In this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues is joined by special guest Mircea Geoană to discuss the future of NATO Mircea has been the Deputy Secretary General of NATO since 2019. He joined NATO after a remarkable career as politician and statesman in Romania – among many other things, he was President of the Social Democratic Party from 2005 to 2010, an influential Senator and President of the Senate from 2008 to 2011, presidential candidate in 2009, and also, importantly, mini...
Nov 04, 2021•28 min
In this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues is joined by special guest David Brooks to discuss the Bobos, or the Bohemian Bourgeoisie. David has been an Op-ed Columnist for the New York Times since 2003. He is the author of several books, including a No. 1 New York Times Bestseller “The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement.” This episode will focus on “Bobos in Paradise: The New Upper Class and How They Got There” which discusses the concept of t...
Oct 22, 2021•31 min•Season 3Ep. 4
In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues is joined by Jiří Pehe to discuss the Czech general elections which will be held on October 8th and 9th. Jiří Pehe is Director of New York University in Prague, and head of NYU’s Prague Institute for Democracy. He arrived in the US as a political refugee in the early 1980s, and graduated from Columbia University in 1985. He worked at Freedom House and then became Director of Central European Research at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty....
Oct 07, 2021•33 min•Season 2Ep. 19
In this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues is joined by special guest Jana Puglierin to discuss the German elections, which will take place Sunday, September 26. Jana is Senior Policy Fellow and the head of the Berlin office of European Council on Foreign Relations. She directs the Re:shape Global Europe project, developing strategies for Europeans to engage with changes in the international order. Previously, she headed the Alfred von Oppenheim Center for European Policy Studi...
Sep 24, 2021•27 min•Season 3Ep. 2
In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues is joined by Marc Hecker to discuss the 20thanniversary of 9/11 and the War on Terrorism. Marc Hecker is the Director of Research and Development at IFRI – the French Institute of International Relations – and Editor-in-Chief of the French academic journal Politique étrangère. He taught at Sciences Po for several years on terrorism and asymmetric wars and is the author of the recently published book La Guerre de 20 ans: Djihadisme et c...
Sep 09, 2021•29 min•Season 3Ep. 1
In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues is joined by Adrian Vazquez Lazara, an MEP from the Spanish party Ciudadanos, to discuss the state of play in the Euro-Med region. Adrian Vazquez Lazara sits on the Renew Europe parliamentary group, where he is also the Chairman of Legal Affairs. Prior to his election to European Parliament in 2020, Adrian was an international officer for the Ciudadanos party and had an extensive background working in both public and private affairs. A...
Jul 27, 2021•27 min•Season 2Ep. 16
In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues is joined by Nicu Popescu, a Moldovan diplomat, to discuss the elections and state of politics in Moldova. Nicu Popescu is currently the director of Wider Europe at the European Council on Foreign Relations, focusing on EU relations with Russia and the Eastern Partnership countries. He has experience in international affairs, holding roles at the EU Institute for Security Studies, the European Council on Foreign Relations, and as a for...
Jul 09, 2021•34 min•Season 2Ep. 15
In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues is joined by Vít Hloušek, a contemporary European history and politics professor in the Czech Republic to discuss the rise of entrepreneurial parties and their influence on European politics. Vít Hloušek is head of the Department of the International Institute of Political Science at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic. He specializes in comparative political science research and has authored numerous publications, including The...
Jun 25, 2021•36 min•Season 2Ep. 14
In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues is joined by Mantas Adomenas and Giulia Pompili to discuss Europe’s relationship with the People’s Republic of China. As China’s presence grows in Europe through the Belt and Road Initiative and the 16+1 agreement, European leaders are beginning to consider future cooperation between Europe and China. What are China’s true intentions in Europe? What strategies can and should European countries use in finding an alternative to Chinese i...
Jun 11, 2021•43 min•Season 2Ep. 13
In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues is joined by Brice Couturier, a leading French intellectual and author to discuss his book “1969” and the cultural and intellectual impact that the late sixties had on Western culture. Brice Couturier is a French journalist working at France Culture, producing the daily show “Le Tour du Monde des Idées,” one of the inspirations for .think atlantic. Additionally, Brice is the author of several books, including a biography of Emmanuel Ma...
May 28, 2021•39 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues is joined by former Prime Minister of Canada, Stephen Harper, to discuss the future of conservatism in political and socioeconomic institutions. Stephen Harper served as the prime minister of Canada from 2006 to 2015 as the country’s first and only prime minister from the Conservative Party of Canada. His book, “Right Here, Right Now: Politics and Leadership in the Age of Disruption,” published in 2018, directs the episode’s discussion...
May 14, 2021•38 min•Season 2Ep. 11
In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI's Thibault Muzergues is joined by Michael C. Kimmage to explore “the West” as a concept in International Relations, and more particularly in US foreign policy. Michael is a professor of history at the Catholic University of America. From 2014 to 2017, he served on the Secretary's Policy Planning Staff at the U.S. Department of State, where he held the Russia/Ukraine portfolio. Michael is also an author, “The Abandonment of the West: The History of an Idea ...
Apr 30, 2021•37 min•Season 2Ep. 10
On this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI's Thibault Muzergues is joined by two special guests, former Prime Minister of Lithuania, Andrius Kubilius, and Member of the Ukrainian Parliament, Ivanna Klympush-Tsintsadze, to talk about Europe’s Eastern Partnership initiative. Last year was the 10th anniversary of the Eastern Partnership and there was supposed to be a large celebration where the relationship was to be renewed with new policies for the next 10 years. But when COVID happened, the summit ...
Apr 16, 2021•48 min•Season 2Ep. 9
On this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI's Thibault Muzergues is joined by former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bulgaria, Daniel Mitov, to talk about Bulgaria as the country is about to head to the polls on Sunday, April 4th for legislative elections. Last summer, Bulgaria was rocked by major protests about the country’s rule of law issues, which include corruption, the unchecked powers of the Prosecutor General, and judicial independence. Has the situation evolved since then? If the winner of t...
Apr 02, 2021•46 min•Season 2Ep. 8
On this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI's Thibault Muzergues is joined by Katalin Cseh, Mohand Sidi-Said, and IRI's Zuzana Palušáková. The discussion centers around a new report by the International Republican Institute (IRI), in partnership with the Alliance for Liberals and Democrats in Europe (ALDE) and the European Liberal Forum (ELF), which measures European sentiment on COVID-19 and its fallout across the region. What are the main takeaways from the data? How are Europe and North America g...
Mar 26, 2021•53 min•Season 2Ep. 7
On this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues and a Dutch politician and a Member of European Parliament, Liesje Schreinemacher talk about the Netherlands as the Dutch go to the polls for important legislative elections these days. The general election is largely seen as a referendum on the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte is aiming to secure a fourth term with an election victory that would put him on course to be the Netherlands’...
Mar 17, 2021•29 min•Season 2Ep. 6
Why is the Baltic sea region such a hotspot, despite having ninety percent of its coastline part of the EU? How to approach the dilemma of European strategic autonomy and how does it resonate for Baltic security? What to answer to those who claim that having NATO troops stationed in the Baltic states is inviting the Russians to escalate their engagement in the region? What to do with the growing presence of China and what does it mean for the transatlantic relationship? On this episode of .think...
Mar 05, 2021•45 min•Season 2Ep. 5
On this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues and tech expert Cyrus Krohn discuss how much the internet has changed in the past 13 years since the two first met during the 2008 election cycle. Touching on themes of surveillance capitalism, information warfare and a potential dystopian outcome, Krohn delves into the solutions he presented in his recently published book Bombarded: How to Fight Back Against the Online Assault on Democracy . Krohn, who’s background includes tech giant...
Feb 19, 2021•38 min•Season 2Ep. 4
In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI's Thibault Muzergues is joined by Charles A. Kupchan to explore the history of isolationism in the United States and apply those lessons towards a broader conversation about the future of America, Europe, and transatlantic relations. Charles serves as a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) and as a professor of international affairs at Georgetown University in the Walsh School of Foreign Service and Department of Government. From 2014 to...
Feb 05, 2021•41 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Today, on January 20, 2021, President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn into the office of President of the United States of America. The 46thPresident will enter this position during a global pandemic that shook up international relations during an already contentious period around the world. On today’s episode of .think Atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues welcomes Damon Wilson to discuss President Biden’s foreign policy plan and the challenges, allies, successes, and strategies he may encounter in ...
Jan 20, 2021•40 min•Season 2Ep. 2
David Goodhart divides human aptitudes into three: Head (cognitive), Hand (manual and craft), and Heart (caring, emotional). It's common sense that a good society needs to recognize the value of all three. The coronavirus pandemic taught us something we ought already to have known: that care workers, supermarket shelf-stackers, delivery drivers, and cleaners are doing essential work that keeps us all alive, fed, and cared for. Until recently much of this work was regarded as menial by the same s...
Jan 08, 2021•35 min•Season 2Ep. 1
The year 2020 has been highly disruptive and the pandemic has had far-reaching political consequences beyond the health crisis, including in terms of democracy and civil liberties. What does this year tell us about the health of our democracies? How do we bring back a balance between civil liberties and the necessity of public order? What should be the common strategy to respond to the aggressive behavior of the Chinese Communist Party? What will be the three major developments we should be look...
Dec 18, 2020•41 min•Season 1Ep. 16
On Sunday, Romania will take to the polls for its parliamentary elections. While an election during a pandemic introduces unique aspects on its own, in these elections, many will be watching to see how shifting attitudes towards political parties throughout the past decade will shape the results. In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI's Thibault Muzergues and his guest Siegfried Mureșan discuss the key factors expected to play a role in the Romanian elections. Siegfried Mureșan is a Member of E...
Dec 04, 2020•38 min•Season 1Ep. 15
The EU and UK are in the final stages of negotiations on a possible post-Brexit trade deal, although differences remain. In this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI's Thibault Muzergues and his guest Andrew Bowie discuss not only Brexit and latter Britain’s place in the world, but also the future of Scotland and one-nation Conservatism. Andrew Bowie is a Scottish Conservative Party politician and since the 2017 general elections a Member of Parliament for West Aberdeenshire and Kincardine. Since 201...
Nov 20, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 14
The suspense is over, and Joe Biden is President-Elect of the United States. In this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues and his guests Kristen Soltis Anderson and Brian Berry try to make sense of the election results and discuss what the future of America and its party system is going to look like. What were the groups that shifted the elections? What kind of presidency can we expect of President-Elect Joe Biden? Is the Republican party going to transform itself into a working-...
Nov 14, 2020•52 min
In this week of electoral frenzy in the United States, .think atlantic host Thibault Muzergues sits down with his guest Bruno Maçães, author of History has Begun: The Birth of a New America to reflect on the trajectory of the United States in the long-term, with a historical, philosophical, cultural but also political perspective. What is the cultural and political relationship between America and Europe, how is America defining (or rather redefining) its identity, culture and politics in a chan...
Nov 03, 2020•39 min•Season 1Ep. 12
The tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean have escalated over the summer with maritime tensions rising between Greece and Cyprus on the one hand and Turkey on the other, and complex entanglements in North Africa and the Middle East. What happened exactly, and are all the tensions around the region (with military conflict in Libya, Syria) linked? What are Turkey's foreign policy goals? How will NATO adapt to a changing configuration in the Eastern Med? In this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI’s Th...
Oct 23, 2020•30 min•Season 1Ep. 11
What is the state of the relationship between France and Germany, and does the German-French couple still “lead” the European construction? With Brexit, would this domination become a problem for the Union and the Transatlantic Alliance? In this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues and his guests Hans Kundnani debate all these questions - and many more. Hans Kundnani is an author and think-tanker and currently serves as Senior Research Fellow at Chatham House, Britain’s Royal Ins...
Oct 07, 2020•36 min•Season 1Ep. 10
Since 2016, the Working Class has made a spectacular comeback into the public debate. How do social problems for the white working class translate in terms of political affiliations across the Transatlantic space? Why are working class folks rebelling against the establishment in many countries, and what can be done to solve their problems? In this episode of .think Atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues and his guests Justin Gest discuss all these questions - and more. Justin Gest is an Associate P...
Sep 23, 2020•28 min•Season 1Ep. 9
What does influence from the Chinese Communist Party look like today? How are countries from both sides of the Atlantic addressing malign influence? What can local leaders do to protect their citizens from propaganda and disinformation? In this episode of .think atlantic, IRI’s Thibault Muzergues and his guests Mareike Ohlberg and David Shullman discuss these questions. Mareike Ohlberg is a senior fellow in the Asia program of the German Marshal Fund and a co-leader of the Stockholm China Forum....
Sep 08, 2020•40 min•Season 1Ep. 8
