Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

Every Friday, Mark Leonard invites top-level speakers from across the EU and beyond to debate Europe’s role in the world. We feature and discuss everything from our own research at ECFR to practical pan-European policy – and news from Africa, Asia, Middle East and North Africa, Wider Europe and our own European Power programme. So basically, we bring you the world – in 30 minutes. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Germany’s federal elections rapidly approaching, chancellor Angela Merkel is set to depart the political stage. What will the foreign policy of her party, the CDU, look like when she’s gone? In this week’s podcast, host Mark Leonard talks to ECFR senior policy fellow Ulrike Franke and Andreas Nick, a CDU member of the German Bundestag. How would a chancellor Armin Laschet approach China, Russia, and defence? And what exactly sets the CDU’s foreign policy apart from those of the Social Democrats or the Greens? This podcast was recorded on 1 September 2021.Further Reading: ECFR German Election 360https://ecfr.eu/topic/german-election-2021/ Bookshelf: “Age of Unpeace: How Connectivity Causes Conflict” by Mark Leonard https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/144/1443237/the-age-of-unpeace/9781787634657.html “Has China Won?” by Kishore Mahbubani https://www.publicaffairsbooks.com/titles/kishore-mahbubani/has-china-won/9781541768123/ “From Cold War to Hot Peace” by Michael McFaul https://fsi.stanford.edu/content/cold-war-hot-peace “Europe: The Struggle for Supremacy” by Brendan Simms https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/2013/04/reviewed-europe-struggle-supremacy-brendan-simms German party election platforms: https://www.aicgs.org/2021/07/a-guide-german-party-election-platforms-2021/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ukraine and the EU recently opened a new chapter in their strategic relationship by signing a memorandum of understanding for closer cooperation in raw materials, green and digital technologies. Making Ukraine part of the European value chain is of strategic importance, but where does the country stand on the recent US-German deal on Nord Stream 2? In this week’s episode, guest host Joanna Hosa, deputy director of ECFR’s Wider Europe programme talks with Svitlana Zalishchuk, Deputy Prime-Minister Foreign Policy Advisor and former Member of Parliament in Ukraine and ECFR senior policy fellow Andrew Wilson about Ukraine, its domestic and international outlook and what the EU can and should do to support Ukrainian sovereignty. This podcast was recorded on 29 July 2021. Further reading: “Faltering fightback: Zelensky’s piecemeal campaign against Ukraine’s oligarchs” by Andrew Wilson https://ecfr.eu/publication/faltering-fightback-zelenskys-piecemeal-campaign-against-ukraines-oligarchs/ Bookshelf: “Civilisations” by Laurent Binet https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/apr/29/civilisations-by-laurent-binet-review-counterfactual-hi-jinks “American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the marriage of money and power” by Andrea Bernstein https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/jan/12/american-oligarchs-review-donald-trump-jared-kushner-andrea-bernstein “No Room for small dreams: Courage, imagination, and the making of modern Israel” by Shimon Peres https://www.france24.com/en/20170921-peres-autobiography “Now we have your attention: The new politics of the people” by Jack Shenker https://www.redpepper.org.uk/review-now-we-have-your-attention-the-new-politics-of-the-people-by-jack-shenker/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The EU is often described as a “regulatory superpower” benefitting from the so-called “Brussels effect.” But is the bloc also able to set its own rules and standards when it comes to new technologies, and let the rest of the world adapt? This week, host Mark Leonard is joined by ECFR senior policy fellows Ulrike Franke and Jose Torreblanca, as well as Marietje Schaake, international director of policy at Stanford’s Cyber Policy Center. How ready are Europeans to prevail in a world of fierce geopolitical tech competition? And what role does Europe play in the Sino American competition?This podcast was recorded on 16 July 2021.Further reading:· “Geo-tech politics: Why technology shapes European power” by Ulrike Franke & José Ignacio Torreblanca https://ecfr.eu/publication/geo-tech-politics-why-technology-shapes-european-power/· “Europe’s digital sovereignty: From rulemaker to superpower in the age of US-China rivalry” by Carla Hobbs (ed.) https://ecfr.eu/publication/europe_digital_sovereignty_rulemaker_superpower_age_us_china_rivalry/Bookshelf· “I, Warbot: The dawn of artificially intelligent conflict” by Kenneth Payne · “Walden” by Henry David Thoreau · “Mistrust: Why losing faith in institutions provides the tools to transform them” by Ethan Zuckerman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Angela Merkel stepping down as Chancellor, the next German federal elections scheduled for this September promise to mark a turning point for Germany. Foreign policy issues promise to be a crucial part of the election campaign. In this week’s podcast, host Mark Leonard talks to Niels Annen, Minister of State in the German Federal Foreign Office and member of the Bundestag for the SPD to find out what a social-democratic foreign policy looks like. What would SPD foreign policy look like unbound by the grand coalition with Merkel’s Christian Democrats? What are social democratic policy ideas when it comes to China, Russia or European security and defence? And how deep are the divides between the SPD’s foreign policy and that of the parties they’re running against?This podcast was recorded on 15 July 2021.Further Reading:- ECFR German Election 360: https://buff.ly/3gJNvr2- A foreign policy for a Green Germany: https://buff.ly/3vxdTcd Bookshelf:- “The Arab of the Future” by Riad Sattouf Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In June this year, French President Emmanuel Macron announced the end of Operation Barkhane – a military offensive launched in 2013 against Islamist militants in the Sahel. France has determined, he said, it could no longer maintain a “constant presence” in West Africa. In this week’s episode, host Mark Leonard discusses European interests in the region and what might change after France’s Africa policy shift, together with Emanuela Del Re, former Italian deputy foreign minister and the new EU special representative for the Sahel; Sylvie Kauffmann, editorial director, lead writer, and columnist for Le Monde; as well as ECFR’s Andrew Lebovich. What does the end of Operation Barkhane in its current form mean for the Sahel? What could further European and international engagement in the region look like?This podcast was recorded on 7 July 2021.Further reading:• “After Barkhane: What France’s military drawdown means for the Sahel” by Andrew Lebovich: https://t.co/xxZ11TiM24 Bookshelf• ”La Guerre de vingt ans. Djihadisme et contre-terrorisme au XXIe siècle” by Marc Hecker & Elie Tenenbaum • “Jihadists of North Africa and the Sahel” by Alexander Thurston • “Être etudiant au Mali: chroniques d'une vie d'étudiant” by Boubacar Sangaré • “Moral Letters to Lucilius“ by Seneca•“From Empires to NGOs in the West African Sahel. The Road to Nongovernmentality” by Gregory Mann • “Half of a Yellow Sun” by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie • “L'Islâm in Europa: riflessioni di un imâm italiano “ by Yahya Sergio Yahe Pallavicini Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Globalisation and economic interdependence are increasingly weaponised by various state actors. Europe faces ever greater threats of economic blackmail, sanctions against its lawmakers, and consumer boycotts of its companies. Later this year, the European Commission will launch the Anti-Coercion Instrument, a tool that could enable the EU to protect citizens and businesses by countering economic blackmail from China, Russia, and Turkey – and even the US. In what circumstances could such a tool be triggered? What kind of countermeasures could protect Europe, keep markets open and support a functional global trade order? And how can such a tool be both credible and effective? To find out, host Mark Leonard talks to policy fellows Jonathan Hackenbroich and Pawel Zerka, who worked with the ECFR Task Force for Protecting Europe from Economic Coercion on our latest publication: https://buff.ly/3zTgkZo This podcast was recorded on 1 July 2021. Further Reading:"Xi, Merkel phone call ‘timely to stabilise ties’" in Global Times "Defending Europe’s Economic Sovereignty: new ways to resist economic coercion" by Jonathan Hackenbroich, Janka Oertel, Philipp Sandner & Pawel Zerka: https://buff.ly/37FRvEQ Bookshelf:- An account of the life of Dick Leonard, who passed away this week, written by his son Mark Leonard: https://www.facebook.com/markhleonard/posts/10159900328587642 - "Learning Empire: Globalization and the German Quest for World Status 1875-1919" by Erik Grimmer Solem- "The passions and the interests: Political arguments for capitalism before its triumph” by Albert O. Hirschman Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After an election which saw the lowest turnout and highest number of spoiled ballots in the history of the Islamic Republic, the ultraconservative regime veteran Ebrahim Raisi was elected as the newest president of Iran. Does the election of Raisi represent a significant change of direction following the term of President Rouhani? Could unified hardliner control of Iran paradoxically lead to a more durable nuclear deal and greater dialogue with regional adversaries such as Saudi Arabia? Will Raisi’s own human rights record prove a barrier to talks with Western powers?To find out, this week’s host Anthony Dworkin, senior research fellow and acting research director at ECFR, talks to Narges Bajoghli, assistant professor of Middle East Studies at the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) at Johns Hopkins University, Esfandyar Batmanghelidj, founder and CEO of the Bourse & Bazaar Foundation and visiting fellow at ECFR, and Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of ECFR´s MENA programme.This podcast was recorded on 23 June 2021.Further Reading:Council of despair: Iran’s uncompetitive presidential election https://ecfr.eu/article/council-of-despair-irans-uncompetitive-presidential-election/A familiar victory: Iran’s divides under a new president https://ecfr.eu/article/a-familiar-victory-irans-divides-under-a-new-president/Four steps to support Europe-Iran trade under a revived JCPOA https://ecfr.eu/article/four-steps-to-support-europe-iran-trade-under-a-revived-jcpoa/Bookshelf:Syria and the Neutrality Trap: The Dilemmas of Delivering Humanitarian Aid through Violent Regimes by Carsten Wieland http://www.carsten-wieland.com/books.htmlTelevision and the Afghan Culture Wars: Brought to You by Foreigners, Warlords, and Activists by Wazhmah Osman https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/catalog/29bgf5br9780252043550.html Christ Stopped at Eboli by Carlo Levi https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/christ-stopped-at-eboli-1945-by-carlo-levi-a-remarkable-memoir-1.4551169 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The meeting between US president Biden and the Turkish president Erdogan, as well as the upcoming European Council Summit on Turkey come at a critical moment in the EU-US-Turkey relationship. After years of heightened tensions, there appears to have been a thawing in relations since the beginning of this year. The renewed focus on climate policy by the EU, however, makes many aspects of this relationship uncertain. Are carbon border taxes a threat to Turkish trade? How can Turkey and the EU cooperate on green energy? To find out, host Susi Dennison, director of ECFR´s European Power programme, talks to Asli Aydıntaşbaş, senior policy fellow at ECFR and in-house expert on Turkey, and Simone Tagliapietra, senior fellow at Bruegel focusing on European Union climate and energy policy. They discuss the outcomes of the Biden-Erdogan summit and the prospects for the EU-Turkey relationship, particularly in relation to the EU’s climate policies.This podcast was recorded on 17 June 2021.Further Reading:- "Europe’s Green Moment: How to meet the climate challenge" by Susi Dennison, Rafael Loss and Jenny Söderström: https://buff.ly/3v48Lw4 - "The geopolitics of the European Green Deal" by Mark Leonard, Jean Pisani-Ferry, Jeremy Shapiro, Simone Tagliapietra and Guntram Wolff: https://buff.ly/3tpyKxGBookshelf:- "Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman" by Robert K. Massie - "The New Climate War" by Michael E. Mann Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joe Biden described his mission for his trip to Europe this week as “realizing America’s renewed commitment to (its) allies and partners.” But what does this mean in practice? How well does the transatlantic alliance still fit with the way that Europe and the United States now see their goals in foreign policy? To find out, host Anthony Dworkin, senior policy fellow at ECFR, talks to Susi Dennison, director of ECFR´s European Power Program, Jana Puglierin, head of ECFR´s Berlin office, as well as Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR´s research director. They discuss what Europe and the US want from this week’s summit meetings and look at some of the striking results of ECFR’s latest public opinion poll across 12 European countries. Once the coronavirus crisis is over, how do Europeans see the EU’s role in the world? This podcast was recorded on 9 June 2021.Further reading: - Crisis of confidence: How Europeans see their place in the world by Jana Puglierin & Susi Dennison: https://buff.ly/2RxZFt9 Bookshelf: - "How to prevent Germany from becoming Eurosceptic" by Jana Puglierin & Mark Leonard: https://buff.ly/2RzAxSO - "Ali and Nino" by Kurban Said - "The Orientalist: Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life" by Tom Reiss- "Why the Germans Do it Better: Notes from a Grown-Up Country" by John Kampfner- "Histoire de la laïcité en France" by Jean BaubérotPhoto: picture alliance / ASSOCIATED PRESS | Markus Schreiber © Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.