The Foreign Desk
Monocle’s global-affairs show with Andrew Mueller. Expert guests, in-depth analysis, and sharp commentary on major geopolitical issues.
Latest Episodes
The legacies of US presidents
As US president Joe Biden’s time in office comes to a close, we consider how to assess the legacies of national leaders. What makes a president great? And why do our views change over…
Explainer 449: Is China cutting Taiwan’s cables or are their wires crossed?
Andrew Mueller explains how likely it is that China is cutting Taiwan’s undersea cables and what’s in it for them.
The geopolitical risks of 2025
Andrew Mueller talks to Lithuania’s outgoing foreign minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, and Monocle regulars Latika Bourke, Yossi Mekelberg and Charles Hecker about what to keep an eye on as geopolitical risks rise in 2025.
Elections, conflicts and the rise of the right: a look at 2024
More than one billion people headed to the polls, wars turned into regional crises and right-wing parties found new footholds in 2024. Andrew Mueller speaks with electoral expert Tony Banbury, and Monocle regulars Latika…
The case for foreign aid
The holidays are a time of giving but wealthy nations have not been in a generous mood. Andrew Mueller explores the case for foreign aid and how to turn the concept into a win-win…
The spectacular fall of the Assad regime
How did the rebels manage to topple Bashar al-Assad’s regime so quickly? How inclusive will any new government realistically be? Who in the region wins and who loses? Andrew Mueller speaks with Syrian-born writer…
The case for indigenous political inclusion
Against strong resistance, indigenous communities are asserting their right to inclusion in the political systems of their respective nations. Andrew Mueller speaks to Māori MP Hana-Rawhiti Maipi-Clarke, the illustrator of ‘When the World Was…
Taiwan’s China problem
As Taiwan’s president Lai Ching-te embarks on his first international tour, we explore this delicate moment for an island that China still claims as a rogue province. Will China really try to reclaim Taiwan?…
Is Europe ready for war?
This week, households in Sweden received a government pamphlet entitled ‘In Case Of Crisis Or War’, while similar manuals were published across Scandinavia. Some European nations are evidently preparing for war, but are they…
Trump’s doctrine: the sequel
Following Trump’s first cabinet appointments, we consider what his second term might mean for tensions between international powers. Andrew Mueller speaks with Amy Mackinnon, national security reporter for ‘Foreign Policy’; John Herbst, former US…
