Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

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.

The little-known but long-running conflict in Western Sahara made it into the headlines in Europe recently, when Morocco weaponised migration in Ceuta to advance its territorial claim. Listen as host Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of the MENA programme at ECFR discusses the issue with Irene Fernandez-Molina, senior lecturer in International Relations at the University of Exeter and expert on frozen conflicts, Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, senior policy fellow and head of ECFR´s Madrid office, as well as Jacob Mundy, visiting fellow at ECFR and an associate professor in Peace and Conflict Studies and Middle Eastern, and Islamic Studies programs at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. Together they try to find out what the Western Sahara conflict is all about, and how the most recent developments between Morocco and Spain will influence this conflict.Picture: UN Photo/Martine Perret (CC BY-NC-ND) Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Last Sunday, Belarus intercepted and diverted a commercial flight between two EU capitals to arrest a dissident. This, alongside the stagnation of the Belarusian economy, the continuing protests and Lukashenka’s illegitimate rule, fuels popular discontent in the country and worries the European Union. Katia Glod, non-resident fellow with the Russia programme of the US-based Center for European Policy Analysis, Linas Linkevičius, Former Minister of Foreign Affairs and former Minister of Defence of Lithuania as well as ECFR Council member, and ECFR visiting fellow Pavel Slunkin who previously worked for the Foreign Ministry of Belarus and our host for this week’s episode ECFR deputy director Vessela Tcherneva recap the recent developments and explore the broader context of the crisis: What will be the impact of the EU and US measures against Belarus? What is Russia’s role in this? And what should be next steps also ahead of the EU-US summit on 15 June?  This podcast was recorded on 27 May 2021. Further reading: After the Pratasevich arrest: Four key steps for the EU on Belarus by Joanna Hosa & Pavel Slunkin, https://ecfr.eu/article/after-the-pratasevich-arrest-four-key-steps-for-the-eu-on-belarus/ Bookshelf: A promised land by Barack Obama, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/11/12/books/review/barack-obama-a-promised-land.html The politics book: Big ideas simply explained by Kate Johnsen, Sam Atkinson & Rebecca Warren, https://www.frostmagazine.com/2013/03/the-politics-book-review/ Airport by Arthur Hailey, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/a/arthur-hailey-3/airport/Image: Andrey Kukharenko CC2.0 https://www.flickr.com/photos/192897193@N02/51199553335/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Catastrophe and disaster have been a frequent phenomenon throughout the history of mankind, coming in different forms. So how is it then that, despite being far more scientifically educated on the origins of disasters, we do not seem to be getting any better at dealing with them? To find out, host Mark Leonard talks to Niall Ferguson, author of the book “Doom: The politics of catastrophe” and senior fellow at both the Hoover Institution at Stanford University as well as the Center for European Studies at Harvard University. Together, they address why some societies and states respond to catastrophe so much better than others. And why do some fall apart, most hold together, and a few emerge stronger?This podcast was recorded on 16 May 2021.Further reading:- "Doom: The politics of catastrophe" by Niall Ferguson: https://buff.ly/3fy2DWA Bookshelf:- "America in the world: A history of U.S. diplomacy and foreign policy" by Robert B. Zoellick- "The road less traveled: The secret battle to end the Great War, 1916-1917" by Philip D. Zelikow Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China’s formalised, seemingly nonchalant, attitude towards the Western Balkans masks a surprising nimbleness and strategic intent. In the past decade, the country has become the most prominent third actor in this part of the European Union’s neighbourhood. To find out why, host Mark Leonard talks to Majda Ruge, senior policy fellow in ECFR´s Wider Europe programme with a focus on the Western Balkans, Vladimir Shopov, visiting fellow with ECFR´s Asia programme, as well as Vessela Tcherneva, deputy director of ECFR and head of ECFR’s Sofia office. Together, they discuss why it is important to take a closer look at Chinese engagement in the region, how much influence China already has in the Western Balkans and how European policymakers should react. This podcast was recorded on 12 May 2021. Further reading: Decade of patience: How China became a power in the Western Balkans by Vladimir Shopov, https://ecfr.eu/publication/decade-of-patience-how-china-became-a-power-in-the-western-balkans/ Bookshelf: War: How Conflict Shaped Us by Margaret MacMillan, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/06/books/review/war-margaret-macmillan.html The New Map: Energy, Climate, and the Clash of Nations by Daniel Yergin, https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/a-global-energy-study-that-misses-some-climate-change-realities/2020/09/24/1addeb3e-f2b3-11ea-bc45-e5d48ab44b9f_story.html The Third Revolution: Xi Jinping and the New Chinese State by Elizabeth C. Economy, https://blogs.lse.ac.uk/lsereviewofbooks/2019/01/15/book-review-the-third-revolution-xi-jinping-and-the-new-chinese-state-by-elizabeth-economy/ Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe by Niall Ferguson, https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/may/07/doom-by-niall-ferguson-review-how-to-make-sense-of-catastrophePhoto: REUTERS/Djordje Kojadinovic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The EU is India's largest trading partner; India, in turn, is only the EU’s tenth largest trading partner. And despite the two often having expressed an interest in closer trade and political relations, there has been no visible progress made in the last years. Ahead of the EU-India Leaders Summit on 8 May 2021, host Mark Leonard talks to Fréderic Grare, senior policy fellow with ECFR’s Asia Programme, Raja Mohan, director of the Institute of South Asian Studies at the National University of Singapore and columnist of the Indian Express, as well as Manisha Reuter, ECFR´s Asia programme coordinator. How does the covid-19 pandemic impact India´s geopolitics and foreign policy? How has the rise of China influenced EU-India relations so far? And what are the prospects of a closer EU-India relationship following the upcoming Summit? This podcast was recorded on 5 May 2021. Further reading: “The EU’s Indo-Pacific strategy: A chance for a clear message to China and Europe’s allies” by Fréderic Grare: https://buff.ly/3sKTjmO “Friends in deed: How the EU and the Quad can promote security in the Indo-Pacific” by Manish Reuter https://buff.ly/33ud7Ax Bookshelf - “Globalists: the end of empire and the birth of neoliberalism” by Quinn Slobodian - “India's power elite” by Sanjaya Baru - “India's China challenge: A journey through China's rise and what it means for India” by Ananth Krishnan“The Covid Consensus: The new politics of global inequality” by Toby Green https://www.hurstpublishers.com/book/the-covid-consensus/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

While Germany’s long-ruling centre-right parties continue to offer more of the same, the Greens have recently emerged as a serious contender in the run-up to September’s federal elections. Rather than demanding that Germans give up their lifestyles, the Greens are promising to make Germany a better version of itself. But how will this affect German foreign policy? Host Mark Leonard talks to Franziska Brantner, spokesperson for European Policy and Parliamentary Secretary of Bündnis90/Die Grünen’s parliamentary group as well as Janka Oertel, head of ECFR´s Asia programme to discuss what Germany’s future with a Green government would look like. This podcast was recorded on 29 April 2021.Further reading: •“Germany’s Green Velvet Revolution?” by Mark Leonard: https://buff.ly/2RcOTb6 Bookshelf:•“Green Recovery Tracker": https://www.greenrecoverytracker.org/ •“Heimat Europa?” by Martin Ramb & Holger Zaborowski, • “China’s FinTech: the end of the wild west” by Viviana Zhu Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.