ECFR

Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

News EN ↓ 644 episodes

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.

Author

ECFR

Category

News

Podcast website

ecfr.eu

Latest episode

Jul 9, 2026

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Episodes

Gilets Jaunes: A French crisis? 21.03.2019

Mark Leonard speaks with Simon Kuper, Tara Varma and Manuel Lafont Rapnouil about the Yellow Vest Movement, and whether it is only a French phenomenon. The podcast was recorded on 21 March 2019. EU Radio is now also broadcasting this podcast on Tuesdays at 7pm and Wednesdays at 9am CET every week. You can listen to the station at www.euradio.fr. Bookshelf: Sur le fil de l'asile by Pasquale Brice h...

Crimea at five 13.03.2019

Jeremy Shapiro is standing in for the regular host Mark Leonard and discusses the current situation in Crimea and relations between Russia and Ukraine with ECFR experts Kadri Liik and Nicu Popsecu. The podcast was recorded on 13 March 2019.EU Radio is now also broadcasting this podcast on Tuesdays at 7pm and Wednesdays at 9am CET every week. You can listen to the station at euradio.fr. Bookshelf:W...

Protests in Algeria: A fifth term for Bouteflika? 06.03.2019

Mark Leonard speaks with Andrew Lebovich, Anthony Dworkin and Chloe Teevan, about what the demonstrators want, and EU-Algeria relations. Bookshelf:La Martingale Algérienne, Réflexions sur une crise by Abderrahmane Hadj-Nacer http://www.editions-barzakh.com/catalogue/la-martingale-algerienne-reflexions-sur-une-criseA History of Algeria by James McDougall https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/history...

Why did Iran's foreign minister resign? 28.02.2019

Mark Leonard speaks with Ellie Geranmayeh and Dr Kayhan Barzegar about Mohammad Javad Zarif’s resignation, and the current political situation in Iran. Bookshelf:Becoming by Michelle Obama https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/562881/becoming-by-michelle-obama/9781524763138/Reading Lolita from Tehran by Azar Nafisi https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/290/290466/reading-lolita-in-tehran/978024124623...

Highlights of the Munich Security Conference 2019 18.02.2019

Highlights of the Munich Security Conference 2019Directly from the Hotel Bayerischer Hof, Mark Leonard, Ulrike Franke and Jonathan Hackenbroich share their post-conference insights. They discuss the speeches by German chancellor Angela Merkel, US vice-president Mike Pence, and Britain’s defence secretary Gavin Williamson, and talk about their favourite side-events. Bookshelf:* Munich Security Repo...

EU Elections: Could anti-Europe parties wreck the EU from within? 12.02.2019

Mark Leonard speaks with Susi Dennison, director of ECFR’s European Power programme, and programme coordinator Pawel Zerka, about the upcoming European Parliament elections, the possibility of a surge in Eurosceptic parties, and how to mobilize the pro-European vote. New ECFR report: "The 2019 European Elections: How anti-Europeans plan to wreck Europe and what can be done to stop" it’https://www....

The crisis in Venezuela: What does Europe’s move mean? 06.02.2019

Anthony Dworkin steps in for Mark Leonard and speaks with Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, Federica Paddeu, and Sergey Sukhankin, about what risks the recognition of Juan Guaido as interim president of Venezuela by several European countries will bring. The podcast was recorded on 5 February 2019. Bookshelf:Russian mercenaries on the march: next stop Venezuela? by Sergey Sukhankin https://www.ecfr.eu/art...

US tariffs on Chinese exports: Can the two reach a deal? 30.01.2019

Anthony Dworkin steps in for Mark Leonard and speaks with Janka Oertel and Sebastian Mallaby about US-China trade talks, their relationship and Europe’s role. The podcast was recorded on 30 January 2019.Bookshelf: Troublemakers: Silicon Valley's Coming of Age by Leslie Berlin https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Troublemakers/Leslie-Berlin/9781451651508The Code: Silicon Valley and the remaking o...

The Aachen Treaty: A closer Franco-German relationship? 17.01.2019

Anthony Dworkin steps in for Mark Leonard and speaks with Almut Möller, Manuel Lafont Rapnouil and Tom Nuttall about how significant the new treaty of friendship between France and Germany is. The podcast was recorded on the 17 January 2019.Bookshelf:Iron Kingdom by Christopher Clark https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/261/26185/iron-kingdom/9780140293340.htmlWir sind ja nicht zum Spaß hier: Reportage...

The US role in Syria 10.01.2019

Anthony Dworkin steps in for Mark Leonard and discusses the US strategy in Syria with Asli Aydintasbas, Julien Barnes-Dacey and Jasmin El-Gamal. The podcast was recorded on 10 January 2019.Picture: Marine Corps photo by Sgt. Matthew Callahan via US Department of Defense https://dod.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1239452/collaboration-fuels-fight-against-isis-official-says/, DoD Instruction 5410....

Trends for 2019 02.01.2019

Mark Leonard and Jeremy Shapiro review the year gone by and predict the 10 foreign policy trends that will define 2019.Picture credit: Statistics Forward Financial Trends by Pixabay https://pixabay.com/en/statistics-forward-financial-trends-2214097/, CC0 https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Global Compact on Migration: The clash between populism and technocracy 13.12.2018

Mark Leonard speaks with Shoshana Fine, Tom Nuttall, Jose Ignacio Torreblanca, and Patrycja Sasnal about the UN’s GCM, and whether it matters that some European countries haven’t signed it. The podcast was recorded on 12 December 2018.Bookshelf:Go, went, gone by Jenny Erpenbeck https://www.amazon.co.uk/Go-Went-Gone-Jenny-Erpenbeck/dp/1846276209How Democracies Die by Steven Levitsky and Daniel Zibl...

How has Germany’s strategy shifted? 05.12.2018

Mark Leonard speaks with Michael Thumann about Germany and its new role in the world. Bookshelf:The Great Delusion: Liberal Dreams and International Realities by John J. Mearsheimer https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300234190/great-delusionSpionagechef im geheimen Krieg by Markus Wolf https://www.amazon.de/Spionagechef-geheimen-Krieg-Markus-Wolf/dp/3612264826Die Zeit articles by Michael Thumann...

The Sea of Azov: The newest front in the war in Ukraine? 26.11.2018

Mark Leonard speaks with Andrew Wilson, Kadri Liik and Nicu Popescu about the Kerch Strait ship capture, what this means and how the international community could react to the latest tensions. The podcast was recorded on 26 November 2018.Bookshelf:The Cuckoo's Egg: Tracking a Spy Through the Maze of Computer Espionage by Cliff Stoll http://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Cuckoos-Egg/Cliff-Stoll...

Could EU entry bans protect human rights? 22.11.2018

Anthony Dworkin speaks with Gerald Knaus about how the EU can protect human rights and prevent rising illiberalism. Bookshelf:Moral Tribes by Joshua Greene https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/299057/moral-tribes-by-joshua-greene/9780143126058/Not Enough - Human Rights in an Unequal World by Samuel Moyn http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674737563Picture credit: Do not enter by nr...

Brexit: This deal or no deal? 15.11.2018

Anthony Dworkin speaks with Douglas Alexander about the proposed withdrawal agreement, whether it will get through parliament and what might happen if it doesn't. Picture credit: Brexit talks on the verge of crucial new stage as Theresa May falters by Tiocfaidh ár lá 1916 via Flickr https://www.flickr.com/photos/tiocfaidh_ar_la_1916/39061122941, CC BY-ND 2.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by...

Midterm elections: Will US foreign policy change? 08.11.2018

Mark Leonard speaks with Craig Kennedy, Jeremy Shapiro and Anna Kuchenbecker about the election results and Donald Trump's tenure. Bookshelf:The Great Delusion by John J. Mearsheimer https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300234190/great-delusionSapiens by Yuval Noah Harari https://www.ynharari.com/book/sapiens/Lords of the Desert by James Barr http://www.simonandschuster.co.uk/books/Lords-of-the-Des...

A world without Angela Merkel 01.11.2018

What does Angela Merkel’s decision to stand down as leader of the Christian Democratic Union (CDU) mean for Germany and Europe? Mark Leonard discusses with Josef Janning and Susi Dennison the political implications and expectations for party leadership: Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Friedrich Merz, Jens Spahn. Bookshelf•ECFR’s EU Coalition Explorer www.ecfr.eu/eucoalitionexplorer •Counter-Revolution...

Close contact? Coalition building in the EU 26.10.2018

ECFR’s EU28 Survey reveals the interactions, perceptions, and chemistry between the 28 EU member states. This week, Mark Leonard joins Josef Janning, Christoph Klavehn and Almut Möller to discuss findings of the expert poll that will be published in the “EU Coalition Explorer” on Thursday, 30 October 2018.Bookshelf- EU Coalition Explorer https://www.ecfr.eu/eucoalitionexplorer (Stay tuned for the...

The disappearance of Jamal Khashoggi 17.10.2018

Mark Leonard speaks with Asli Aydintasbas, Jeremy Shapiro and Julien Barnes-Dacey about what effect the incident might have on relations between Saudi Arabia, the US and Turkey. The podcast was recorded on the 16 October 2018. Bookshelf:The Jungle Grows Back by Robert Kagan https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/576193/the-jungle-grows-back-by-robert-kagan/9780525521655/The River of Doubt by Can...

The Sahel: A transit region for migration 12.10.2018

Mark Leonard speaks with Shoshana Fine and Andrew Lebovich about what Europe is trying to do in the Sahel. Bookshelf:The Good Immigrant by Nico SchuettlerFrom Empires to NGOs in the West African Sahel by Gregory Mann https://www.cambridge.org/core/books/from-empires-to-ngos-in-the-west-african-sahel/A091DE71429912E256C6A1E093CD7274Halting ambition: EU migration and security policy in the Sahel by...

Macedonian referendum: What happens next? 03.10.2018

Mark Leonard speaks with Vessela Tcherneva and Robert Cooper about the contested result and how it might be solved. Bookshelf:Carnegie report on the Balkan wars http://www.pollitecon.com/html/ebooks/Carnegie-Report-on-the-Balkan-Wars.pdfSafe Passage - The Transition from British to American Hegemony by Tori Schake http://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674975071The Master and Margarita Re...

The sanctions weapon 27.09.2018

Mark Leonard speaks with Erica Moret and Manuel Lafont Rapnouil about European sanctions policies, secondary sanctions and counter measures. The podcast was recorded on the 27 September 2018.Bookshelf:Keeping Europe Safe after Brexit - Findings of a reflection group led by Marta Dassù, Wolfgang Ischinger, Pierre Vimont, and Robert Cooper. Edited by Susi Dennison https://www.ecfr.eu/publications/su...

UN General Assembly 2018: What will be discussed? 20.09.2018

Mark Leonard and Richard Gowan go through the likely talking points at the meeting and discuss what might be on some countries' hidden agendas. The podcast was recorded on 19 September 2018.Bookshelf:The Secret of the World: A History of Intelligence by Christopher AndrewEnough Said by Mark ThompsonPicture credit: 70th session of the UN General Assembly by Kremlin.ru http://en.kremlin.ru/events/pr...

The Idlib crisis – Can Turkey and Europe avert disaster? 13.09.2018

Mark Leonard examines the looming Syrian-Russian military action in Idlib in discussion with ECFR experts Asli Aydıntaşbaş, Julien Barnes-Dacey, and Almut Möller. What do Turks and Europeans make of the possible humanitarian and geopolitical consequences? Bookshelf- Judith Kerr: The tiger who came to teahttps://www.amazon.com/Tiger-Who-Came-Tea/dp/0007215991- David D. Kirkpatrick: Into the Hands o...

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