After Assad: Shifting power and new politics in Syria

After Assad: Shifting power and new politics in Syria

Fourteen years after the outbreak of civil war, Syria is at a critical juncture. Beyond its borders, regional tensions continue to shape its fate. Meanwhile, traditional global powers, particularly the US, remain largely disengaged—raising questions about the risk of inaction.

This week Mark Leonard welcomes Julien Barnes-Dacey, director of ECFR’s MENA programme, Ellie Geranmayeh, deputy director of ECFR’s MENA programme, and Hugh Lovatt, ECFR senior policy fellow. The team has just returned from a research trip to Damascus, where they met with Syria’s new government officials and civil society members. With the fall of Bashar al-Assad and the rise of Ahmed al-Sharaa, what is the mood in the country? How has governance evolved under the new leadership, and what challenges persist? What role can—and should—Europe play in shaping Syria’s post-war reality? And do Syria’s new politics offer an opportunity for Europe to counter Russian influence?

Bookshelf:

Kleptopia: How Dirty Money is Conquering the World by Tom Burgis

Movies: The Swimmers, No Other Land, The Seed of the Sacred Fig

Kingdoms of Faith A New History of Islamic Spain by Brian A. Catlos

This podcast was recorded on March 4th 2025

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Jaksot(630)

Live from MSC 2026: Transatlantic turning point

Live from MSC 2026: Transatlantic turning point

In this special episode of the World in 30 Minutes, Mark Leonard welcomes Editorial Director and Senior Policy Fellow Jeremy Cliffe, Senior Policy Fellow, Ulrike Franke, Distinguished Policy Fellow, J...

14 Helmi 36min

Munich Security Conference Special with Elbridge Colby

Munich Security Conference Special with Elbridge Colby

This episode features a live recording of a conversation between ECFR director Mark Leonard and US undersecretary of war for policy, Elbridge Colby, which took place during the Munich Security Confere...

13 Helmi 44min

Lessons from the Greenland crisis

Lessons from the Greenland crisis

This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Tiago Antunes, Portugal’s former secretary of state for European affairs and senior visiting fellow at ECFR, and Jim O’Brien, former US assistant secretary of stat...

13 Helmi 25min

Indignity with Lea Ypi

Indignity with Lea Ypi

Mark Leonard is joined by Lea Ypi, ECFR council member and professor in political theory at the London School of Economics, to discuss her latest book Indignity: A Life Reimagined, which asks how indi...

6 Helmi 32min

Europe-Africa relations in 2026

Europe-Africa relations in 2026

Mark Leonard is joined by Africa experts Nathalie Delapalme, CEO of the Mo Ibrahim Foundation and ECFR council member, Carlos Lopes, honourary professor at the University of Cape Town who has occupied...

30 Tammi 34min

The EU-India mega-deal

The EU-India mega-deal

In an emergency podcast episode, Mark Leonard welcomes James Crabtree, ECFR distinguished visiting fellow and former Mumbai bureau chief for the Financial Times, to discuss the long-awaited EU-India t...

29 Tammi 18min

Live from Davos with Alexander Stubb

Live from Davos with Alexander Stubb

In this episode, Mark Leonard sits down with Finnish president, Alexander Stubb, in Davos for a conversation about Donald Trump’s view of Ukraine, Greenland, the world and Europe’s place in it. They e...

20 Tammi 25min

Will Trump bomb Iran?

Will Trump bomb Iran?

Protests across Iran have entered their third week and Donald Trump is said to be considering a military intervention against the Khamenei regime. According to human rights organisations, its brutal c...

16 Tammi 35min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

uutiscast
aikalisa
politiikan-puskaradio
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
tervo-halme
rss-podme-livebox
rss-asiastudio
otetaan-yhdet
rss-raha-talous-ja-politiikka
the-ulkopolitist
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
linda-maria
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
rss-polikulaari-pitka-kiekko-ja-muut-ts-podcastit
rss-hyvaa-huomenta-bryssel
rss-sinivalkoinen-islam
rss-tasta-on-kyse-ivan-puopolo-verkkouutiset
rss-girls-finish-f1rst
rss-ulkopoditiikkaa