Britain Debrief with Ben Judah

Can Europe catch up in the EV race? As the EU works to implement its new green industrial strategy, I spoke with Elettra Ardissino, Senior Europe Analyst at Greenmantle, to discuss how China’s dramatic surge in electric vehicle production is reshaping world markets. How is electrification changing the global car market? How did EU policies accidentally encourage more China-based

Does Europe end or fade away? Following the release of his book Homelands: A Personal History of Europe, I spoke with Timothy Garton Ash, Professor of European Studies in the University of Oxford, on his European journey, the limits of Europe, and the place of Britain, Russia and Ukraine. Is migration changing the very essence of Europe? Could the European Union become the tool of

Are we thinking about climate breakdown in the wrong way? As we face the concurrent threats of pandemics, climate change, and other existential threats, I spoke with Dougald Hine, author of "At Work in the Ruins: Finding Our Place in the Time of Science, Climate Change, Pandemics and All Other Emergencies," to discuss how perceptions are changing in response to these challenges. Di

What does it now mean to call yourself European? Who makes up this population of some 750 million, sprawled from Ireland to Ukraine, from Sweden to Turkey? Who has always called it home, and who has newly arrived from elsewhere? Who are the people who drive our long-distance lorries, steward our criss-crossing planes, lovingly craft our legacy wines, fish our depleted waters, and

What kind of diplomat is Rishi Sunak? Following Sunak’s first visit to DC since becoming PM, I spoke with Lucy Fisher, the Whitehall Editor of the Financial Times, on the biggest takeaways from Sunak’s first visit to DC and what it means for him domestically. How does Sunak’s diplomacy differ from that of Boris Johnson and Liz Truss? Have Sunak’s diplomatic successes, like

Will Charles III be a radical king? As his coronation ceremony approaches, I spoke with Will Lloyd, Commissioning Editor and Writer at the New Statesman, to discuss his recent cover article about the King’s views and his relationship with the UK public at large. Is Charles a modernizing figure for the monarchy? Why have Charles III’s philanthropic ventures gone largely unnotice

Is the Windsor Framework a game-changer for UK-EU relations? Following the announcement of the Windsor Framework by UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, I spoke with Simon Hoare MP, Chairman of the Northern Ireland Committee in the UK Parliament, on how the Framework will impact UK-EU relations and the future of unionism. How

How does Europe act in the world? The European Union is an evolving actor on the world stage and now being reshaped by Russia’s war in Ukraine. To get a sense of how, I spoke with Baroness Catherine Ashton, the bloc’s first and former high representative for foreign affairs and security policy and Slater Family Distinguished Fellow at the Wilson Center about her new book And Th

What are the geopolitics of the EU's trade? Following Sweden's assumption of the EU Council Presidency, I spoke with Dr. Cecilia Malmström, who served as the European Commissioner for Trade and Home Affairs and Sweden's Minister for EU affairs, on the EU's geopolitics of European trade. Dr. Malmström is currently a nonresident senior fellow at the Peterson Institute. How has the

How will Ukraine, Putin, Xi and closer to home Silicon Valley and Ron DeSantis shape the future of liberal democracy? As Russia's invasion of Ukraine approaches its first anniversary, I spoke with Dr. Francis Fukuyama, author of the End of History and the Last Man and the Olivier Nomellini Senior Fellow at Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies of Stanford University, a