Two of the BRICS member democracies had elections over May and June this year. The two countries are regional and global powerhouses. South Africa for the first time since the end of apartheid did not have an ANC majority, while for India, the predictions of a Modi supermajority also failed to come to pass. What impact will these two elections have…

Japan has recently shown an interest in joining AUKUS pillar two, the trilateral military-technological agreement between Australia, UK and USA. Although they are allies, Australia and UK seem hesitant, while the US, Japan's closest ally has been very supportive of the move. Is Japan joining AUKUS a real possibility, what can Tokyo bring to the tab…

On 21st May, the Pentagon said that Russia had launched an anti-satellite weapon into space. This followed the February announcement that US intelligence believed that Moscow was developing a weapon of mass destruction or nuclear weapon to be used in space against foreign satellites. Do these threats usher in a new space race and what could that me…

Last month, riots broke out in Noumea, the capital of New Caledonia - a small island grouping in the Pacific Ocean. These riots were in response to a French law that would give more people the right to vote on any future independence referendums on the territory. How does New Caledonia fit into France, why is it geopolitically important, and who ar…

In July 2023, government troops stormed the capital Niamey in Niger, ousting the elected President and siezing power. Since then, the military regime in Niger has requested that the US troops pack up and leave their territory, leaving behind the US's largest drone base in the world in Agadez. Tune in as we explore how this will effect regional geop…

Israel has launched an all-out-war against Hamas in Gaza in the aftermath of the Oct 7th attack, and there are many implications of it. In this episode our hosts talked about the current situation in the ground and the effects that it has in the Middle East and the world. How will it affect Israel's relation with its allies? What repercussions will…

Syria has been brought back from the cold in the Middle East, with some diplomatic relations restored and invitation back into the fold of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation and the Arab League. Is the surging Captagon trade behind this over decade long isolation coming to an end? Join us as we talk with Caroline Rose (@CarolineRose8), Directo…

Welcome back to The Geopolitical Pickle. In this episode, we venture into the heart of West Africa, where a series of military coups have sent shockwaves through the region. This summer witnessed coups in Niger and Gabon, adding to a growing list of military takeovers, particularly in former French colonies. But what's striking is the emergence of …

What are the conditions for statehood? What determines whether a state will be internationally recognized? Is international recognition needed? What does it depend on? Join us on this debate as we explore the world of Unrecognized States and discuss their similarities and differences of entities such as The Holy See, Somaliland, Kosovo and Bougainv…

How is the security situation in East Asia evolving? How does Japan see its geopolitical position as part of this given the emerging threats of Russia and China? Mr. Hideo Suzuki, Ambassador of Japan to the Czech Republic, discusses the challenges and opportunities that Japan sees in its region and beyond. Follow us on social media! FB - The Geopol…

Before winter we released an episode analyzing the situation in the war in Ukraine and its geopolitical aspects. Now, in late spring 2023, we update again the current situation and assess the potential outcomes of the conflic. This time we are joined by Ridvan Bari Urcosta, expert in the Black Sea region, Russia, Ukraine and Middle East and analyst…

In this episode we are joined by Geopolitical Futures Chief Operating Officer and lecturer on international relations at the Romanian National University of Political Studies and Public Administration Antonia Colibasanu. Starting with an introduction to Geoeconomics, find out what the terms mean, how Europe is vulnerable, and the interplay between …

On March 20th 2003 the USA and the UK, alongside other allied countries invaded Iraq in order to remove Saddam Hussein and put an end to his program producing Weapons of Mass Destruction. Saddam was overthrown, but the weapons were never found. 20 years since the first troops landed in Iraq, the invasion and subsequent insurgency and political turm…

South Africa is undergoing a disastrous energy shortage crippling the economy and stirring unrest. Join us as we talk with ex-ANC spokesperson Isaac Mashaba about what is behind the current national disaster. With elections due in 2024, what are the future prospects for the party of Nelson Mandela and how could the impacts be felt across the SADC r…

How could AUKUS and nuclear submarines jeopradise the future of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT)? Listen to expert Sébastien Philippe (@seb6philippe) as he weighs in on this potential threat to the 1968 treaty and the serious implications for our future.By thegeopoliticalpickle

Královec is a historic territory located where current day Kaliningrad stands - a strategically vital part of modern day Russia. What's the deal with the region and how does it relate to the current war in Ukraine? Find out about exclaves, how they are governed from their home territory, and more with special guest Bohumil Doboš (@BohumilDobos) of …

Welcome back to the second part of our 2022 year in review. If you haven't listened to the first part, we suggest that you do that first. In this two part series we aim to break down some of the major developments across the world including of course the war and its ramifications as well as some of the other big stories that may have been overshado…

2022 has been a crazy year with huge geopolitical developments around the globe in the midst of the first large scale war on the European continent since WW2. In this two part series we aim to break down some of the major developments across the world including of course the war and its ramifications as well as some of the other big stories that ma…

The Qatar 2022 FIFA World Cup has put the focus on a phenomenom called "sportswashing". Today we will talk about how sports are used by actors as a form of soft-power to create an image to the world. Is the World Cup an example of sportswashing? How does it fit into the historical context which has played out through the 20th Century? Tune in to he…

We are back at the 11th Annual Geopolitical Conference in Charles University, Prague, and this time with three of the speakers of the event: Dr. Peter Eltsov, Mr. Eeben Barlow and Dr. Bohumil Dobos. In this panel-discussion, they each gave us their thoughts on the present and future of the international order in the wake of the war in Ukraine. Orga…

Brazil is a massive country of over 200 million people and 8.5 million km2, the 5th largest in the world. Because of it's massive size and richness, it is the major international player in South America by far, and has historically had an important position in the international arena. Today, we´re joined by Felipe Simoni from Espetinho Internaciona…

The war in Ukraine has signified a massive shift in European defence thinking as well as the arms industry required to defend the EU and NATO in the eventuality of a war on the continent. In this episode we interview Tomáš Kopečný, Deputy Minister for Defence Industrial Cooperation, Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic. He gives us insights on…

After the elections in Italy and Sweden, many media outlets and people in general have raised their concerns about the far-right gaining quotas of power in the EU. Some analysts are seeing these and other electoral results, as well as certain public speeches all over the EU, as a far-right wave that might threaten the current established system. To…

We are back with Hussein Solomon, Head of the Department of Political Sciences of the University of the Free State and author of numerous books and articles on Political Islam and jihadist groups. This is part two of our conversation, so we recommend you listen to part one before this one. We move the focus onto the role Political Islam in the curr…

We are back with Hussein Solomon, Head of the Department of Political Sciences of the University of the Free State and author of numerous books on jihadism and Political Islam. Today, we look at different jihadi groups across West Africa in Mali, Chad and Burkina Faso, as well as other groups operating in Somalia and Mozambique. Recorded 19/09/2022…

Today we take a deep dive into Russia's ongoing war in Ukraine with geopolitical insights into the current situation. Winter is fast approaching in Ukraine which is traditionally characterised by freezing temperatures and plenty of snow. How will the war evolve through this period? We make some predictions which we can look back on early next year …

This episode is the second part of our interview with International Crisis Group's Senior Southern African correspondent @PiersPigou so if you haven't listened to part 1, we recommend you do that first. Today we talk about the current political situation in Zimbabwe in the lead up to 2023 elections as well as the fallout from Russia's war in Ukrain…

Today's episode is the first of two parts where we spoke with International Crisis Group's Senior Southern African correspondent Piers Pigou. We cover a range of topics including the organisation's mission, Private Military Contractors across Africa and the current security situation in Mozambique and more widely, the African continent. You can fin…

In today's episode, we discuss Turkey's position as a land bridge between Europe and the Middle East and its natural geographic advantages. Turkey plays a prominent role in the international arena as a geopolitical actor. We debate the countries motives, strengths and weaknesses and Erdogan's attempt at positioning the country under his leadership.…

In this episode, we talk to the Ambassador of Western Sahara (or Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic - SADR) to South Africa on the current geopolitical situation of the territory from their own perspective. Ambassador Mohamed Yeslem Beissat explains the views of the Saharawi people and their fight for international recognition and the ongoing dispute…

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine, Sweden and Finland, two historically neutral Scandinavian countries, both moved quickly to apply to join NATO. Listen in for a background on why, and join the debate as we list some pros and cons of the two countries accession bids. Let us know if you agree or disagree by getting in touch at: https://linktr.e…

Dive into the world of practical geopolitics with Dr Bohumil Dobos (https://twitter.com/BohumilDobos) of Charles University, including a background explanation of what geopolitics is and how it affects the world around us. For more information about a Masters in Geopolitics:(https://geopolitics.fsv.cuni.cz/GEO-4.html) For more information on the Ge…