The Rachman Review

Israeli journalist Nadav Eyal tells Gideon why he believes Israel is on course for a full-blown constitutional crisis. The Netanyahu government’s plan to curtail the power of the judiciary, he says, will remove democratic checks and balances that are crucial for the survival of a liberal democracy. Opponents include business, the military and the country's intellectual elite, as well as many middl...

Gideon talks to academic and writer Denise Dresser about President Andrés Manuel López Obrador’s autocratic tendencies and why she thinks the leader she once voted for is dismantling democracy in Mexico. Clips: France 24, Andrés Manuel López Obrador  Amlo’s strongman act is weakening Mexico Thousands protest in Mexico against cuts to electoral watchdog Mexico’s former security chief convicted...

The Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist talks to Gideon about his efforts to keep global development goals alive amid rising geopolitical tensions. They discuss shrinking aid budgets, climate, technology, China-US tensions and whether Gates remains an optimist about the future. Bill Gates warns Ukraine war is sapping Europe’s foreign aid budgets Elon Musk’s Twitter is ‘stirring up’ digital pol...

Christopher Miller moved to the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut in 2010 as a volunteer for the US Peace Corps. Now an FT correspondent in Kyiv, he tells Gideon about how the eastern city came to play a central role in the war and how he sees the conflict unfolding in the coming months. Clips: CNN More on this topic: A 12-year journey to the heart of the war in Ukraine ‘Hell. Just hell’: Ukraine and Russ...

In the second episode in our special series, Gideon talks to war historian Hein Goemans about what it would take to end the fighting in Ukraine. FT podcast survey More on this topic: A year of war in Ukraine has left Europe’s armouries dry Military briefing: Russia prepares Ukraine spring offensive The keyboard warriors on Ukraine’s digital front line Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in maps — latest...

In the first of a three-part series, Gideon talks to Ukraine MP Lesia Vasylenko about what it was like to wake up in a country at war, how Ukrainians surprised the world with their fightback, and the need for reparations and justice for the victims of Russia’s war crimes. More on this topic: FT podcast survey Volodymyr Zelenskyy demands ‘wings for freedom’ as UK pledges fighter pilot training Mili...

Gideon talks to Martin Wolf, the FT’s chief economics commentator, about his new book, The Crisis of Democratic Capitalism . They discuss why the post-war settlement between democratic governments and their people is no longer fit for purpose and what can be done to restore our faith in it. More on this topic: FT podcast survey Martin Wolf: in defence of democratic capitalism The great disruption...

The Filipino people are paying a heavy price for regional tensions between China and the US, Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos Jr tells Gideon. He explains how he hopes to steer clear of conflict, build up the economy and focus on mitigating the economic damage caused by climate change. Clips: Inquirer.net More on this topic: Ferdinand Marcos Jr says Taiwan tensions ‘very, very worrisome’...

The war in Ukraine has had dire consequences for millions of people beyond Europe. Gideon talks to David Miliband, IRC president, about why Putin's challenge to the world order must not go unpunished. Clips: CNN More on this topic: Geopolitics threatens to destroy the world Davos made War in Tigray may have killed 600,000 people, peace mediator says How the law finally caught up with notorious hum...

A small group of Republican party zealots, backed by former president Donald Trump, have forced their way into a position of power in the US Congress. Gideon talks to Jacob Heilbrunn, editor of the National Interest magazine in Washington and senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, about what they are seeking to achieve and whether they will end up playing into the hands of President Joe Biden if h...

How has Russia changed since Putin embarked on his Ukraine war nearly a year ago? Gideon talks to Angela Stent of Georgetown University about the origins of Russia’s imperialist ambitions, its rupture with Europe and reliance on revived alliances with the global south. Clips: @Rumoaohepta7; Channel 4 News   More on this topic:  ‘Untrainable’: Russian army faces backlash over conscripts’...

Gideon Rachman is joined by a panel of colleagues: FT editor Roula Khalaf, Moscow correspondent Max Seddon and US editor Edward Luce. This year was defined by Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Will 2023 be any different? Meanwhile, in China, Xi Jinping was confirmed for a third term as the country's leader, with many believing he's now set to rule for life.  Subscribe to The Rachman...

Qatar’s decision to host the World Cup was mired in controversy from the start but ultimately seems to have paid off, bringing the tiny Gulf emirate new friends and winning over old enemies. Gideon talks to Simeon Kerr, the FT’s Gulf correspondent, about what motivates the emirate to seek to deploy its vast wealth for political ends. Clips: Qatar Airways; France 24   More on this topic: Qatar...

Australia’s relations with China have taken a dive in recent years, forcing Canberra to reassess regional security and trade ties. Gideon talks to Michael Fullilove, director of the Lowy Institute, Australia’s leading foreign-policy think-tank, about how Australia is adapting to the new reality. Clips: ABC, ChannelNewsAsia   More on this topic: Australia, China and the judgment of the Solomon...

Severe lockdowns associated with China’s zero-Covid policy have combined with economic woes to incite the most widespread protests since Tiananmen Square. President Xi Jinping is now under pressure to address this discontent. Gideon discusses what his options are with the FT’s Yuan Yang, who has recently returned to London from Beijing. Clips: BBC More on this topic: Xi’s pandemic triumphalism ret...

Italy has become one of the main entry points to the EU for irregular migrants but its new nationalist prime minister Giorgia Meloni has taken a hard line and is demanding Europe do more to help. Why has Meloni taken such a confrontational approach? Ben’s guest is Nicoletta Pirozzi, head of the EU programme at Italy’s Institute for International Affairs in Rome. Subscribe to The Rachman Review whe...

Brazil joins a group of Latin American countries that have elected leftwing leaders. What kind of change will they bring to the region and its relations with the rest of the world? Michael Stott, the FT’s Latin America editor, discusses these questions with Andrés Velasco, dean of the school of public policy at the London School of Economics and a former finance minister of Chile, and Chris Sabati...

Thomas Wright, director of strategic planning at the National Security Council in the Biden White House, tells Gideon how the war in Ukraine changed US thinking about the need for broader alliances. Clips: The White House, Channel 4 News   More on this topic: Xi Jinping’s China and the rise of the ‘global west’ US coal phaseout plan meets divided response at COP27 China and the US remain...

Joe Biden’s Democrats look set to lose control of Congress in this month's elections. But many of the Republicans poised to take office support Donald Trump's claim that the last presidential election was stolen. Gideon discusses his prospects for a return to the White House with journalist Susan Glasser, co-author of The Divider, a history of the Trump presidency. Clips: CNN, Forbes Breaking News...

Gideon talks to economist Linda Yueh of Oxford university about recent dramatic developments at the Chinese Communist party’s congress in Beijing. They discuss what the growing centralisation in China tells us about how Xi Jinping will handle the private sector, the property crisis and international tensions over Taiwan. Clips: CGTN; CNA More on this topic: China’s limitless presidency means limit...

There was outrage in Washington over Saudi Arabia’s decision to back Opec output cuts during a global energy crisis. What was the kingdom’s motive for putting its strategic partnership with the US at risk? As a regular visitor to Saudi Arabia, Emile Hokayem of the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London offers his view of the Saudi leader’s calculations and plans for a new global r...

Ukrainian cities have faced an onslaught of missiles from Russia this week in retaliation for the attack on the Kerch bridge that links Russia with occupied Crimea. Russia has threatened to go further and to use tactical nuclear weapons rather than face the defeat of its forces in Ukraine. But would it? Alexander Gabuev, a senior fellow for the Carnegie Endowment think-tank, tells Gideon he thinks...

The death of a young woman detained by Iran’s ‘morality police’ has sparked nationwide protests that the government is struggling to control. Gideon talks to Iranian analyst Sanam Vakil about what the unrest tells us about the weakening authority of the regime that has been in place for the past 40 years. Clips: BBC, France 24 More on this topic: How Iranian students are shaping anti reg...

Europe’s priorities have undergone a massive shift in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine. Gideon talks to political scientist Ivan Krastev about how central Europe is gaining influence within the EU as a result of the Ukraine war. Clips: United Nations; France24 More on this topic: EU to put price cap on Russian oil in new sanctions package The 90km journey that changed the course of...

Britain's new prime minister is facing huge challenges on both the domestic and international stage. Gideon talks to Bronwen Maddox, director of Chatham House, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, in London about how Liz Truss will deal with the Ukraine war, Brexit and relations with the US and China. Clips: Royal Family Channel; France 24 More on this topic: Liz Truss admits UK trade dea...