Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

Just over a year ago, a health crisis of proportions never seen in recent history captured the attention of the world. However, faced with the same threat, nations all over the globe reacted vastly differently to the covid-19 pandemic. To find out why, host Mark Leonard talks this week to Peter Baldwin, professor of history at the University of California and author of the new book “Fighting the first wave: Why the coronavirus was tackled so differently across the globe”. Together, they discuss why the approaches to handling the coronavirus differed so much even in countries normally considered rather similar, like the Nordics. Who succeeded initially and who did not and for what reasons? Looking back, what can we learn from the fight against the first wave of corona and what will the lasting impact be? This podcast was recorded on 15 March 2021. Further reading: - “Fighting the first wave: Why the coronavirus was tackled so differently across the globe” by Peter Baldwin: https://buff.ly/3rmsS66- “Leadership in a time of contagion” by Mark Leonard: https://buff.ly/3feDDVQ“Tracking European solidarity during covid-19: Lessons from the first wave” by Rafael Loss: https://buff.ly/3nfXAfOBookshelf: - “Failures of state: The inside story of Britain's battle with coronavirus by Jonathan Calvert & George Arbuthnott- “Unearthly powers: Religious and political change in world history” by Alan Strathern Alan Strathern- “The herd” by Johan Anderberg Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The British government has outlined an overhaul of the UK's foreign and defence policies. The Integrated Review of the UK’s Defence, Security, Development and Foreign Policy, published this week, lays out a vision for the country’s role in the world over the next decade. Host Mark Leonard talks to Jo Johnson, a former Member of the British Parliament between 2010 and 2019 who held key ministerial offices in each of the last three Conservative governments, attending Cabinet as Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation. Together, they discuss the proposed Indo-Pacific tilt and the UK means by sovereignty in the context of the review. But most importantly, how does continental Europe fit into all of this? This podcast was recorded on 18 March 2021.Further reading:• Global Britain in a Competitive Age: the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/global-britain-in-a-competitive-age-the-integrated-review-of-security-defence-development-and-foreign-policy • “The China question. Managing risks and maximising benefits from partnership in higher education and research” by Jo Johnson et al. https://www.kcl.ac.uk/policy-institute/assets/china-question.pdf•“Britain’s global pipe dream” by Nick Witney https://ecfr.eu/podcasts/episode/new-battlefields-the-uks-integrated-review/ •“Brexit Britain: The buccaneering begins at home” by Nick Witney https://ecfr.eu/article/brexit-britain-the-buccaneering-begins-at-home/ Bookshelf:•“China's quest for foreign technology. Beyond espionage” ed. By William C. Hannas & Didi Kirsten Tatlow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In May 2020, China announced its new economic strategy which aims at cutting the country’s dependence on overseas markets and technology in the long-term. This “dual circulation strategy” was yet another result of the deepening rift with the United States. But what does this new economic policy mean for Europe? Host Mark Leonard is joined by Janka Oertel, director of the Asia programme at ECFR as well as Andrew Small, senior transatlantic fellow with the Asia programme at the German Marshall Fund of the United States as well as associate senior policy fellow at ECFR. What lies behind China’s dual circulation strategy? How will the EU approach all of this? And are European policy-makers really prepared to deal with this new challenge coming from China?This podcast was recorded on 4 March 2021.Bookshelf:· “The rise of industrial policy in China, 1978-2012” by Sebastian Heilmann and Lea Shih · Interview with Joe Kaeser in Handelsblatt [German] · “Decoupling - severed ties and patchwork globalisation” by the European Chamber of Commerce in China in partnership with MERICS Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In 2020 Belarus made headlines when protests erupted in the aftermath of a fraught presidential election. Alexander Lukashenko, who has ruled Belarus for over 26 years, still clings to power today and has unleashed a crackdown on the protests and protesters with a level of brutality unseen in Europe for decades. Vessela Tcherneva, ECFR deputy director takes over the podcast this week to examine the subject of Belarus further. How did we actually get here? And what kind of implications do the developments in Belarus have for the wider neighbourhood and Europe? Andrew Wilson, ECFR senior policy fellow, Nicu Popescu, director of the ECFR Wider Europe Programme as well as Pavel Slunkin, ECFR visiting fellow from Belarus, discuss these questions.Further reading: https://ecfr.eu/topic/belarus/ This podcast was recorded on 3 March 2021.Bookshelf:•“Belarus – the last European dictatorship?” by Andrew Wilson • “American Oligarchs: The Kushners, the Trumps, and the marriage of money and power” by Andrea Bernstein •“Atlas shrugged“ by Ayn Rand • “The unwomanly face of war” by Svetlana Alexievich • “Secondhand Time: The last of the Soviets” by Svetlana Alexievich • “Pork Barrel Politics: How government spending determines elections in a polarized era” by Andrew Sidman • “Renaissance diplomacy“ by Garrett Mattingly • “The Ambassadors“ by Robert Cooper Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On January 1, Portugal took over from Germany at the helm of the Council of the EU’s rotating presidency and the government set out three priorities for this presidency captured in its slogan “Time to deliver: a fair, green and digital recovery”. What is needed for a fair and inclusive climate and digital transition? What will the biggest short-term challenges be? And how can the Portuguese presidency strengthen European strategic autonomy? Mark Leonard is joined by Claudia Azevedo, CEO, Sonae, Teresa Gouveia, ECFR Board Member and former Portuguese Minister of Environment and of Foreign Affairs, and finally, Carlos Moedas, former European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation, to discuss the prospects of the ongoing Portuguese Council presidency.This podcast was recorded on 24 February 2021. Further reading:"Crisis presidency: How Portuguese leadership can guide the EU into the post-covid era" by Susi Dennison & Lívia Franco: https://buff.ly/3mxp7cl - “Where Portugal can lead Europe in 2021” by Teresa Gouveia: https://buff.ly/2LHuuca - “Out of the south: Why Italy and Portugal should lead on climate change, health security, and multilateralism” by Teresa Coratella: https://buff.ly/2WC02BX- “Edge of the Atlantic: Portugal’s presidency of the EU Council” by Lívia Franco: https://buff.ly/3r3wY44Bookshelf:- “A Superpower, Like It or Not: Why Americans Must Accept Their Global Role” in Foreign Affairs by Robert Kagan- “How to Avoid a Climate Disaster: The Solutions We Have and the Breakthroughs We Need” by Bill Gates- “The world faces a pandemic of human rights abuses in the wake of Covid-19” by António Guterres- “Mission Economy: A Moonshot Guide to Changing Capitalism” by Mariana Mazzucato- “Think Again” by Adam Grant Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, former European Central Bank Chief Mario Draghi was sworn in as the country’s prime minister and the head of a unity government and put an end to weeks of political turmoil. His cabinet is the third administration that Italy sees in less than three years. But how stable will this government be? What are the first challenges Draghi will face in his country and in Brussels? Will he be able to stand on equal footing with Macron and Merkel? Host Mark Leonard talks to Lia Quartapelle, Italian parliamentarian of Partito Democratico, Alessandro Speciale, Bloomberg Italia director, and head of ECFR’s Rome office Arturo Varvelli about what the Draghi government will mean for Italy and Europe.This podcast was recorded on 17 February 2021. Bookshelf:•“Pale Rider: The Spanish Flu of 1918 and How It Changed the World” by Laura Spinney •“The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories” by Susanna Clarke •“Passé, présent et futur de Mario Draghi : la carrière politique d’un technician” by Alessandro Aresu & Andrea Garnero in Le Grand Continent •“Mario Draghi l'artefice” by Jana Randow & Alessandro Speciale Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This month, High Representative Josep Borrell visited Moscow to discuss key issues of concern and test the waters for building a more “constructive dialogue” between Russia and the European Union. His visit came at a time of elevated tensions, as calls for sanctions against the Russian Federation are increasing and both sides debate over the recent poisoning and imprisonment of Alexei Navalny, as well as issues concerning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline. What lessons can be drawn from Borrell’s controversial visit? Why do attempts to reset relations with Russia fail? In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard is joined by Kadri Liik, senior policy fellow at ECFR and Russian domestic and foreign policy expert, Nicu Popescu, Director of ECFR´s Wider Europe programme, and José Ignacio Torreblanca, head of ECFR's Madrid office to discuss Europe’s strategy vis-à-vis Russia. This podcast was recorded on 10 February 2021.Further reading:- “Why attempts to reset relations with Russia fail” by Nicu Popescu: https://buff.ly/3rnwG7P - “The Putin paradox: Five things Navalny’s arrest says about Russia” by Kadri Liik: https://buff.ly/3rcfJghBookshelf:- “In Confidence: Moscow's Ambassador to Six Cold War Presidents” by Anatoly Dobrynin- “Barbarie de l'ignorance” by George Steiner and Antoine Spire- “Rakovsky, Ou, La Révolution Dans Tous Les Pays” by Pierre Broué Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What are the key aspects of how the European Green Deal will change the world? Introduced by the new European Commission in 2019, the Green Deal’s goal is to decouple economic growth from resource use and to create an EU economy with zero net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050. To reach that goal a fundamental overhaul of the European economy is needed. But this transformation will also have a dramatic effect on external economic relations and on foreign policy. This week host Mark Leonard invited ECFR Council Member and Member of the German Bundestag for Alliance 90/The Greens Franziska Brantner as well as Jean Pisani Ferry and Simone Tagliapietra from the Brussels-based think-tank Bruegel to discuss the geopolitical repercussions of the European Green Deal.This podcast was recorded on 4 February 2021.Further reading:“The geopolitics of the European Green Deal” by Mark Leonard, Jean Pisani-Ferry, Jeremy Shapiro, Simone Tagliapietra, and Guntram Wolff: https://buff.ly/3cJHAjWBookshelf: • “National power and the structure of foreign trade” by Albert O. Hirschman •"21st century diplomacy: foreign policy is climate policy” by the Wilson Centre & adelphi • "The new map: Energy, climate, and the clash of nations” by Daniel Yergin • “Fighting the first wave: Why the coronavirus was tackled so differently across the globe” by Peter Baldwin Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

One of the foreign policy priorities of US president Joe Biden is to work with allies on China. His administration reached out to the European Union ahead of his inauguration to make US intentions clear. However, so far, they have only been met with disappointment over the alacrity with which European leaders pushed forward the agenda of the comprehensive agreement on investment before Biden was even sworn in as president. What are the prospects for transatlantic cooperation on China now that a new US administration is in power? Has it ended before it has begun, or will we see a new Western approach to dealing with China’s rising power? This week, our host Mark Leonard is joined by Janka Oertel, head of ECFR’s Asia programme and Andrew Small, senior transatlantic fellow with the Asia programme at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and associate senior policy fellow at ECFR, to discuss the future of EU-China-US relations.This podcast was recorded on 28 January 2021.Further reading:- “Europe’s China deal: How not to work with the Biden administration” by Andrew Small: https://t.co/Po017TsXRoBookshelf- “The 1000-year-old boy” by Ross Welford- “The quest for legitimacy in Chinese politics: A new interpretation” by Lanxin Xiang Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The new poll by ECFR revealed that despite the joy and relief many Europeans felt when Joe Biden won the US presidential election, they do not think he can help America make a comeback as the pre-eminent global leader. This week, Susi Dennison is taking over the podcast, joined by our usual host, Mark Leonard as well as Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR’s research director and in-house US expert. How do Europeans assess the future of transatlantic relations? Can the EU finally come to terms with its strategic sovereignty goal? And what does this mean for policy-makers in European capitals and across the Atlantic in Washington D.C.?This podcast was recorded on 21 January 2021.Further reading: "The crisis of American power: How Europeans see Biden’s America" by Ivan Krastev and Mark Leonard: https://buff.ly/3oXcLvsBookshelf:• “The upswing: How America came together a century ago and how we can do it again” by Robert D. Putnam & Shaylyn Romney • “The comedians” by Graham Greene • “Reset: Reclaiming the internet for civil society” by Ronald Deibert Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.