logo
episode-header-image
Feb 2024
11m 2s

Will Germany lead Nato?

Financial Times
About this episode

UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt is considering slashing public spending to fund pre-election tax cuts, Germany is looking to boost its defence spending at a crucial time for Europe, and Citigroup has started tracking how many calls its private bankers are making to clients. Plus, the FT’s Madison Marriage talks about her new podcast on the dangers of meditation retreats.


Mentioned in this podcast:

Jeremy Hunt faced with slashing UK public spending to fund tax cuts

Will Germany deliver on its grand military ambitions?

Citi starts tracking how often private bankers call clients

Untold: The Retreat


The FT News Briefing is produced by Fiona Symon, Sonja Hutson, Kasia Broussalian and Marc Filippino. Additional help by Sam Giovinco, Peter Barber, Michael Lello, David da Silva and Gavin Kallmann. Our engineer is Monica Lopez. Topher Forhecz is the FT’s executive producer. The FT’s global head of audio is Cheryl Brumley. The show’s theme song is by Metaphor Music.


Read a transcript of this episode on FT.com



Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Up next
Today
The risk of firing a central bank governor
Investors are worried that Donald Trump’s attempted firing of a Federal Reserve governor could undermine faith in the world’s most important central bank, and FT sources say the US has said it is prepared to provide intelligence assets to any western security plan for postwar Ukr ... Show More
10m 1s
Yesterday
Germany’s pension crisis
US President Donald Trump said he was firing Federal Reserve governor Lisa Cook, shares in Ørsted plunged after the Trump administration halted one of the Danish wind farm developer’s almost-completed projects, and Elon Musk’s xAI has sued Apple and OpenAI alleging they broke ant ... Show More
10m 40s
Aug 25
Jerome Powell triggers market bets on a September rate cut
Jay Powell signalled a monetary policy shift during a high-profile Jackson Hole speech last week, and European investors are pouring money into new air defence technology. Plus, Spanish bank Santander is seeking to become a big player in Wall Street’s Spac market. Mentioned in th ... Show More
11m 49s
Recommended Episodes
Aug 2023
Could a reshuffle revitalise Sunak’s government?
It’s almost time to wave goodbye to the summer, but is Rishi Sunak also poised to bid farewell to some of his ministers? The FT’s Whitehall editor Lucy Fisher is joined by columnist Stephen Bush and political editor George Parker to discuss a cabinet shake up. Plus, the FT’s US p ... Show More
35m 52s
Apr 2023
117. Trump's indictment, Dover delays, and Sanna Marin loses
How will Donald Trump's arraignment unfold? What is happening at the border between the United Kingdom and France? What was the significance of King Charles' visit to Germany? Rory and Alastair discuss these topics, plus we say goodbye to the world's youngest Prime Minister, Sann ... Show More
57m 3s
Dec 2022
The Economist Asks: Will Germany succeed in transforming its foreign policy?
Days after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor, announced a radical shift in the country’s foreign and security policy. Host Anne McElvoy asks Christoph Heusgen, a former advisor to Angela Merkel, whether the Zeitenwende (“turning point”) will be deli ... Show More
22m 37s
Jul 2021
The Wurst is Over?
Angela Merkel bids farewell to the UKOn her last official visit before stepping down as Germany’s chancellor, Angela Merkel discusses travel after lockdown and trade after Brexit with Boris Johnson, who can’t resist making a sausage joke. Dr Adler is back to give us a profile one ... Show More
31m 39s
Jun 2024
270. Will Israel go to war with Hezbollah?
How important is Putin’s visit to North Korea? What will the consequences be of a war between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon? How worrying is Germany’s far-right problem? Join Alastair and Rory today for a special episode focused on international affairs, where they will answer ... Show More
16m 33s
Jan 2023
What Keir Starmer did at Davos
Sir Keir Starmer and shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves gave a pre-Davos interview to the FT before setting off to woo the global elite in Switzerland at the World Economic Forum in a remarkable turnround in Labour sentiment. Why were they going, with what message, while Prime Minis ... Show More
24m 7s
Jun 2024
260. The return of Nigel Farage: does it matter?
What do Nigel Farage's plans to run as an MP in Clacton mean for Rishi Sunak? Should Ed Davey tone down his campaign stunts? What comes next for South Africa after disastrous election results for the ANC? Join Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell as they answer all these questions ... Show More
1h 13m
Jul 2020
Boris the builder and the UK’s offer to Hong Kong
The FT politics podcast has relaunched as 'Payne's Politics' and in this first episode presenter Sebastian Payne and his guests analyse Boris Johnson's plan to get his government back on track and radically reform Whitehall. Plus, they discuss the UK's generous offer to the peopl ... Show More
38m 44s
Dec 2020
The Economist Asks: What next for Germany after Merkel?
Anne McElvoy asks the former German ambassador to the US, Wolfgang Ischinger, if America can still be relied upon as a “protective uncle” and how it should deal with China. And, who will succeed Chancellor Merkel in 2021? Anne talks to German cabinet minister Jens Spahn, one of a ... Show More
26m 19s