Francis Fukuyama, political economist: America’s Putin-esque direction
The Interview7 Sep 2025

Francis Fukuyama, political economist: America’s Putin-esque direction

Paddy O’Connell speaks to Professor Francis Fukuyama about the threats to liberal democracies around the world. The American political economist and international relations scholar, who is currently a senior fellow at Stanford University, has written widely on issues about development and international politics.

He is best-known for his 1992 book ‘The End of History and the Last Man’. He argued that the end of the Cold War, marked by the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dissolution of the Soviet Union, represented the end point of mankind’s ideological evolution, and the universalisation of Western liberal democracy as the final form of human government.

But three decades on, Western liberal democracy appears to be struggling to adapt to the many challenges of the 21st century. Amid geopolitical instability, its future does not appear as universal as Fukuyama once proposed, even in the US. The Interview brings you conversations with people shaping our world, from all over the world. The best interviews from the BBC. You can listen on the BBC World Service, Mondays and Wednesdays at 0700 GMT. Or you can listen to The Interview as a podcast, out twice a week on BBC Sounds or wherever you get your podcasts.

Presenter: Paddy O’Connell Producer: Ben Cooper Editor: Nick Holland

Get in touch with us on email TheInterview@bbc.co.uk and use the hashtag #TheInterviewBBC on social media.

(Image: Professor Francis Fukuyama. Photo by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images)

Episoder(1884)

Karim Beguir, co-founder of InstaDeep: People are too gloomy about AI

Karim Beguir, co-founder of InstaDeep: People are too gloomy about AI

“People are too gloomy about AI, particularly in the developing world it is seen as a threat, that people are going to be using AI systems, rather than offshoring jobs and the like. That's true, but y...

11 Mar 23min

Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to UN: Closing USAID was soft power suicide

Samantha Power, former US Ambassador to UN: Closing USAID was soft power suicide

“The destruction of USAID is not only one of the cruellest acts that I've seen in my career, but of course also one of the dumbest.”Caitriona Perry speaks to Samantha Power, the former American ambass...

9 Mar 23min

Julia Gillard, former Australian PM and chair at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership: The backsliding of gender equality

Julia Gillard, former Australian PM and chair at the Global Institute for Women’s Leadership: The backsliding of gender equality

“One of the things that was going to combat gender inequality in our world was that sense of progress and then to see in the research that actually the younger generation is more conservative on these...

6 Mar 28min

Guillermo del Toro, director: I only make movies for art

Guillermo del Toro, director: I only make movies for art

“I have never made a movie I didn't believe was necessary for me or for someone in the world, whether to entertain or to connect at a spiritual level or something. It's been only done for the art.”Joh...

4 Mar 26min

Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN deputy director for women: Africa must prioritise water over war

Dr Nyaradzayi Gumbonzvanda, UN deputy director for women: Africa must prioritise water over war

“Africa is flowing with resources from oil, diamonds, critical minerals. But at times we find that in our cities, at the bus stations, there's no toilets with running water in a continent which is ric...

2 Mar 23min

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine: We will not lose this war

Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine: We will not lose this war

“We stand and fight for survival. We are an independent state. We will definitely not lose this war”Jeremy Bowen, the BBC’s International Editor, speaks to the Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky i...

27 Feb 22min

Boris Johnson and Sir Tony Radakin: Ukrainians are heroes

Boris Johnson and Sir Tony Radakin: Ukrainians are heroes

Laura Kuenssberg speaks to former British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, and former head of the British Armed Forces, Admiral Sir Tony Radakin, about the war in Ukraine.Johnson was in Downing Street f...

25 Feb 23min

José Andrés, chef and humanitarian: Food is a human right

José Andrés, chef and humanitarian: Food is a human right

“Food is a human right that should be supported by everybody, no children should go to bed hungry, even less in a conflict." Caitriona Perry speaks to José Andrés world-renowned chef and humanitari...

23 Feb 22min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
stopp-verden
forklart
aftenpodden-usa
i-retten
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
popradet
det-store-bildet
rss-gukild-johaug
dine-penger-pengeradet
rss-ness
fotballpodden-2
hanna-de-heldige
aftenbla-bla
nokon-ma-ga
grasoner-den-nye-kalde-krigen
frokostshowet-pa-p5
e24-podden
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk