Power Play

Latest Episodes:

Build beautiful: Thomas Heatherwick's campaign to 'humanize' buildings Nov 23, 2023

Show notes

Thomas Heatherwick’s designs have become icons in his home city of London, including the eye-catching cauldron at the 2012 Olympic Games and the reimagined Routemaster bus. The British designer's projects have popped up around the world — and not without controversy.

In this week’s edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Heatherwick about his mission to change the way our cities and urban areas are built. His new book "Humanise" implores mayors and town planners around the world to replace "boring" buildings, arguing that they damage our health and the environment.

Anne is then joined by POLITICO’s "Power Panel" to reflect on the interview. Aitor Hernández-Morales is author of the Living Cities Global Policy Lab at POLITICO Europe, and Jeff Coltin is co-author of POLITICO’s New York Playbook.

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No Gaza ceasefire: Israel's US Ambassador says ground campaign will take 'weeks' Nov 16, 2023

Show notes

Israel’s most senior diplomat – Michael Herzog, the ambassador to the U.S. – is in the eye of a diplomatic storm in the country that is Israel’s most vital ally. He insists that a ceasefire "would invite the next war."

In this week's edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Ambassador Herzog about Israel's raid on Gaza’s Al Shifa hospital, how long the conflict is likely to last and the U.S.'s discussions with Israel on what happens after the war.

Anne is then joined by POLITICO’s “Power Panel” to reflect on the interview. Jamie Dettmer is POLITICO Europe’s opinion editor, who's reporting from Israel, and Alex Ward, POLITICO’s national security reporter in Washington D.C. and anchor of “National Security Daily.”

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PM Mitsotakis on ‘hard truths’ for Israel and Greece's economic comeback Nov 09, 2023

Show notes

One month after war broke out between Israel and Hamas, the solidarity of European leaders is being tested. Nowhere more so than in Greece, on the EU's southern border, which has traditional ties to Israel and Arab states.

On this week’s edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy speaks to Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on his concerns about the war in the Middle East, Greece's proximity to the region, and the prospect of increasing humanitarian aid via a sea corridor.

They also discuss Greece's economic revival, relations with Turkey, the challenges of dealing with migrant boat crossings and climate change.

Anne is then joined by POLITICO’s “Power Panel” to reflect on the interview. Jamie Dettmer is POLITICO Europe's opinion editor, and Matt Kaminski is POLITICO’s editor-at-large in Washington D.C.

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Decoding AI: Rishi Sunak's call for action Nov 01, 2023

Show notes

Over 100 leading figures from the biggest tech companies and governments across the globe have assembled for Britain’s two-day AI Safety summit. The UK hopes the event will galvanize power players into agreeing common aims to regulate the growth of artificial intelligence.

In this early edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak about the risks and opportunities posed by AI, as well as other pressing global issues.

Anne is then joined by POLITICO’s "Power Panel" to reflect on the summit, including Steven Overly, host of POLITICO's daily Tech podcast, and Matt Honeycombe-Foster, U.K. news editor.

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Caught in a trap: Mathias Döpfner's call for free trade Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

As the Middle East crisis deepens, how should the West react to a growing sense of unease about the world order?

On this week's edition of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy speaks to Mathias Döpfner, CEO of Europe's leading digital publisher, Axel Springer (POLITICO's parent company).

His new book, "Trade Trap," calls for a new approach to free trade between democracies. He believes we are experiencing a "war of systems, and it is truly a battle between democracies and autocracies."

Anne is also joined by POLITICO's head of news in Europe, Christian Oliver and Rana Mitter, an expert on U.S.-Asia relations from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

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The long game: General Petraeus on Israel's options Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

The carnage on the streets of Gaza and mounting tensions between Israel and its Arab neighbours presented a bleak and chaotic backdrop for President Biden’s impromptu visit to Tel Aviv. Is this a conflict on the brink of exploding across the region?

In this week’s episode of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to David Petraeus, the former director of the CIA and four-star general who led coalition forces in Iraq and Afghanistan. He has co-authored a new book, "Conflict: The Evolution of Warfare from 1945 to Ukraine," which draws on the lessons of warfare since 1945. His warnings about the prospect of an Israeli ground offensive will raise alarm bells around the world.

Anne is then joined by POLITICO’s “Power Panel” to reflect on the consequences of this week’s events for the U.S., Europe and the wider world. Alex Ward is POLITICO’s national security reporter in Washington, D.C. and Joshua Posaner is POLITICO’s senior defense reporter in Berlin.

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Going to war: Ambassador Ron Prosor on Israel's fight with Hamas Oct 12, 2023

Show notes

The horrific events unfolding in Israel have sent shockwaves around the world. As the death toll mounts from Hamas' deadly attacks and Israel's retaliatory strikes on Gaza, how will the ensuing conflict alter the power balance of the Middle East and its alliances?

In this week’s episode of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Ron Prosor, Israel's ambassador to Germany. Prosor has also served as the Israeli Ambassador to the UK and Permanent Representative to the UN.

She also talks to Fleur Hassan-Nahoum, deputy mayor of Jerusalem, to get insight into the mood in a city at the heart of tensions in the Middle East.

Anne is joined by POLITICO’s "Power Panel" to reflect on the consequences of this week's events for the US, Europe and the wider world. Lara Seligman, POLITICO’s defense reporter in Washington DC and Sam Wilkin, policy editor in POLITICO's Brussels newsroom.

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Policing the world: Michael Froman on limits to US power Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

The crisis in the U.S. House of Representatives is resonating far beyond Washington, not least in Ukraine, where the durability of America's commitment to the war effort has been thrown into doubt after future funding was omitted from its recent stopgap funding deal.

Can Ukraine and its allies in Europe go it alone without agreement on further aid from Congress? And is America’s foreign policy shifting away from the days of spreading liberal democracy?

In this week’s episode of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Michael Froman, president of the influential Council on Foreign Relations in New York. The Council’s recommendations are heeded in the Oval Office, State Department as well as European capitals — a bellwether for America’s approach to the world.

They explore how the U.S. foreign policy establishment is dealing with the war in Ukraine, the rise of protectionism, liberal democracy, China and the prospect of another Trump presidency. Are the days of America acting as the world's policeman over?

Anne is joined by POLITICO's "Power Panel" to reflect on the choices facing the Biden administration and the impact in European capitals. This week's panel are Heidi Vogt, POLITICO's national security editor in Washington and Nicholas Vinocur, editor-at-large for POLITICO Europe in Brussels.

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Foxed: Michael Wolff on politics and media after Rupert Murdoch Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

The exit of the most powerful player at News Corp has made headlines on both sides of the Atlantic. At 92, Rupert Murdoch has decided to step down as executive chairman, making way for his son Lachlan. But will much change, given Rupert Murdoch's reputation for being close to the action?

In this week's episode of Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to Michael Wolff, long-time chronicler of the Murdoch empire and biographer. His latest book, "The Fall: The End of Fox News and the Murdoch Dynasty," is published this week.

They discuss what's at stake for News Corp and Fox and what the change at the top will mean for general elections in the U.S. and the U.K. next year.

Later, Anne talks to POLITICO’s assembled “Power Panel” to chart their way through a fast-changing media and political landscape. She's joined by Jonathan Martin, POLITICO's senior political reporter in Washington, and Emilio Casalicchio, author of London Playbook PM.

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Keir Starmer International: UK Labour leader puts the world to rights Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

In this inaugural episode of POLITICO's new global podcast Power Play, host Anne McElvoy talks to the man who hopes to be Britain's next prime minister, Keir Starmer.

In a wide-ranging interview on global affairs, the Labour leader reveals his concerns about China. He warns that the U.K. needs to “wean itself off” China “when it comes to trade, commerce and technology.”

Starmer also tells Anne what he thinks about Donald Trump, Joe Biden, the war in Ukraine and his vision for a "clean energy alliance" around the world.

Later, Anne talks to POLITICO's assembled “Power Panel” from New York City, where the annual U.N. General Assembly is underway. As leaders gather on the international stage, Rosa Prince, the editor of London Playbook and Nahal Toosi, senior foreign affairs correspondent in Washington, D.C. share their analysis of Starmer's thinking about the world and what it might mean for transatlantic relations.

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