Frères? Ukraine Et Russie: Une Tragédie Postsoviétique" by Anna Coulin Lebdevev - “The Rest Is Politics” podcast by Alastair Campbell and Rory Stewart. - “Die beste aller möglichen Welten” by Michael Kempe - “The Ministry for the Future” by Kim Stanley Robinson - “The Found and the Lost: The Collected Novellas of Ursula K. Le Guin” by Ursula K. Le Guin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As fundamental freedoms are being challenged worldwide, the very idea of open societies is being questioned. The crisis of liberalism and the decline of the West, together with increased disinformation and polarisation, have revealed inequality and the need for critical public debate as a central issue for the advancement of open societies. In this week’s podcast, Leonard Benardo, executive vice president for the Open Society Foundations, joins Mark Leonard to discuss the great challenges open societies are currently experiencing. What role do identity politics play when thinking about solidarity and social cohesion? How can the digital revolution impact electoral democracy? And finally, how can we ensure that Ukraine as an open society is retained? This podcast was recorded on 6 September 2022.Bookshelf:- "Against Decolonisation. Taking African Agency Seriously" by Olúfẹ́mi Táíwò - "Know Your Enemy" podcast hosted by Matthew Sitman and Sam Adler-Bell - Follow @samagreene and @rochowanski for food for thought and debates on the Eurasian space Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Global crises – from the covid-19 pandemic and climate change to Russia's war on Ukraine have challenged the core tenets of the globalised world. Europe has been at the centre of this upheaval. And the continent now faces tough decisions on its energy markets, trade partnerships, and supply chains. In this special episode, recorded in front of a live audience at the European Forum Alpbach in Austria, Mark Leonard is joined by co-chair of ECFR, Carl Bildt, Austrian federal minister for the EU and constitution, Karoline Edtstadler, and non-resident fellow at Bruegel, Thomas Wieser. Together, they discuss how to strike the right balance between the need for sovereignty and the benefits of globalisation. What are the biggest threats to the European market economies and what are the opportunities? Will Europeans learn from Russia’s weaponisation of energy when it comes to its dependencies on China? And is there a way to ‘disarm’ connectivity? This podcast was recorded live at the European Forum Alpbach on 1 September 2022.Bookshelf: - The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig- Dunkelblum by Eva Menasse- History of the Adriatic: A Sea and Its Civilization by Egidio Iveticpicture (c) Hans Hofer Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his recent book “Another World Is Possible”, Geoff Mulgan – professor of collective intelligence, public policy, and social innovation at University College London – identifies a crisis that does not usually feature prominently in threat assessments: an absence of political imagination. This deficit has not only distorted policymakers’ sense of the past and present but also weakened their ability to make future-proofed decisions in various areas. In this week’s episode, Mulgan joins Mark Leonard to explore the causes and consequences of this crisis. They discuss how to restore imagination and harness creativity to solve current and future problems. Why does the idea of utopia matter? How can we harmonise competing narratives about the future? And where do China and India come in to all this?This podcast was recorded on 6 July 2022.Further readingAnother World Is Possible: How to Reignite Social and Political Imagination by Geoff Mulgan: https://buff.ly/3A1xUgd The Ministry for the Future by Kim Stanley RobinsonBookshelf: The Trial by Sergei Loznitsa Babi Yar. Context by Sergei Loznitsa Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.