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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
Renzi’s gamble
Italian prime minister Matteo Renzi has called a referendum on his country’s constitution. But while most Italians agree that change is needed, polls suggest that Renzi may lose. Why? The economy is in trouble, corruption remains rampant and Renzi is no longer as popular as he once was. Is this…
Spotlight on Angola
When José Eduardo Dos Santos first came to power in Angola, Jimmy Carter was president of the US and Leonid Brezhnev was leader of the Soviet Union. Some 37 years later Dos Santos’s grip on power remains as strong as ever. Next year he will once again lead his party,…
Ukraine: 25 years of independence
It has not been an easy quarter-century; Ukraine has had to contend with revolutions and counter-revolutions, endemic corruption, unaccountable oligarchs and splits within the country. The Minsk agreement between Ukraine and Russia is under threat, while the government of Petro Poroschenko is hardly inspiring much confidence. So where next for…
The fight for Aleppo
This is a divided city: the west is controlled by the Assad government, the east held by rebels. And if either side eventually wins it could have a dramatic effect on the outcome of the entire Syrian war. Monocle’s Steve Bloomfield speaks to Dr Lina Khatib, professor Paul Rogers and…
Are the Olympics still worth it?
Now that the Olympics Games have begun, what better time to ask why cities so desperately want to host it? We discuss Toronto’s failed bids and Antwerp 1920 in the days when small cities had their moment in the Olympic sun. Plus: we talk to sports historian David Goldblatt, author…
Rio 2016
When Rio won its bid to host the Olympics back in October 2009, Brazil was on the rise: its economy was strong and its leader was popular and charismatic. Now, against a backdrop of corruption scandals, an impeachment process and a free-falling economy, we ask whether the Rio Olympics are…
Turkey: what next?
For a brief moment last Friday it seemed as if the attempted coup in Turkey would succeed. That it failed should be a cause for celebration, regardless of your views on the authoritarian nature of the Erdogan government. But the crackdown that has followed should worry those who believe in…
How to make immigration work
Immigration has become the number-one issue in the UK yet despite the issue’s importance, neither the Conservatives nor Labour have found a way of dealing with it. How should Westminster deal with this political hot potato?
Is diplomacy in crisis?
Budgets are being cut, negotiation doesn’t always work and the UN is hamstrung. How can we fix it and drag diplomacy into the 21st century? We sit down with Tom Fletcher, former UK ambassador to Lebanon, and Alex Oliver, director of the Polling Programme at the Lowy Institute.
London and Montréal: what lessons can Quebec teach post-Brexit Britain?
This is the tale of two cities: each is global, diverse and has a thriving economy but is part of a nation that faces a grave constitutional dilemma. A week after the UK’s decision to leave the EU, we compare the state of London to that of Montréal 30 years…
