ECFR ON AIR

In the latest episode of the WOMENP podcast series, Ellie Geranmayeh welcomes Dina Esfandiary, Middle East geoeconomics lead at Bloomberg; Yasmine Farouk, Gulf and Arabian Peninsula project director at International Crisis Group; and Dania Thafer, executive director at the Gulf International Forum. Together, they discuss how Arab Gulf monarchies used Trump’s latest visit to demonstrate their regional leverage—for example, Saudi Arabia leader Mohammad bin Salman emerged as a clear mover and shaker in brokering a historic meeting on Syria.But did Saudi Arabia also make gains on the Palestine-Israel conflict? What are Qatar’s expectations as regional mediator on both the Gaza conflict and the Iran file? And how are Arab Gulf monarchies seeking to influence Trump on his deal-making attempts with Iran? Listen to all past episodes of the WOMENP series here: WOMENP special website BookshelfDesert Kingdoms to Global Powers New Order in the Gulf: The Rise of the UAEAtlas of AI: Power, Politics, and the Planetary Costs of Artificial IntelligenceOur Women on the Ground: Essays by Arab Women Reporting from the Arab WorldLove Stories on Al-Asha Street Pieces in motion: Rebalancing power in a new Levantine order Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China is becoming ever more important to global affairs. But political and geopolitical challenges, as well as the covid-19 pandemic, have diminished Europeans’ ability to engage with Chinese thinkers and understand their views and ideas about the world. In this mini-series, Mark Leonard, Janka Oertel, and Alicja Bachulska try to change that by engaging in conversations with some of the best Chinese academics, researchers, writers, and journalists on the topics in Chinese internal debates that matter most to Europeans.  --  In this episode we are joined by Yan Xuetong, director of the Institute of International Studies at Tsinghua University and one of the world’s most renowned scholars on realism in international relations, to discuss the trajectory of the international order and China’s response to it. What do Chinese leaders mean when they talk about “great changes unseen in a century”? How might China respond to the US strategy of “small yard, high fence”? And what is the role of populism in the emerging global order?  The Essence of Interstate Leadership: Debating Moral Realism edited by Yan Xuetong and Fang Yuanyuan Leadership and the Rise of Great Powers by Yan Xuetong   This podcast was recorded on 16 April 2024.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

xThe green transition requires massive investments in energy, digital, and transport connectivity to fill the gap in developing countries. At the same time, infrastructure projects are becoming weaponised by rival powers seeking to extend their influence abroad through the construction of railways, undersea cables, or renewable energy plants. China has been the pioneer in this effort, through its massive investment plan, the Belt and Road Initiative. The G7, conscious of the necessity to answer China’s infrastructural offensive and to mend ties with the global south, has launched the Partnership for Global Infrastructure and Investments. Italy, as G7 president, aims to be a bridge builder – literally and metaphorically – and is developing routes alternative to those sponsored by China. In this episode, Alberto Rizzi, policy fellow at ECFR and author of the recent report on the India-Middle East-Europe economic corridor, and Mohammed Soliman, director of the strategic technologies and cyber security programme at the Middle East Institute, discuss the importance of infrastructures and connectivity in the current fragmented global order.This podcast was recorded on 16 May 2024 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Two years into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the international community remains deeply divided on how to react to Putin’s aggression. Disagreements have characterised the European position, prompting strong criticism about the European Union’s incapacity to react, act, and lead with a strong and united position. In the United States, measures to support Ukraine have also been blocked because of bipartisan division; China still sends weapons-related exports to Russia; and many countries take strong pro-Russia positions. Italian prime minister Giorgia Meloni’s support to Ukraine has surprised many observers who did not believe in her commitment to a free and sovereign Ukraine. As the war becomes one of attrition, she should use her G7 presidency to harmonise and expand its role, not only in condemning Russia, but also on supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction.In this episode, Arturo Varvelli, who heads the Rome office at ECFR, and Lesia Ogryzko, an ECFR visiting fellow and head of the International Cooperation Department of the RISE Ukraine Coalition and a fellow at the Centre for Defence Strategies, discuss what to expect from Meloni on support to Ukraine.This podcast was recorded on 9 May 2024 Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

China is becoming ever more important to global affairs. But political and geopolitical challenges, as well as the covid-19 pandemic, have diminished Europeans’ ability to engage with Chinese thinkers and understand their views and ideas about the world. In this mini-series, Mark Leonard and Janka Oertel try to change that by engaging in conversations with some of the best Chinese academics, researchers, writers, and journalists on the topics in Chinese internal debates that matter most to Europeans. --  In this episode, we are joined by Angela Zhang, associate professor of law at the University of Hong Kong and director of the Philip K.H. Wong Centre for Chinese Law, to discuss China’s big tech regulation. Angela talks us through big tech companies’ far from frictionless relationship with the Chinese state. How is China regulating its big tech firms? What role do these firms play in China’s competition with Europe and the United States? And what are the lessons for Europe’s own attempts at tech regulation? High Wire: How China Regulates Big Tech and Governs Its Economy by Angela Zhang  Wuhan: How the COVID-19 Outbreak in China Spiraled Out of Control, by Dali L. Yang This podcast was recorded on 21 May 2024.    Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In September 2024, the United Nation’s Summit of the Future is set to take place – a crucial moment to mend “eroded trust” between peoples, countries, and generations. Europe's role on the world stage is constantly adapting to the fluidity of the global geopolitical space. Traditional views of multilateralism are being rethought, and Europe is exploring its role in fostering meaningful international cooperation on many global issues.  In this final episode of Europe Listens, ECFR’s Rafael Loss and Jana Puglierin welcome Richard Gowan, UN director at the International Crisis Group and Arancha González Laya, former Spanish foreign minister and current dean of the Science Po Paris School of International Affairs. They revisit previous discussions of the Europe Listens series and, looking ahead, ask how the European Union can continue playing a meaningful role on the global stage. This podcast was recorded on 19 March 2024. Other episodes of this show: Europe Listens – seasons 1-3 Further reading: Pact for the Future: Zero draft by Germany and Namibia as co-facilitators of the UN Summit of the Future Multilateral values: European ideals under pressure by Richard Gowan How the World Lost Faith in the UN by Richard Gowan Trump-proofing Europe: How the continent can prepare for American abandonment by Arancha González Laya et al. Multilateral Matchmaker by Carla Hobbs, Rafael Loss, Jana Puglierin, and Pawel Zerka  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Around 70 per cent of our planet is covered by the ocean, of which two-thirds fall beyond national jurisdiction. After decades of discussions and negotiations, states adopted the so-called High Seas Treaty in September 2023. The treaty aims to increase the governance of the world’s oceans and tackle common challenges such as environmental degradation, illegal fishing, and preserving our marine resources sustainably.   To kick off the third season of Europe Listens, ECFR’s Rafael Loss and Jana Puglierin welcome Essam Yassin Mohammed, director general of WorldFish and senior director of aquatic food at CGIAR, a global partnership that unites international organisations engaged in research about food security. What are the most pressing challenges when navigating the realm of ocean governance? What other developments or multilateral initiatives in ocean governance are on the horizon for the European Union and its allies?This podcast was recorded on 28 February 2024. Other episodes of this season: Episode 2: Exploring the deep seabed with Pradeep SinghFurther reading: 2024: A turning point for transforming aquatic food systems by Essam Yassin Mohammed A momentous milestone for the ocean and global biodiversity by the High Seas Alliance Protecting the ocean, time for action by the European Commission Multilateral Matchmaker: Outer-space and maritime security governance by Rafael Loss  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.