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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
EU enlargement: one out, who’s in?
The UK is still hellbent on leaving the EU. Meanwhile, Macedonia and Albania are set to be the next countries to join the union. As with any organisation, however, growing too large comes with its own set of risks. So how many members is too many? Why would anyone want…
Does China really want to rule the world?
China is fast becoming, if it isn’t already, the world’s next superpower. But how questionable are the methods it’s using to sustain its influence over those it seeks to control, and does it really want to be leader of the not-so-free world? Andrew Mueller is joined by Isabel Hilton, Steve…
Hezbollah: what does it want now?
The Shi’a militia Hezbollah and its allies did well in Lebanon’s overdue parliamentary election. But what does it mean for the future of the movement – and what might that mean for the wider Middle East? Andrew Mueller is joined by Lina Khatib, Habib Battah and David Patrikarakos.
The Iran nuclear deal: does Trump have any better ideas?
The Iran nuclear deal is under scrutiny yet again, and not just from Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu. But what are the alternatives? And what would an end to the deal mean for Iran, as well as the wider region? Andrew Mueller is joined by Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, Jacob Parakilas and…
Macron: one year on
For a centrist, Emmanuel Macron has divided opinions and/or confirmed that you can’t please of all of the people all of the time. But it doesn’t seem to be deterring him, a year into his presidency, from attempting to reform French institutions and make his mark internationally. But what else…
The price of inaction: Syria and what happens when we do nothing
When the US, the UK and France decided last week to launch airstrikes in Syria reactions were predictably divided. But has the idea that we shouldn’t intervene in other countries’ problems actually made them worse? Andrew Mueller is joined by Haid Haid, Simon Adams and Leslie Vinjamuri.
The Commonwealth: a members’ club worth joining?
As the Commonwealth Games draw to a close, and the Commonwealth heads of government meeting opens, Andrew Mueller asks if it is a happy family of democracies or just the ghost of a past empire. With Kwasi Kwarteng MP, Shruti Kapila, Bisi Alimi and Euripides Evriviades, the high commissioner of…
Who wins in a trade war?
As the tariff spat between the US and China continues, Andrew Mueller asks if winning a trade war is even possible and, out of all the opponents in the world, why has president Trump chosen China?
Anti-semitism: the eternal lunacy
It would be wrong to describe anti-semitism as resurgent: it never went away. But it has become more voluble – and, in certain circles, more respectable. This episode looks at how the ancient conspiracy theory of furtive Jewish power has been amplified and legitimised by social media and by modern…
Dropping the gun?
For decades US schools have fallen victim to deadly attacks and nothing has changed. However after one of the more recent and most deadly the mood has changed – and it’s the pupils, not the politicians, who are leading the way. Could this finally mark a shift in attitudes? Andrew…
