This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Vessela Tcherneva, deputy director of ECFR, and Maria Simeonova, head of ECFR’s Sofia office, to discuss the deteriorating political situation in Bulgaria. Bulgaria is set to join the euro zone in 2026—but the country faces severe internal challenges. In a sign of mounting political instability, Bulgarians have gone to the polls seven times in five years. Powerful oligarchs wield increasing influence over state institutions, and are particularly using the judiciary to silence and target opposition figures. In June, former prime minister Kiril Petkov—an opposition leader and co-founder of the centrist We Continue the Change party—was forced to resign as an MP after being accused of corruption. Then, earlier this month, the opposition mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev, was arrested on embezzlement charges following a questionable claim made by a businesswoman with close ties to the ruling centre-right GERB party.How can the EU confront the entanglement between oligarchs and state institutions in Bulgaria? How can the bloc prevent the kind of democratic backsliding witnessed in Hungary and, increasingly, Slovakia? And if more EU member states experience democratic decline, what impact could that have on the EU’s global image and credibility?This episode was recorded on July 24th, 2025.Bookshelf:Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek ThompsonLa Route antique des hommes pervers by René GirardSerbia’s Balancing Act: Between Russia and the West by Vuk Vuksanovic Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Live from the Aspen Security Forum: America’s inward turn
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR’s research director and head of its US programme, and Tom Wright, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Strobe Talbott Centre and former Biden administration official, for an episode recorded live at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. Mark, Jeremy and Tom discuss the forum’s tense atmosphere, marked by the Trump administration’s last-minute ban on Department of Defence participation. Amid debates on AI, supply chain resilience and geopolitical competition, the episode explores America’s inward turn and its wavering Ukraine commitment. What are the implications for Europe’s security? Is the US retreating from global leadership? And can Europe adapt to a fragmented technological and economic order?This episode was recorded on July 18th, 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Crisis and control in Gaza and the West Bank
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Hugh Lovatt, ECFR policy fellow, and Tahani Mustafa, visiting fellow in ECFR’s Middle East and North Africa programme, to discuss Israel’s military action in Gaza and the West Bank, the ensuing humanitarian crisis, and the political dynamics of Hamas, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Mark, Hugh and Tahani provide insights into the complexities of the conflict, the role of international actors, and the implications for Palestinian politics and public sentiment.In Gaza, over 57,000 people have been killed, the aid distribution system is chaotic and dangerous, and ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas seem to go nowhere. All the while, Israel is expanding its presence in the West Bank by building settlements and expelling or detaining Palestinians. What’s next for Gaza and the West Bank? And how can Europe and the US step up to ensure the death toll does not grow even higher?This podcast was recorded on July 17th 2025.Out of Place by Edward W. SaidAssyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire by Eckart Frahm Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Tariff tensions: Avoiding an EU-US trade war
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Tobias Gehrke, ECFR senior policy fellow, for a 15-minute Emergency Room episode dissecting the collapse of an EU-US trade deal. President Donald Trump’s last-minute letter, threatening to impose tariffs of 30% on the EU by August 1st, shattered expectations of a negotiated settlement—and prompted EU member states to prepare a €93bn retaliation package which targets American goods. Mark and Tobias explore why Trump upended talks, the EU’s hesitation to deploy its anti-coercion instrument and the urgent need for political (not technocratic) engagement. As trade tensions collide with security priorities like Ukraine, can Europe wield its economic leverage to avert a full-blown trade war?The podcast was recorded on July 14th, 2025. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Beyond the battlefield: Europe’s long-term strategy for Ukraine
This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Jana Kobzova, ECFR senior policy fellow, and Camille Grand, ECFR distinguished policy fellow, to discuss ECFR’s new European Security Programme and the war in Ukraine. They take a “beyond the horizon” view of the war, considering what Europe’s medium- and long-term strategy towards Ukraine should look like. This links directly to the new programme’s mission, which was created as a response to the short-term thinking which characterises perspectives on the Russia-Ukraine war—and European security more broadly. How might the conflict between Russia and Ukraine evolve over the coming months? What role is the US playing in this trajectory? And what kind of security environment can Europeans expect in the future?This episode was recorded on July 10th 2025. Bookshelf: Travels In Arabia Deserta by Charles M. Doughty.The Price of Peace: Money, Democracy and the Life of John Maynard Keynes by Zachary D. Carter.Preventing the next war: A European plan for Ukraine by Camille Grand, Jana Kobzova and Nicu Popescu. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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.
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