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- [00:04]
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Georgina Godwin
You're listening to the Globalist, first broadcast on 11 May 2026 on Monocle Radio. The Globalist in association with U. Hello, this is the Globalist broadcasting to you live from Midori House in London. I'm Georgina Godwin and in a shake up from our usual format, I'm joined for this show by my colleague Chris Chermack. Chris, what's coming up?
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Chris Chermack
Good to be with you, Georgina. This is the week that Donald Trump prepares to face China's Xi Jinping in a high stakes summit in Beijing. Trump has been pulling his punches ahead of the meeting.
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Benedict Paviot
He's been very nice about this, you
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James Rogers
know, in all fairness, he gets like
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Francis Collings
60% of his oil from hormones and
- [01:40]
James Rogers
I think he's been very respectful.
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Georgina Godwin
We haven't been challenged by China, but
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Chris Chermack
will that nice tone from Trump change then?
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Georgina Godwin
The annual victory parade took place in Moscow on Saturday. We discuss how the much reduced scale points to how Russia's war on Ukraine has damaged the country politically, militarily and symbolically.
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Chris Chermack
We'll also have the papers with Latika Burke. And we'll be joined by the Democratic strategist Mark Edelman, who will explain how the nativist tendencies of Trump in his second term have changed the atmosphere around the country.
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Georgina Godwin
Our Eurovision correspondent introduces us to the Greek entry to the competition this year.
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Chris Chermack
After that, we'll hear what the French think of London and the Brits think of Paris.
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Georgina Godwin
And we'll end the show with a roundup of news from Canada.
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Chris Chermack
That's all up ahead here on the Globalist. Live from London.
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Georgina Godwin
First, a look at what else is happening in the news. Oil prices jumped in Asian trading after US President Donald Trump rejected Iran's latest response to American peace proposals as totally unacceptable, fuelling fears of a prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has urged Indians to cut fuel use, avoid non essential travel and reduce imports as soaring global energy prices pile pressure on the country's foreign exchange reserves. And pop star Dua Lipa is suing Samsung for $15 million, alleging the company used her image on television packaging without permission. Do stay tuned to Monocle Radio throughout the day for more on those stories. Now, Donald Trump is going to Beijing this week for his first visit to China since 2017. What was meant to be a trade summit focused on tariffs and rare earths will now take place under the shadow of the Iran war, export controls and tensions over Taiwan. I'm joined now by Natasha Linstead, professor of government at the University of Essex, and Isabel Hilton, founder of China Dialogue and a visiting professor at King's College London Lau Institute. Isabelle, if we could start with you. What tone is Beijing setting ahead of this visit?
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Isabel Hilton
Well, I think, as you heard in the clip that you played in the introduction, China has been quite restrained on the subject of Iran. I mean, there was one rebuke quite early on, an official comment that this was an illegal war. But after that, China has stayed fairly quiet and has been very busy behind the scenes. The foreign minister, Wang Yi, has been highly active, you know, trying to get people to the table. What I think this shows is that China feels quite confident about the fact that the balance of advantage has shifted between the United States and China. And it sees this war as deeply damaging to the United States in a whole series of ways. So they don't really need to crow about it, I think is the, is the explanation for their lack of rebuke.
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Georgina Godwin
And, Natasha, what do you think Trump wants to achieve with this trip?
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Natasha Linstead
Well, I think he's focused on trade, on possible investment in each other's countries, on focusing on some of the U.S. products, like Boeing airplanes, U.S. beef, soybeans. He wants to create maybe a board of investment, a board of trade. So we'll see a lot of talk about trade, technology, technology. And it's possible, of course, that Trump might try to pressure China to get involved in, in getting the Strait of Hormuz opened up. You know, they, they might also talk about reducing flows of fentanyl into the U.S. sometimes Trump likes to bring that up, but he, he wants to increase investments into the US From China. And I can't imagine there's going to be anything that will be substantial or a major breakthrough. But it's interesting, the tone that, that he talking about G, that he's been very, very nice about this. And I think I would agree that this is also sign that China has the upper hand.
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Georgina Godwin
Well, exactly. I mean, and that's what you were saying, Isabel. So what is China prepared to offer on trade?
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Isabel Hilton
Look, if you look at the patterns in Trump's second term, the ambitions that he had with China, he's, he's fulfilled none of them, you know, the trade gap, the balance in favor of China has actually widened. China has found other markets for many of the goods that it used to sell to the United States. Yes, I'm sure it would like greater access to the American market, but China's doing okay and has been building resilience against potential US Hostility for a decade. And that that preparation has honestly paid off since Trump came back to power. So it also perceives, I think the perception in Beijing is that the US frankly, needs China's help at the moment, what China doesn't want the US to do is to go on behaving like a rogue elephant at a wedding and crash the global economy because China does need to export. So what China wants is to calm things down, to perhaps have access, greater access to advanced silicon chips. But honestly, they're doing okay. They've worked around a lot of those issues. And the price that China is likely to exact, and the one that the whole region is very nervous about is some concession on Taiwan, some shift in language that China can then claim as a victory, evidence that the United States won't come to Taiwan's defense.
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Chris Chermack
Natasha, when it comes to what Isabelle was saying there about China wanting to calm things down, does Donald Trump want to do the same? Frankly, he's bullied a lot of other trad partners around the world. He may have realized at this point that that doesn't work very well with China. But nonetheless, what are his red lines? Does he have any right now?
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Natasha Linstead
It's not clear what they are with China at the moment, given he's so focused on the war in Iran and he recently rejected Iran's proposal, which is sending, you know, shockwaves again through markets as this has really upended global energy trade and so forth. I think that that's part of the problem from the US Standpoint is, is that he has lost focus and isn't really, you know, going into the meeting with, with much strength. I mean, and a lot of it has to do with the fact that China knows that the US has really depleted their missiles, their arsenal, their Tomahawk missiles. You know, they're. Some of these are costing, you know, over 2 million. They burned through a thousand. And interestingly, to reb build them, they require these samarium cobalt magnets, which is mined in China. 90, 99 of it is mined in China. So I think you, you have a Trump that, that is not really focused on the war. The trade war that he had started with Beijing, that was what he was really focused on in the beginning of his second term. And that's all he talked about, was his trade war with China and that they were getting a raw deal. But we see, you know, he hasn't even responded that much to the fact that the Suprem ruled against his tariffs. And that made a big shift from Chinese goods going into the US having a 47% tariff to somewhere between 19 to 24%. So I think he's just much more unfocused than he has been with China in the past.
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Georgina Godwin
And, Isabel, what will US Allies in Asia be listening for? I mean, obviously what's happening in Iran is changing the nature of the discussion. But are those allies there looking for concessions, and are they worried about shifting spheres of influence?
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Isabel Hilton
Certainly those countries that have been close allies of the United States, that would be Japan, South Korea, the Philippines, and, of course, Taiwan, they are definitely worried. And we've seen in recent months a diplomatic row between Japan and China over exactly that, over the realization in the region that the U.S. commitment is no longer reliable, that even in terms of material and military assets, these are being sucked into the Middle East. And indeed, the wasting of assets and the difficulty in replacing them in any realistic time frame has allowed China, for example, to go back to creating islands in the South China Sea, which had been paused, but under the nose of Donald Trump, China has been building a whole new island just off the coast of Vietnam. And all of this is consolidating China's military assets and strategic assets in the region. Now, what do China's allies. Sorry, what do the US Allies do in that situation? The concern is that faced with
- [11:09]
Thomas Lewis
a
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Isabel Hilton
resurgent China and an unreliable United States, these very sophisticated technological countries will reach for the nuclear option. Japan and South Korea could go nuclear very quickly should they feel that that's in their interests. And South Korea, of course, is facing an emboldened North Korea. So all around the region, the absence of focus and of commitment by the United States is creating deep uncertainties, and they could go in very unpredictable and dangerous directions.
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Chris Chermack
Natasha, just finally and quickly jumping off of that. If Donald Trump makes some kind of deal, do we imagine that's possible, given his areas of interest? He's more interested in China's help on Iran, even on Russia, for example. Could he leave Taiwan and the general area, that sphere of influence to China? Is that a worry?
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Natasha Linstead
Oh, it's a definite worry, and I think he already has done that just by the fact that the US has depleted so many of its military arsenal that it would need to be an effective deterrent. Against any attack on China, on Taiwan, from China. And I think that you see, with Trump completely distracted by what's going on in, in Iran, this is definitely an opening for China to take advantage of that. And he's. And the Chinese have also seen the way that Trump has reacted to Russia's war in Ukraine with sort of just a lukewarm response at best. So I think that G sees this as an opportun.
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Georgina Godwin
Natasha, thank you very much indeed. That's Natasha Linstead. And we also heard there from Isabel Hilton. This is the Globalist. It's 9:12 in Moscow, 7:12 here in London. Now, on Saturday, Russia held its annual Victory Day Parade. Usually, this is the Kremlin's clearest display of military confidence. This year, under the threat of Ukrainian drone attacks, the event was scaled back and held without tanks or heavy military hardware for the first time in nearly two decades. Well, I'm joined now in the studio by James Rogers, who's Associate professor of International journalism at City St George's University of London. James, many thanks for coming in. It's always lovely to have you here in the studio. What does the parade symbolise and why was it established in the first place?
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James Rogers
Well, it was established in the first place way back, actually, at the end of the Second World War. That was what set the precedent. And Russia celebrates Victory in Europe Day on May 9th because of the time difference, which you just referred to, actually. That's when the treaty was concluded in Berlin during the presidency of Vladimir Putin, his time at the top of Russian politics. More than a quarter of a century now, of course, it has increasingly become something to show patriotic pride at home and to send a warning to the wider world about Russia's military strength. So the fact that this was scaled down on Saturday, particularly as we now enter the fifth year of the full scale invasion of Ukraine, and that's not going terribly well, is hugely significant for what it says about Russia's confidence and what it says about their ability to stage this parade or not on the normal scale because they were concerned about possible attacks.
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Chris Chermack
James, can you just paint us a picture here of how different this parade was compared to previous ones? How scaled back was it in terms of military hardware, all of the pageantry that you would normally see?
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James Rogers
Well, that, that, I mean, the, the, of course, as you might expect, you know, in a country where things don't always run to time, you know, the minute the Kremlin clock strikes 10, then the parade begins and the marching and the military music was there, but it was much smaller. And the thing I really noticed, Chris, watching this on Saturday, was that instead of the military hardware, which was totally absent, they actually had videos. They actually had videos showing troops, army, navy, air force, involved in the special military operation as the war in Ukraine is referred to in official Russian discourse. And I was left wondering when I was watching it on tv, so what are they actually seeing in Red Square? So they were actually broadcasting these videos on the square on big screens while everyone was sort of sitting there. So it was very much a sort of made for TV spectacle. But it also seemed, you know, very, very flat compared to what had been in previous and indeed particularly recent years.
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Georgina Godwin
Let's have a look at what Zelenskyy said beforehand. He seemed to be sort of slightly cholera, but of course, there was this very real threat of a Ukrainian drone attack. Tell us what he said, how the Kremlin reacted and how present that danger was.
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James Rogers
Well, I mean, I think this was quite. I think President Zelenskyy, in a way, was drawing on his past as a comic actor almost here in the sense that he was, I think trolling is the only word he gave. He issued a presidential decree giving up and giving permission for a military parade to be held on Red Square. The decree actually had the coordinates in it, you know, the latitude and longitude, as you would when you're discussing, you know, when you're saying military targets or civilian targets are at this location. So I think that was quite a sort of smart move in what is obviously very much a public relations war as well. And it was a reminder of the reason why Russia had decided to scale this back. I think it would have been highly unlikely that the Ukrainians would have decided to strike at the parade. But I think the fact that Russia scaled it back showed an awareness that it was technically possible for them to do so. We've seen these pictures of Russian oil infrastructure in flames in recent weeks. There was a big attack last year on a Russian airfield far behind the front lines that was probably done using either the mobile phone network or satellite. So there's a very real awareness of the possibilities there and a real fear about it.
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Georgina Godwin
And yet Putin is suggesting that the war is coming to an end. Is that surprising?
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James Rogers
That was an interesting remark. It was just something he said at a news conference afterwards. I think Putin, I think, is increasingly aware that the war is no longer. The idea of calling the war a special military operation was to say, this is something separate. Your life can continue as normal. In recent weeks, we've had Moscow, one of the most high tech Connected cities in the world having these Internet outages precisely for security reasons. Those were imposed again over the weekend for the Victory Day parade. And I think maybe Putin was trying to say there, you know, we have got a plan here to end this. But it's really not clear what that is and there's absolute, absolutely no clear solution, James.
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Chris Chermack
I mean, coming off of that, what was interesting was some of the moves ahead of this parade as well. Shutting off the Internet, all these things created this narrative of an incredibly weak Russia. Obviously Putin is trying to go against that, but what is your sense kind of after the last week, is the narrative going to continue that Putin is losing control inside of Russia?
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James Rogers
I don't think he's losing control. I mean, I think, I mean, we've seen this leaked Western intelligence report that's been circulated to media organizations suggesting that there are even moves of some sort of palace coup against him. That may be so. It may also be that it's a provocative attempt to try to sow that kind of discord within Russia. There's no question though that this time when you could say to the people of Russia, look, this is something that's happening far away, it's a special military operation. It's not a war. Remember that under Russian law, you can even be charged with criminal charges for calling the war a war. That's because in wartime you have to say to people, look, we're at war, we've got to put up with hardship. But no, it's a special military operation. And so, you know, things should continue as normal and our armed forces will deal with it. That's no longer so. And it's really a striking reminder to people when you can't make a card payment in a store in central Moscow because the Internet's been shut off for security reasons.
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Georgina Godwin
James, thank you very much indeed. That's James Rogers, Associate professor of International journalism at City St George's University of London. Now, still to come on the program,
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Chris Chermack
We'll be kicking off our Eurovision coverage with the Greek entry to the song contest and interview with them coming up later. This is the globalist.
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Georgina Godwin
Let's continue now with today's newspapers. And joining us in the studio is Latika Burke, writer at large for the Australian publication the Nightly and expert associate at the Australian National University's National Security College. Wow. Lots of big titles there.
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Latika Burke
Too many. Too many for this time in the morning. And look, there's two of you.
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Georgina Godwin
Well, I think it takes two of us to keep up with you. Listen, what is happening with the British Prime Minister?
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Latika Burke
There is no one capable of keeping up with British politics, Regina, because it's all going off. I mean, we had this wild card MP Catherine west on the weekend declare she's going to launch a leadership challenge. Let's just be clear. This is like your grandma launching a leadership challenge. So there's no hope that that's going to happen. But what it does do, of course, is kick off all the moment that is well and truly underway today. The front page is in the UK Press, dominated by this story in the Telegraph. We have Wes Streeting telling the Prime Minister that yes, he's ready and preparing to make the case to be prime Minister, but he's not plotting. Not plotting, just planning. Over in the Times, which is the story we're going to take a look at because this one's really significant, is Angela Rayner. She was the deputy prime Minister. She had to step back from that role and after it was revealed she'd underpaid her stamp duty taxes. Now she is the darling of many on the left, not all, but many on the left. And she has gone to Sir Keir Starmer, put him on notice saying he must take immediate action to move labor to the left. And I think this why I've chosen this article is because this one really gets to the nub of what's going on in British labor and may explain to people who look on a bit mystified as to one, why Starmer is so hopeless and hapless, and two, why no one does anything about it. And what Angela Rayner says is that she wants Keir Starmer to take immediate action to cut cost of living. So that would involve higher taxes on the energy firms, bigger increases to the minimum wage, and she wants working class people to feel that the party represents them, saying that she thinks labor is at risk of becoming a party of the well off.
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Georgina Godwin
And that of course, explains why people were voting for reform because those working class voters feel underrepresented.
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Latika Burke
Absolutely. This has been going on for more than a decade, certainly since Brexit. You could say that was the real moment. But labor has become a party that's base is primarily in the metropolitan areas of the uk. They are relatively well off compared to the so called Red Wall voters who are the working classes. And those are the people that have flocked to Brexit. Those are the people that have flocked to reform. But by the way, those results last week, they went everywhere. I mean, even in London, people left labor for the Greens. The Lib Dems also did well, the Conservatives did well in some areas, but overall went backwards. So there's a bit of something for everyone here. But certainly it's dire for Labour. And now what seems unstoppable is Keir Starmer's leadership on borrowed time. It seems to be a matter of time before that countdown clock expires. Today he's going to come out and give another big reset speech. We've had a lot of these from Keir Starmer. Will it make the difference? Personally, I'm skeptical, but let's see.
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Georgina Godwin
Why has he brought back Gordon Brown and Harriet Harmon?
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Latika Burke
Yeah, this is really interesting. So look, he's trying to say I am bringing in some of the old guard, the experience to show that we can fight this battle. But I interviewed Catherine West. This is the Labor MP who's launched this wild card grenade against Kestarma's leadership last night, actually. And she said to me when these results were coming in on Thursday, she whatsapped the chair of the Labor Party, Anna Turley, in a big group so everyone could see this in the Labor Party and said, please reassure me that you have a plan for moving on the leader, a timetable. And she said, and quote, she said to me what came back was a mealy mouthed response saying, oh well, we've got a big plan on the weekend. You'll see Harriet and Gordon Brown coming back into government. And Catherine said to me, you know, this is not the look of a party capable of fighting reform. This is a party of 20 years ago the world was very different. And that actually has angered a lot of MPs who think this just shows how out of touch Keir Starmer is and how the default is to always run backwards rather than coming up with something fresh. And that is what the challenge for whoever replaces Keir Starmer has to grapple with once and for all.
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Chris Chermack
Well, Latika, moving forwards, if you will, to another country where there's been, you know, the other way, the flip. We've had a new Hungarian Prime Minister who has been sworn in, Peter Magyar. And he's also now saying, or at least there's understanding that he's not going to protect anybody who has been in trouble in the past.
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Latika Burke
Yes, it was a big weekend in Hungary where Peter Magyar was confirmed as the Prime Minister. And this has led to a rather extraordinary scenario of the former Justice Minister. Now, I'm not going to attempt to say this name because it's full of Z's and N's and G's in places that I, my mouth cannot mangle, but suffice to say he served as the Justice Minister of Poland under Viktor Orban. Now he has fled to the United States and has sought asylum in Trump's United States. That asylum has been granted and the Justice Minister spoke to the Polish broadcaster Republica. For context, that's a bit like a Fox News that was established in Poland and he says, this is my third time time there and, and I'm here now in the United States and safe. Now he faces charges in Poland for abusing power, leading an organized criminal enterprise and using funds meant for crime victims to buy Israeli Pegasus spyware, which allegedly he used to spy on political opponents in Hungary. I mean, these are very serious charges and also go to the heart of, of the government that was just ousted and why in Hungary? So it's fascinating that now it is the United States providing refuge to these sorts of characters and will we see justice? It's an open book for now. He is safe and sound in Trump's America.
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Georgina Godwin
So that former Polish ex minister Zbigniewsi Obro may well.
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Latika Burke
Well done, George. She just had to get that in, Chris, didn't she? We all saw what you did there.
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Georgina Godwin
He may as well got a cheap flight to the US because somewhat counterintuitively, airlines are actually lowering the prices. I mean, there was this great fear that all summer holidays would be lost, fuel prices would be so sky high. But in fact, they're coming down. Yeah.
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Latika Burke
I think last time I saw you, Georgina, we were discussing just this very fact that actually Qatar Airways was putting planes in deep freeze. This was going to see a reduction in flights and huge costs. And I know for me and for all the Australians living in Europe, the flights have just gone sky high. I mean, it's impossible now to think about getting home anytime soon if you want a cheap flight. But interestingly, not the case across Europe. And as you said, Georgina, quite counterintuitively in the FT this morning, we have a number of, particularly the European based airlines saying they're actually cutting fares and they're certainly not going to add fuel surcharges and that they're seeing essentially a Covid 2.0 effect, where people are thinking, you know what, I'm not going to go overseas, I'm going to stay at home and do the domestic trip. And so now they are all actually cutting flights. But what does this do to the industry? Well, there's a very interesting quote here from the head of EasyJet who says, look, we can sustain this for a time, but not forever. And so they will try and stimulate this demand in the aviation sector to have people reassured that the war in the Middle east is not going to take out their holiday flights over the upcoming summer. But there is, I think, still a long Runway for this story to run.
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Chris Chermack
It is such a bizarre situation, isn't it, Latika? What does that make you feel like? What do you think that makes travelers feel like? Because on the one hand, I mean, yes, prices are being cut, but also flights are being cancelled.
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Francis Collings
There's.
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Chris Chermack
There's less flights than there used to be. I mean, what a weird time in the summer it is going to be to travel.
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Latika Burke
I think it does mean if you're thrifty and you've got a bit of time to explore the Internet, you might be able to nab yourself a bargain. I do know that flights routing through the Middle east to the other side of the world are very cheap at the moment, but of course, that's because you've got to factor in the risk that your flight may not go, or they could. Things could flare up in the Middle east all of the sudden and you could be stranded or worse, in danger.
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Georgina Godwin
Latika, thank you very much indeed. That's Latika Burke there. And this is the Globalist on Monocle Radio. Now here's what else we're keeping an eye on today. Oil prices climbed above $105 a barrel after Donald Trump dismissed Iran's latest response to US peace proposals as totally unacceptable. The remarks renewed fears over the effect of closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route that normally carries a fifth of the world's oil and gas supplies. Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for work from home measures, reduced overseas travel and lower fuel consumption as India grapples with surging global energy prices. Modi also urged households to cut spending on imported goods, including gold, while asking farmers to halve fertiliser use to protect India's foreign exchange reserves. And pop star Dua Lipa has filed a $15 million lawsuit against Samsung, accusing the tech giant of using her image on television packaging without authorization. The singer claims the packaging improperly traded on her commercial value and ignored repeated legal demands to stop using the photograph. This is the Globalist. Stay tuned.
- [30:21]
Chris Chermack
It's coming up on 2:30 in Washington, D.C. 8 8:30 in Zurich. Now, as we near November's congressional midterm elections in the United States, opposition Democrats are asking themselves not only whether they can win back Congress, but even if they do, the question is how any opposition that they mount can rein in the Trump administration that really has changed the culture in Washington and around the country and gone about its business with little regard for Congress or even the courts. Well, I'm joined now by Mark Adelman, a long standing campaign and communications consultant to U.S. democrats. Mark, normally based in California, D.C. boston. I mean, you go to so many different places, but you're visiting us right here at Midori House. It's a pleasure to have you.
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Mark Edelman
Well, thanks. I'm like American Express. I'm wherever you need me, I'll be there. I'm there for you. Isn't that the commercial?
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Chris Chermack
And we need you right here, right now. It's wonderful to have you and Mark to start off with. I guess it can be hard, I think, for those outside of Washington to really understand the extent to which Donald Trump, especially in this second term, has changed how business, how politics in Washington is done today. I mean, there's this sort of nativist with us or against us bunker down mentality that just didn't exist at this level before. Paint a picture.
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Mark Edelman
It feels very different this term. You know, I think that the president and the administration, you know, had many years sort of in exile to think about what they wanted to do and how they wanted to do it. And part of that is doing it fast and quick and being able to put things out so fast that the courts don't have time to sort of keep up with it. The Congress, which is an equal branch of government, I always like to point out, as well as the courts, has little interest in keeping up with it. And so you've got new things happening on sort of a global scale which I don't have to tell you all about because it's affecting everybody here in the UK and Europe and all your listeners in Asia on a day to day basis. Just looking, of course, what's going on with the port of the Strait of Hormuz and what's going on with Iran. Things happen very quick and that is not typically how people would describe Washington.
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Chris Chermack
It's interesting what you said there about Congress having little interest. I wanted to pick up on that. I mean, do you think that Republicans especially have little interest or are they fearful? Are there those who oppose Trump, whether in Congress or in the administration, that are simply afraid to speak up more than in the first term?
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Mark Edelman
Well, I think, you know, sort of two things can be true. And you always hear these stories of analysts coming on TV and saying, well, you know, off the record or, you know, in the green room, or reporters saying, you know, they think this is crazy, this, this is nuts. But then they go, of course, on the House floor and are more than happy to vote for what's in front of them and not only vote, but then champion it. I think, you know, it is starting to feel a little different with sort of the situation that we're in right now that there is no sort of obvious answer about how to get out of it. We are seeing gas prices, you know, the highest they've been in years, all of the sudden in many different states. And some of the responses from the administration are, well, you know, just don't drive as much, don't go as far. Those are things that, you know, obviously where foreign policy really hits the American pocketbook and somebody's day to day life, where they're looking at how much money they have to put gas in their car, how accessible they have to be able to get different types of food that they want and groceries and. And you know, you start to see things too like we saw in Covid, where if stuff is sort of stuck on boats in other parts of the world and this is happening much more so I know here in the UK and in Europe, when you don't know when your deliveries are coming because they're stuck on a boat in the middle of the ocean. Those are all real things.
- [34:41]
Chris Chermack
And Mark, when you talk about those things, what's interesting to me is if to look at Democrats now and their messaging, there is a kind of obvious message there being created by what's happening in Iran, the rising gas prices and the like. And yet as Democrats try to build a campaign heading into the midterms, is it all still really just about Donald Trump himself? How do they separate themselves from that?
- [35:04]
Mark Edelman
You know, I was thinking about it before I came in here knowing we would probably talk a little bit about, you know, 2026 and maybe even 2028. There has not been an election since 2016 that Donald Trump has not defined. And that's pretty remarkable when you think about that. And you know, speaking as a Californian who's watching a very odd and strange gubernatorial race that's taking place right now and you still, look at a lot of the questions that these candidates are being asked and what they're actually putting out in the world. A lot of it is about how they are going to fight Donald Trump and make sure Donald Trump is not interfering in the actual government of the state and the ongoings of what that means from day to day. That's not unique, but it's certainly, you would think at this point with what would be a lame duck president, we would be talking as much about and we're starting to, about what the future looks like. And I think that, you know, obviously, as November comes, with the congressional midterms that everybody is talking about, you're seeing in the last couple weeks with the Voter Rights act that Lyndon Johnson passed in 1965 being stripped away in the Supreme Court, congressional districts all of a sudden disappearing, that could actually really minimize people of color that are represented in places certainly like the South. The Donald Trump of it all, as I hear as an expression, a lot is pervasive. And so it really is sort of, you know, the person that takes all the oxygen in the room locally, federally, internationally.
- [36:53]
Georgina Godwin
I'm wondering how you're seeing it change in other parts of the world. So, for instance, in media. But also I know that you've just spent the last semester lecturing at Harvard. And of course, Trump has had this huge effect on academic. And if you were actually teaching political
- [37:10]
Mark Edelman
communication, I think I was, I would say hosting. I say I was a teacher. And so you're very generous. You know, I will say this, a couple things. You know, when you're dealing with students who are, let's say, 18 to 22, they don't know any different. Donald Trump has been their whole life as far as, you know, their cogent political engagement. And, you know, I was actually very inspired by, in many ways, the lack of cynicism that I would encounter around students that I think one just, you know, the younger. We're all pretty young in this room, but, you know, those that are a little younger than us, you know, kind of have about the optimism of the future. And they do see a world, I think, that, you know, has to look different. And so I was actually really kind of excited to see that. It was a lot about issues that they believed in, you know, whether it was affordability and what that actually looks like and how we live in that. The issues that we, of course, have been living with for decades in the United States, about the climate and choice and guns and all of the things that are, you know, very much part of The American political landscape weren't seemingly defined as much by Donald Trump. To me. There are certainly those that are very interested in him and Maga and want to learn more about that. But there were a lot that just were interested in sort of the idea of the idea. And I took away from that something that was like, okay, maybe these are the ones that are gonna get it right.
- [39:01]
Chris Chermack
Some heartwarming optimism from the next generation
- [39:04]
Mark Edelman
on a Monday, no less.
- [39:05]
Chris Chermack
Mark Edelman, long standing campaign and communications consultant to U.S. democrats. Great to have you right here in the studio. This is Monocle Radio foreign.
- [39:25]
Georgina Godwin
Week and our official correspondent of the song contest, Fernando Augusto Pacheco, has been busy interviewing some of the contestants. We start our coverage with Achilles, the Greek entry. This year his song Ferto is widely tipped as one of the favorites to win. Well, he starts telling Fernando the meaning of the word ferto too.
- [39:51]
Achilles
Yeah, actually it's a Greek expression. I mean, everyone use it like during the day, but you know, ferto yes, means bring it, but in the song actually it's like bring it cuz I never had it. So Ferto talks about greed and overconsumption, the constant human need of always want more in an attempt to fill the gaps left by deprivation. And you know, my generation grew up through a really big financial crisis, so a lot of us grew up feeling like something was missing. It's for all the things that we dreamed of but we couldn't afford doing, you know, so it's for all the things that we wished for also. And it's also a gratitude song to all those parents who try to do their best, even if they didn't have much much for all those sacrifices they did. Because you know, when you're a child, you can understand all the sacrifices and all the work that your parents do for you, but when you're an adult, you can understand more because you know how to earn money, you know that you have to work for it and you can understand things better, you know, so. Yes, and it's also for my mother because she did everything she could for me and my sister.
- [41:18]
Fernando Augusto Pacheco
And where did you grow up, Achilles? In Greece. Because I know you made your music career in Athens, but tell us where you were born and when did you move to Athens?
- [41:28]
Achilles
Yes, of course. I was born in Ceres, it's a small city in Greece and I was there in a music school, you know, I did exams and I was one of the succeed guys, you know, know who got in. So I was already, you know, in touched with the music when I was young, but I haven't already found myself there. And you know, after high school I went to Thessaloniki because I had to do work and, you know, to live by my own. So I started working in kitchens. I study cooking. I was also giving exams to theater classes. You know, I was a really big theater lover. And then COVID 19 came to my life. And during quarantine I stopped working in Gibson. I just had time for myself to realize who I am and what I want to do in my life. And I just bought ukulele and I learned how to play it from YouTube. And that's when I realized that I can write my own music. Actually, when I was, you know, alone in my house and in my thoughts. And that was amazing for me because I felt like I discover a new planet, you know, I was like, oh my God, I can write music. What do you mean?
- [43:00]
Fernando Augusto Pacheco
That's when you became viral, right?
- [43:03]
Achilles
Not yet. Then I had to go to Athens and there I was working in kitchen and I was still making music. And then I uploaded some videos on Tick Tock and they went viral actually. And I couldn't believe that. But I kept working in kitchen to, you know, to pay my rent. Rent to pay for my music. And then I went to cruise ship. I was there for like one, two years in a band. And then I was like, no, I shouldn't be here. I should go back to Greece and try to do my own music again. And I went back to Greece and I couldn't find anywhere to sing. No one wanted me to. To do live shows there because they were like, like, you move too much or, you know, your dad's moves maybe will scare the, the customers, you know. And my dad's moves made me who I am today through Ferto, you know. But yes, September and the summer was a really difficult period for me. And I had to go on the streets of Athens and play my music on the streets of Athens, trying to make a living to pay for my rent. And that was really hard for, for me because there were so many ups and downs and I almost lost hope. And right after we just wrote Ferto. And since then, everything changed in my life.
- [44:46]
Fernando Augusto Pacheco
You're a fighter, Achilles. I love that, you know, I am a survivor. Yes. And. And it is interesting, you know, even looking at the video for Ferto, you know, you're talking about your love for theater. There's something quite theatrical about your music as well. You costume. It's fun, it's. It's expressive.
- [45:04]
Achilles
Yes. I'm a really, really big Lady Gaga fan also. I can see that, See how she, she inspired me.
- [45:13]
Fernando Augusto Pacheco
Yes. And okay, I was going to ask you about your music inspiration because the song is difficult to define, you know, it, it, it, there's so many cool elements. It's, it's electro, it's pop, you know, it's. So, so tell us what you know besides Lady Gaga. What, what have you been listening? Do you listen to much of Greek music, for example?
- [45:32]
James Rogers
Example?
- [45:33]
Achilles
Yeah, a lot of Greek music and Charlie xx.
- [45:38]
Thomas Lewis
Yes.
- [45:38]
Achilles
So we wanted, so we wanted to create something, you know, with modern sound, techno vibes, but combined with something traditional, you know, Greek traditional music. And yeah, we discovered the sound of Ferto, but we really wanted to spread this message of gratitude, you know, so we were like, okay, maybe this song needs to have a pause that you can see the character out of, you know, all these costumes and all this, hahaha, video game character and just see him nude, like, you know, only him and his thoughts and the reason of why he's doing, doing this, you know,
- [46:30]
Georgina Godwin
That was Achilles representing Greece in this year's Eurovision Song Contest. And do stay tuned for more Eurovision updates from Fernando. This is the globalist on Monocle Radio,
- [46:44]
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- [47:20]
Georgina Godwin
The French paper La Figaro has published a ranking of the best London neighbourhoods for French expats, scoring areas across the city on everything from green space, schools, pollution and how quickly one can reach the Eurostar. At St Pancras station, Hampstead came top. South West London performed strongly. And the Elizabeth Line, London's new East West Underground line, is helping push outer neighbourhoods up the rail. But what does this tell us about how the French see London and how differently Londoners and Parisians think about city life? Well, from our Paris studio we have Francis Collings, a foreign news correspondent and a Brit living in Paris. And joining us down the line we have Benedict Paviot, who's a UK correspondent for France 24 and a French woman living in London. So let's start with you, Benedict. What do French people consider first when they choose where to live in London?
- [48:15]
Benedict Paviot
Well, first it has to be said that as much as some would love to come just uniquely for pleasure, often they come with their Children to live here because of their jobs. Then there's no doubt that it's very pricey to get somewhere central and somewhere lovely. So Le Figarou talks about the fact that there's this wonderful green city, that it's very welcoming, it's less densely populated than Paris, and it talks about undeniable appeal and that there's a huge choice. It points out that London is twice the size of Paris. So I'm not surprised that Hampstead has got. And Belsize park right up there. Highgate as well. Southampton, Regent's park, well, that's quite pricey, but lovely. Primrose Hill. Nine Elms, of course, is south of the river. Perhaps I won't point out the areas that are not so prized by that. But it's really the freedom to express yourself. The freedom and the richness of the cultural life, which, of course, there is a cultural life, but a very different one in Paris. And of course, the attraction of, well, many things that tourists like. But also, I think it's a more people feel more relaxed maybe here to express themselves and explore. Very different type of culture in the sort of large sense of the word compared to maybe more restrictions and different pace as well in Paris. Francis, I say this as someone who was born in Paris, by the way.
- [49:49]
Chris Chermack
Born in Paris, Francis, to bring you in here from our Paris studio, listening to that, listening to Benedict talk up London as the Le Figaro did as well. The undeniable attraction. What does that make you feel being in Paris? As a Brit, what kind of. How would the British rank Paris if they had to do the same thing?
- [50:08]
Isabel Hilton
Thing?
- [50:09]
Francis Collings
Well, I mean, I couldn't disagree when it comes to Belsize Park, Regents Park, Hamstead. Beautiful areas, very leafy. I mean, for me and for others, I know the attraction of Paris is almost wherever you go. I mean, in the center of Paris, nearly every street seems to be picturesque and beautiful, like from. From a painting. Walking by the river, which is at the heart of everything, the scene, the transportation. The one thing that does strike me as being different to London, having lived in London a few years before coming here after being other places, is that London does appear more immediately multicultural. Paris, when I first got here, did seem somewhat. A little bit sanitized. I've got quite used to that. It's just a very different city. And cities have their different qualities. But for me, the immediacy of the beauty that is baked into this city is something that is just so attractive that I really can't get over most.
- [51:05]
Georgina Godwin
And Benedict just quickly why has London kept its attraction for French people even after Brexit? One thought that would chase everyone away.
- [51:14]
Benedict Paviot
Well, because people have come to appreciate a lot of the things on offer in London. I would just open a bracket, which is a significant one and say that the architectural beauty of Paris is something that never ceases to amaze me. So I, I get totally what my fellow guest is, is saying. But yes, there's something about, well, there's the proximity in that you can jump on Eurostar. To go from the heart of Paris to the heart of London is extraordinary and it's something very different. And actually a lot of French youngsters either want to go to the United States, perhaps less so at the moment with what's going on over there, but are very attracted to an Anglo Saxon culture because of its music, because of a lot of sort of expression, self expression, fashion. So it's something very different they love to experience. So starting maybe an exchange student and then perfecting your English is something that of course is very attractive.
- [52:15]
Chris Chermack
And Francis, maybe similar question to you, what happened to Paris after Brexit? Do you think that the Brits want to still come to Paris in the same amount and excitement as they had before?
- [52:27]
Francis Collings
Well, the Brits and everyone else, I think it's the most visited country in the world when it comes to tourists. When I first started to come here, and I've been coming on and off before moving here full time a couple of years ago, there did seem to be a tourist season, clearly this summer. I don't notice that now. It seems that people are here all year round. It is so busy. I mean, Brexit did cause a lot of complications, complications that plague many us continually. I mean, I've just renewed my residency, which is a tortuous process. I wouldn't have had to have done that before Brexit. I'm in the process and it's a nine month process of exchanging my driving license, tax, things like this which have come in. But at the same time, despite complaints about bureaucracy, which I think you get everywhere, the help that people like I got post Brexit, there were offices set up specifically to help you, you assimilate when it comes to legalities like residency. And driving licenses were just superb and so helpful. But the one thing I will say that I do adore about this city, beyond the architecture and the beauty, is the general politeness. The fact that you cannot go into a shop, even your local bakery, without exchanging bonjour and how are you? Before you even start to buy anything, the Politeness that is part of society and part of discourse is something which I love every single day.
- [53:55]
Georgina Godwin
Frances, we're going to stop you there mostly out of astonishment. You should see the faces in the studio. We don't believe that for a minute. Politeness in Paris. Frances Collins there in Paris and Benedict Pavio in London. Thank you both very much. This is the Globalist on Monocle Radio.
- [54:21]
Chris Chermack
Well, finally on today's show, it's time to get a roundup of news from Thomas Lewis, Monocle's Toronto correspondent. Thomas, you're in our time zone. Good to have you.
- [54:30]
Thomas Lewis
I am indeed. It's lovely to be with you both. Thank you very much for having me.
- [54:34]
Chris Chermack
So, Thomas, let's start with some news back in Toronto. We understand there's a bunch of controversies around a downtown airport and whether it should be expensive.
- [54:44]
Thomas Lewis
Yes, there is. Now, this has been a controversy rolling for many, many years now. Anyone who's been to Toronto may have noticed the sight of propeller planes kind of coming in and out across the lake. Now, their destination is often Billy Bishop Airport, which is Toronto's downtown passenger airport. And for a long time there's been discussions about what should happen, happen to the airport once the lease of the lands which sort of jut out into the lake, into Lake Ontario should happen. And Doug Ford, the premier of Ontario, so taking it up a level of government from the city itself, is now pushing to extend the airport. There were plans to transform it into this massive urban sort of park in the lake if once the once the lease had come to an end. But Doug Ford, politician on the populist conservative right in Canada, has waded himself into the argument by saying that the province itself, he wants it to take control of the airport and to expand it to allow bigger planes to come in, to come and go. Now, the idea of having big sort of passenger jets landing right into the city almost basically is how it would feel like to a lot of the residents who live along the shore front. There is a very controversial idea. I think the figures I've seen, Chris, is that at the Moment it's about 2 million passengers that pass through the airport every year with this expansion plans, which it involves expanding the Runway a little bit that looks like it goes to 10 million. Now, that also raises questions about the onward connections. Of course, public transport in Toronto is again a perennial source of complaint to lots of people across the city. So to be able to have smooth connections from what really is kind of an asset to the city, to be honest, it's pretty amazing to Be able to just go right downtown, hop on a plane and go to the US One destination or the other in the US or elsewhere in Canada is pretty convenient and quite an asset, as I say. But this is becoming a bit of a sort of culture war, without overstating it. In the city, those who want to see the lands used for parkland, for example, especially with the projections of how quickly the population of Toronto is projected to grow over the next few years, public green space will be at a premium. Or those who can see the economic benefits of having better air connections right in the heart of the city to elsewhere. So, yeah, it's an interesting story, Chris.
- [57:22]
Georgina Godwin
Yeah, just a lot of people also flying in the other way, of course, flooding into Canada because. Because it's one of the hosts of the World cup, and it's a month to kick off very quickly. Thomas, could you just give us a brief idea of how Canada's preparing for that?
- [57:37]
Thomas Lewis
Yeah, well, it feels as though the excitement's really growing, actually, after a prolonged period. Georgina, I think it's fair to say of being a little bit reticent about taking part. I think Canada was allowed to have five host cities, if I remember correctly, but city after city decided they didn't really want to have anything to do with hosting World cup football games. So now there are two, Vancouver and Toronto. And I think you often find in cities that host big international tournaments like this that there's a bit of reticence right up until kickoff, when suddenly it feels pretty, pretty wonderful to have the world coming across your threshold. So I was speaking to the editor of a. Of a lovely football magazine, Derby Magazine, in Toronto, and he was saying how, you know, the international view, Canada soft power is pretty high at the moment, but that can be quite a sort of romanticized view of the country. So he thought that something like the World cup in Toronto and in Vancouver would be quite a good showcase for Canada on the international stage in more of a nuanced way. So he's pretty excited for that, by the sounds of it.
- [58:37]
Georgina Godwin
Thomas, thank you very much indeed. That's Monocle's Toronto correspondent, Tomas Lewis. And that's it for today's program. It's also my last program here for a while. I'm off on my travels.
- [58:49]
Chris Chermack
Chris, where are you going? Georgina, you have to tell us.
- [58:52]
Georgina Godwin
I am going off to the Santa Fe Literary Festival. You can hear all about it on Meet the Writers. The latest episode came out yesterday, but I will be back in June. And you, meanwhile, are keeping the seat warm. So thank you very much to you. Thanks also to our producers, Angelica Jops and Tom Webb and Anita Riota, our researcher, Josefina Gomez and our studio manager, Mariela Best.
- [59:16]
Chris Chermack
After the headlines. There is more music on the way. The Briefing is live at midday in London. The Globalist returns at the same time tomorrow. I'll be hosting that. I'm Chris Chermack.
- [59:24]
Georgina Godwin
And I'm Georgina Godwin. Thank you for listening.
- [59:36]
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