Mark Leonard's World in 30 Minutes

This week Mark Leonard is joined by Balázs Orbán, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orbán’s (no relation) political director since 2021. He is also chairman of the board at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium. Previously, Balázs was minister of state in the prime minister’s office and director general of the Migration Research Institute in Budapest. Together, Mark and Balázs explore the latter’s intellectual journey that resulted in his inclusion in Orbán's cabinet. They also discuss how the national conservative movement developed in Europe and Hungary, where Orbán’s party Fidesz was at the forefront of the “new right”. What are the key concepts underpinning Hungary’s national conservatism? Has the right-wing movement in Europe developed in Hungary’s image? Will the European Parliament’s Patriots for Europe group become mainstream in EU politics? And how is this “new politics” restructuring power in Europe?  This podcast was recorded on September 2nd 2025. Bookshelf: Regime Change: Towards a Postliberal Future by Patrick Deneen 

This week Mark Leonard is joined by Hélène De Lauzun, Paris correspondent for the European Conservative and author of L'histoire de l'Autriche (The History of Austria), to discuss the historical roots and modern expressions of conservatism in France. Together, Mark and Hélène explore her intellectual journey as a historian emphasising France’s pre-Revolutionary legacy, the fragmentation of conservatism into Bonapartist, liberal, Catholic and counter-revolutionary traditions, and how figures like Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen reflect or challenge these ideals. Amid France's polarised landscape, what unites or divides conservative thought today? Can conservatism reclaim its historical depth in a nation increasingly defined by secularism and globalism? And is the rise of the National Rally a true conservative revival—or a populist deviation? This podcast was recorded on Ausgust 28, 2025.

In the second episode of ECFR’s summer mini-series on the “New Right”, Mark Leonard is joined by Gladden Pappin, president of the Hungarian Institute of International Affairs, co-founder and deputy editor of American Affairs Journal and co-founder of the online magazine Post-Liberal Order. Gladden's intellectual journey illustrates the transnational nature of contemporary political thought. Together, Mark and Gladdon explore the current state of the liberal international order and the recent shift in EU-US relations; and how post-liberalism as a direct response to the failures of liberalism highlights the need for greater understanding of new conservative perspectives—particularly in Europe.  What exactly is emerging to replace the old liberal international order? How do these emerging alliances create a space for different people to exchange ideas? And to what extent is this new political sensibility, which is spreading around the continent, challenging European politics as we know it?  This episode was recorded on July 17th 2025 Bookshelf: Regime Change: Towards a Postliberal Future by Patrick Deneen 

This week Mark Leonard is joined by Rod Dreher, a visiting fellow and Network Project director at the Danube Institute in Budapest, and former senior editor at The American Conservative. Draher is also a writer—his latest book, “Live Not By Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents” is based on the experiences of Christians persecuted in Soviet Russia. Together, Mark and Rod discuss the shifting political landscape as characterised by a backlash against liberalism, the rise of right-wing movements, economic discontent among the working class, the implications of “forever wars”, and the challenges of supporting the idea of free speech in contemporary society.But which main factors are driving this shift? What impact do culture and religion have on political discourse? And could liberal democratic values survive a global move towards right-wing movements? This episode was recorded on 13th August 2025Bookshelf:Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America by Christian Smith

In the second episode of ECFR’s summer mini-series on the “New Right”, Mark Leonard is joined by Yoram Hazony, Israeli political scientist, president of the Herzl Institute in Jerusalem and chairman of the Edmund Burke Foundation, to explore the emergence of national conservatism as a response to the perceived crisis of liberalism. In their conversation, Mark and Yoram discuss the historical context of nationalism and its implications for modern politics, as well as the generational shifts that are influencing political ideologies today.Which new political frameworks are emerging from the “crisis” of liberalism? How can political theory adapt to the changing landscape of global politics? And is there the potential for nationalism to reshape democratic discourse?This episode was recorded on 30th July 2025Bookshelf:  The Demon in Democracy: Totalitarian Temptations in Free Societies by Richard LegutkoWhy Liberalism Failed by Patrick J. DeneenReturn of the Strong Gods: Nationalism, Populism, and the Future of the West by Rusty Reno

The re-election of President Donald Trump and the recent successes of right-wing parties across the world are posing a challenge to the established political order. With overwhelming evidence that we are living through a political Zeitenwende, this summer ECFR is taking a deep dive into the “post-liberal revolution”—starting with a new podcast series on the so-called “New Right”. In the first episode, Mark Leonard is joined by Ivan Krastev, founding board member of ECFR, chair of the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia and permanent fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences at IWM Vienna. Mark and Ivan discuss the emergence of the New Right and its implications for liberalism and European politics. After all, only by understanding how the New Right develops and frames its ideas can mainstream parties and institutions survive the transition to a potential new era of global politics. Does liberalism have a future? What is the nature of the main political challenges to the old order? And will the political parties of old adapt at this crucial juncture?This episode was recorded on July 21st 2025Bookshelf: The Life, Old Age, and Death of a Working-Class Woman by Didier Eribon  

This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Vessela Tcherneva, deputy director of ECFR, and Maria Simeonova, head of ECFR’s Sofia office, to discuss the deteriorating political situation in Bulgaria. Bulgaria is set to join the euro zone in 2026—but the country faces severe internal challenges. In a sign of mounting political instability, Bulgarians have gone to the polls seven times in five years. Powerful oligarchs wield increasing influence over state institutions, and are particularly using the judiciary to silence and target opposition figures. In June, former prime minister Kiril Petkov—an opposition leader and co-founder of the centrist We Continue the Change party—was forced to resign as an MP after being accused of corruption. Then, earlier this month, the opposition mayor of Varna, Blagomir Kotsev, was arrested on embezzlement charges following a questionable claim made by a businesswoman with close ties to the ruling centre-right GERB party.How can the EU confront the entanglement between oligarchs and state institutions in Bulgaria? How can the bloc prevent the kind of democratic backsliding witnessed in Hungary and, increasingly, Slovakia? And if more EU member states experience democratic decline, what impact could that have on the EU’s global image and credibility?This episode was recorded on July 24th, 2025.Bookshelf:Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek ThompsonLa Route antique des hommes pervers by René GirardSerbia’s Balancing Act: Between Russia and the West by Vuk Vuksanovic

This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Jeremy Shapiro, ECFR’s research director and head of its US programme, and Tom Wright, senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Strobe Talbott Centre and former Biden administration official, for an episode recorded live at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. Mark, Jeremy and Tom discuss the forum’s tense atmosphere, marked by the Trump administration’s last-minute ban on Department of Defence participation. Amid debates on AI, supply chain resilience and geopolitical competition, the episode explores America’s inward turn and its wavering Ukraine commitment. What are the implications for Europe’s security? Is the US retreating from global leadership? And can Europe adapt to a fragmented technological and economic order?This episode was recorded on July 18th, 2025.

This week, Mark Leonard is joined by Hugh Lovatt, ECFR policy fellow, and Tahani Mustafa, visiting fellow in ECFR’s Middle East and North Africa programme, to discuss Israel’s military action in Gaza and the West Bank, the ensuing humanitarian crisis, and the political dynamics of Hamas, Israel and the Palestinian Authority. Mark, Hugh and Tahani provide insights into the complexities of the conflict, the role of international actors, and the implications for Palestinian politics and public sentiment.In Gaza, over 57,000 people have been killed, the aid distribution system is chaotic and dangerous, and ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas seem to go nowhere. All the while, Israel is expanding its presence in the West Bank by building settlements and expelling or detaining Palestinians. What’s next for Gaza and the West Bank? And how can Europe and the US step up to ensure the death toll does not grow even higher?This podcast was recorded on July 17th 2025.Out of Place by Edward W. SaidAssyria: The Rise and Fall of the World’s First Empire by Eckart Frahm