Latest Interviews
Showing 46–49 of 49 transcripts.
Clear all filters- The Economist6 min
Putin's Russia and the ghost of the Romanovs
On the centenary of the Bolshevik execution of the Romanov family, Russian President Vladimir Putin navigates a political dilemma by promoting a revisionist narrative that frames Russia as a continuous state under an all-powerful autocrat, thereby sidestepping the condemnation of the 1917 revolution that established the modern state. This approach leverages an alliance with the Russian Orthodox Church to legitimize Putin's centralization of power and domestic repression, contrasting sharply with the 1998 efforts to acknowledge the Tsarist murder as a crime. Despite the current stability of his regime through military conflicts and the erosion of the Duma's authority, historical precedents suggest the unpredictability of Russia's governmental systems.
- The Economist7 min
How to stop the ivory trade
African elephant populations face imminent extinction due to poaching driven by a $4,000 black market for ivory that funds militant groups like Boko Haram and the Lord's Resistance Army. Scientific forensics confirm that recent large seizures consist almost entirely of newly poached tusks originating from East African hotspots, a trend exacerbated by the 2008 decision to allow limited legal sales which blurred the line between legitimate and illegal stockpiles. While the United States and China have recently implemented near-total or complete bans to stifle demand and lower prices, conservationists argue that closing remaining legal markets, such as those in Britain, is essential to fully eliminate the illicit trade's supply chain.
- The Economist19 min
Transforming cities with technology
Fabio Duarte, Caitlin Dolkaert, Nick Mokua
With global urbanization driving 900 million people into slums and cities consuming three-quarters of world energy, the smart city sector is surging toward a $1.5 trillion valuation by leveraging real-time data networks. Innovators in Seoul, Nairobi, and Boston demonstrate this shift by deploying integrated sensor systems to optimize transportation, coordinate emergency services, and detect public health crises through sewage and infrastructure monitoring. These initiatives prioritize using data to "make people smarter," directly addressing affordability, traffic gridlock, and opioid surges without relying solely on hardware deployment.
- The Economist15 min
Populism is reshaping our world
Matteo Renzi, Beppe Grillo, Jeff Siegel, Virginia Raggi, Robert Callista, Russell Hancock, Harry Part Ovi, Sebastian Thrun
Following the 2016 Italian referendum defeat of Prime Minister Matteo Renzi, the Five Star Movement capitalized on economic stagnation to emerge as the primary opposition party, signaling a broader global surge in populism driven by automation-induced inequality. While experts identify technological displacement, particularly in sectors like trucking, as a root cause of economic dislocation, leaders such as Sebastian Thrun and Harry Part Ovi advocate for systemic reforms including lifelong learning and accessible retraining programs. Ultimately, restoring stability to Western democracies requires political and business leaders to address the grievances of alienated populations through concrete economic solutions rather than allowing technological disruption to fuel further anti-establishment sentiment.