))
Weekly podcast on the events, policies and ideas that will shape the world.World in 30 minutes is curated by Mark Leonard, Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), and features top-level speakers from across the EU and beyond to debate and discuss Europe’s role in the world. It was awarded “Best podcasts on EU politics” by PolicyLab in 2019.Member of the EuroPod network. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
…
continue reading
The rising threat from Covid-19 has implications that reach far beyond national borders. ECFR’s experts explore issues ranging from governmental credibility and legitimacy to the importance of multilateralism, analysing the repercussions of the virus on the global stage. See all analyses here: www.ecfr.eu/coronavirus
…
continue reading
1
Israel attacks Iran: Europe’s role in stopping a dangerous regional war
17:25
17:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:25
Mark Leonard is joined by Ellie Geranmayeh, deputy director of ECFR’s Middle East and North Africa programme, for a 15-minute Emergency Room episode diving into Israel’s massive overnight attack on Iran. Using 200 fighter jets, Israel targeted over 100 military and nuclear sites, assassinating senior Iranian commanders and scientists. The result is…
…
continue reading
1
Doves and Hawks: Foreign policy in the second Trump age
33:15
33:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
33:15
A humanitarian crisis in Gaza; question marks around Iran; unstable governments in eastern Europe; and the growth of China’s economic and military might. All are cause for concern—and all provide the backdrop to the Trump administration’s approach to foreign policy, which represents the biggest generational shift since the cold war. This week Mark …
…
continue reading
1
Uncrowded house: European power during demographic change
27:03
27:03
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
27:03
How policymakers respond to Europe’s many challenges—from Russian aggression to sluggish economic growth to the shift to clean energy - will shape the continent for decades to come. In the face of these trials, however, they overlook something slower but equally as important: the global demographic transition. This week, Mark Leonard is joined by A…
…
continue reading
1
NATO and Europe first: Britain’s new Strategic Defence Review
17:40
17:40
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
17:40
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Malcolm Chalmers, deputy director general at the Royal United Services Institute and former Labour government advisor, for an Emergency Room episode dissecting the UK’s newly unveiled Strategic Defence Review (SDR). Prime minister Keir Starmer has committed to increasing defence spending to 3% GDP by 2030, expan…
…
continue reading
1
Nawrocki’s win: What Poland’s populist president means for Europe
15:48
15:48
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:48
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Piotr Buras, head of ECFR’s Warsaw office, for a 15-minute rapid-response episode dissecting the outcome of Poland’s presidential election. Yesterday, right-wing populist Karol Nawrocki, member of the Law and Justice party (PiS), edged out Warsaw mayor Rafal Trzaskowski by just 400,000 votes, crushing hopes of a…
…
continue reading
1
Mobilising Europe: The case for a European Preparedness Act
35:55
35:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
35:55
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Tiago Antunes, ECFR associate senior fellow at and former Portuguese secretary of state for European affairs; and Nicu Popescu, ECFR distinguished policy fellow and former Moldovan deputy prime minister and foreign minister. Mark, Tiago and Nicu discuss the proposal for a European Preparedness Act, inspired by t…
…
continue reading
1
Crisis and collapse: Europe’s intervention in Gaza
19:00
19:00
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
19:00
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Julien Barnes-Dacey, ECFR’s Middle East and North Africa programme director, for an emergency room episode diving into the dire situation in Gaza. After the March ceasefire collapsed, Israel’s intensified offensive—where it plans to occupy 75% of the strip—and an 80-day humanitarian blockade have pushed Gaza int…
…
continue reading
1
Security ties and political trade-offs: Inside the EU-UK deal
35:23
35:23
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
35:23
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Camille Grand, former assistant secretary general at NATO and ECFR distinguished policy fellow, and Ivan Rogers, formerly Britain’s permanent representative to the EU, adviser for Europe and global issues to David Cameron, and principle private secretary to Tony Blair. It has been four days after the EU-UK summi…
…
continue reading
1
Liberal tides, populist currents: Elections in Poland and Romania
15:43
15:43
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:43
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Piotr Buras, head of ECFR’s Warsaw office, for an emergency room episode dissecting Sunday’s pivotal elections in Poland and Romania. Their discussion, which was recorded after high-stakes voting had taken place across Portugal, Poland and Romania, zooms in on some surprising outcomes. Romania’s liberal candidat…
…
continue reading
1
Reset or compromise? Taking stock of the EU-UK summit
15:16
15:16
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:16
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Mij Rahman, managing director for Europe at Eurasia Group and ECFR council member, for an emergency room episode dissecting the long-awaited EU-UK summit. While the summit’s agreement sets precedents on policies including an agri-food deal, and a security and defence partnership, it falls short of achieving ambi…
…
continue reading
1
Trump’s new Europe: From ally to adversary
30:44
30:44
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:44
Mark Leonard welcomes Célia Belin, head of ECFR’s Paris office and senior policy fellow, to discuss how President Donald Trump’s return to the White House could reshape Europe’s political landscape. Their conversation builds on Célia’s recent policy brief, “MAGA goes global: Trump’s plan for Europe”: she argues that, while Trump’s foreign policy ma…
…
continue reading
1
Truce or trap: Decoding the US-China trade pause
13:04
13:04
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
13:04
Far from a grand bargain, the US-China trade deal rolls back President Donald Trump’s post-Liberation Day tariff spiral—which peaked at 145%—to pre-April levels. This will avert empty US shelves, but leaves underlying tensions unresolved. In this emergency room episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Janka Oertel, head of ECFR’s Asia programme, to dissect t…
…
continue reading
1
Border geopolitics: India and Pakistan revisited
16:56
16:56
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:56
Over the weekend, India and Pakistan came closer to all-out war than perhaps at any point in the past 20 to 25 years as missiles flew back and forth across the border. At the point of this podcast recording, a fragile ceasefire appears to be holding—but tensions remain high. In this week’s emergency podcast episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Andrew Sma…
…
continue reading
As of May 6th, Germany has a new government, led by the CDU’s Friedrich Merz in coalition with the CSU and SPD. Despite a last-minute hitch, Merz is now safely installed in the Bundeskanzleramt in Berlin, from where he immediately jetted off to Paris and Warsaw for high-level political meetings. In this episode, Mark Leonard welcomes Jeremy Cliffe,…
…
continue reading
Trump’s first 100 days in office have brought chaos to US foreign and domestic policy. From imperial gestures to institutional erosion, Mark Leonard welcomes Jeremy Shapiro to unpack what this means for American democracy—and for Europe. From territorial provocations and budget slashes to institutional chaos and a reordering of US foreign policy, D…
…
continue reading
Friedrich Merz is set to become Germany’s next chancellor after Social Democratic Party members approved a coalition agreement with the Christian Democratic Union and its Bavarian sister party the Christian Social Union—bringing Olaf Scholz’s tenure to an end. In this emergency episode of World in 30 Minutes, Mark Leonard is joined by Jana Puglieri…
…
continue reading
On the 100th day of Donald Trump’s second term, the war in Ukraine—which he promised to end within 24 hours—rages on. As Trump’s impatience with the conflict grows, Ukraine and its European allies are scrambling to prevent an imposed peace deal that would see Kyiv recognise Russia’s sovereignty over Crimea and parts of eastern Ukraine , and abandon…
…
continue reading
1
Nuclear diplomacy: Trump, Iran and a potential new deal
32:25
32:25
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
32:25
After years of stalled diplomacy, the US and Iran are back in high-level talks. Surprise meetings have taken place in Oman and Rome, with more expected soon. Could this be President Donald Trump’s long-awaited foreign policy win? Or will competing agendas, regional tensions and internal divisions doom the negotiations before they begin? This week, …
…
continue reading
1
Tariffs, tensions, and trade: Trump’s gamble on China
30:26
30:26
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
30:26
Two weeks after Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff announcement shook global markets, he has now offered most countries a 90-day reprieve—while simultaneously escalating trade tensions with China by imposing harsher penalties. So far, China has responded by matching each tariff hike with its own response. This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Agathe Demarai…
…
continue reading
1
From Brexit to breakthrough? The future of EU-UK cooperation
42:55
42:55
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
42:55
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Mujtaba Rahman, managing director, Europe, at Eurasia Group, to explore the evolving dynamic between the EU and the UK. With a new British government under Keir Starmer and shifting global currents, what are the real opportunities—and constraints—for a meaningful reset in EU-UK relations? Mark and Mujtaba discus…
…
continue reading
1
Porcupine play: How Taiwan defends its democracy
28:42
28:42
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
28:42
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Camille Grand, ECFR distinguished policy fellow, and Janka Oertel, head of ECFR’s Asia programme, who have recently returned from Taipei. Together, they explore Taiwan’s delicate balancing act as China ramps up its military drills and as the second Trump administration’s priorities shift. The conversation dives …
…
continue reading
1
Trump’s tariff bombshell: Rewriting the rules of global trade
16:50
16:50
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
16:50
In this emergency room episode, Mark Leonard is joined by Agathe Demarais, ECFR senior policy fellow and geoeconomics team leader. They explore the dramatic implications of Donald Trump’s unexpected and aggressive tariff policies announcement on 2nd April—which he has dubbed “Independence Day.” Mark and Agathe discuss the economic shockwaves hittin…
…
continue reading
1
Le Pen’s fall: Europe’s far-right faces a reckoning
15:15
15:15
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
15:15
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Célia Belin, head of ECFR’s Paris office, to dive into the seismic news shaking French politics: the conviction of Marine Le Pen, leader of the far-right National Rally (RN). A French court has found Le Pen guilty of misusing European Parliament funds, sentencing her to a five-year ban from public office and eff…
…
continue reading
1
Europe’s Asian pivot: India and the quest for strategic autonomy
29:34
29:34
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
29:34
This week, Mark Leonard hosts an expert panel to dive into Europe’s evolving relationships with Asia amid the uncertainties of the Trump administration. Joining from Berlin is Janka Oertel, head of ECFR’s Asia programme; from London, James Crabtree, a distinguished visiting fellow at ECFR with extensive Asia experience; and from New Delhi, Rudra Ch…
…
continue reading
1
Signal scandal: The US and its shifting alliances
14:21
14:21
Play later
Play later
Lists
Like
Liked
14:21
This week, Mark Leonard joins forces with Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR’s director of research and US programme director, to unpick two momentous geopolitical disruptions. First, a stunning scandal emerged from a Signal group chat, where senior US officials—including the vice president, secretary of defence and CIA director—carelessly looped in the Atlantic…
…
continue reading
