World Review from the New Statesman

In just over six weeks, voters in France will go to the polls in the first round of the 2022 presidential election, in which President Emmanuel Macron’s toughest competition for re-election comes from the right. This week, the New Statesman’s Europe correspondent, Ido Vock, examines the state of the French right wing. He, along with special guests Agnès Poirier, a journalist and the author of Left Bank: Art, Passion, and the Rebirth of Paris, and Catherine Fieschi, the director of Counterpoint, looks at the likely battle for second place between the Republican candidate Valérie Pécresse and her rivals on the far right, Marine Le Pen and Éric Zemmour. Is Macron’s domination of the political centre forcing his rivals to take more extreme positions? Podcast listeners can get a special discount on subscriptions to the New Statesman. Visit www.newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to subscribe for just £1 a week. Further ReadingHoping to stave off war in Ukraine, Macron goes to MoscowÉric Zemmour and the French far right’s gender gapEmmanuel Macron doesn’t plan to let the right monopolise anti-immigration sentimentCould Valérie Pécresse be France’s first female president? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week marks the 50th anniversary of President Richard Nixon's visit to China. In 2022, there are warnings the US and China are entering a new Cold War, while the latter's relationship with Russia is strengthening.The New Statesman’s senior editor of China and global affairs, Katie Stallard, interviews the historian and author Rana Mitter, whose most recent book is China's Good War: How World War II is Shaping a New Nationalism (2020). They discuss what drove Beijing and Washington, DC together back in 1972, what could happen today in Taiwan, and how China now sees its place in the international order.If you have a You Ask Us question for the New Statesman's international team, email podcasts@newstatesman.co.uk.Podcast listeners can get a special discount on subscriptions to the New Statesman. Visit www.newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to subscribe for just £1 a week.Further reading:China doesn't just want to be part of the global order - it wants to shape itChina backs Russia in calling for an end to Nato expansionUkraine crisis forces Biden to rethink foreign policy goalsThe nuclear tinderbox: why the Indo-Pacific is the new arena of great power rivalryWhy there is no solution to our age of crisis without China Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While the US and UK predicts that an invasion of Ukraine is imminent, the recent intensification of Western military aid to Ukraine has raised the stakes for Russia. Emily Tamkin and Katie Stallard in Washington, DC, are joined by Ido Vock in Berlin to discuss the latest flurry of diplomacy and what might happen next. Then in You Ask Us, a listener asks what parallels we can draw with the situation in Ukraine with what happened in Afghanistan, and if that is helpful to make sense of it all. Further reading: Andrew Marr reports the Ukranian crisis shows “Global Britain” can’t afford to turn its back on Europe.Emily Tamkin asks is the US playing Chicken Little on Russia and Ukraine?Ido Vock reports Olaf Scholz is getting tougher on Russia, if only his allies would notice.Ido Vock on how the fall of the Soviet Union still haunts Ukraine.Jeremy Cliffe reports that in the face of Russian aggression, the West can and must rediscover its strength.Katie Stallard on why the clock is running out for Vladimir Putin on Ukraine.Mark Galeotti reports that invading Ukraine would signal a dark evolution of Vladimir Putin’s regime. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 As voters in India go to the polls in state elections across the country, Emily Tamkin, the New Statesman’s Senior Editor, US, talks to the historian and author Ravinder Kaur about the impact that these elections might have on Narendra Modi’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party.  They discuss whether Hindu nationalism is more important to voters than the economy, the continuing fall-out from the farmers protests and what room remains for dissent and opposition in Indian politics. If you have a You Ask Us question for the international team, email podcasts@newstatesman.co.uk Podcast listeners can get a special discount on subscriptions to the New Statesman. Visit www.newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to subscribe for just £1 per week. Further Reading: India reveres its democracy, but the room for dissent is shrinkingWill the BJP’s defeat in West Bengal prove a turning point in Indian politics? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China has been using the Olympics to try and present a positive view of its treatment of the Uyghur minority in China amid a diplomatic boycott of the games over human rights abuses. Katie Stallard and Emily Tamkin in Washington, DC and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss the games, as well as the treatment of tennis star Peng Shuai, and whether her reappearance has erased concerns for her welfare.Also, the French president Emmanual Macron has visited Russia amid heightened tensions on the Ukraine border. The team discuss whether Europe should be more worried about troop build-ups in Belarus.Then in You Ask Us, a listener has a question about the 6 January US Capitol insurrection and whether anyone involved will be prevented from holding political office.If you have a question for You Ask Us, email podcasts@newstatesman.co.uk. Podcast listeners can get a special discount on subscriptions to the New Statesman. Visit www.newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to subscribe for 12 weeks for just £1 a week.Further Reading:Beijing’s “green” Winter Olympics looks as fake as its snowPeng Shuai speaks but the man she accused remains out of reachRussia’s military build-up in Belarus could be Nato’s next flashpointHoping to stave off war in Ukraine, Macron goes to Moscow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to France Elects, an in-depth look at the 2022 French presidential election. Will Emmanuel Macron win a second term as president, or will challenges from the left, right and far right end his five years in office? In this series, the New Statesman’s Europe correspondent, Ido Vock, will speak to some of the sharpest observers of French politics, delving deeply into the big issues shaping the race to lead the EU’s biggest military power and its second-largest economy. In this episode, we focus on foreign affairs. Ido speaks to Tara Varma from the European Council on Foreign Relations and the New Statesman’s writer-at-large, Jeremy Cliffe. Plus, the latest on the opinion polls with the New Statesman’s polling expert, Ben Walker. Further Reading:Hoping to stave off war in Ukraine, Macron goes to Moscow.As tensions with Russia build, Macron highlights splits within Nato.Podcast listeners can get a special discount on subscriptions to the New Statesman. Visit www.newstatesman.com/podcastoffer to subscribe for 12 weeks for just £1 a week. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New Statesman’s executive foreign editor, Megan Gibson, interviews the prime minister of Iceland, Katrín Jakobsdóttir.They discuss her opposition to Iceland’s Nato membership, why the left is back on the rise in all five Nordic nations, and how to win trust in a country that doesn’t trust its politicians.If you have a You Ask Us question for the International team, email podcasts@newstatesman.co.uk.Further reading:Victory puts Portuguese Socialists at forefront of Europe’s centre-left comebackThe biggest challenge for Sweden’s new prime minister: tackling rampant gang crimeHow Norway’s left triumphed in a climate election Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Thousands have joined the so-called “Freedom Convoy” in Canada, which has spiralled from truckers’ frustrations over Covid-19 vaccine mandates into calls to overthrow the government. Jeremy Cliffe in Berlin, Megan Gibson in London and Emily Tamkin in Washington, DC, discuss the protests and parallels with the US Capitol Riots of 6 January.Then the Prime Minister of Portugal, António Costa, has led his Socialist Party to victory at a snap election this week, winning 41.7% of the vote. The team discuss the specific circumstances of Costa’s success and whether it will last.Then in You Ask Us, a listener asks whether the success of the Socialists will spark a resurgence for left-wing parties.Further reading:Micheal Coren on why the “Freedom Convoy” shows the Americanisation of Canada’s right.Jeremy Cliffe reports that victory puts Portuguese Socialists at forefront of Europe’s centre-left comeback.Ido Vock asks whether anything can save the French left. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Tamkin, the New Statesman’s senior editor, US, interviews the California Democratic congressman Ro Khanna, the author of the new book Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us. They discuss the first year of Joe Biden’s presidency and whether any significant changes to voting rights or the Build Back Better plan could actually get into law; why it’s important Biden gets to make a Supreme Court justice nomination; and what can be done to make sure the tech sector is a net good for the American economy at all levels.  Further reading: More from Emily on the Supreme Court justice Stephen Breyer’s decision to retire. And on voting rights, she warns that Biden’s failure could cost Democrats the White House in 2024. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Russian troops continue to mass on the Ukrainian border, Jeremy Cliffe discusses his dispatch from Kyiv with Emily Tamkin in Washington, DC and Ido Vock in Berlin.What do Ukrainians think Russia is up to if not an imminent full-scale invasion as suggested by the US and UK?Then in You Ask Us, a listener asks if Germany's phasing-out of nuclear energy has hobbled their foreign policy towards Russia.Further readingJeremy Cliffe’s letter from Kyiv: how Ukraine is preparing for PutinIdo Vock asks will the lights go out in Europe if Russia invades Ukraine.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.