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Artwork for Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

ECFR
European Union
Ukraine
China
United States
Russia
Donald Trump
NATO
Iran
Gaza
Israel
Germany
Poland
European Council On Foreign Relations
Trump Administration
France
Middle East
Taiwan
Tariffs
Hamas
Europe

Weekly podcast on the events, policies and ideas that will shape the world.World in 30 minutes is curated by Mark Leonard, Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), and features top-level speakers from across the EU and beyond to debate and discuss Europe’s role in the world. It was awarded “Best podcasts on EU politics” by PolicyLab in 2019.Member of the EuroPod network.

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PublishesWeeklyEpisodes661Founded17 years ago
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Artwork for Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

Latest Episodes

This week Mark Leonard is joined by Nevada Joan Lee, a policy fellow in ECFR’s US programme, and Stephen Wertheim, a senior fellow in the American Statecraft program at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. Together they discuss what the im... more

This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Andrew Small, head of ECFR’s Asia programme, to discuss how Chinese industrial overcapacity is threatening European deindustrialisation—and what Europe can do about it.

Over the summer, Europe’s approach to China shi... more

This week, Mark Leonard welcomes Guntram Wolf, senior fellow at Bruegel and professor of economics at the Université Libre de Bruxelles, and Pierre Heilbronn, former vice-president of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and France’s ... more

In late September, 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal was evicted from the Madrid flat she had lived in for seven decades, sparking nationwide protests over Spain’s housing crisis. Pedro Sánchez’s government responded with two emergency housing decrees w... more

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Recent Guests

Andrew Small
Head of the European Council on Foreign Relations' Asia programme and author on China
European Council on Foreign Relations
Episode: Europe’s new China playbook
Guntram Wolff
Senior fellow at Bruegel and professor of economics at the Université Libre de Bruxelles
Bruegel
Episode: Europe’s next budget fight
Pierre Heilbronn
Former European Bank for Reconstruction and Development vice-president and France's special envoy for Ukraine's relief and reconstruction
European Bank for Reconstruction and Development
Episode: Europe’s next budget fight
Carla Hobbs
Head of the Madrid office and Policy Fellow at ECFR
European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Episode: Sánchez’s biggest gamble yet
Nacho Torreblanca
Distinguished Policy Fellow on Geoeconomics and Technology at ECFR
European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR)
Episode: Sánchez’s biggest gamble yet
Beth Oppenheim
Policy fellow in ECFR's Middle East and North Africa program
ECFR
Episode: The ideas of Israel
Ariel David
Researcher focusing on religious Zionism and Mizrahi identity
Hebrew University
Episode: The ideas of Israel
Neri Zilber
Journalist and analyst covering Israel for the Financial Times; hosts the Israel Policy Pod
Financial Times; Israel Policy Forum
Episode: The ideas of Israel
Aslı Aydıntaşbaş
Associate Senior Policy Fellow at ECFR; Fellow at Brookings Institution, Washington
ECFR; Brookings Institution
Episode: Turkey’s place in Europe

Host

Mark Leonard
Host of World in 30 Minutes; Director of ECFR

Reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars from 617 ratings
  • Great podcast

    Great topics, great conversation partners - love it for staying up to date on international relations.

    Only issue is that the sound quality isn’t always great. (The other day there was one that didn’t see a lot of diligence in cutting the audio files.)

    Apple Podcasts
    4
    Lenitchka1234
    France2 months ago
  • How did The World in 30 Minutes become Surviving Chaos

    I have seen people like Ross Barkan shamelessly plug their books on Substack and others like John Ganz pitch theirs more subtly. But Mark Leonard has commandeered his own podcast to turn it (at least in recent episodes) into a sales platform for his latest book. It has affected his choice of guests as well because it then becomes a backdoor for amping up his book sales. There are references to his book throughout the conversations with his guests. As to the quality of the discussions on question... more

    Apple Podcasts
    2
    sidneyhart
    United States5 months ago
  • Super smart and useful

    Always interesting and deep. Good job Jeremy this week! I am a fan

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    yvesTT
    Canadaa year ago
  • Gladden Pappin interview

    Another excellent podcast in your terrific summer series on right wing politics. The guests have been very well chosen and have provided really informative perspectives. I’m not sure why Mark‘s questions all had echoes while Pappin’s didn’t but that’s a minor quibble. Everything was clear and understandable. I look forward to further podcasts on the subject of the right, whether in the summer series or not.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Tom4362
    United Statesa year ago
  • An absolute must

    Brilliant podcast on the challenges of classical liberalism from the right

    - great intro by Mark Leonard & Ivan Krastev on the current situation, where liberalism is currently under pressure from a conceptual view point and the need to hear the perspective from the non-liberal conservative side

    - great, very civil exchanges with conservative thinkers who are able to explain where they are coming from and fully articulate their cases in a way which leaves room for the audience to make up their mi... more

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Antoine_K&K
    Francea year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the show for thoughtful, high-level policy discussions and well-chosen guests.
Audience appreciates European-centric geopolitical analysis presented concisely, with bookshelf recommendations valued by many.
Audio quality and host interview technique are frequent points of feedback, with some episodes criticized for sound issues.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#161
Brazil/News
Apple Podcasts
#165
Colombia/News
Apple Podcasts
#176
Belgium/News
Apple Podcasts
#191
Sweden/News
Apple Podcasts
#220
South Korea/News
Apple Podcasts
#222
Finland/News

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Europe’s new China playbook
Q: What is China going to do now? Are we sure they're not just going to use brute force in the way that they did against Trump and try and bully Europeans into backing down completely, go for total victory using rare earths and other tools?
Small says China has weighed coercion against making limited concessions through negotiations. He believes Beijing may prefer an agreement that preserves access to European markets, but retaliation remains possible if talks fail. European policymakers are preparing for both continued negotiations and escalation.
Europe’s new China playbook
Q: So why don't you tell our listeners where you think we're at at the moment, and maybe kind of talk a little bit about the deal that happened, why it happened, how it happened, and what might come next?
Small says EU leaders broadly agreed that Chinese export surges threaten European industry and increase dependence on China. The EU and China reached an understanding on limits for hybrid vehicle exports, with the EU implementing safeguards and China accepting them. He describes the deal as an initial step, with further action potentially needed in other sectors.
Europe’s next budget fight
Q: How do you actually go about putting this budget together? What were the Irish presidency doing?
Heilbronn explains that the Commission proposes allocations and the rotating presidency presents a compromise to national leaders, typically framed as cuts to the Commission's proposal rather than reductions from the current budget. The Irish proposal preserves an overall increase while making substantial cuts to the initial plan.
Europe’s next budget fight
Q: What is the so-called MFF, the Multi-Annual Financial Framework, and how is it going to be agreed?
Wolff describes it as a seven-year negotiation that typically pits net contributors against countries seeking cohesion funding and usually concludes in a last-minute deal. He says the debate should focus on financing European public goods rather than national net returns.
Sánchez’s biggest gamble yet
Q: Can you both talk a bit more about Vox as a party?
Vox is characterized as a very radical party on immigration and social issues, with plans that challenge certain constitutional norms, but it is not described as wanting to erase democracy or pull Spain out of the EU; the discussion emphasizes the party's potential to redefine the conservative spectrum and its implications for governance.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

What is Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Across episodes, expect high-level geopolitical analysis, with a focus on European policy, global power dynamics, and the evolving role of Europe on the world stage. Conversations frequently center on foreign policy, security, regional diplomacy, and how big-global trends—like US-China relations, NATO, and regional alignments—shape Europe's choices. Notable strengths include access to ECFR experts and seasoned policymakers, plus a clear emphasis on pragmatic, policy-oriented discussion. Potential listeners who enjoy concise, idea-forward briefings with smart guests from think tanks, government, and academia will likely find it valuable, especially those tracking Europe's stance in global affairs. A recurring plus is a bookshelf or reading l... more

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1. Brussels Playbook Podcast
2. The Rachman Review
3. Foreign Policy Live
4. The Foreign Affairs Interview
5. Hold Your Fire!

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Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes launched 17 years ago and published 661 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes?

Recent guests on Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes include:

1. Andrew Small
2. Guntram Wolff
3. Pierre Heilbronn
4. Carla Hobbs
5. Nacho Torreblanca
6. Beth Oppenheim
7. Ariel David
8. Neri Zilber

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