Episodes
Showdown in the United Kingdom. PM Johnson versus parliament; deal versus no deal. The Brexit endgame has begun. Our guests: Friedrich Thelen (political adviser), Jon Worth (blogger), Alex Forrest Whiting (DW)
Published 09/05/19
Eastern Germans are going to the polls, and the country is asking itself: will the far-right populist AfD win? Will that make the states of Saxony and Brandenburg ungovernable? Guests: Valerie Höhne (Spiegel Online), Michaela Küfner (DW), Alan Posener (Die Welt)
Published 08/29/19
Hundreds of thousands have protested in Hong Kong since June. Will Beijing do more than exert pressure and make threats to the demonstrators? What will the West do? Guests: Bernhard Bartsch (Bertelsmann Stiftung), Cherie Chan (DW), Hao Gui (DW)
Published 08/22/19
India's government has abolished Kashmir's special autonomous status, prompting a furious response from the region's Muslim majority. Tensions are running high and there has been talk of war. Guests: Isha Bathia (DW), Christian Wagner (German Institute for International and Security Affairs), Shahzeb Jillani (DW)
Published 08/15/19
The tense standoff between Iran and the US in the Persian Gulf continues. Will Europe be the big loser in the power struggle in the Strait of Hormuz? Our guests: Ali Fatholla-Nejad (Brookings Institution), Alan Posener (Die Welt), Ulrike Herrmann (taz)
Published 08/09/19
Is she a hero or a criminal? The German Sea-Watch 3 skipper Carola Rackete saved dozens of migrants from the Mediterranean. Italy’s far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini wants her in jail. Our guests: Ana Maria Alvarez (Migration Hub), Sulin Sardoschau (migration expert), Malte Lehming (Tagesspiegel)
Published 07/04/19
Turkish president Erdogan and his AK party are the big losers of Istanbul’s mayoral election. Will the opposition candidate’s victory be a turning point for the whole of Turkey? Our guests: Cagri Özdemir (DW), Laura Lale Kabis (DGAP), Alan Posener (Die Welt)
Published 06/27/19
A million people joined demonstrations in Hong Kong against the growing influence of Beijing. They are concerned the territory's special status and limited freedoms will be eroded. Who will win this power-struggle? Our guests: Ray Wong (Activist), Cherie Chan (DW), Andreas Kluth (Author and journalist)
Published 06/20/19
Polls say Germany’s Greens have ousted Angela Merkel’s conservative Christian democrats as the country’s most popular party. Could Germany’s next chancellor even be a Green? Our guests: Wolfgang Merkel (Political scientist), Ursula Weidenfeld (Freelance journalist), Maximiliane Koschyk (DW).
Published 06/13/19
Angela Merkel's government is in crisis, set off by the governing parties' poor showing at the European elections and the resignation of SPD Leader Andrea Nahles. How long can the grand coalition in Germany stay together? Guests: Vanessa Vu (ZEIT ONLINE), Andreas Kluth (Journalist and author), Cordula Tutt (Wirtschaftswoche)
Published 06/06/19
The EU has voted. Established parties suffered massive losses across most of Europe, while populist parties have made huge gains. What does this mean for Europe? Our guests: Jean-Michel Hauteville (Handelsblatt Today), Derek Scally (Irish Times), Karen Taylor (Political Activist).
Published 05/27/19
Ahead of European elections a video scandal in Austria brings down the coalition government of conservatives and the far-right. What impact will it have on the showing of right-wing populists? Our guests: Karen Taylor (political consultant), Matthew Karnitschnig (Politico), Emmanuelle Chaze (DW)
Published 05/23/19
Sabre-rattling and sanctions are the methods of choice for the US in its stand-off with Iran. But can this strategy force a climb-down in Tehran? Guests: Torrey Taussig (Robert Bosch fellow), Shayan Arkian (IranAnders), Rick Noack (Washington Post)
Published 05/16/19
Violence between Israel and the Palestinians keeps flaring up. Negotiations for a permanent peace have so far failed to yield a result. Can there ever be an end to the Mideast conflict? Guests: Shani Rozanes (DW), Alan Posener (Die Welt), Hassan Khader (Writer and Journalist)
Published 05/09/19
IS has been defeated on the battlefield. But the struggle is far from over. Some of the fighters and their families are German citizens and want to come back. Is a new jihad imminent? Guests: Amir Mussawy (Freelance Journalist), Alan Posener (Die Welt), Kristin Helberg (Middle East Analyst)
Published 04/11/19
NATO is marking its 70th anniversary. But even supporters of the military alliance admit it’s facing huge challenges in the era of Trump and Putin. And what about Germany? Is it a fully-committed NATO member or a “free-rider”? Our guests: Claudia Major (SWP), Ulrike Franke (ECFR), Andreas Kluth (Handelsblatt Today)
Published 04/05/19
Are politicians censoring the internet? That’s what many members of the net community fear, after the EU parliament voted in favour of a reform of the copyright law. But how serious are those concerns? Our guests: John Weitzmann (Wikimedia), Grace Dobush (Freelance Journalist), Alan Posener (Die Welt)
Published 03/28/19
A white supremacist attacks two mosques in Christchurch, killing at least 50. New Zealand is in shock. Where does the hate come from? And what role do social media play? Our guests: Malte Lehming (Tagesspiegel), Matthew Karnitschnig (Politico), Myles Tweedie (DW).
Published 03/21/19
French president Emmanuel Macron has called on people to resist populism and defend the EU. German chancellor Angela Merkel has stayed silent, letting the CDU leader do the talking. What are we to make of this? Our guests: Milan Nic (DGAP), Ulrike Guérot (Political Scientist), Derek Scally (Irish Times).
Published 03/14/19
To mark International Women's Day, we take a close look at women in power and ask: are they the better politicians? Guests: Susanne Koelbl (Spiegel), Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson (NPR) Karen Taylor (Political activist)
Published 03/07/19
The Hanoi summit between Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un has broken down. The two leaders failed to strike a deal over trading concessions on economic sanctions for concrete denuclearization measures. So, what next? Our guests: Jin-Heon Jung (Free University), Erik Kirschbaum (LA Times), Cherie Chan (DW)
Published 02/28/19
US President Trump declared a national emergency over his border wall with Mexico. And he now sees German cars as a security threat. Is this lawful or is he flouting democratic rules? Guests: Torrey Taussig (Brookings Institution), Ana Maria Alvarez (Migration Hub), Malte Lehming (Tagesspiegel)
Published 02/21/19
Following revelations of the sexual abuse of children and youths in the Catholic Church, Pope Francis has now publicly acknowledged the sexual abuse of nuns. Can the church reform itself? Our guests: Philipp Gessler (Zeitzeichen), Amrita Cheema (DW), Claudia Keller (Chrismon).
Published 02/14/19
The US and Russia are withdrawing from the Nuclear Forces Treaty, which eliminates intermediate and short-range nuclear missiles in Europe. What goals are Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin pursuing? Guests: Sabine Siebold (rtv), Alan Posener (Die Welt), Otfried Nassauer (bits)
Published 02/07/19
Showdown in Venezuela: Opposition leader Juan Guaidó is calling on President Nicolás Maduro to step aside. Many countries, among them the United States, have recognised Guaidó as interim president. Could Venezuela descend into bloody civil war? Our guests: Ana Soliz de Stange (Analyst), Ivo Hernandez (Political Scientist), Thomas O’Donnel (Author and Lecturer)
Published 01/31/19