← The Globalist
Loading summary
Transcript101 lines
- [00:04]
UBS Narrator
Craft matters in small ways, like how a coffee is brewed, and in not so small ways, like how your money is cared for. Which is why for 160 years, UBS has elevated banking to a craft, tailoring unique strategies that combine human expertise with the latest technologies, all happening across 24 time zones and 12 key financial hubs. With you at the heart of it all, UBS advice is our craft.
- [00:38]
Georgina Godwin
You're listening to the Globalist, first broadcast on 31st March 2026 on Monocle Radio. The Globalist in association with U.
- [01:10]
Inga Thordoor
Hello,
- [01:10]
Georgina Godwin
this is the Globalist broadcasting to you live from Midori House in London. I'm Georgina Godwin. On the show ahead, Syria's president's been in Berlin seeking funds for reconstruction and discussing the return of refugees. But is it safe to go back? Then President Emmanuel Macron's in Tokyo ahead of the G7 summit to discuss the most important issues facing both France and Japan. We'll hear exactly what's on the agenda. We'll go through the front pages.
- [01:38]
Zoran Seleney
And then, though there were opposition parties, that was a kind of leadership crisis. So Malyar felt this leadership crisis and he said, come with me and I will break the rule of warband.
- [01:50]
Georgina Godwin
We'll have the latest from Hungary prior to the elections. Plus we'll take you inside one of Madrid's latest hospitality club Metropolitan. And finally, a roundup of design news and a focus on the Schiaparelli exhibition at the va. That's all ahead here on the Globalist. Live from London. First, a look at what else is happening in the news. Iran has attacked and set ablaze a crude oil tanker off Dubai as the US Deploys troops to the region and warns it could strike Iran's energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. South Korea has announced a $17.3 billion emergency budget to shield its economy from rising economy energy costs linked to the Middle east conflict. And the chief executive of Air Canada will step down later this year after a backlash over delivering a condolence message in English only following a fatal crash involving two pilots. Do stay tuned to Monocle Radio throughout the day for more on those stories. Now, Syria's interim president Ahmed Al Shirra was in Berlin yesterday for talks with Germany's leadership focusing on reconstruction, investment and the possible return of Syrian refugees as protests for and against him took place across the city. Well, I'm joined now by Bertu Oshchalek, a senior research fellow at Middle east security at rusi, and Majid Al Bouni, a Syrian advocate for refugee rights and civil society expert in Berlin. Welcome to you both. We appreciate your time. Bertie, what came out of the meetings yesterday? Has there been any kind of public announcement?
- [03:39]
Bertu Oshchalek
There has been some reporting post visit, mainly from those Syrian groups who live in Germany, in Berlin, who were welcoming of Al Sharah's visit. I think the top headline, the takeaway though is the focus on what the Chancellor said about the possibility of Syrians who have been residing in Germany returning to Syria, and that this has set off questions about whether the timing is right, whether the conditions in Syria are ripe for the safe return and the voluntary return, importantly, of Syrian refugees. So that was one key takeaway. But broader issues had to do with further deeper diplomatic normalization, economic relationships, opportunities for investment, and the wider reconstruction goals of the Syrian economy.
- [04:34]
Georgina Godwin
Majid, I wonder if you could tell us more about those protests because there were protests on both sides.
- [04:41]
Majid Al Bouni
Yeah, thank you for having me and good morning. Yes, well, there were some protests and pro demos or like marches welcoming the President Al Shara. I mean, some of these protests were due to the human rights violations that happened during the coastal like incident where like there were clashes between the remnant of the Assad regime and the new rulers, troops, including militias. And the same happened in the Sueda as well, where like there were like a clash between as well the Bedouins and the tribes and the Syrian government and the Saudi and the Druzis were like a lot of human rights violations that had happened by the both sides which led to these protests. At the same time, Syrians were happy to see the new presidents, especially that the main topics were about refugees and the return and bringing new investments and rehabilitating the infrastructure in Syria.
- [05:52]
Georgina Godwin
And Bertra, I wonder how credible Al Shiraz message is that Syria is ready for reconstruction and investment. Do you think that's premature?
- [06:02]
Bertu Oshchalek
Well, it is and it isn't. At the same time, the interim government in Damascus has been taking some steps to reassure both external investors and more importantly, I think their domestic population across Syria that they are credible, can be trusted and can ensure the safety of and stability of the country for all. But there have been very major and significant setbacks. Outbursts of localized violence targeting ethnic minorities in the south against the Druze community in Sweden, against the Alevis in Latakia and the coast, and of course, clashes with Kurdish groups. There has been now a period of a relative lull in violence, but the echoes of this violent, not so distant past resonate, I think. And so there's very cautious approaches to Damascus from various groups inside Syria. But there have been steps that Damascus and interim government led by President Shara have been taken to be able to be seen as a partner to the West. And this visit both to Berlin and London today is designed to send that message, I think. So different audiences both, of course, in Europe, with Germany and the UK being at the forefront of those European states that have recognized the new post Assad government. And also a message to the domestic constituency in Syria, I think, to say here we are, we are being hosted by these foreign capitals in Europe and are being taken seriously as an investment hub, as a possible energy transit corridor and a place that is relatively sort of becoming safer and hopefully more stable in the Middle East.
- [07:47]
Georgina Godwin
Majid, you've been surveying Syrians abroad about whether they want to return. What are they telling you, and is there some kind of generational divide there?
- [07:57]
Majid Al Bouni
Yeah, well, we've, we have conducted this survey last year about like, political participation of Syrians, and it consisted of like 319 Syrians who live in Germany since a long time or like they, they came just like in the last two or three years. Well, I mean, the results show that 45% of these people think it's too early to decide on returning to Syria. And they are just waiting a lot of conditions for their return. For example, like 12.4% of the people are willing to return permanently, but only if a political stability is achieved, economic conditions are improved and basically living conditions are secured. And roughly 17% have decided to return regardless, regardless of timing, which shows like there are a lot of issues that need to be solved, especially like the matter of safety and security, which still defined by some Western countries, like the stop of bombing and the stop of war or clashes or conflict. But the reality is that safety as well include infrastructure, good infrastructure, schools, health care, and many other situations, as we can see in the region as well.
- [09:26]
Georgina Godwin
And Bertci, when we consider the return of Syrian refugees, where does this sit within Germany's wider immigration policy?
- [09:34]
Bertu Oshchalek
Well, it's a sensitive and quite polarizing issue in Germany. There is a very sizable, substantial Syrian refugee population alongside other refugee populations and the Syria file. And the progress, the pace of rehabilitation inside Syria is being traced and watched very closely, I think, across Germany try to get a sense of when it might be possible to return. There's also the reality that many of these Syrians have become entrenched and have very close family ties, business ties, personal ties in Germany. And so the question is about pacing and consent and when it might be appropriate to ask or expect Syrians to return. But it does sit within wider immigration policies and politics in Germany in the debate around notions of belonging, you know, long standing political debates on who is a, who is a German citizen, what makes one German. Both debates that are unique to Germany given its history and standing as a European nation. And also debates that are common and have common threads across Europe when it comes to notions of identity, I think, and belonging.
- [10:52]
Georgina Godwin
And finally, Majid, you're preparing to return to Syria yourself next month. What are you expecting to find and how do you feel about it?
- [11:01]
Majid Al Bouni
Yeah, well, I mean like, for me as a civil society expert and like human rights advocate, I think it's the time now to involve in this, let's say, I don't want to say clash, but it's like there is this activity around identities and what should be done for state building. And I expect because I visited Syria last year in May, I expect maybe it's going to be a little bit difficult infrastructure wise, but I'm hearing that at least the new authorities are very cooperative when it comes to civil society workshops or like communicating with the community, talking about civic peace, reconciliations, youth empowerment. Besides, my family is there and this
- [11:52]
Alexei Korolov
is
- [11:55]
Majid Al Bouni
as mentioned, like, it's about belonging and like, you know, bringing back a little bit of the identity, especially that we've been 14 years outside of the country. And yeah, and to be honest with you, like, it helps that I have the German nationality, which gives me a little bit of safety that I wish as well. Other refugees who live in Germany as well, at some point they will have the, you know, the alternative in case they would like to stay in Germany or like go back to Syria and have this dynamic relationship between the two countries.
- [12:32]
Georgina Godwin
Majid, thank you very much indeed. That was Bertu Ashchalek, senior research fellow, Middle east security at rusi, and Majid Albuni, a journalist in Berlin. This is the Globalist. It is 1512 in Tokyo, 712 here in London. French President Emmanuel Macron has arrived in Japan beginning a four day trip that also includes South Korea. As US China tensions grow, France is looking to strengthen ties with both countries with defense and supply chains high on the agenda ahead of the G7 summit. Well, I'm joined now by Regis Arnault who is editor in chief of France, Japan Eco and Japan correspondent for Le Figaro and challengers. Regis, thanks for coming on the show. What does this visit mean in the current global situation?
- [13:31]
Regis Arnault
Good afternoon or good morning rather. As you said, it is a way to strengthen the links between, I mean the so called middle powers that are France but also Japan and South Korea. Japan and France have a strong relationship with South Korea. It's a kind of dead angle of the French foreign policy. Emmanuel Macron has never set foot in South Korea, if I'm correct. So this is pretty important, of course, in the context of the current global chaos that is affecting those countries.
- [14:06]
Georgina Godwin
And what do you think France is looking for from Japan and South Korea right now?
- [14:11]
Regis Arnault
So the presence of France in this part of the world, in Northeast Asia, is pretty, I mean, strong in terms of image, but not so strong in, I should say, real terms. Of course, for Japan, of course, South Korea, the US and Anglo Saxon world are much more important. So he's going to try to stress the importance of France for continental Europe and for the world.
- [14:35]
Georgina Godwin
Where is France trying to position itself between the US and China?
- [14:41]
Regis Arnault
So there are several domains that I would say, in a nutshell, are sovereign. So it is a space, it is defense, it is rare earth supply. Most of these new fields, especially defense, where France basically sells almost nothing to Japan, for example, a bit more in South Korea. But all these sovereign fields, France thinks they have a card to play.
- [15:08]
Georgina Godwin
And why do you think strengthening ties with Asia is so important right now?
- [15:13]
Regis Arnault
Well, Japan and South Korea, of course, compared to China, are the stable, democratic, still very strong economic and industrial powers. So whatever the chaos around them, especially around Japan, Japan stays as a kind of stable anchor. So to have a bigger, wider presence here and to multiply partnerships would be seen as something interesting and smart.
- [15:42]
Georgina Godwin
So when you look back at the history between France and these countries, you as a Frenchman right there on the ground, what is the feeling towards France?
- [15:53]
Regis Arnault
So France has this image, of course, as I wrote in an article yesterday, that France is a country where Japanese believe it's great to live, but not so great, probably to work, or more or less, let's say serious or less industrious than say, Germany and the U.K. of course, is a kind of extension of us in Europe, so it's also seen in a favorable light by Japan. France is more a kind of, I don't want to say rogue power, but it's an autonomous power that sometimes collides with the us so Japanese may feel a bit uncomfortable with that. That being said, it's also a kind of, for Japanese, it's a kind of aspiration, because France is autonomous, whereas Japan is not. Not that much so.
- [16:37]
Georgina Godwin
And finally, do you think that this visit will actually change anything?
- [16:43]
Regis Arnault
I'm not so sure, because Emmanuel Macron stays a bit less than actually two full days, most of the trip is, at least on his side, extremely on the culture side. He's meeting manga artists, meeting the kimono craftsmen. Macron hopes that the industrial side of the visit, he came with tens of people from the industry or from the public sector will start this partnership. But it's really too early to say whether this will have a genuine impact on the relationship.
- [17:12]
Georgina Godwin
Regis, thank you very much indeed. That's Regis Arnault now still to come on the programme.
- [17:18]
Natalie Teodosi
He seems to be delighting in the challenge of bringing the house to a greater and wider public.
- [17:26]
Georgina Godwin
We'll get the details on the new Schiaparelli exhibition at London's va. This is the globalist.
- [17:36]
UBS Narrator
Craft is a matter of perspective, a unique outlook and obsessive attention to detail. With UBS's Chief Investment Office House View, we're focused on identifying the latest investment opportunities and market risks to help you achieve your financial goals. So you get the big picture broken down into thought provoking insights. Deliver daily and curated by over 200 globally connected, locally active analysts. UBS banking is our craft.
- [18:11]
Georgina Godwin
Well, let's continue now with today's newspapers and joining me in the studio is Inga Thordoor, who is chief catalyst Officer at Kanaloa and former senior editor at CNN and BBC. Now, last time I spoke to you, you were chief per something at the Ocean Bournes Foundation. So you've actually, you've moved jobs.
- [18:30]
Inga Thordoor
I have, but I'm still very much in the ocean space. So. Kanaloa is a philanthropic organization, 100% devoted to the ocean and to bridge the large funding gap that exists there. And I also made up my own title because I think we need to catalyze it a bit more.
- [18:47]
Georgina Godwin
Fantastic. Of course, something that's really affecting the ocean is enormous oil slicks caused by this latest hit on an oil tanker. So tell us more because the International Monetary Fund has talked about this, not from an environmental perspective perspective, obviously, but talking about higher prices and slower growth worldwide.
- [19:06]
Inga Thordoor
Yeah, that's correct. So just a few hours after Trump sort of reiterated, or the White House reiterated Trump's promise of obliterating the Iranian army, the IMF issued quite a stark warning and said basically that all roads lead to higher prices and slower growth. Now, this is not like a huge surprise, but the, the language that the IMF is using now is so strong and it's basically warning about three main points, that this is a global, not a regional shock, that we have to think about this in a much wider context and that we're already seeing that in food and energy and financial markets. They also talk about stagflation. This is when rising prices come along, slowing growth, and the economists in the markets are already sort of reacting to that. And then of course there is the inflation and that comes with those cost rises. And we talk a lot about oil, but the fertilizer disruption is equally important, especially for food security and things like
- [20:05]
Georgina Godwin
helium and various other things that we just don't really think about in day to day life.
- [20:09]
Inga Thordoor
Exactly. And all of this goes through the Straits of Hormuz, which is obviously now heavily disrupted. But I think it's interesting that the IMF decided to put it out at that moment where after Trump's sort of very strong words delivered through his press secretary, so that the fact that the IMF felt that this was the right moment to come out with this warning and this, well, I mean, a plea that this shouldn't go on for very long because of the destabilizing effect that it was having on the economies globally. At the moment, it's mainly Asia that is affected. But I think what was interesting also is that they talk about the countries that are going to be most affected. They talk about countries like Italy and the UK because they are so reliant on gas fired power and oil, while France and Spain, who are relatively protected because they are further along in the nuclear and renewable energy. So again, the signal is the quicker you wean yourself of fossil fuel, the more you diversify your energy supplies, the more likely you are to withstand shocks like this.
- [21:15]
Georgina Godwin
Now, normally when there's any kind of oil disaster anywhere in the world, people are deployed immediately to try and mitigate that disaster, to stop it contaminating the ocean, affecting sea life and so on. But with this latest hit on an oil tanker, presumably there's nothing that can be done.
- [21:33]
Inga Thordoor
No, the area is pretty much completely closed off, you know, and it's also interesting, I mean, the normal rescue will be hard to find unless it's in region. And the second thing is that with the Strait of Hormuz closed, the area that is now like Saudi Arabia has found new ways out through Yambu, the port. And for us in the ocean space, watching what that is doing to the sea life there, including the corals that have been so lovingly restored for a long time is. So the economic fact as well as the ecological, is going to be felt for years to come.
- [22:07]
Georgina Godwin
Yeah. Now I don't think people really think about when they add please or thank you to their request to chatgpt what it's doing to the environment. Tell us more about this alarming environmental impact survey that shows what these data centers are causing.
- [22:26]
Inga Thordoor
Yeah, I mean, we've been speaking for a long time about the sort of energy that they use and the electricity. But I think what the interesting thing is about this new study, it's about the heat. You know, it's not just about the electricity they use, but it's about the heat that comes from it. And this heat problem has really flown under the radar. So, you know, the energy that is being consumed needs to go somewhere. And what these new researchers are saying is that by analyzing satellite temperature data over many years, they found that the areas around where these large data centers are measurably warmer, they're creating what the scientists are calling a data heat island effect. So the local temperatures, these centers, is rising dramatically. It was seen as a sort of a manageable problem up until recently, but the AI boom is really causing huge problems, and they're now producing so much heat that cooling them is becoming a major, major issue. So it's not just about the electricity use and the pressure that it puts on the grid, but it's also about where that energy goes and the physical consequences of that energy. And I think that's what's new in this study, which is interesting. But there are some who are experimenting with solutions. I think we need to do that so, like, you can reuse the waste heat to warm houses in the area, for example, or moving them to colder climates. And coming from Iceland, I'm seeing a lot of interest in my country, certainly around data centers, but that is really temporary solutions. And we really shouldn't be thinking or saying please to AI. Anything to reduce the energy and heat use would help.
- [24:01]
Georgina Godwin
And I mean, there are still big gaps in our understanding about the impact of data centers.
- [24:06]
Inga Thordoor
Oh, absolutely. I mean, we keep, you know, the AI boom is growing a lot faster than the energy grid, for example, can do, or any of the technological advances in delivering the AI sort of need that we seem to have right now. So, yeah, we've still got a lot to learn. And, you know, it feels like we should be slowing down a little bit, but I doubt that that will happen.
- [24:28]
Georgina Godwin
Yeah, right. Let's go to the moon or talk about those people who didn't get to go to the moon. Actually, this is really what this story's about. There are so many. There was a generation of astronauts who were going to go and then just didn't. They all got trained up and didn't go, particularly one group of women, actually. But maybe we'll Talk about that in a moment. So tell us about these Apollo astronauts and how they feel about Artemis.
- [24:53]
Inga Thordoor
Yeah, I mean, it's so interesting because we focus so much on the mission itself and it is exciting. I mean, it could last off as early as tomorrow. But I saw this article in the Associated Press where they were talking to the, the astronauts that had been part of the Apollo mission and people like Charlie Duke, who we've known about, who was one of the last men to walk on the moon. And he's talked about the excitement of seeing humanity return there, but also about his incredible frustration at how long it has taken to get there. And then Rushdie Shweikart, for example, he also reflected on just how different this kind of mission is because he talked when Artem II leaves the Earth's orbit and not many humans have done that. Actually, we tend to forget that in all the space race that is happening now that leaving Earth's orbit there is no quick return, there is no immediate rescue. And so the Apollo astronauts have sort of talked a lot about the excitement they have for this journey, but also the dangers and what comes with it. But you know, I think what is sort of interesting with this one and what they talk about a lot and maybe the sort of new generation also talks about is that the Apollo missions were so important for this Artemis mission to become a reality. And what they seem to be most sort of excited about is that this is not just the proving ground. This is like going back into deep space and not just for like a one off walk on the moon, but actually to establish human presence on the moon. That's the sort of long term goal of these Artemis missions. So I think looking at the Apollo veterans, seeing how much the mission has changed was really interesting. And then we will of course, I'm sure all watch the blast of when it happens.
- [26:37]
Georgina Godwin
Yeah. And of course there were the mercury 13 and those were women who passed the NASA style screening tests. But there was no program for women, so they couldn't go, which I find extraordinary. And in fact there's an interview we have in our archives with Wally Funk. So she was the youngest of that group. She passed all the tests. She was really great. Never ever actually got to go. Although I'm pleased to say that finally she did go to space on a Blue origin flight in 2021 at 82 years old, which is, isn't that wonderful?
- [27:09]
Inga Thordoor
And I believe there is one woman on the Artemis too. So we will, there is at least some hope for some of them.
- [27:15]
Georgina Godwin
Absolutely. Now somebody else who has passed this incredible test of endurance. She's making an extraordinary comeback after ill health forced her off the stage. This is Celine Dion.
- [27:28]
Inga Thordoor
Yes, Celine Dion. Well, her last concert was in 2020 and it was then cancelled because of COVID and then because she was diagnosed with incurable condition and, you know, the stiff person syndrome. But now she's coming back for a 10 day tour in Paris and she talks about it being the best gift of her life. In her Instagram post, she really talked about how her battle with the syndrome and how she wasn't going to let it defeat her and that she was more than ready to do. And it's been really wonderful to see how Paris has really embraced this by lightening up the ivory tower with her message saying she's ready. But I think that her resilience and her willingness to talk about her disease will hopefully help others. But more importantly, today is the first day you can put your interest down. But I'm pretty sure that those tickets will go fast.
- [28:24]
Georgina Godwin
Absolutely. Celine Dion, her heart will go on.
- [28:27]
Inga Thordoor
It surely will.
- [28:28]
Georgina Godwin
Inge Thordhal, who is chief catalyst officer at Kanaloa and former senior editor at CNN and the BBC, thank you very much indeed. You're with the Globalist on Monocle Radio. Now here's what else we're keeping an eye on today. Iran has attacked and set ablaze a crude oil tanker off Dubai, escalating tensions in the Gulf. The U.S. is deploying additional troops to the region and has warned it could target Iran's energy infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz remains disruptive. South Korea has proposed a $17.3 billion supplementary budget to support households and businesses hit by rising oil prices. The government says the package will help stabilize growth and offset inflation risks tied to the Middle east conflict. And Air Canada's chief executive will step down later this year following criticism over a condolence message delivered only in English after a deadly crash. The backlash has reignited tensions over language expect in Canada, particularly in Quebec. This is the Globalist. Stay tuned. As Hungary heads towards its crucial 12th of April elections, the country's veteran leader Viktor Orban is facing the biggest challenge of his 16 year rule. Most projections give the edge to his opponent, Petar Magyar. Despite Orban's efforts to win back support, including a raft of financial schemes such as housing and heating subsidies and measures to support small businesses. There have also been allegations of voter manipulation and Russian interference, as well as the use of deep fakes and smear tactics aimed at discrediting Magyar, all so far to little effect. So is change coming to Hungary? Monocle's Alexei Korolov reports.
- [30:32]
Alexei Korolov
I first met Petmar Diar in May 2024 at a packed campaign rally Western Hungary. He had just launched his centre right party, tisa, and was touring the country ahead of the European Parliament elections.
- [30:43]
Petar Magyar
You know, the Hungarian people are fed up with the corruption, with the lies and with the propaganda. It's enough after 20 years joining the EU. And the Hungarian people are fed up with the government, with the opposition, and they would like to have a complete change.
- [30:56]
Alexei Korolov
Tisa would go on to win nearly 30% of the vote. Impressive. But everyone knew that was only a test for a much bigger the leadership of the country.
- [31:05]
Petar Magyar
It's up to the people to decide whether I'm able to do or our party is able to do it. It is not possible to do it worse than these 20 years with the socialists and with the conservative government with Julian Orban. So it would be easy, I think.
- [31:21]
Alexei Korolov
Since then, Magyar's popularity has only grown in independent polls. TISA is now well ahead of Fides, the party of Hungary's longtime nationalist leader, Viktor Orban. How did this happen?
- [31:32]
Zoran Seleney
So the European election was a very important moment in the career of Peter Malior because it. It was a very fortunate moment. It was just a couple of months after he appeared on the Hungarian political scene and he made an incredible success, almost 30%. And that gave a big boost for his movement.
- [31:51]
Alexei Korolov
Zoran Seleney is the author of Tainted Democracy, Victor or and the Subversion of Hungary. Like Magyar, she is a former Fidesz insider, though she left much earlier in the mid-1990s as the party moved away from its initial liberal platform.
- [32:05]
Zoran Seleney
A lot of people are supporting Magyar or started to support him because he promised to go against Orban and defeat him. And there was this big vacuum and high expectations. Finally someone should come, because previously, obviously, though there were opposition parties, there was a kind of leadership crisis. So Malyar felt this leadership crisis and he said, come with me and I will break the rule of warband.
- [32:45]
Alexei Korolov
Orban has framed the April ballot as a choice between chaos and stability and between war and peace, claiming Maggia would be subservient to Brussels and drag Hungary into the war in neighboring Ukraine, something he denies. So what is this election about?
- [33:01]
Zoran Seleney
Create some just vis a vis corruption. I think this corruption is a big issue now. Make order on economy. This is directly related to ordinance economic policy. They were not good government. It's a country of crisis because Orban never really wanted to govern. He wanted to make politics. There is this obviously big sentiment in Hungary for change.
- [33:27]
Alexei Korolov
Many European leaders would be glad to see the back of Orban too.
- [33:30]
Botan Felidi
If you imagine a Christmas dinner where 27 people need to decide about dinner, that's the complexity of the EU council multiplied.
- [33:36]
Alexei Korolov
In reality, Botan Felidi is a Brussels
- [33:39]
Botan Felidi
based Hungarian political, but without him, just for the sake of business continuity on EU level for many, not only for classical Orban antagonists, it would be easier to drive EU life further.
- [33:55]
Alexei Korolov
There's a reason Orban has been so successful for so long. Fellowty says.
- [33:59]
Botan Felidi
So Orban's domestic political communication success would be unimaginable without the Hungarian language element. More than half of the Hungarian population doesn't really speak any foreign language. And while Slovaks can read the Czech news and the Austrians can read German and Swiss news and you can go on and on. In Hungary, especially with their voter group that is the poorest layer of society, they are deprived of any further information. Therefore, Orban is ready, rather free to construct narratives and currently fears of his own choice. And with the efficiency of social media and with the complete acquisition of the countryside media by Fidesk cronies, that means they have a monopoly of ideas of maybe 1/5, 1/3 of the Hungarian population. And then it's free choice if it's Ukraine George or Usula von der Leyen or altogether being the evil. And they are successfully blamed for all the economic mischief in the country.
- [35:07]
Alexei Korolov
That's why it's hard to say whether Orban is truly on the way out. Though after 16 years in power, there's a sense that many Hungarians have simply grown tired of him. But will this translate into change at the ballot box? For Monocle Radio, I'm Alexei Korolyov.
- [35:23]
Georgina Godwin
Alex, thank you. You're with the Globalist on Monocle Radio. Now let's have an overview of exciting developments from the world of design and architecture. I'm joined by Tim Abrams, who's a design journalist and host of the Super Urbanism podcast. Tim, welcome. I understand that you're just back from one of my favourite cities in the world. That's Charleston South.
- [35:55]
Tim Abrams
Carol, you know Charleston, What a wonderful place. My first time visiting, absolutely blown blown away by it. I was there to see their preparation for what is officially being called the semi quincentennial, which literally means half 500 years, or we might probably call it the 250th anniversary of the foundation of the USA, which will culminate with even bigger than usual celebrations on 4 July. But is already being celebrated or acknowledged in the city. Charleston is one of four main cities across the USA which is being chosen for sites to celebrate New York, Boston and Philadelphia. And these were chosen because of their importance in the war against the British. Charleston is, as the House of Representatives called it, one of the locations that witnessed the assertion of American liberty, where Britain's handhold on the continent. Continent was prized free.
- [36:53]
Georgina Godwin
I mean, it is an extraordinary, extraordinary place. Tell me about walking through it and the buildings that you saw.
- [37:00]
Tim Abrams
Well, Charleston, it's probably diplomatic for the federal government to have a site in the south. The other three are in the north. However, the main reason is, as you say, that large parts of it have been preserved from that time. It's perhaps got the largest extant collection of 18th century Georgian architecture. There's almost 30 city blocks of predominantly Georgian architecture from that period, 18th and early 19th century. It's incredibly beautiful. That's the overwhelming and abiding experience that you have from visiting it. It's a direct product of the English Enlightenment, possibly the greatest new town ever built by the British. Better, I would say, more beautiful even than, say, the new town in Edinburgh in Scotland. And also possibly even more beautiful than Bath, although I would whisper that around some British architectural historians. But it's good. Sorry.
- [37:56]
Georgina Godwin
No, no, carry on.
- [37:59]
Tim Abrams
The thing about it is it's got that beautiful, organized, rational grid. It was designed. The grid of the city was designed by the British philosopher John Locke, incredibly. But what is unique about it is that this grid was given over to a collection of burgeoning striving merchants who had pattern books which were how to build yourself a mansion. And they adapted models that they'd taken from the old country and turned it and twisted it. Often the most unique typology for the area is these long verandas which they call piazzas. And the buildings are turned side on, so you have these beautiful internal courtyards and gardens. And what's really noticeable is that how much the Charlestonians are looking forward to sharing that with the rest of the world. It's a key is tourism to the city. So in a context which tourism has been quite difficult in the US they are very much looking forward for this opportunity to share it. There's some amazing exhibitions coming up on the network of small museums. Ringleaders of rebellion. Charleston in Revolt is one of them at the Charleston Museum, which sets the tone for this rambunctious kicking out of the Brits, which they're celebrating.
- [39:12]
Georgina Godwin
I mean, it is extraordinary. And at the end of those very long Gardens. What you have, of course, is the slave court. And it's really interesting walking around because a lot of the slaves made bricks and sometimes you can see the little fingerprints of the children that were making those bricks. I mean, it's heartbreaking. I did a wonderful interview, which you can still hear on our archives, with Harlan Green. Now, he is an historian from Charleston. He comes from a long, long line of people who've lived in Charleston for generations. Jewish, and at one point, Charleston had the highest amount of Jews living in the United States, which I find extraordinary. And he also. One of the things he's done is write about Dorothy Hayward, who. And he's written about this in the book Porgy's Ghost, because of course, Porgy was written there. And you can see the very house in which it was set and the inspiration for it. And the other sort of thing that I did the last time I was there, I go there regularly for the Charleston Literary Festival was we went to the Joseph Manigault House, which is one of Charleston's most exquisite antebellum structures. It was built in 1803, and it sort of reflects the urban lifestyle of a very wealthy rice planting family and of course, the slaves that lived there. But what was extraordinary about it was I took with me Viet Thanh Nguyen, who's a South Vietnamese born American professor and novelist, also Alexander Smalls, who's that US chef and a former opera singer, and the Ukrainian writer Andrei Kirchhoff. So, I mean, a very kind of diverse group of people. And we went off to this house in which you could see on the mantelpiece, on the marble mantelpiece, they'd scribbled graffiti during the Civil War when the house was occupied by soldiers. And there were great swathes of the house, like the ballroom that was in utter darkness, because with a property that size, you just can't light it all. I mean, the lady of the house, Lee Manigold, was just saying, yes, it's a beautiful place. Yes, I love welcoming people here. But we're in the dining room and there's this kind of fantabulous dinner set and all the rest of it, but the upper floors are in darkness and I haven't cleaned under the bed for a million years.
- [41:24]
Tim Abrams
I mean, one of the things about Charleston is the incredible array of ways in which the buildings are being presented towards you. Drayton hall, out at one of the plantations near Charleston, is effectively a consolidated ruin. Their interiors have been stripped and you can see the exhibits in the house. So you ever have this incredible, just the structure, the husk of this building, which has been preserved, which is inadvertently this really interesting way of memorializing what happened there. By stripping it back and presenting it to you as a kind of husk, you appreciate and your imagination does the work and you're drawn into that world and you see the relationship between slavery and the amazing architecture even more starkly. It's a very. It's not a comfortable. Always a comfortable experience, even if it is a very beautiful one.
- [42:22]
Georgina Godwin
Yeah, absolutely. Well, from a 250th anniversary to a 25th anniversary, that's the Jewish Museum in Berlin. Daniel Liebskind, of course, is the person that designed it. Tell us more.
- [42:36]
Tim Abrams
There is a really important exhibition, I think, coming up at the museum itself, which will celebrate this 25th anniversary of its opening. But of course, the museum was designed in this incredible period from the competition was in 1989, a very important year, and was announced in 1990. So, you see, we begin to see the Jewish Museum as its ostensible purpose is to tell a story, a 20th century century story about the. The build up to the Holocaust and the experience of Jews in Germany and then the Holocaust and then the subsequent responses. Subsequent responses to that. But what. What you. What we also see is that from. From that gap of 25 years, we can see that the building also speaks to the extraordinary cityscape into which it arrived. It's effectively, if you look at the building in plan, it's like a gen. Jagged scar in the cityscape. This was derived, as you will see when you come to the exhibition, from Libeskind, superimposing a map of the city and drawing the Star of David on it. And there's the Berlin Wall, kind of roughly, kind of cutting this in tune. So he uses this as the plan for this. What is effectively a meandering. It's not quite meandering. It's a zigzag wall which you walk through. And so. So you begin to see this as an articulation of that experience as well. A kind of scar on the cityscape. It's a unique. And also understand it as basically his masterpiece. It's a unique building, which I think has changed how we look at museums, which are not just places now of education or even entertainment, but they are places of memorial. And his work going on to doing the master plan of the September 11 site in New York would not be the same without. Without this early experience. And the exhibition has got some incredible models and drawings and other material in it. And I think it's going to be the must see architecture show of the summer.
- [44:41]
Georgina Godwin
Now speaking of places of learning, you are fortunate enough to be based in the city of Dreaming Spires. Tell us more about Oxford.
- [44:50]
Tim Abrams
Oxford is a wonderful place, not necessarily the best place to be for contemporary architecture. Since 1971 when the Florey center open design by James Stirling which was an absolute disaster. It ended up with this university suing Stirling. Stirling never worked in the UK for another 15 years and had to go and seek his fortune abroad, predominantly in Germany. And since that time there's been a kind of pushback on contemporary architecture in the city. And Neil McLaughlin who has been awarded the Riba Gold Medal, the highest, effectively the highest award that can be bestowed by the profession on its own members in the uk. He has perhaps single handedly, I would say reintroduced the idea of contemporary architecture to Oxford. There's four of his buildings which are, I would say his best. The Sultan Nasrin Shah for the Worcester College, a theatre in a garden setting which is also used for conferences and it's a curved stone auditorium, an oak ceiling foyer which overlooks the cricket pitch. Absolutely stunning piece of architecture. There's later works by him. The Catherine Hughes Building at Somerville College, the Masters Field development at Balliol, a multi phase project involving kind of lots of student accommodation buildings which is being built out slowly. And then also his work right at the center, the Radkev Primary Care building. And it's just a wonderful attempt to introduce an architecture which is contemporary but also uses traditional material. He has introduced timber as a powerful material to the palette of architects working in Oxford which has been underused before in a city of stone, brick and concrete. And he has taken, taken contemporary architecture and reworked it and given Oxford an opportunity to really experience the best of it. And I think that the, the gold medal is an accolade that I personally see as being given to his, his work in, in, in, in Oxford.
- [47:08]
Georgina Godwin
Tim, thank you very much indeed. That's Tim Abrams and this is the globalist on Monocle, Radio,
- [47:17]
UBS Narrator
iq, EQ and AI. Three components key to the craft of innovation at ubs. Because to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving age you need a partner with decades of experience, endless passion for the work and a finger on the pulse of leading technologies. Bridging human expertise with artificial intelligence, all to elevate you. UBS banking is our craft.
- [47:55]
Georgina Godwin
Now. One of Madrid's most recognisable buildings has been brought back to life after years of standing empty. The century old Metropolis building has just been opened as Club Metropolis, a Vast hospitality project bringing to together restaurants, a private member's club and a boutique hotel. It's a clear sign of Madrid's current boom and a test of how historic landmarks can be made to work again. I'm joined now by Monocles Madrid correspondent Liam Alderwis. Liam, welcome back to the show.
- [48:25]
Liam Alderwis
Good morning, how are you?
- [48:27]
Georgina Godwin
What was the Metropolis building and why did it stand empty for so long?
- [48:32]
Liam Alderwis
Well, it started as an insurance company headquarters, the fate Phoenix Espanol. It was actually built in 1911 and it's been a range of things since then. It's been obviously an insurance headquarters, it's been a bank offices, but it was basically empty for over a decade. There was a few people who had their, you know, privileged office there. But in 2019, a couple of restaurant tours, very famous in Madrid. They've got the, the Restaurant 10 content and Amazonico. They've got a multitude of restaurants in the city. They came in to perhaps potentially do a restaurant on the ground floor. But they heard that the rest of the building was earmarked as a co working center and they put their heads together and said this cannot be like this is, this building is actually a very, very important landmark. It's actually said to be one of the most photographed buildings in the city. It's just so if you're not familiar with Madrid, it really has pride of place. It's right at the beginning of Granville. It's on a very, very resplendent boulevard. It's a very, very prominent building. It's a beau art style building. Ornate gold filigreed cupola, the work. So for this to become a, a co working center, it was a bit of a scandal, they said. So they put their heads together and came up with a concept which is quite unique. What's so unique, unique about the concept and the new Club Metropolis in itself is that it's made by Madrinos. It's not another takeover from another foreign hotel conglomerate who's trying to cosplay. You know, the idea of what Madrid is, this really is from top to bottom and every, every space this. Like you said in the intro, there's seven restaurants and a hotel and there's a rooftop. It really is this like quintessential Madrid concept. And what I really like about it, when I was talking to the owner, Marta Secco, she said she wanted to emulate the, the spirit of the Duchessa de Alba, you know, the Duchess of Alba, this aristocrat who was quite famous in Spain. She was a very, very, very old woman at the end of her final years and she had a very young husband, but she was quite famous over the decades for hosting these very elaborate parties that mix together all echelons of Madrid society. And while that's not the official brand line for the, for the club Metropolis, she said she really wanted to capture that spirit and, and fill the building. And I guess they're going to need to fill the building because there's so many restaurants and, and so many places to fill.
- [51:07]
Georgina Godwin
How does this fit into Madrid's wider hospitality boom?
- [51:11]
Liam Alderwis
Well, if, I mean, Madrid just continues to, to be on the up and in. I mean, Madrid does hospitality like no other city. People are on the, on the streets and on terraces and in restaurants at all hours of the day. They're in restaurants and bars more than they are at home because it is a very, very kind of communal city. But Madrid was quite lucky during the, the pandemic that the, the government decided to keep most restaurants open. And so Madrid kind of had a head start with the, the postco recovery. And ever since then, a lot of foreign investment has poured in and you've just seen some big, big tent pole developments open in the last few years. A lot of big hotels also have had renovations and then you've got a lot of smaller restaurants as well throughout the. So the city is, is alive and, and, and entertaining and, and the spirit is, is up as usual.
- [52:11]
Georgina Godwin
Liam, thank you very much indeed. That's Liam Aldous, Monocle's Madrid correspondent and Club Metropolitan is open in Madrid. It sounds absolutely gorgeous. You're listening to the Globalist on Mon. Off to the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, which has just opened the doors to its latest fashion exhibition, Fashion Becomes Art, the first UK exhibition on Elsa Schiaparelli, tracing the designer's early career in the 1920s, her flair for surrealism and her close ties to Surrealist artists like Salvador Dali. The show also moves into the modern day, tracking the brand's renaissance under American designer Daniel Rosebery. Natalie Teodosi, Monocle's fashion director, spoke to the VA's senior curator, Sonnet Stanfel, about the exhibition.
- [53:13]
Natalie Teodosi
When I first spoke about the possibility of doing this exhibition, it was around seven years ago when our director of exhibitions, Daniel Slater, started at the museum and we could not have known then how successful the brand would become. So it seems very fortuitous that they've had such a fantastic response and such a rapid rise.
- [53:39]
Sonnet Stanfel
And I wonder, having gone back through her archives and through her life, what was it that made her so unique? And quite different to her other kind of contemporaries. In the past there was a lot of competition and a lot of comparison with Coco Chanel. So for you, what is it that makes her so special? When you're looking at her, the most famous designs, her personality, all different aspects of her career.
- [54:12]
Natalie Teodosi
I think that if we start with, with maybe her, her kind of personal history, I think it's interesting that as an Italian born creative, she arrives in Paris with no formal fashion training. She's an outsider, she's, she's Italian, she is divorced, she has a small child. And these are all elements that should be marks against her, her, against the possibility of forging a career in fashion. So she comes to Paris as an outsider but finds her way into the very beating heart of Parisian couture. And so I think that speaks to her dogged determination, her drive, her hard work, but also I think it speaks to her creative flair and her, her love of working with artists. You know, she used the word exhilaration. She felt exhilarating emotion when she worked with artists. But I think that in terms of the clothes, the fact that she became the most discussed designer in interwar Paris, I mean these were clothes that were conversation starters and they were clothes that you wore to be noticed. They were not about quiet luxury, which maybe you could say was a characteristic of someone like Chanel. These were clothes that made people look twice. And not all of them were shocking, although we have examples of those in the exhibition. The skeleton dress being one of my favorite examples. But they were. Even a sober tailored day suit would usually have some element of interest. You would never have mistaken one of Schiaparelli's most notable gowns for the designs of someone else.
- [56:10]
Sonnet Stanfel
So interesting. And you've mentioned Daniel's more recent success as well, and he shares a lot of these traits. So tell me, why do you think he managed after so many years where Schiaparelli was dormant? Like you said earlier, it didn't expand and grow to become a huge billion dollar business like some of the other houses. So why do you think the last few years Daniel has managed to reawaken the house and make it such a big success? It's still smaller and it feels quite special and niche, but it's globally known by now.
- [56:50]
Natalie Teodosi
I think one of Daniel Roseberg skills is that he references the archive but with a light touch. He is not copying, he's not a slave to the history and that has allowed him to have a certain amount of creative freedom. And he brings his own codes, his own design sensibility to his role. And I think that in a way that's something that he shares with Elsa and with the history that she experienced in Paris, is that they're both outsiders. You know, he comes from Plano, Texas. He's American. He cut his teeth with 10 years at Thom Browne, such a successful American originally menswear firm. And now he is at the heart, the beating heart of French haute couture. And so perhaps that outsider sensibility is also key to his success. And I was, I have had the privilege of attending several of the couture presentations, including the most recent January show where it was just a kind of riot of color and splendor and couture craftsmanship, you know, kind of virtuoso techniques. And, you know, I think he's, he seems to be delighted lighting in the challenge of bringing the house to a greater and wider public. And as I said, I could we could never have predicted seven years ago that the house would be where it is now. But it just seems like a wonderful serendipity that that's the case.
- [58:34]
Georgina Godwin
And that was the senior curator at the VA Sonnet Stanfill in conversation with Natalie Teardosi. And to hear the full interview, listen to the latest episode, monocle on fashion Schiaparelli Fashion Becomes Art is on display at the VA now. And that's all for today's program, thanks to our producers Anita Riota and Chris Chermack, our researcher Anneliese Maynard, and our studio manager, Steph Chungoo, with editing assistance by Lily Austin. After the headlines, there's more music on the way and the briefing is live at midday from London. The Globe will return at the same time tomorrow. I'm Georgina Godwin. Thank you for listening.
- [59:32]
UBS Narrator
With ubs, you have a truly global place partner incorporating new technologies, innovative approaches and unexpected opportunities, leading you to insights that help answer the questions that matter. Delivered with passion, care and unmatched expertise. Because it's about rising with the dawn each day, knowing that we can do even better. That's what banking is to us. Not just work, but a craft. UBS advice is our craft.