Independent Thinking

The panel discuss whether the COP29 climate summit delivered anything meaningful and what Donald Trump's election means for combating climate change. As the world moves closer to crossing the 1.5 degree threshold, Bronwen Maddox is joined by former BBC journalist Roger Harrabin and Maria Netto , executive director of the Institute for Climate and Society in Brazil. Also with them from COP29 in Bak...

The re-election of Donald Trump has major consequences for America's relations with China. The panel discuss how the US-China relationship might change under the next president. Guest host Ben Bland is joined by historian and political scientist Professor Rana Mitter , the FT's US-China correspondent, Demetri Sevastopulo and Dr Yu Jie , a senior research fellow with our Asia-Pacific programme.  Re...

Donald Trump has decisively defeated Kamala Harris in the US presidential election. What does his return to the White House mean for America and the world? Bronwen Maddox is joined by Edward Luce , the FT's North America editor, Gerald Seib , the former Washington bureau chief of The Wall Street Journal and Leslie Vinjamuri , the head of our US and Americas programme. Read our latest: The election...

North Korea is sending troops to Russia, but what is Kim Jong Un hoping to get from Vladmir Putin for military assistance against Ukraine? The panel also discuss the role military conscription plays in Israel, South Korea and Ukraine. Bronwen Maddox is joined by Edward Howell , the Korea Foundation fellow at Chatham House, Orysia Lutsevych , the head of our Ukraine Forum and Yossi Mekelberg , a se...

Ahead of a crucial budget by Chancellor Rachel Reeves, the UK's national debt is at almost 100 per cent of GDP - and it's not alone. Many G7 economies face massive debt levels, restricting ambitions when it comes to foreign policy and global engagement. Bronwen Maddox is joined by Patrick Wintour , the Guardian's Diplomatic Editor and Ranil Dissanayake , a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for...

France is facing political turmoil. The survival of Michel Barnier's new government rests on whether he can pass a controversial budget intended to rescue the country from its huge fiscal deficit. Bronwen Maddox is joined by Sophie Pedder , the Paris Bureau Chief of The Economist, Shahin Vallée , a former advisor to Emmanuel Macron and Armida van Rij , the head of our Europe programme. Episode inc...

Sanctions regimes are intended to be preferable to military force as a tool of foreign policy, but do they work to change behaviour or end up hurting ordinary people?  With  Bronwen Maddox is Daniel W Drezner , Professor of International Politics at Tufts University, Allie Renison , Associate Director at SEC Newgate, and Chris Sabatini , Senior Research Fellow for Latin America with our US and Ame...

On the first anniversary of the 7 October Hamas attacks, we discuss the possible pathways for peace between Israelis and Palestinians.  Bronwen Maddox is joined by Daniel Levy, the president of the US/Middle East Project. With them are Sanam Vakil , director of our Middle East and North Africa programme (MENAP) and Amjad Iraqi , a MENAP associate fellow. Read our latest: Israel needs a strategy fo...

With the Israeli military launching sustained attacks across Lebanon against Hezbollah, we explore why Israel has decided to ramp up strikes on Hezbollah now, even as the war in Gaza rages on and tensions continue to rise in the West Bank.  Bronwen Maddox is joined by The Economist's Middle East correspondent, Gregg Carlstrom . With them are Lina Khatib and Yossi Mekelberg , associate fellows with...

As Ukraine waits to hear if it can use Western missiles to strike deep into Russia, we explore the current state of the Kursk offensive and the front lines in Donbas, and ask what if any strategy might change the course of the war into 2025. Guest host  James Nixey is joined by the FT's Christopher Miller and military analyst Michael Kofman . With them is Olga Tokariuk , the OSUN academy fellow wi...

Tuesday's debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump brought fierce exchanges over immigration, abortion and foreign policy, and showed that America's global role matters in this election. Bronwen Maddox is joined by David Weigel from Semafor and Clare Malone from the New Yorker to discuss what we learned and what to watch in the rest of the race. With them is Heather Hurlburt , associate fello...

To kick off the third series of the podcast, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Anne Applebaum joins Bronwen Maddox to discuss the network of autocracies that now challenge liberal democracies and the world order they once relied on. They explore how China, Russia, Iran and others cooperate, their attacks on liberal democracies – and what the rest of the world can do about it. Read our latest: Even...

Venezuelans are protesting against Nicolás Maduro's claim to have won the presidential election. Bronwen Maddox is joined from Caracas by journalist turned opposition politician Paola Bautista de Aleman and the FT's Latin America editor Michael Stott . With them is Chris Sabatini , our Senior Research Fellow for Latin America. Read our latest: Venezuela's stolen election encourages the world's aut...

Democratic big hitters have coalesced around Kamala Harris as the Party's new nominee, but what do we know about her world view, especially on Gaza, and the place of US leadership in the world? Bronwen Maddox is joined by chief correspondent at the Washington Post, Dan Balz , political scientist Dan Drezner , and the Director of our US and Americas Programme, Leslie Vinjamuri , to discuss what a T...

The Republican National Convention is underway in Wisconsin just days after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump. Bronwen Maddox is joined by journalists Edward Luce and David E Sanger to discuss the selection of J. D. Vance as Trump's running mate and what this means for America's future foreign policy. Joining them is  Leslie Vinjamuri , the director of our US and Americas Programme . Rea...

NATO's Washington summit takes place amid growing uncertainty about US leadership, and some of Russia's heaviest missile attacks on Ukraine since the start of the war. Bronwen Maddox is joined by two former US ambassadors to NATO, Kurt Volker and Ivo Daalder, to discuss the challenges facing the alliance. With them is The Telegraph's Roland Oliphant and Chatham House's Armida van Rij . Read our la...

In this recording of a Chatham House event, Bronwen Maddox is joined by an expert panel on the morning of Labour's landslide win in the UK general election. Will Hutton , Anne McElvoy , James Heappey and Olivia O'Sullivan discuss the Conservatives' collapse, the new prime minister and his likely cabinet, and what the result means for the UK and its place in the world.  Read our latest: Can Labour...

On 17 June China's coastguard clashed violently with the Philippines near an isolated coral reef in the South China Sea. Tensions are running high between Beijing and Manila, a key US ally. Bronwen Maddox is joined this week by  Commodore Jay Tarriela of the Philippines Coast Guard, Collin Koh , Olivia Cheung , and Bill Hayton to discuss the dangers posed in one of the world's busiest shipping rou...

Joining  Bronwen Maddox this week is Fareed Zakaria , the host of Fareed Zakaria GPS on CNN. Recorded at our 2024 London Conference, they discuss the consequences of the US stepping back from its alliances, and the international order that relies on them. Read our latest: Donald Tusk awarded 2024 Chatham House Prize UK election manifestos make promises on security and foreign policy – but tough ch...

With Bronwen Maddox this week is Shaharzad Akbar , the former chair of Afghanistan's Independent Human Rights Commission and an Academy Associate at Chatham House. Joining them are Nilofar Sakhi , a Non-Resident Senior Fellow at the Atlantic Council's South Asia Centre and Heather Hurlburt, an Associate Fellow with our US and the Americas Programme.  Read our latest: What the US wants from the nex...

With Bronwen Maddox  this week is Suzanne Lynch , the Global Playbook author and Associate Editor at POLITICO Europe. Joining them are Armida van Rij , Senior Research Fellow and Head of the Europe Programme at Chatham House, and journalist Sebastien Maillard , Associate Fellow of the Europe Programme. Read our latest: India's shock election result is a loss for Modi but a win for democracy After...

Bronwen Maddox is joined by  Philippe Sands , a barrister specialising in international law and a Professor of the Public Understanding of Law at University College London. Joining them both are Lawrence Hill-Cawthorne , an Associate Professor in Law at the University of Bristol and Nomi Bar-Yacoov , an Associate Fellow of the International Security Programme at Chatham House and an international...

Rishi Sunak called a 4 July election saying the world is more dangerous than at any time since the end of the Cold War.  Bronwen Maddox  discusses those threats with Chatham House experts Olivia O'Sullivan , director of our UK in the World; David Lubin , our Michael Klein Senior Research Fellow in our Global Economy and Finance Programme; and Tim Eaton , senior research fellow in our Middle East a...

Bronwen Maddox   is joined by Shashank Joshi , defence editor of The Economist and historian and commentator Helene von Bismarck to discuss what the next government must prioritize in the UK's foreign policy. With them is Olivia O'Sullivan , Director of our UK in the World programme and co-author of the report: Three foreign policy priorities for the next UK government.  Read our latest: UK partie...

In this special episode, Bronwen Maddox interviews a key figure in US foreign policy to the Middle East for over a decade, Ambassador Dennis Ross . Ambassador Ross engaged directly with both Israeli and Palestinian parties in peace negotiations under multiple US presidents, and was instrumental in brokering agreements between them, including the 'Oslo II' accord of 1995 and the 1997 Hebron Accord....