Inside Politics with Hugh Linehan

Robert Reich is an economist, professor, author, and political commentator who served as Secretary of Labour in the Clinton administration. Hugh talks to Robert about American society today, his contention that the US has become an oligarchy serving a select few, and how Donald Trump is a symptom of this decline.His latest book "The System: Who Rigged It, How We Fix" It is out now.Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

London editor Denis Staunton joins Hugh, Fiach and Jennifer to talk about the gripping story that has dominated UK politics for many straight days: Dominic Cummings' road trip (20.34). But first on today's podcast the team look at our own lockdown etiquette mini-scandal involving Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, revelations at the Covid committee hearings on the state's assistance to nursing homes at the start of the outbreak and those slow-moving government formation talks.Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Once taboos are broken, it's quite hard to reinstate them".A German court ruling challenging the primacy of European Court of Justice in EU matters poses a threat to the EU that even it can't fudge. The case hinged on the right of the European Central Bank to engage in bond-buying to support the EU economy. The top German court has ruled that the ECB hasn't sufficiently explained why the measures are necessary. But more importantly, it also ruled that its view is supreme over the ruling of the top European court, the ECJ. Among other problems, this could undermine attempts to rein in member states like Poland and Hungary that are challenging the EU's political norms. To explain how the ruling does this and why it matters, Hugh talks to Ronan McCrea, professor of constitutional and European law at University College London.Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A move to challenge Eamon Ryan as Green leader is under way among a cohort within the party, with deputy leader Catherine Martin being urged to stand against him. That's the first topic on today's podcast with Irish Times politics team Pat Leahy, Jennifer Bray and Harry McGee which also takes in government formation talks, a strange spat between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, the first hearing of the Covid-19 committee and how politics will handle the pressure to return public life to normality.Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's been a difficult path for Eamon Ryan and the Green Party since the dark period following 2011, when the party lost all its seats and state funding. His stewardship of the party has earned him respect, particularly among the old guard. But do the fast-growing Greens' new recruits give him the same credit? Fiach Kelly writes about Ryan in this weekend's edition of The Irish Times and here he talks to Hugh about Ryan's leadership style and his party's difficult return to the government negotiating table. They also talk about how a relationship between the Greens, Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael might work.This weekend's edition of The Irish Times features a series of articles about Green politics. You can read them all on irishtimes.com - or pick up a copy of the paper in your local newsagent.Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Different countries are taking different approaches at different speeds as they move to reopen their economies. London Editor Denis Staunton and Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally talk to Hugh Linehan about the politics of pandemic in the UK and Germany respectively.Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As Ireland moves into the next, more complex phase of the Covid-19 pandemic, how can we hold the authorities to account? Is the current government being transparent enough about the decisions it is making and the rationale which underpins them? What happens when a new government is finally formed? And how well is the media covering the crisis? Hugh Linehan talks to columnist Fintan O’Toole and political editor Pat Leahy.Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Green Party has demanded that any government it joins implements cuts of 7 per cent each year to our national carbon emissions. Where does that figure come from, and is it achievable? We ask climate researcher Hannah Daly. Then Fiach Kelly explains how the overtures from Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil are going down with the Greens, and what we know about plans to ease the Coronavirus lockdown.Dr Hannah Daly lectures in energy systems modelling at University College Cork.Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Phillipe Sands is a barrister, author and broadcaster. His new book The Ratline tells the story of Nazi war criminal and fugitive Otto Wachter, about whom Sands has already produced a popular podcast, also called The Ratline, for the BBC. Sands talks to Hugh about how he encountered Wachter's son, the nature of evil and the remembrance of the Holocaust.Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week the Government published the worst economic projections since the financial crisis of 2008-11. Finance minister, Paschal Donohue, issued a bleak warning that Ireland is now in “severe recession”. How will the next government deal with the economic and fiscal challenges that lie ahead? Is there anything in the joint framework from Fine Gael and Fine Fail that can weather the storm? Michael Taft, a researcher for SIPTU and the man behind the blog ‘Notes on the Front’ joins Hugh and Pat to discuss the structural reforms and measures needed to grow the economy and control the national debt.Would you like to receive daily insights into world events delivered to your inbox? Sign up for Denis Staunton's Global Briefing newsletter here: irishtimes.com/newsletters/global-briefing/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.