Latest Interviews
Showing 16–30 of 52 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist8 min
Is Russia the real winner from the war in Iran? | The Economist
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Shashank, Greg, Ed
A strategic assessment highlights Russia's improved economic resilience and reduced incentive for negotiations, while Gulf states face a binary choice between dealing with Iran or deepening US security ties at the cost of regional stability. The conflict simultaneously exposes critical US industrial limitations in interceptor stockpiles despite demonstrating superior technical execution, a dynamic that China interprets as evidence of American war fatigue. Consequently, these developments entrench Russia's position and accelerate Beijing's military modernization efforts focused on endurance and missile capabilities.
- The Economist7 min
Anthropic’s CEO explains why he took on the Pentagon
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Dario Amodei
A technology executive highlights a strategic conflict with the Pentagon over negotiating a new, broader AI contract that includes restrictions on fully autonomous weapon deployment due to current safety limitations and the risk of a normative oversight vacuum. While the speaker asserts 99% alignment with government goals on non-autonomous capabilities, the dispute centers on the Pentagon's rejection of operational constraints, which the executive warns could force the effective nationalization of private AI firms. This tension is framed as a long-term challenge where both private companies and state actors possess unprecedented power that requires balanced oversight to prevent abuse or overreach.
- The Economist10 min
What would Kevin Warsh’s Federal Reserve look like? | The Economist
Kevin Warsh, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr, Henry, Zannie, Archie
President Trump has nominated former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh as the next Chair, contingent on the White House removing a Senate blockade led by Senator Tom Tillis regarding the investigation into current Chair Jerome Powell. Warsh's proposed strategy, termed "Warshonomics," seeks to lower interest rates by coupling an anticipated AI-driven productivity surge with balance sheet contraction to offset inflationary risks, despite his historical reputation as a hawk. While experts predict Warsh will implement a slightly more dovish policy yielding one or two rate cuts, his ability to align the FOMC with President Trump's demands remains a significant governance risk complicated by potential political backlash.
- The Economist9 min
Iran’s former crown prince on its potential path to democracy
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Reza Pahlavi
During a period characterized as a revolution rather than a protest, a self-styled neutral arbiter proposes establishing a temporary government to replace Iran's current regime with a democratic system based on secular governance and territorial integrity. This transition plan includes immediate nuclear program abandonment to lift sanctions, a constitutional referendum process, and the potential integration of an economically reformed Iran with Israel to ensure regional stability. Proponents argue that the movement, supported by street chants and diaspora experience, seeks to dismantle a corrupt elite while offering all citizens the prospect of greater wealth through transparent economic policies.
- The Economist8 min
How Netanyahu’s rival would end Israel’s war in Gaza
Netanyahu, Naftali Bennett, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr
Candidate Yair Gantz frames the upcoming Israeli election as a pivotal choice between internal tribalism and a national renaissance, arguing that the current crisis stems from fabricated animosity rather than genuine policy differences. While positioning his security stance as more hawkish than Prime Minister Netanyahu's by holding the incumbent responsible for the October 7 failures, he pledges to annihilate Hamas and implement a "Gaza 2.0" vision that explicitly rejects a Palestinian state as an existential threat. Gantz plans to launch a diplomatic tour of Arab leaders to reposition Israel regionally, emphasizing pragmatic improvements in Palestinian dignity over statehood while prioritizing the defeat of Hamas as the prerequisite for any future rebuilding efforts.
- The Economist6 min
Binyamin Netanyahu on how Israel justifies its war in Gaza
Binyamin Netanyahu, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr
In a strategic discussion regarding the Israel-Gaza conflict, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defends Israel's military conduct as a necessary defense of modern civilization against radical Islam while disputing casualty ratio claims by citing specific urban warfare constraints. Conversely, the dialogue highlights a growing international backlash regarding civilian losses and presents a counter-narrative warning that Israel's operational approach risks long-term isolation and reputational damage in Western democracies. The exchange concludes by contrasting Israel's successful hostage recovery operations with allegations of Hamas atrocities, framing the dispute as a fundamental clash over global security values and the legitimacy of proportional force.
- The Economist10 min
Is China the new superpower?
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr, Ant, David, Ed, Alice
The analysis examines the People's Liberation Army's advanced regional military capabilities and manufacturing dominance while highlighting severe internal economic stagnation, including three years of deflation and rising youth unemployment. Although China lacks the global projection power of the United States, its strategic focus on national security and superior hypersonic technology positions it to dominate the Indo-Pacific region. Experts conclude that while Beijing will achieve significant geopolitical strength, its long-term stability faces challenges from domestic discontent and an overreliance on foreign markets that it cannot fully control.
- The Economist7 min
Why doesn’t the UK become closer to the EU?
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr
Analysts predict Prime Minister Starmer will gradually pivot to a pro-EU stance by 2028–2029, driven by strong public support for closer ties that has outlasted the domestic political trauma of Brexit. Concurrently, the government has successfully reduced net migration to approximately 200,000 annually through stricter visa rules, though rising asylum claims continue to fuel a public perception of failing border control. This stabilization of migration figures may enable a political shift toward accepting free movement with the EU within three years, provided internal European instability does not undermine cooperation.
- The Economist10 min
Keir Starmer on the threat to centrist politics
Keir Starmer, Zanny Minton Beddoes
Prime Minister Keir Starmer frames the upcoming election as a critical defense of centrist democracy against the "populist right," specifically warning that a Reform UK victory would fracture social cohesion, jeopardize foreign security alliances, and radicalize the nation. While rejecting a return to the EU Customs Union, Starmer details a pragmatic "fundamental reset" that has improved trade relations and eased border checks, positioning the UK as a trusted European partner despite the 2016 referendum. The Labour campaign, operating under the slogan "Progressive national renewal," seeks to distinguish its platform from traditional Conservative politics by focusing on economic viability, NHS performance, and national security, asserting that only a progressive government can safeguard the country's future.
- The Economist9 min
What we know about the Ukraine peace plan
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr, Olly, Ed, Shashank, Zannie, Chris
Emerging from Geneva talks, a draft treaty to partition Ukraine has evolved from a 28-point plan to an 18-point document featuring relaxed military caps and the potential removal of constitutional bans on NATO membership. While special representative Steve Witkoff allegedly advised Russian negotiators on pressure tactics and leaked communications cast suspicion on the security of the process, key disputes remain regarding the status of Donbass, the enforceability of vague US security guarantees, and the exclusion of European military forces. Analysts warn that despite the removal of restrictive weapon bans, the proposed framework relies on unenforceable terms and creates a strategic vacuum for Ukraine's post-war defense.
- The Economist10 min
How would Europe’s populist right govern?
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr, Nigel Farage, Alice Weidel, Jordan Bardella, Zannie, Sophie, Sasha, Ed, Sani
Amid a backdrop of economic stagnation and eroded public trust, populist leaders such as Italy's Matteo Bardella, the UK's Nigel Farage, and Germany's Alice Weidel are gaining traction by blending pro-growth rhetoric with nationalist agendas. While these movements face internal contradictions regarding fiscal realism and external barriers like the German "Brandmauer," they collectively frame the European Union as a structural obstacle to national prosperity. The resulting geopolitical friction promises to deepen polarization, as these parties advocate for diametrically opposed reforms that threaten to destabilize European integration.
- The Economist13 min
Steve Bannon: Trump will have a third term
Steve Bannon, Trump, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Ed Carr
Steve Bannon articulates a vision for a MAGA revolution that replaces corporate control with an "entrepreneurial capitalism" dominated by populist nationalists, asserting the movement must seize and permanently defend state institutions regardless of legal or economic pushback. He predicts Donald Trump will secure a third presidential term in 2028 by redefining constitutional constraints and positions the United States as the catalyst for a global wave of right-wing victories in nations like the UK, France, and Germany. This strategy frames the current era as an existential political war where the movement will not compromise, arguing that radical action is necessary to avoid elite-managed decline and ensure the preservation of national sovereignty.
- The Economist10 min
Were we wrong about Trump's tariffs?
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Edward Carr, Henry, John, Ed
Recent trade policies have established the highest tariff levels in ninety years, creating a significant gap between announced rates and effective collection due to supply chain shifts and business cost absorption. While the U.S. economy experienced its weakest half-year growth since 2012 with rising inflation, political dynamics are shifting toward protectionism across both parties despite bipartisan opposition from key figures like Mitch McConnell. Experts warn that arbitrary policy implementation and entrenched lobbying interests will likely create long-term structural damage and market isolation, even if an immediate recession is avoided.
- The Economist10 min
Who will run Gaza?
Zanny Minton Beddoes, Greg, Patrick, Zannie, Ed
Experts assess that Hamas will likely retain lighter arms while potentially depleting heavier weaponry, driven by ideological identity and fears of local reprisals. The proposed Trump peace plan outlines a corporate-style transitional authority led by President Trump and former Prime Minister Tony Blair, employing technocrats to manage civil services amid disputes between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas over governance representation. This model diverges from the Oslo Accords by prioritizing reconstruction and external pressure to shift public opinion, though recovery depends heavily on Israel allowing building materials into a territory where 80% of structures have been destroyed.
- The Economist7 min
Mark Carney on dealing with Donald Trump
Mark Carney, Donald Trump, Zanny Minton Beddoes, Prime Minister Carney, Sani
Prime Minister Carney attributes Canada's recent economic stagnation to persistent tariff uncertainty while characterizing U.S. trade policy as a coercive "mafioso" strategy driven by President Trump. In response to this geopolitical rupture, Ottawa is pivoting toward strategic sovereignty by bolstering Arctic defense and cultivating a "variable geometry" of trade alliances to reduce reliance on the American market. This dual approach acknowledges a permanent shift toward high-tariff U.S. protectionism, compelling Canada to prioritize self-sufficiency and diversify global partnerships beyond traditional transatlantic frameworks.