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.

Episoder(632)

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 Jan 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 Jan 35min

The world in 2026

The world in 2026

Following on from January 2nd’s prediction episode, Mark Leonard hosts Julien Barnes-Dacey, ECFR’s Middle East programme director, Alex Vines, ECFR’s Africa programme director, Andrew Small, ECFR’s As...

9 Jan 27min

Trump attacks Venezuela

Trump attacks Venezuela

On January 3rd, the US military struck Venezuela and captured its president, Nicolás Maduro. Trump has declared that America will now “run” the country, shifting from a narrative which had focused on ...

5 Jan 35min

Predictions and Reckonings: From 2025 to 2026

Predictions and Reckonings: From 2025 to 2026

This week Mark Leonard is joined by Jeremy Shapiro, research director at ECFR, for their annual end-of-year tradition: marking last year’s predictions and making ten bold forecasts for the year ahead....

2 Jan 23min

Made in China: How Europe can tackle economic coercion

Made in China: How Europe can tackle economic coercion

China’s tightening of export controls on rare earths and related technologies across 2025 marked a turning point in Europe’s economic security. Even with Beijing’s partial and momentary rollback after...

26 Des 202535min

After Doha: What’s next for the Arab world?

After Doha: What’s next for the Arab world?

This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Ellie Geranmayeh, senior policy fellow and deputy head of ECFR’s Middle East and North Africa programme, and Hugh Lovatt, senior policy fellow with ECFR’s MENA program...

19 Des 202526min

Trump’s new National Security Strategy

Trump’s new National Security Strategy

America has published its new National Security Strategy (NSS)—and it contains worrying rhetoric about the EU, European values and the transatlantic relationship. Russia, however, is never described a...

12 Des 202545min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
forklart
stopp-verden
popradet
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
det-store-bildet
nokon-ma-ga
rss-gukild-johaug
fotballpodden-2
dine-penger-pengeradet
aftenbla-bla
rss-ness
rss-espen-lee-usensurert
hanna-de-heldige
rss-dannet-uten-piano
e24-podden
frokostshowet-pa-p5
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk