Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

Iran plays a key role in the global order. The leadership in Tehran asserts Iran’s role in the Middle East through the backing of allied groups, most notably Hizbullah in Lebanon. Meanwhile, on the global stage, its nuclear program has positioned Iran as an adversary of the West, and as a result the country faces heavy economic sanctions. In the second episode of the Re:Order series, Mark Leonard welcomes Nasser Hadian, professor of political science at the University of Tehran, where he served as the director of graduate studies, to delve into Iran’s geopolitical positioning. To what extent does Iran replicate its strategy of regional influence and deterrence on the world stage[PK2] ? How does Iran’s relationships with China and Russia affect the global order? How does Iranian participation in new institutions such as BRICS+ and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation shape both the organisations themselves and Iran’s foreign policy?This podcast is part of Re:Order and was produced with support from Stiftung Mercator.We encountered some technical difficulties during the recording process and apologize for the not optimal sound quality.BookshelfWorks by Javad Zarif Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ayşe Zarakol, an expert on Turkey and international relations, discusses middle power countries' role in shaping global order beyond the West. The podcast explores how Turkey utilizes new international institutions to diversify its alliances and enhance leverage. It also delves into Turkey's evolving foreign policy stance under Erdogan's leadership and the need for Western governments to adapt to changing power dynamics.

European Parliament elections show far-right gains in France, Germany, and Italy. Election fatigue in Bulgaria with low turn-out. Support for pro-EU parties in Poland and Spain. Discussions on shifts in the EU's political landscape and implications of the election results across Europe. Macron's snap election decision in France. Speculation on Ursula von der Leyen becoming the new European Commission president.

How is America’s domestic politics impacting the war in Ukraine? Last week, the Biden administration authorised Ukraine to use US-supplied weapons to strike within Russia’s borders – but, beyond July’s NATO Summit, the United States’ long-term strategy is unclear. As well as how the Biden administration’s response to Ukraine might develop, this uncertainty will only grow should the American public elect Donald Trump again in November.In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Jeremy Shapiro, director of research and director of ECFR’s US programme, to discuss the next moves in US policy on Russia’s war in Ukraine. What are the motivations behind the Biden administration’s latest decision? What is the American domestic consensus on supporting the war in Ukraine? And is it possible for NATO to protect itself from Trump?This episode was recorded on 5 June 2024.BookshelfU.S. escalation in Ukraine needs a plan, by Jeremy Shapiro and Samuel CharapAssyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’'s First Empire, by Eckart FrahmNew Cold Wars: China’s Rise, Russia’s Invasion, and America’s Struggle to Defend the West, by David E. Sanger Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the past couple of decades, China has produced a multitude of big tech giants. Companies like Alibaba, Tencent, ByteDance and others are well on their way to becoming household names, unique in their ability to rival their American counterparts, such as Amazon, Google, or Microsoft. Still, their relationship with the Chinese state is far from frictionless, as shown by China’s October 2020 tech crackdown, in which they unleased of an array of regulatory measures against big tech firms.In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Angela Zhang, associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong and director of the Philip K.H. Wong Centre for Chinese Law, to discuss China’s big tech regulation. How is China regulating its big tech firms? What role do these firms play in China’s competition with Europe and the United States? And what are the lessons for Europe’s own attempts at tech regulation?This episode was recorded on 21 May 2024BookshelfHigh Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs Its Economy, by Angela ZhangWuhan: How the COVID-19 Outbreak in China Spiraled Out of Control, by Dali L. Yang Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Explore the global spread of political technology from its roots in Russia, affecting democracies worldwide. Learn about the manipulation tactics used, including data mining, astroturfing, and propaganda apps. Discover how political technology influences elections in various countries, and the challenges democracies face in defending themselves against manipulation techniques.

A key priority for both the European Union and the United States is to reduce dependencies on China in green industries. Only this week, the United States announced a ramping up of tariffs on Chinese-made electric vehicles, solar panels, steel, and other goods. However, with China’s dominant position in the production of green technologies, European policymakers are facing difficult decisions when it comes to de-risking. Again and again, national security and domestic economic considerations have to be weighed against the effects of climate change.  In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Robbie Diamond, founder and CEO of SAFE, and of its European Initiative for Energy Security (EIES), and Janka Oertel, director of ECFR’s Asia programme and co-author of ECFR’s upcoming policy brief on de-risking, to discuss de-risking and the future of Europe’s green industries. How should the EU tackle the issue of dependency on China? Is it possible to find a sweet spot between successful de-risking and not slowing down the green transition? And how is the US response different from the EU’s? This episode was recorded on 15 May 2024  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When Europe’s single market was first conceived in the 1980s, the number of member states was half of what it is today, the Soviet Union still existed, Germany was not yet reunified, and the Chinese and Indian economies comprised less than 5 per cent of the global economy. Now, the European Union’s economic, political, and demographic landscape is almost unrecognisable. While the single market continues to be a cornerstone of European integration, it urgently needs strengthening to adapt to this changing global order.In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes former Italian prime minister and ECFR council member Enrico Letta to discuss his report examining the European single market’s future. Why is the single market so important? How can it be improved to meet today’s geopolitical challenges? And what are the dangers if the EU doesn’t adapt?This podcast was recorded on 26 April 2024.BookshelfSalviamo l’Europa: Otto parole per riscrivere il futuro by Michele BelliniL’Europe enfla si bien qu’elle creva: De 27 à 36 États? by Sylvie Goulard Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the European Parliament election only one month away, there is feverish speculation about who will get the top jobs of Commission President, President of the Council, and High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. With predictions of a far-right surge and the influence of domestic politics, this electoral cycle will be crucial in shaping the very future of European politics. Live from the ECFR staff retreat in Bologna, Mark Leonard welcomes Jana Puglierin, Célia Belin, José Ignacio Torreblanca, Arturo Varvelli, Maria Simeonova, and Piotr Buras, the heads of our Berlin, Paris, Madrid, Rome, Sofia, and Warsaw offices, respectively, to discuss the election. In addition to giving their best guesses as to who will get what jobs, they will take a closer look at how domestic politics is likely to influence the elections and shape the Europe that emerges from them. The podcast was recorded on 28 April 2024Bookshelf Battle redux: Macron, Le Pen, and France’s European election campaign by Célia Belin The long shadow of the populists: Donald Tusk’s first 100 days by Piotr Buras Turning point or turning back: German defence policy after Zeitenwende by Jana Puglierin Hanging in the balance: How to save Bulgaria’s foreign policy from political turmoil by Maria Simeonova La hora más crítica de la Unión Europea by José Ignacio Torreblanca The Atlantic is not enough: The Italian government’s difficult relations in Europe by Arturo Varvelli  The European Union as a War Project: Five Pathways toward a Geopolitical Europe by Mark Leonard   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Taiwan has come to represent a strategic flashpoint in US-China relations. As Beijing ramps up its political and military pressure on Taipei, any escalation could trigger a major conflict between the two powers. Unlike Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, China may have to reckon with direct US intervention if it chose to invade Taiwan. Alongside this, the US-China strategic competition is rising, with the United States’ strategic approach involving aggressive export controls, maintaining tariffs, and creation of alliances in the Indo-Pacific.In this week’s episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Dmitri Alperovitch, co-founder and chairman of national security think-tank Silverado Policy Accelerator, to discuss US-China competition and the likelihood of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. What would the consequences of an invasion be? What can the US do about it? And what role should Europeans play in all of this?This episode was recorded on 25 April 2024Bookshelf:To Run the World: The Kremlin's Cold War Bid for Global Power by Sergey Radchenko Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.