Jul 31

Omission accomplished: why the Iran-war cycle spins on

From impasse in Iran to still-unresolved conflicts in Gaza and Lebanon, a trend is clear: President Donald Trump’s scant, early plans for peace do not actually forge a path to it. Our correspondent says that in the driverless-car future, it will often be Chinese AI behind the whe ... Show More

25m 39s

Jul 30

Working memory: the surprising decline of dementia

A dive into the data reveals that, despite dire past predictions, the prevalence of dementia is actually waning. We take a look at Pix, a beloved Brazilian digital-payments system, and why it so bothers President Donald Trump. And we attend one of the concerts that reveals how th ... Show More

25m 8s

Jul 29

Brave New whirl: Turkey’s opposition overhaul

An ousted former opposition leader started a new party—called the New Party. We assess its chances at the ballot box, and under President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s thumb. A surrogacy scandal in Germany has prompted a government reshuffle, with Chancellor Friedrich Merz left holding ... Show More

20m 27s

Jun 2025

Poles apart: hard right wins by a sliver

Poland’s presidential election was a fight between two distinct visions of the country’s future. Our correspondent explains how the nationalist victor, a political newcomer, will shape Europe. Why drunken bar brawls are declining in Britain (7:31). And remembering the “Wonga Coup ... Show More

19m 27s

May 2025

Liberal tides, populist currents: Elections in Poland and Romania

This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Piotr Buras, head of ECFR’s Warsaw office, for an emergency room episode dissecting Sunday’s pivotal elections in Poland and Romania. Their discussion, which was recorded after high-stakes voting had taken place across Portugal, Poland and Rom ... Show More

15m 43s

May 2025

Who could be Poland’s next president?

Will Poland’s next president be a former football hooligan or a Mr Bonjour? With citizens heading to the polls for the second round of voting this weekend, Poland will decide between Karol Nawrocki, the candidate backed by US President Donald Trump, and Warsaw's mayor, the pro-Eu ... Show More

21m 24s

Dec 2024

Billions of voices heard: a year of elections

In some places, votes resulted in political chaos; in others they showed a promising shift away from identity politics. Our deputy editor looks back on 2024’s pile of polls. Looking ahead, we examine the Chinese cities that will come into their own in 2025 (11:36). And the changi ... Show More

22m 39s

Oct 2023

Pole position: elections in Poland

After two terms in power, Jaroslaw Kaczynski’s nationalist party looks to have lost its majority. For Donald Tusk’s pro-Europe centrists, it’s bargaining time. Thousands of Americans are waiting for transplants, so why are so many organs going to waste instead (12:01)? And why wr ... Show More

25m 27s

Apr 2022

Macron versus Le Pen: The fight to be the French president

On Sunday voters will go to the polls in France in a repeat of 2017’s run off between Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen. So what issues are coming up on the campaign trail? What are the prospects for the incumbent? And could the far right populist triumph in a key election for th ... Show More

35m 40s

Oct 2024

Veep state: the running mates debate

After JD Vance and Tim Walz squared off against each in last night’s vice-presidential debate, our correspondent assesses their performance – and its effect on the US election. In Britain the pro-European cause is popular, but its advocates are ineffective (10:53). And why the gl ... Show More

23m 20s

Oct 2023

Poll vault: Argentina’s Peronist surprise

After dominating the polls for months, Javier Miliei, a right-wing firebrand, was outshone by the candidate from the ruling Peronist administration. We examine why Mr Milei fell so short and the run-off to come. Cross-border assassinations may be rising—and states seem to be more ... Show More

26m 44s

Feb 2024

The Intelligence: At a crossroads (really)

In one of this year’s largest votes, Indonesia will elect a new president in one week’s time; this time the sanctity and future of its democracy are at stake. In Germany prominent people—even Jews—who question Israel’s war in Gaza are being cancelled (10:45). And how many books a ... Show More

22m 51s

Jun 2024

A tale of two elections

Jon and Lewis in France ahead of the first round of the French elections, which could see the far-right of French politics became the main political force in France. And we report from Birmingham, following round an independent candidate who thinks he has a chance of beating Labo ... Show More

47m 10s