Women Leaders

Democracy and freedom, die in ignorance. There is wilful ignorance, as in not wanting to know; there is collateral ignorance, as in watching silly videos and media feeds rather than seeking information; and there is imposed ignorance, when sources of information are cut off and denied. The Trump administration is blatantly indulging in the latter, both internally and externally. Within the US, the administration is hand picking the media outlets it will deal with, while also dismantling the Department of Education. Outside the US, it has chosen to defund and potentially close both Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Voice of America — two amazing organisations that have brought facts and news across the globe, notably those in non-democratic regimes.It seems that for the Trump administration journalism is a threat. In a world where the boundaries between media, politics and business continue to erode, the likes of Trump, Elon Musk, and Jeff Bezos have become central figures in shaping public discourse. Moreover, the rise of entertainment news, change of habits, explosive volumes of news pose significant challenges for journalism today.To explore these issues, Ilana Bet-El is joined by veteran BBC journalist Kate Adie. In a conversation rich with anecdotes from her storied career, she reflects on the evolution of media, the structural crises of today’s news industry and the fundamental role of journalism in society. Amid the explosion of information and the struggle to filter truth from noise, she argues that people basically seek real news and information, not propaganda. Because in the end, the truth still matters.This episode was recorded on 20 March 2025 and is part of the third edition of the Podcasthon, an initiative dedicated to raising awareness on various charities worldwide, thanks to (great!) podcasters. For this episode, we put the spotlight on the Committee to Protect Journalists: an independent, nonprofit organisation that promotes press freedom worldwide and defends the right of journalists to report the news safely.ChaptersWhat is journalism in an age of billionaires and power struggles?The decline of traditional media and the rise of digital chaosThe battle between real news and entertainment-driven coverageThe structural crisis of the media industryWhy people still want real journalism—and why it mattersMentionsCommittee to Protect Journalists Instagram X/Twitter Youtubewww.podcasthon.orgKate Adie reporting on Tiananmen SquareFollow Kate's BBC websiteInstagramELN Twitter LinkedIn websiteCreditsProduction: Florence FerrandoMusic: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat

The car crash of the Zelensky-Trump-Vance meeting in the White House on 28 February is still reverberating around the world. The specific realities have already been analysed, dramatised, satirised, and AI re-engineered with alternative outcomes. But the true implications are being assimilated more slowly, enhanced by the bizarre claims regarding Ukraine, Europe, Russia and the world made by President Trump in his address to Congress on 4 March. The bottom line appears to be, remarkably, that the US under this administration has abandoned not only Ukraine, but also the free democratic world, the multilateral system put in place by US leadership after the Second World War, and above all its allies. Moreover, it appears to be actively backing Russia under President Putin.If this were a pitch for a Netflix series it would probably be rejected as too farfetched. But reality has long since left farfetched behind, lining up with the alternative world of billionaires, tech bros, oligarchs, and a failed real-estate magnate cum second time US President, who apparently aspires to be king. Moreover, he seems to hold sway as such on the Republican Party, whose members of Congress have recently proposed resolutions such as adding Trump’s likeness to Mount Rushmore to reflect his “towering legacy”. For a guided tour of this new bizarre world of the US and its role in the world Ilana Bet-El is joined by the storied US journalist Trudy Rubin, Worldview columnist at the Philadelphia Inquirer. In a fierce and sometimes funny discussion she demolishes whatever is left of the veneer of US political respectability to expose a group of thuggish bullies and cowards who now seem to be running the US — and the world. At least for now.This episode was recorded on 6 March 2025.ChaptersWhat happened at the Zelensky-Trump-Vance meeting?Is the U.S. backing Russia and abandoning allies?Is Trump replacing diplomacy with personal deals?Where are the Democrats? How are Americans reacting to all this?Is Europe on the verge of a big change?MentionsTrudy Rubin “Trump seems a 'Putin peace' for Ukraine"Philip Roth The Plot Against AmericaFinancial Times editorial "The US Congress is missing in action"New York Times “People Are Going Silent”FollowTrudy Rubin X/Twitter, Philadelphia Inquirer@women_leaders_podcastELN Twitter LinkedIn websiteCreditsProduction: Florence FerrandoMusic: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat

Politicians tend to aspire to a status quo: a clarity of positions and possibilities that deliver a semblance of stability. In a period of change, not to mention when things go wrong, there is a yearning for a status quo ante — a return to such clarity and stability, regardless of whether it is actually possible. It is significant that in the current world of radical change no leader or decision-maker is talking about the status quo ante: all the cards are up in the air.To get a feel for the decision-maker’s dilemmas within this new reality, Ilana Bet-El is joined by Foreign Minister of Latvia, Baiba Braže. In a special short and sharp episode demanded by events, they focus upon the situation in Ukraine and the need to support it, the significance of upping European defence, the reality of life under Russian and Soviet occupation.This episode was recorded on 27 February 2025.ChaptersIs NATO still a solid pillar for European security?What are the discussions in the decision-making rooms?The horrific realities of Soviet and Russian occupationsMentionsPutin’s Ukraine: The End of War and the Price of Russian OccupationUN “Human rights 3 years into Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine”UN “Ukraine: Torture by Russian authorities amounts to crimes against humanity”Latvia Ministry of Foreign Affairs “Russia is using torture as a coordinated state policy against Ukrainian civilians and prisoners of war”Our previous episode with Olena Tregub & Inna PidluskaFollow our guest:Baiba Braže X/TwitterFollow usInstagram @women_leaders_podcastOur partner European Leadership Network Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and websiteIlana Bet-ElCreditsProduction: Florence FerrandoMusic: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat 

Historians will spend eternity trying to explain why Donald Trump and his administration turned against Ukraine and Europe but one fact is clear: on 12 February 2025 the post Cold War era ended, and the post WWII international system came to a grinding halt. President Trump spoke at length to President Putin and they agreed to start negotiations immediately without Ukraine or the EU. Subsequent events were no less surprising: an anti-European tirade by US Vice President JD Vance at the Munich Security Conference, a US demand of Ukraine to sign away most of its rare earth resources, a first US-Russia meeting in Riyadh and President Trump accusing Ukraine of starting the Russian war of aggression against it, and calling President Zelensky a dictator. Europe, and many other parts of the world, is still reeling from these developments but it is undoubtedly Ukraine that is in the eye of the storm: from trying to deny it a say over its own destiny to attempting to impose elections upon it, and from cutting defence assistance to undermining funding to its civil society, the Ukrainian reality has changed rapidly, and for the worse. To understand this reality better Ilana Bet-El is joined by two leaders of civil society in Ukraine: Olena Tregub Secretary General of NAKO - the Independent Anti-Corruption Commission in Ukraine, and Inna Pidluska Deputy Executive Director of the International Renaissance Foundation. In a brave no-holds-bar discussion they reflect on the sense of betrayal by the US and the opposing sense of Ukrainian dignity, and the deep-felt sense that might is not right.This episode was recorded on 20 February 2025.ChaptersHow is Ukraine reacting to Trump administration’s shift?What does Ukraine expect from Europe now?Is Ukraine’s civil society at risk?What kind of deal would be acceptable for Ukraine?MentionsJames Joll, Unspoken assumptionsUkraine civil societyBBC, Ukraine in maps: Tracking the war with RussiaFact-checking Trump claims about war in UkraineFollow our guestsOlena Tregub  LinkedIn, X/TwitterInna Pidluska LinkedInFollow usInstagram @women_leaders_podcastOur partner European Leadership Network Twitter LinkedIn websiteCreditsProduction: Florence FerrandoMusic: Let Good Times Roll, RA #Uppbeat

Trade is the backbone of the global economy, but its workings are a mystery to many. What is a tariff? What is a trade war? Why is trade so complicated? The chaos wrought by Donald Trump's decision to impose tariffs on China, Canada, and Mexico – despite a thirty-day reprieve negotiated for the latter two - makes these and many other questions imperative to answer.Ilana Bet-El is joined by Sylvia Chen, International Trade Policy and Compliance Consultant, and Sara Nordin, Partner in the Global Trade Practice of international law firm White & Case, to gain some understanding of how international trade works. Together, they outline the basics of trade law, how tariffs connect to policy measures, and how they influence modern trade and global supply chains. This episode is a necessary exploration of the actual trade underpinning any potential trade war on the horizon.This episode was recorded on 5 February 2025.ChaptersWhat does a trade lawyer do?Why are trade rules and laws necessary?What is a tariff?Why did Trump put tariffs on Canada, Mexico and China?MentionsTrade Experettes websiteWorld Trade statisticsOffice of the US Trade representative statisticsGATTWTOFollow our guestSylvia Chen  LinkedIn, Trade Policy Expert AdvisorySara Nordin LinkedIn, White & Case websiteFollow usInstagram @women_leaders_podcastOur partner European Leadership Network social media Twitter, LinkedIn & FacebookOur partner European Leadership Network websiteIlana Bet-ElCreditsProduction: Florence FerrandoMusic: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat License code: ZXIIIJUU2ISPZIJT

There can be no doubt the world changed on 20th of January 2025. As a matter of fact, a new US President was inaugurated — a second time for President Trump — whose return to power has spooked global friends and enemies alike since his election last November. The flurry of Executive Orders issued from day one says much about the determination of this US Administration to not only dismantle the work and legacy of the Biden Administration but potentially also many elements of the postwar multilateral order.Indeed, amongst the first measures taken by President Trump upon his return to the White House was the withdrawal of the US from both the Paris Climate Agreement, and the World Health Organisation (WHO). However, beyond the acts the bluster, the rhetoric on tariffs and bold promises to end both wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, the vast majority of actions and orders have concerned domestic matters, focused upon issues such as immigration and equality. This begs the question: is the Trump Administration more concerned with bombastic rhetoric than bombastic action when it comes to global and geostrategic affairs?Dr Kathleen McInnis is definitely someone who can speak to this and many other related issues. Director and senior fellow of the Smart Women, Smart Power Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), and a former official at the US Department of Defence (DOD), she joins Ilana Bet-El in a wide-ranging conversation. From women and "dudes" in defence and foreign affairs to modern strategic challenges, and the future of NATO and EU-US relations, this is a strong and surprising discussion concerning rhetoric, reality and continuity in America's foreign policy under President Trump 2.0.This episode was recorded on 23 January 2025.MentionsThe Heart of War: Misadventures in the PentagonSmart Women, Smart Power podcast and resourcesThe NCI Global Trends 2035 ReportFollow our guest:Kathleen McInnis X/Twitter & LinkedInHer bioYou can also follow usInstagram @women_leaders_podcastOur partner European Leadership Network social media Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and websiteIlana Bet-ElCreditsProduction: Florence FerrandoMusic: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat

“How did you go bankrupt?"  “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.”  Novelist Earnest Hemingway put these words in the mouth of one of his characters in his 1926 breakthrough novel, The Sun Also Rises, and it seems they are as true to dictators as they are to a fictional gambler and drunk. Last weekend, President Bashar al Assad of Syria, the cruel and brutal head of a corrupt dynasty that had ruled Syria for over half a century, fled with his family to Moscow — just two weeks after a rebel group started upon an offensive from north to south. In retrospect, it became clear that the regime had been creaking gradually for some time, before it collapsed suddenly, leaving Iran and Russia, his two external supporters, bereft and the people of Syria free - or at least free from the regime. The freedom to decide their future is yet to be tested or understood.Hind Kabawat, a former member of the High Negotiations Committee at the Syrian peace talks in Geneva and a prominent leader of Syrian civil society, is one of the best-placed people to reflect on the past and especially the future of Syria. A native of Damascus who attended school with Bashar al Assad but has been standing in staunch opposition to him ever since she passionately believes in multi-faith collaboration as well as the importance of women. While applauding the fall of Assad, Professor Kabawat knows the future is yet to be decided - but that equality of different peoples of all faiths, genders, and political tribes must be at its centre.This episode was recorded on 12 December 2024Mentions and further resourcesIIIM – International, Impartial and Independent MechanismHayat Tahrir al Sham (HTS)Timeline of Arab Spring in SyriaFollow our guestHind Kabawat X/Twitter, LinkedIn and webpage (George Mason University)Tastakel, the non-profit Syrian women-led organisation working on building a democratic society on the basis of respect, justice & the rule of law.Follow usInstagram @women_leaders_podcastEuropean Leadership Network Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and websiteIlana Bet-ElCreditsProduction: Florence FerrandoMusic: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat

The political landscape in Germany seems anything but stable. From unresolved disputes and coalitions failing to the publication of Angela Merkel’s memoirs - a timely reminder of a past ideal era - the nation faced mounting challenges. Economic struggles, extremism on the edge and upcoming early elections: a worrying mix for one key European player.Tanit Koch Schneider, journalist, co-host of the Focus Briefing and former editor-in-chief of the popular BILD, joins Ilana Bet-El to explain how and why the cherished German model went wrong, from the national situation following the elections three years ago, Chancellor Olaf Scholz, weaknesses to the multiple challenges and issues - and more!This episode was recorded on 28 November 2024Mentions and further resourcesTanit’s article on Merkel’s memoirs release (The New European)“Freedom: Memoirs 1954 - 2021” from Angela MerkelFollow our guestTanit Koch X/Twitter & [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/all/?fetchDeterministicClustersOnly=true&heroEntityKey=urn%3Ali%3Afsd_profile%3AACoAABenGA4BaEm2wOlqXbdvN8g7wLzGF2HV6tQ&keywords=tanit koch&origin=RICH_QUERY_SUGGESTION&position=0&searchId=85357a78-82ef-46e1-b5e0-3120cc0a07f9&sid=%3A(2&spellCorrectionEnabled=false)All her publicationsNewsletter Focus BriefingYou can also follow usInstagram @women_leaders_podcastOur partner European Leadership Network social media Twitter, LinkedIn & FacebookOur partner European Leadership Network websiteIlana Bet-ElCreditsProduction: Florence FerrandoMusic: Let Good Times Roll, RA from #Uppbeat (free for Creators!): https://uppbeat.io/t/ra/let-good-times-roll License code: ZXIIIJUU2ISPZIJT