Best Agora Politics Podcasts (2024)

1
What's next for political violence in the US after Trump's assassination attempt? 26:34

1h ago26:34

26:34

"Let's hope that this is the end of the story of political violence in the 2024 election cycle. But my suspicion is it's not the end it's the beginning or the middle and we have more to come". This is what a Research Fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) Jacob Ware said to me when I asked him about what's next for the US after the assass…

1
How is Russia moving oil through the Mediterranean and what to possibly do about it 28:41

3d ago28:41

28:41

This is a special episode of my podcast as I have more than one guest for the first time. And not two, but three. I talked to Alessio Armenzoni, an Associate Fellow at the London-based Open Source Centre, Giangiuseppe Pili, an Assistant Professor at the Intelligence Analysis Program at James Madison University and Gary Kessler, the president of Gar…

1
Paris Olympics: The main security threat is jihadi terrorism. And what about Russia? 17:51

1h ago17:51

17:51

The 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris is the biggest sports event of the year. It will attract fans from around the world but, unfortunately, it also attracts terrorists of all kinds. So what are the main threats France is facing? I talked to Lucas Webber who is a Co-Founder of MilitantWire.com and a Research Fellow at the Soufan Center and he is mostl…

1
Full of energy: How Greece (& Europe) is handling the green transition 31:47

13d ago31:47

31:47

The Agora hosts a discussion on how Europe, and Greece specifically, have been handling the green transition, addressing questions like how the pivot away from natural gas is going. The basis for our discussion is three articles written by MacroPolis features editor Georgia Nakou, and senior policy analyst and partner at The Green Tank, an Athens-b…

1
From Ceausescu's Romania to NATO: How Oana Lungescu rewrote the history of the Alliance 18:29

6d ago18:29

18:29

We met many times, so I was really happy when Oana Lungescu agreed to the following interview. She is the longest-serving NATO Spokesperson, from 2010 to 2023, and the first woman and first journalist to hold the post. And, as she said, she was also the first person from the wrong side of the Iron Curtain in this position. We talked about her caree…

1
About NATO, Russia and why he stays optimistic about Ukraine even in the dark days. My conversation with General (Ret.) Mick Ryan 22:32

30d ago22:32

22:32

If you listen to my podcast The Global Agora you know Mick Ryan has been generous enough to appear on my show. He is a military strategist and retired Australian Army major general, so I again used this opportunity to talk about all things related to NATO and the Russian war against Ukraine. And while the days are dark, he says he stays optimistic.…

1
An electoral wipeout of Tories? All the things in the UK are now being seen as terrible 26:47

14d ago26:47

26:47

The United Kingdom general election takes place on July 4th. "All the things in the UK are now being seen as terrible," Professor Steven Fielding told me. He is an expert in British politics and modern political history and is currently writing a book analyzing the Labour Party since the 1970s. So is this going to be an electoral wipeout for the ru…

1
Early election in France: Is Macron's political maneuver foolish and shortsighted? 21:33

1M ago21:33

21:33

What's next for the European Union after the European Parliament election? Will Ursula von der Leyen continue as the President of the European Commission? And what to expect from France on the EU scene as President Emmanuel Macron announced the early election and it could lead to a far-right government? I talked to Professor Erik Jones, Director of…

1
Peace summit in Switzerland: What would be Ukraine's success? 20:17

2M ago20:17

20:17

On 15 and 16 June, Switzerland is organizing a Summit on Peace in Ukraine and about 90 countries and organizations will attend. Russia wasn't invited and Ukrainian analyst Julia Kazdobina explains why. She is a Visiting Fellow at The Stockholm Centre for Eastern European Studies and she heads the Ukrainian Foundation for Security Studies. So what w…

1
Wake up poll: Euro elections jolt Greek politics 44:18

1M ago44:18

44:18

The European Parliament elections held in Greece on June 9 produced a few surprises, some of which could be significant for the country's political scene over the next few months and years. The ruling centre-right party, New Democracy, performed worse than opinion polls had suggested and fell below the bar set by its leader, Prime Minister Kyriakos…

1
What is Putin afraid of? 21:32

2M ago21:32

21:32

What is Vladimir Putin afraid of? Should the West be concerned about Russian nuclear rhetoric? And what do current Putin's reshuffles and purges tell us about his regime? I talked to ⁠Andrei Soldatov⁠, a Russian investigative journalist, co-founder, and editor of Agentura.ru, a watchdog of the Russian secret services’ activities. He is also a nonre…

1
Overtourism over here: Greek islands feel the strain 23:41

1M ago23:41

23:41

Greece is preparing to welcome a record number of tourists again this year, but their visits will take place against a backdrop of growing concern among locals about the damage being done to the islands and their way of life by rapid development. Greek policy makers face a dilemma over how to balance the growth and job creation provided by tourism,…

1
Is the junta in Myanmar losing? 17:05

2M ago17:05

17:05

I talked to Aung Myo Min, Minister of Human Rights in the National Unity Government of Myanmar. Our interview was conducted at the CEE-Asia Forum in Bratislava organized by the Central European Institute of Asian Studies (⁠CEIAS⁠) and Slovak Foreign Policy Association (⁠SFPA⁠). We talked about whether the junta in Myanmar is losing, the role of Rus…

1
What advice should Xi Jinping follow regarding Taiwan? 16:41

2M ago16:41

16:41

I just returned from a one-week-long visit to Taiwan and this podcast is one of the results of spending a few days there. I talked to Lev Nachman, a political scientist, Assistant Professor at National Chengchi University in Taipei, and a co-author of the book Taiwan: A Contested Democracy Under Threat. We discussed the domestic political dynamic a…

1
Can Russia's intelligence services help install an American president? 24:10

2M ago24:10

24:10

Alex Finley is a former officer of the CIA’s Directorate of Operations, where she served in West Africa and Europe. She has penned three satires about the CIA: Victor in the Rubble, Victor in the Jungle, and Victor in Trouble. Satire about the CIA? In my view, the agency definitely deserves this kind of genre but still, I ask Alex why she chose it.…

1
Does the West really think about how it can supply Ukraine in the next two or three years of the war? 29:33

3M ago29:33

29:33

Let's assume the West finds the magic pink castle in Hollywood, where all the stuff is stored that Ukrainians need and immediately transfers it on the magic carpet to Kyiv. Even with this, Ukraine would still have a problem. This is what Gustav Gressel said to me when we spoke about the situation on the frontline. He is a Senior Policy Fellow with …

1
About what is Ukraine facing and why we have to talk about the worst scenario. General (Ret.) Mick Ryan explains 23:57

3M ago23:57

23:57

What is Ukraine facing? What is Russia learning? Is it possible that Ukraine will lose the war as soon as this year? Mick Ryan⁠ is a military strategist and retired Australian Army major general and he explains why we have to talk about the worst scenario. We also discussed Ukraine's mobilization efforts and demography, and what the West has to do …

1
Ukraine's expert: The dilemma is whether we are saving territory or personnel 26:19

3M ago26:19

26:19

Volodymyr Dubovyk is an Associate Professor in the Department of International Relations and Director of the Center for International Studies at Odesa I. Mechnikov National University. We talked about the US aid for Ukraine, how others need to step up, the difficult situation on the battlefield, and Ukraine's mobilization efforts. I also asked him …

1
Whose property? Greece’s housing challenges 24:10

3M ago24:10

24:10

After going through a really difficult time during the country’s long economic crisis, the Greek property market is booming, but that's creating a whole new set of problems. High rental and purchase prices are pricing out much of the local population as foreign investors snap up apartments and entire buildings in pursuit of profits. Host Nick Malko…

1
How close or far is the US from a civil war? 28:51

3M ago28:51

28:51

How close or far is the US from a civil war? This was my question for Jay Ulfelder, a political scientist who works as a Research Project Manager at the Nonviolent Action Lab at the Harvard Kennedy School. From 2001 until 2011, he served as Research Director for the Political Instability Task Force, a US Government-funded program that aims to help …

1
What's next for the Middle East after Iran attacks Israel? 15:32

4M ago15:32

15:32

Iran has hit Israel with up to 350 drones and ballistic and cruise missiles. Most of them were destroyed by the air defense as Israel's allies helped also. So what will follow after this unprecedented attack? How far is the Middle East from the big regional war? I talked to ⁠James Dorsey⁠, a Senior Fellow at the Middle East Institute of the Nationa…

1
My conversation with Maria Avdeeva from Kharkiv: Her city is constantly attacked. Will Russia also try the ground offensive? 23:02

4M ago23:02

23:02

I'm talking to Maria Avdeeva from Kharkiv from the beginning of the Russian full-scale invasion. She is a security expert and I remember her telling me she wants to inform the world about what's going on in her country. And Maria is doing it all the time! This time we talk about how her city is constantly attacked and if we can expect a Russian gro…

1
NATO is a success story, but as Alliance turns 75 can it also face demise? 33:03

4M ago33:03

33:03

NATO is a success story, but as Alliance turns 75 can it also face demise? Over seven decades, what is the brightest hour, and what about the most problematic moment of NATO? And is Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk right when he says Europe could be in the pre-war era as Russia continues with its aggression against Ukraine? I talked to John Deni, …

1
How much is Greece getting out of the RRF? 20:46

3M ago20:46

20:46

In the wake of the Covid pandemic, the European Union launched the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) - a package of around 700 billion euros to help member states recover from the economic impact and build for the future. Greece's portion of these funds is considered vital for the country's efforts to overcome the effects of its long economic …

1
Is counterterrorism cooperation with Russia possible? 24:14

4M ago24:14

24:14

Russia was attacked by Islamic State but Moscow is trying to shift the blame and is spreading conspiracy theories about Ukraine's involvement. The Kremlin is lying despite the severity of the threat as on March 22nd, extremists killed 143 people in the Crocus City Hall in Krasnogorsk in the Moscow Oblast. So is counterterrorism cooperation with Rus…

1
Should the West try to turn China and India against Russia? 20:27

4M ago20:27

20:27

Should the West try to turn China and India against Russia? What is the most visible impact of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine on EU-Asia relations? And how close is China to Russia? I discussed those questions with Michael Raiterer. He is a Distinguished Professor at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS) of the Brussels…

1
Between investment grade and rule of law: Greece’s contrasting images 23:53

4M ago23:53

23:53

Phoebe and Nick are back to examine the contrasting images of Greece abroad and how they sit side by side. A few months ago, rating agencies started to restore the investment grade for Greece's sovereign debt - more than a decade after it was lost. It was a reflection of the growing confidence that markets have in the political situation, the gover…

1
A year on from Tempe crash, trust fades as questions mount 29:56

4M ago29:56

29:56

In February 2023, a freight train and a train carrying dozens of passengers crashed in Tempe, central Greece, killing 57 people. A year on from Greece's deadliest train accident, many questions remain unanswered and doubts are growing about whether the truth will ever come to light regarding what caused the disaster. Opposition parties and relative…

1
Autocratic tendencies, pro-Russian rhetoric and presidential elections. What's going on in Slovakia? 26:41

5M ago26:41

26:41

This time, I talked to Slovak political scientist ⁠Pavol Baboš⁠ from the Department of Sociology at Comenius University in Bratislava. We discussed the incoming presidential elections in Slovakia and the two clear favorites. The Speaker of the Parliament Peter Pellegrini and the former foreign minister Ivan Korčok. The first round of the elections …

1
Will Ursula von der Leyen be President of the European Commission again? 20:50

5M ago20:50

20:50

Will Ursula von der Leyen be President of the European Commission again? She has been confirmed as the European People's Party candidate to continue with her current job and it's pretty sure that the EPP will win the European Parliament elections in June. But... "For me, it's not obvious that she will stay," Policy Analyst from the European Policy …

1
SYRIZA embraces the chaos 44:07

5M ago44:07

44:07

Five years ago SYRIZA was in power in Greece, but it is currently languishing in third place in the opinion polls and the nascent leadership of Stefanos Kasselakis is being constantly buffeted by internal disputes. In this episode, Phoebe Fronista and Nick Malkoutzis set out how the left-wing party ended up in this uncomfortable position. Nick also…

1
Ukraine: What happened in two years of invasion, what might be next and will Western troops help Kyiv? 34:35

5M ago34:35

34:35

Toms Rostoks is a Director at the Centre for Security and Strategic Research at the National Defence Academy of Latvia and an Associate Professor at the University of Latvia. We tried to assess what happened in two years of the Russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, to forecast what might be next but we also talked about the scenario that at least…

1
Death has already knocked on almost every door in Ukraine. My conversation with Oleksandra Matviichuk 25:41

5M ago25:41

25:41

Oleksandra Matviichuk is a Ukrainian human rights lawyer and head of the Center for Civil Liberties. Her organization was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2022. But, unfortunately, we talked about the war, about the Russian full-scale invasion that has already been ongoing for two years. "This is wishful thinking that Putin will stop. Putin openly …

1
Triangulation: The shape of things to come in Greek politics 17:30

5M ago17:30

17:30

Phoebe Fronista and Nick Malkoutzis return after a prolonged absence to discuss what's behind Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis's political dominance in Greece and whether things are more complex than they look. Their discussion was prompted by a piece Nick wrote recently for The Agora on MacroPolis's website after listening to Mitsotakis speak at…

1
How can Europe react to Trump's threats to NATO? 25:30

6M ago25:30

25:30

How can Europe react to Donald Trump's threats to NATO? There is a realistic scenario that the populist Republican can win the US presidential elections in November. What would it mean to NATO when Trump suggested that he would encourage Moscow to attack allies that are, as he said this, not paying bills? I talked to Edward Hunter Christie, a Senio…

1
Are we inching towards a big regional war in the Middle East? 22:34

6M ago22:34

22:34

Are we inching towards a big regional war in the Middle East? "What we see today is that two major unresolved issues are starting to interact with each other and could cause quite serious problems. One is, of course, the unresolved position of Iran. And the second problem is, of course, the unresolved issue of Palestine." This is what Erwin van Vee…

1
About films, actors, Indiana Jones, Richard Nixon and revenge: My conversation with Oscar director Bille August 21:06

6M ago21:06

21:06

Bille August is a Danish film and TV director and screenwriter. His movie Pelle the Conqueror won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Movie in 1988. He visited Bratislava for the festival of Scandinavian movies - SCANDI which introduced his movie The Kiss to the Slovak audience. And by chance, I've got an opportunity to interview him. So we talked …

1
What will Sweden bring to NATO and how can the Alliance and the EU prepare for a potential war with Russia? 21:43

6M ago21:43

21:43

Almost there. Sweden is now waiting only for a green light from Hungarian PM Viktor Orbán to become a member of NATO. But what will Stockholm bring to the Alliance? And how to prepare NATO and the EU for a potential war with Russia? According to Johan Norberg, a Senior Military Analyst from the Swedish Defense Research Agency (FOI), the West needs …

1
Does Hungary's PM Viktor Orbán want to take over the European Council? 25:38

7M ago25:38

25:38

Does Hungary's PM Viktor Orbán want to take over the European Council? Charles Michel, the current President of the European Council, wants to run in June's EU elections, so there is a possibility that Orbán can replace him as Hungary starts its Presidency of the Council of the EU on July 1st. So what could be Orban's plan and how to deal with his …

1
US presidential primaries: Is Trump going to win the nomination and what if Biden says I'm not running? 28:43

7M ago28:43

28:43

The countdown to the US presidential elections starts with the party primaries. There is a clear favorite on the Republican side, but can Nikki Haley or Ron DeSantis threaten Donald Trump's position? And if Trump is the nominee, what does it tell us about how the current Republican party perceives democracy? I talked to J. Miles Coleman who is the …

1
What are the main military options Ukraine and Russia can still exploit? 20:47

7M ago20:47

20:47

⁠Franz-Stefan Gady⁠ is the founder and chief executive officer of Gady Consulting and a military analyst. From the beginning of the Russian aggression, he has frequently visited Ukraine and if you are regularly listening to my podcast The Global Agora, you know that I interviewed him a couple of times in the past. So I am glad Franz joined me for a…

1
Japan's admiral explains how his country would react to China's attack against Taiwan and how to prevent it 24:54

7M ago24:54

24:54

Tomohisa Takei is a retired Japanese admiral who served as the 32nd Chief of Staff of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force from 2014 to 2016. I had a chance to talk to him as he visited Bratislava in December. He explained how his country would react to China's attack against Taiwan, how to prevent it, and how is the Indo-Pacific region affected b…

1
Taylor Swift for American President? Unlikely, but... 18:48

8M ago18:48

18:48

Taylor Swift was named Person of the Year 2023 by Time. Does she deserve this? What makes her so special? Her skill as a musician? Her phenomenal commercial success? Does she already have a place among the best artists in the history of pop music? And can Taylor Swift run for the US President? I talked to Toby Koenigsberg, an Associate Professor of…

1
What to expect from the Republican primaries? Will it be Trump or can DeSantis or Haley still hope? 30:42

8M ago30:42

30:42

There is support in the US for Ukraine but the Republicans have decided that Americans are more concerned about the cost and the Biden administration, I must say, has been terrible in explaining why Ukraine is important. This is what Steffen Schmidt also known as Dr. Politics told me when we discussed upcoming Republican presidential primaries and …

1
Will Meloni compete with Orbán? And will her support for Ukraine continue? 25:49

8M ago25:49

25:49

Daniele Albertazzi is a Professor of Politics and Co-Director of the Centre for Britain and Europe at the University of Surrey. He is focusing on right-wing populism, Italian politics, political communication, and party organization. He reacted to one of my tweets and it led to our podcast discussion. We talked about the foreign and domestic polici…

1
Is Putin's regime too resilient and Trump too dangerous? My conversation with former US Secretary of Homeland Security Michael Chertoff 17:16

8M ago17:16

17:16

Is Vladimir Putin's regime surprisingly too resilient and does Donald Trump represent a clear and present danger to American democracy? I raised such questions with Michael Chertoff who was the second US Secretary of Homeland Security from 2005 to 2009. He just attended the ITAPA conference in Bratislava. We also discussed Ukraine-West relations an…

1
Is there a case for suspending Russia from the UN? And what can the UN do about Putin's war and the Gaza conflict? 20:34

8M ago20:34

20:34

Martin Edwards is a Professor in the School of Diplomacy and International Relations at Seton Hall University, where he teaches classes on International Organizations. So I asked him if we need the UN, if there is a case for suspending Russia from the UN as it wages a war against Ukraine, and what it can and can not do about the Gaza conflict. We a…

1
What can a war do to the artist? Ukrainian director talks about fighting Russians and making movies 24:53

9M ago24:53

24:53

What can a war do to the artist? I talked to the Ukrainian director Alisa Kovalenko about fighting Russians and making movies. She recently visited Slovakia and at the movie festival Jeden Svet - One World she presented her documentary We Will Not Fade Away which follows the lives of five teenagers from Donbas. Why does she say that she believes in…

1
About Zaluzhnyi's dose of reality (and stalemate), Ukraine's counteroffensive, and what we got wrong about Russia. My conversation with General (Ret.) Mick Ryan 22:23

9M ago22:23

22:23

Mick Ryan is a military strategist and retired Australian Army major general. He believes that the slow delivery of the Western weapon systems to Ukraine is one of the reasons why the Russians were able to build strong defensive lines. We discussed the successes and failures of Ukraine's counteroffensive, why he thinks that Commander-in-Chief of th…

1
Could Kadyrov replace Putin and would it lead to the break up of Russia? 24:35

9M ago24:35

24:35

On October 29th, an angry mob tried to hunt for Jews at Makhachkala’s Uytash International Airport, and the local authorities were caught off guard. How much does the events in Dagestan reflect the antisemitism of the Russian society? Are we going to witness similar incidents? I talked to Harold Chambers, an expert on the North Caucasus and a docto…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Agora Politics Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide