Women Leaders

July 2024 may end up being remembered for various reasons, such as wars in Ukraine, Israel and Gaza or the launch of the Arianne 6 rocket by the European Space Agency or the floods in Western Europe and the extreme heat in the eastern Mediterranean, all caused by climate change. At this point however, these are the backdrop to another set of events: elections and summits. In this year of elections around the globe it is perhaps unsurprising that two polls happened suddenly: in both the UK and France the heads of government called unexpected elections. In the UK this resulted in a massive won for the Labour Party, ending 14 years of Conservative rule. In contrast in France the outcome was stalemate: no-one won outright. While many in France and outside it are trying to define what this means, NATO members are meeting in Washington to mark the 75th anniversary of the alliance. To navigate these elections and summits, Ilana Bet-El is joined by Jane Kinninmont, Director of Policy and Impact at The European Leadership Network, and Florence Ferrando, producer of this podcast and Senior Consultant in Cyber and Strategic Intelligence at Forward Global.

This episode was recorded on July 11 2024.

Mentions

Jane’s inspiration: Gareth Southgate

Florence’s inspiration: Swann Périsssé show on French elections - Youtube

First past the post elections vs Two round system

UK election results /France election results

NATO Washington summit declaration

Jane's SWP paper on NATO and its southern neighbourhood

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Florence Ferrando: Linkedin

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Ilana Bet-El

Credits

Production:Florence Ferrando

Music: Let Good Times Roll (ZXIIIJUU2ISPZIJT)

Supported by the Foundation Open Society Institute in cooperation with the Open Society Foundations

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

In a year of big elections, in which approximately half the global population is going to the polls at one time or another, the EU elections stand out: upwards of 300 million eligible voters out of a population of nearly 450 million people across 27 states. A transnational bonanza of democracy that will take place between 6-9 June. 720 seats are up for grabs in the European Parliament, and once the results and balance of power in that institution are decided, the composition of the European Commission and the leadership of the European Council will be negotiated, or wrangled over. Confused?

Anna Davreux, a ten-year veteran of the European Parliament and now Senior Vice President and Partner at Fleishman-Hillard Brussels, guides Ilana across the realities and complexities of the Parliament and all EU institutions. In a fun and fascinating discussion, the basics of the European Union, and democracy, are exposed, explained, and extolled. The European Parliament, as the EU in general, may seem opaque and difficult to understand, but it does work — for everyone!

Recorded on 15 May 2024

Mentions and further resources

• Facts and figures on life in the European Union
• European Parliament “EU elections: how many MEPs will each EU country get in 2024?”
• EU Transparency Register
• Anna’s recommendation – “Empireland: How Imperialism Has Shaped Modern Britain” by Sathnam Sanghera (book review by LSE)

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Credits

• Production: Florence Ferrando
• Music: Let Good Times Roll
• Supported by a grant from the Foundation Open Society Institute in cooperation with the Open Society Foundations

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

In our world of disruption, Georgia has suddenly emerged as another centre of protest and imbalance: on Wednesday, 1 May, the Georgian parliament voted for controversial new legislation that would brand Western-funded NGOs as foreign agents. In response, the streets of Georgia, notably the capital Tbilisi, erupted into protest: not only is the legislation deemed objectionable, it is also a clear threat to Georgia’s EU aspirations.

In December last year the European Union announced Georgia, a pearl of the Caucasus, would become a candidate for membership. But in response to this new legislation, the EU this week called on Georgia to stay the course and stop the legislative process. The government is perceived to be pro-Russian, and it is unclear whether it will pay heed, but the many protesters appear adamant about maintaining their dream of EU membership — in line with every poll conducted in the state over decades, reflecting the fact that a vast majority of the population seeks to be firmly embedded in the EU and the West.

To understand these rapidly unfolding events, Ilana Bet-El is joined by Salome Samadashvili, a prominent opposition member of the Georgian parliament and former ambassador of Georgia to the EU. Is this a repetition of events in Ukraine in 2014, when citizens objected to attempts by their Russian-controlled President to hamper relations with the EU — attempts that led to the Maidan Revolution, the ouster of the President and the annexation of Crimea by Russia — or is this a blind political ploy of a weak government? In this volatile region, all developments are crucial.

Recorded on 2 May 2024

Mentions

• Int’l hacking group "Anonymous” threatens Georgian police and gov’t officials Georgia Today article
• The Guardian live on Georgia events

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• Salome Samadashvili LinkedIn, X/Twitter
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• Our partner ELN Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook & website
• Ilana Bet-El

Credits

Production: Florence Ferrando

Music: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat ZXIIIJUU2ISPZIJT

Supported by a grant from the Foundation Open Society Institute in cooperation with the Open Society Foundations

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

2024 has already been defined as the year of elections: from Russia through the EU to the US, autocracies, dictatorships and democracies, billions of people are going to the polls. And one of the biggest upcoming elections is due in India: with 968 million registered voters, 15 million elections officials and 1.2 million polling booths, it will be the largest exercise in logistics and democracy the world has ever seen.

But there are problems — in India, and many other democracies. Dr. Radha Kumar, renowned Indian policy analyst, public intellectual and writer specialised in ethnic conflicts and peace processes, who recently convened the Delhi Democracy Convention, joins Ilana Bet-El in an exploration of India’s democratic crossroads. From inter-ethnic tensions to political power plays and media freedom, the flowing conversation explains much about the sub-continent, and the state of democracies far beyond.

Recorded on 18 March 2024

Mentions

• Delhi Declaration (Democracy Convention 2024) & articles in Frontline ; The Wire and The Hindu
• Radha’s inspiration: Dhruv Rathee’s Youtube channel (Hindi with English subtitles)
• Radha’s book recommendation: Waves Across the South by Sujit Sivasundaram
• Radha’s books and follow her on Twitter for the next one published in May!

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• Our partner European Leadership Network social media Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook
• Our partner European Leadership Network website
• Ilana Bet-El

Credits

Production: Florence Ferrando

Music: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!)

Supported by a grant from the Foundation Open Society Institute in cooperation with the Open Society Foundations

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

The results of Turley’s recent local elections (31st March 2024) came as a great surprise. Pre-election polling suggested the AKP party of President Erdogan was on course to win, but instead, the main opposition CHP party swept up an impressive number of cities and towns, notably the ten major cities of the country, which collectively represent over 74% of Turkey’s GDP. This is a massive shift in the country’s political landscape, signalling a potential call for deep change. Put another way: has Turkey reached a critical juncture after two decades under the Erdogan regime?

Zeynep Atikkan, senior Turkish journalist, joins Ilana Bet-El in a discussion of this and many other questions about the Turkish electoral and political landscape. From economic concerns, the Kurdish issue, and generational shifts, to civil society engagement, women’s roles, protests, media influence, and evolving political dynamics – the underpinning realities of Turkish politics are revealed and discussed; not least the weakened position of President Erdogan and his AKP party.

Recorded on 4 April 2024

Referenced materials and further reading

• Zeynep’s books
• Sinem Dedetaş, the new elected mayor of Üsküdar in Istanbul’s Twitter account
• “Turkiye has elected youngest Major in its history” Middle East Monitor
• “Turkey gains new wave of female mayors after opposition’s poll success” Reuters
• Zeynep’s Twitter
• Zeynep’s LinkedIn

Follow

• Instagram @women_leaders_podcast
• Our partner European Leadership Network social media Twitter, LinkedIn & Facebook
• Our partner European Leadership Network website
• Ilana Bet-El

Credits

• Production: Florence Ferrando
• Music: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat
• Supported by a grant from the Foundation Open Society Institute in cooperation with the Open Society Foundations

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