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
Explainer 159: Who is Slovakia’s new president?
Last weekend Slovakia voted in its first female president, Zuzana Caputova. The anti-corruption activist has little experience of national politics but has vowed to change the way the country is run. However, what chance does she have of making a difference in what is a largely ceremonial role? Monocle 24’s Vienna correspondent Alexei…
Islamic State’s foreign fighters – what happens to them now?
When Kurdish fighters overran Islamic State’s last stronghold in Syria, victory was declared over the jihadist group. But many of Islamic State’s fighters and their families have survived the collapse of the caliphate. What should become of them? And can we be sure that the defeat of Islamic State is…
Explainer 158: Ukraine’s presidential elections: out with the old in with the new?
Do Ukrainians voting in the upcoming elections crave a fresh face for president or will they stick with what they know? Paige Reynolds asks whether Petro Poroshenko has done enough to stay in power.
Living with the past: reparations
How do you put a price on historical injustice and who should pay for it? In the final part of this series, Andrew Mueller explores practical solutions to these difficult and often divisive questions. Deena Hayes-Greene and Dr William “Sandy” Darity make the case for reparations for centuries of racial…
Explainer 157: Oh Brexit, where art thou?
With just over a week until the UK was supposed to be leaving the EU, Andrew Mueller asks (yet again) what on earth is going on.
Living with the past: the legacy of empire
In this episode of our series looking at how countries reach an understanding with difficult aspects of their history, we look at empire – how we think about it, talk about it, teach it – and try to answer the question at the heart of the subject: what does a…
Explainer 156: What is a recession?
With Turkey’s economy officially in recession, Andrew Mueller asks what the phrase actually means, which other countries are experiencing one and whether the global economy should be worried.
Living with the past: Indigenous reconciliation
In the second episode of our series, we hear from Indigenous people in Australia, New Zealand and Canada about what reconciliation means in theory – and how it can work in practice.
Explainer 155: Why have Air India’s crew become cheerleaders?
Air India’s crew has been asked to bark patriotic exclamations at the end of cabin announcements. Andrew Mueller explores a strange new manifestation of Narendra Modi’s nationalism as India’s election approaches.
Living with the past: the Second World War
There is probably no period in history more discussed than the Second World War. Every country involved suffered but Allied nations were able to console themselves that their losses were sustained in a noble cause. It hasn’t been as straightforward for the nations they defeated. In the first part of…
