Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

Germany's ‘traffic light’ coalition has ushered in a new age of German politics – and a new generation of political figures. Last year, in a departure from the staid Merkel era, German citizens elected a parliament that is less ‘pale, male, and stale’ than ever before. The new cabinet reflects this change – in terms of youth and gender at least. In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard, interviews the German author and journalist, Anna Sauerbrey. They discuss her latest book, “Machtwechsel” (Change of Power), in which she analyses how this diverse intake is challenging the status quo of German politics. But how does Chancellor Olaf Scholz fit in? What is a ‘Zeitgenosse’? And what do white sneakers have to do with anything? This podcast was recorded on 6 July 2022. Further reading - Machtwechsel by Anna Sauerbrey: https://buff.ly/3Spm5au - War and Indignation by Jürgen Habermas in Süddeutsche Zeitung: https://buff.ly/3BCQKvb - A Millennial considers the new German Problem after 30 Years of Peace by Ulrike Franke in War on the Rocks: https://buff.ly/3xhFCz3 Bookshelf: - East West Street by Philipp Sands - The Economic Weapon: The Rise of Sanctions as a Tool of Modern War by Nicholas Mulderpicture (c) picture alliance / EPA | SASCHA STEINBACH / POOL Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As blistering heatwaves and raging forest fires sweep across Europe, climate change is once again back on the agenda. But Russia’s attack on Ukraine and the consequent reduction in energy supplies to Europe has greatly complicated Europe’s green transition. Some observers argue that a cold-turkey withdrawal from Russian fossil fuels will speed up the transition to renewable energy, but others predict that climate goals will fall by the wayside as European leaders turn to coal and whatever else is available to make up for the lack of Russian oil and gas. In this week’s episode, Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR’s research director seizes the reins of power as host from a vacationing Mark Leonard and talks to Susi Dennison, director of ECFR’s European Power programme, and Simone Tagliapietra, senior fellow at Bruegel about these competing narratives. Will Europe manage to maintain unity as winter approaches? What does this mean for its efforts in climate diplomacy? This podcast was recorded on 19 July 2022. Further reading - Green peace: How Europe’s climate policy can survive the war in Ukraine by Susi Dennison: https://buff.ly/3NqrHxw- Own coal: Why Europe could lose its green transition by Susi Dennison: https://buff.ly/3R2QuL7- Circuit breakers: Securing Europe’s green energy supply chains by Agatha Kratz, Charlie Vest, and Janka Oertel: https://buff.ly/3w67gABBookshelf: - How the World Really Works: A Scientist’s Guide to Our Past, Present and Future by Vaclav Smil - Violetta by Isabel Allende - The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ian Bremmer wrote his latest book before Russia's all-out invasion of Ukraine. Yet, ‘The Power of Crisis’, which went into press on 26 February 2022, identifies three transformational global challenges besides the war: public health emergencies, the technological revolution, and climate change. In today's podcast, Bremmer joins Mark Leonard to discuss the concept of a “goldilocks” crisis, the effects of the covid-19 pandemic, and Europe’s role in global upheavals. How can Europeans learn to survive and even thrive during current and forthcoming crises? And how can countries cooperate effectively in an age of great power competition?This podcast was recorded on 13 June 2022.Further reading- The Power of Crisis by Ian Bremmer https://buff.ly/3uKRbzdBookshelf - The Body Scout by Lincoln Michel Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In July, Mark Leonard launched the newly released paperback edition of his book - "The Age of Unpeace: How Connectivity Causes Conflict" (Penguin) - with a brand-new essay on the war in Ukraine and its geopolitical impact. Together with Fiona Hill, senior fellow at Brookings, and Jason Cowley, editor-in-chief of the New Statesman, he discusses a new way of looking at the origins of the war in Ukraine, the way it is being conducted and the implications for global (geo-)politics. Is the “Age of Unpeace” just another term for a cold war? And will global challenges – like climate change – in the end still bind us together? Or does the “Unpeace” era make us even less able to tackle those? The material for this podcast was recorded on 8 July 2022. Available here: https://buff.ly/3RAyiZCLearn more about “The Age of Unpeace”: - https://soundcloud.com/ecfr/age-of-unpeace - https://www.politico.eu/article/welcome-to-the-age-of-unpeace-geopolitics-conflict/ Bookshelf - There Is Nothing for You Here: Finding Opportunity in the 21st Century by Fiona Hill - Mr. Putin: Operative in the Kremlin by Jason Cowley Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell’s visit to Teheran in June was meant to revitalise negotiations around the Iran nuclear deal. But the talks, which recently resumed in Doha, remain mired in mistrust and intransigence from both sides. For this week’s podcast, Mark Leonard has assembled a team of Iran experts to take stock of the negotiations in Qatar: ECFR senior policy fellow, Ellie Geranmayeh; former Iranian diplomat and security and nuclear policy specialist at Princeton University, Hossein Mousavian; professor of Middle East studies and international affairs, Vali Nasr; and the director of International Crisis Group's Iran project, Ali Vaez discuss the latest developments and evaluate different possible outcomes and their consequences. Is there any chance of breaking the stalemate without escalation? And what will be the impact of the upcoming midterm elections in the US? This podcast was recorded on 1 July 2022. Further reading:- Borrell in Tehran: How to overcome three obstacles to the Iran nuclear deal By Ellie Geranmayeh Bookshelf:- Iron net: Digital repression in the Middle East and North Africa by James Lynch - Born in Blackness by Howard W French - Master of the Game by Martin Indyk - Republics of Myth by Hussein Banai, Malcolm Byrne, And John TirmanCover image: EU High Representative Josep Borrell visits Iran · Image by European Union, 2022 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

NATO members emerged from their summit in Madrid this week having reached consensus on a new Strategic Concept, Sweden’s and Finland’s accession, and increased readiness capabilities on the eastern flank. This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Nick Witney, senior policy fellow at ECFR and former chief executive of the European Defence Agency; Jana Puglierin, head of ECFR’s Berlin office; and Tara Varma, head of ECFR’s Paris office, to evaluate the summit’s outcomes, especially regarding European defence. How can Europeans coordinate increased military expenditure? What is the European Defence Union? And was Nick Witney right to describe the summit as “the most promising conjunction of planets”? This podcast was recorded on 1 July 2022.Further reading:- NATO’s new Strategic Concept - The EU’s Strategic Compass Bookshelf:- The Way We Live Now by Anthony Trollope - Au café de la ville perdue by Anaïs Llobet - The NATO summit is chance to wean Europe off US military might- Machtwechsel by Anna SauerbreyCover image: Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, takes part in the NATO summit last Wednesday in Spain · Image by European Union, 2022 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In his recently published book, Fareed Zakaria, television host, columnist, and chair of the recently established International Strategy Forum, outlines the main pillars, trends and fault lines of a post-pandemic world. He joins Mark Leonard to discuss the political, geopolitical, and geo-economic changes to the world order. How did the world react to the war on Ukraine? What are the reactions to these reactions? Will globalisation be replaced by fragmentation?This podcast was recorded on 21 June 2022.Further reading:- Ten Lessons for a Post-Pandemic World by Fareed Zakaria: https://buff.ly/3tZQBgO - ECFR’s and Schmidt Futures’ International Strategy Forum: https://buff.ly/3nfeU6CBookshelf: - The Avoidable War — averting a conflict between the US and China by Kevin Rudd- Middlemarch by George Eliot- Dominion by Tom Holland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

New ECFR research captures European public opinion on Russia's war against Ukraine. It reveals that Europe's remarkable unity in the early days of the war is under threat from an emerging split – between those who want peace as soon as possible and those who favour justice for Ukraine.This week, senior policy fellow and head of ECFR's European Power programme, Susi Dennison, turns the tables on one of the report's authors, Mark Leonard, as he becomes a guest on his own podcast. They are joined by Leonard's co-author, ECFR founding board member and chair of the Centre for Liberal Strategies, Ivan Krastev to discuss the results of the poll and examine what this means for the European response to the war. What should European leaders do to bridge the fault lines and maintain unity? And how important is Ukraine’s EU membership application? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, ECFR launched its European Sovereignty Index. The index scores the EU and its member states on their contribution to European sovereignty, highlighting strengths and weaknesses, and uncovering regional divisions. Hosting this week's episode, ECFR's research director, Jeremy Shapiro, is joined by two researchers of the index – ECFR policy fellow, Pawel Zerka, and senior policy fellow and head of ECFR's European Power programme, Susi Dennison. They discuss their main findings – as well as some surprising results, trends, and developments. How will the European sovereignty effort progress and which areas need the most work? How can the EU and member states close the gap between ambition and capability in their quest for European sovereignty?This podcast was recorded on 9 June 2022Further reading :European Sovereignty Index https://t.co/xepxnkA16L Bookshelf:- Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov- This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends by Nicole Perlroth- The hundred-year war for American conservatism by Matt Continetti Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chandran Nair, CEO and founder of the Global Institute for Tomorrow (GIFT) argues in his latest book that dismantling white privilege will require deconstructing the entire superstructure of international relations. So, what is white privilege and how deeply is the idea of the superiority of white people and Western culture interwoven into international relations? How does white privilege manifest itself in current international relations issues like the Ukraine war? Together with Mark Leonard, Nair talks about the origins, realities and futures of white privilege. This podcast was recorded on 2 June 2022.Further reading- Dismantling global white privilege: Equity for a post-Western world by Chandran Nair- Chandran Nair on white privilege in international relations by Shannon Tiezzi in The Diplomat- A new imperial alliance threatens peace in Asia in by Chandran Nair in Noema MagBookshelf:- Last night I dreamed of peace: The diary of Dang Thuy Tram by Đặng Thùy Trâm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.