World Review from the New Statesman

Welcome to France Elects, an in-depth look at the 2022 French 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 deep into the big issues shaping the race to lead the EU’s biggest military power and its second-largest economy.From climate policy to foreign relations, who French voters choose as their leader this year will have implications not just for Europe but for the world.In this episode, Ido is joined by James McAuley, European affairs columnist for the Washington Post, and Paris-based journalist John Lichfield. Further reading:Four questions ahead of France’s 2022 presidential election.Can anything save the French left?Could Valérie Pécresse be France’s first female president?Éric Zemmour: the “TV-friendly fascist” who thinks he can be France’s next president. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New Statesman’s Europe Correspondent Ido Vock interviews the Syrian human rights activist Joumana Seif about the recent conviction in Germany of the former Syrian colonel, Anwar Raslan, of crimes against humanity. They discuss whether the Syrians who suffered under Bashar al-Assad’s regime will see this as justice, and whether other European countries could follow Germany’s lead in prosecuting international crimes. Further reading: Syrians in exile are fighting to hold Bashar al-Assad’s regime to account on an international stage. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As the three-week countdown begins for the Beijing Winter Olympics, the Omicron variant has reached the city, prompting restrictions on ticket sales for an event China had hoped would symbolise its successful containment strategy. Emily Tamkin in Washington, DC, and Ido Vock in Berlin are joined by Katie Stallard, senior editor of China and global affairs in Washington, DC, our latest addition to the team. They discuss China’s ability to deliver a “streamlined, safe and splendid” games, and whether there is a way out of the country’s “zero-Covid” strategy. Amid rising tensions between Russia and Ukraine, splits have begun to emerge between members of the Nato alliance. The team discusses Russia’s view of its neighbours and the concept of spheres of influence, long thought to be a Cold War relic. Then in You Ask Us, a listener questions what the view is from Beijing on Ukraine’s conflict with Russia.Further reading:Emily asks whether transatlantic can allies hang together with Russian forces still on Ukraine’s border. Ido Vock asks what a Russian assault on Ukraine would look like. Megan Gibson reports on the US's diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing. China is not happy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Tamkin presents Battle for the Soul of America, a three-part series from the World Review podcast that looks at Joe Biden’s first year in office. How have some of his core campaign pledges – on foreign policy, immigration and voting rights – held up?   In our final episode, we look at the state of voting rights under Joe Biden. Just over a year ago, on 6 January 2021, supporters of Donald Trump stormed the Capitol in Washington, DC. They believed what Trump said: the presidential election was stolen, not lost to Biden. Since the attack, unsubstantiated assertions of voter fraud have sparked a Republican movement to restrict voting access. While Biden has denounced this attack on democracy, voting rights activists are critical of his lack of action. Is it too late to save American democracy?   Emily Tamkin is joined by Dr Keisha Blain, associate professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh, and Brandon Tensley, a national political writer at CNN who heads the Race Deconstructed newsletter. Then she speaks to Sylvia Albert, director of voting and elections at democracy watchdog Common Cause, about anti-democratic trends under the Biden administration and what can be done to reverse them.   Further Reading:   Emily on why the 6 January attacks never ended.   Emily reports on the four-pronged attack on American democracy. Emily on why Joe Biden’s failure on voting rights could cost the Democrats the White House. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New Statesman’s international editor, Jeremy Cliffe, speaks to author Tim Parks about the upcoming Italian presidential election. They discuss whether Italy’s strict Covid regulations are popular, why Mario Draghi wants to become president and whether the disgraced former prime minister Berlusconi could make another political comeback. If you have a You Ask Us question for the international team, email podcasts@newstatesman.co.uk.Further reading:Ahead of the presidential election, Italians are divided on the unvaccinated Mario Draghi, “ungovernable” Italy and the EU What we can learn from Giuseppe Garibaldi.Italy in the wake of coronavirus. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While Russia builds troops at the border with Ukraine, Russian officials have been on a tour of Europe, meeting the US in Geneva and Nato in Brussels. Emily Tamkin in Washington, DC and Ido Vock in Berlin discuss why this round of diplomacy has once again failed to defuse tensions.At the same time, Russia has sent troops from the Moscow-based CSTO military alliance to Kazakhstan to prop up President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev after widespread protests. The team discuss the unrest and the political gain of Russian intervention.We then turn to the Czech Republic where Petr Fiala took office last year, promising a shift to the West. Emily and Ido discuss the significance for the Visegrad alliance and relations with Europe more widely.In You Ask Us, a listener asks if there are significant anti-Trump factions who could lead the US Republican party in a different direction. Further Reading: Ido Vock reports Russia intervenes in Kazakhstan to prop up President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Ido Vock asks can Joe Biden’s diplomacy stop Russia from invading Ukraine? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Tamkin presents Battle for the Soul of America, a three-part series from the World Review podcast that looks at Joe Biden’s first year in office. How have some of his core campaign pledges – on foreign policy, immigration and voting rights – held up? Our second episode looks at Biden’s record on immigration. Implementing the "fair and humane" immigration system he promised on the campaign trail is proving a huge undertaking. The administration continues to embrace Trump-era policies, most controversially using Title 42 – ostensibly a public health measure that experts say is being misapplied – to deny people the right to seek asylum. And recently, the controversial “Remain in Mexico” programme was revived – a policy Biden campaigned to repeal. Emily Tamkin speaks with two journalists covering immigration under the Biden administration: Tanvi Misra, an independent reporter based in NYC, and Adolfo Flores from BuzzFeed News. She then interviews Nancy Meza from the Refugee and Immigrant Center for Education and Legal Services (Raices) about fighting for immigrant and refugee rights in the Biden era and how it differs (and doesn’t) from that of Trump. Further reading: Emily asks why Joe Biden’s immigration policy looks so much like Donald Trump’s. Emily says that on Cuba and Haiti, US policy should first seek to do no harm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The New Statesman’s senior editor, US, Emily Tamkin, speaks to author, journalist and TV producer Peter Pomerantsev about the growing tension between Russia and Ukraine.They discuss why Russia finds Ukraine so important, what closing down Memorial, the country's oldest human rights organisation,says about its historical memory, and how Russians might feel about a potential war.If you have a You Ask Us question for the international team, email podcasts@newstatesman.co.uk.Further reading: Donald Trump’s endorsement of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán makes senseCan Joe Biden’s diplomacy stop Russia from invading Ukraine? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jeremy Cliffe and Ido Vock in Berlin are joined by Emily Tamkin in Washington, DC to discuss some key elections that could shake up political dynamics across the world in 2022.Has leftish, resurgent Lula da Silva shaken Jair Bolsonaro’s grip on Brazil? What will happen when Sweden’s first female prime minister Magdalena Andersson goes to the polls? And will the Donald Trump-endorsed Viktor Orbán cling on to power in Hungary?Then, in You Ask Us, a listener wonders what it is going to take to prevent another member of the Marcos dynasty from occupying the presidential office in the Philippines. Further reading: Ido Vock outlines four questions ahead of France's presidential election.Emily Tamkin on why Donald Trump’s endorsement of Hungary’s Viktor Orbán makes sense.Jeremy Cliffe on how strongmen cling to power.Jeremy Cliffe on whether Covid-19 will mean another lost decade for Latin America. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Emily Tamkin presents Battle for the Soul of America, a three-part series from the World Review podcast that examines the first year of Joe Biden’s presidency. How have some of his core campaign pledges – on foreign policy, immigration and voting rights – held up? Our first episode focuses on foreign policy. With his decades of experience in international affairs, Biden claimed that “America is back” after four years of a Trump administration that conducted its foreign policy through an “America first” lens. Has Biden restored the US to the world stage, and at what cost? Emily speaks with two analysts covering international affairs: Benjamin Haddad, senior director for the Europe Centre at the Atlantic Council, and Tanvi Madan, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution. Then she interviews the congressman Joaquin Castro, a member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, to assess how progressive Biden's first year in foreign policy has really been. Further Reading: Rory Medcalf on what the new Aukus alliance means for global relations. Emily on whether the United States can work with India to counter China.Emily asks if the US and EU have healed relations. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.