HARDtalk — Season 2017

BBC News (Europe) Running

139 Episodes · Premiered January 4, 2017 · Ended December 22, 2017

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Episodes

No synopsis available.

Sarah Montague speaks to Vladimir Chizhov, Russia's ambassador to the EU. Just months ago, Russia was congratulating President Trump on his inauguration and expressing hope that both countries would take their interaction 'to a whole new level'. Now, Moscow's relations with the US and the west are so bad that the Russian prime minister Medvedev talks of them as 'ruined'. Can Russia and the west mend their relationship before it's too late?

HARDtalk celebrates its twentieth anniversary with a repeat of one of its classic interviews. The programme's first anchor Tim Sebastian interviews Donald Trump on location at the Trump Tower in 1998. Theydiscuss the nature of doing business in a city like New York, the fame that has come with his success, the women in his life, and revenge and getting even with those who have hurt him in business.

HARDtalk is in rural northern Germany to meet Niklas Frank, a journalist and writer but also the son of Hans Frank, the brutal Nazi Governor of Poland from 1939 to 1945. He was convicted of war crimes andexecuted after the Nuremberg trials for the major role he played in the deaths of millions of Jews and Poles during the Second World War. Niklas Frank tells Stephen Sackur how he's coped with the crimes of his father and why he will not let his fellow Germans forget the worst aspects of the Nazi era.

Sarah Montague speaks to economist Professor Sir Paul Collier. The refugee crisis is one of the world's most intractable problems: 60 million people have fled their homes, with a third of them also fleeingtheir own country. But Professor Collier believes the problem is fixable and 'we can do it easily'. The solution, he argues, is to give refugees jobs. In doing so he suggests everyone will benefit. But if the answer is so simple, why has it not been done before?

HARDtalk's Zeinab Badawi is in Ankara to speak to the Turkish prime minister, Binali Yildirim, in an exclusive BBC interview. Politicians from the ruling AK Party say they are trying to bring the country together after the divisive referendum giving the presidency greater powers.The government narrowly won the vote, but the result is still being questioned by opposition parties and no-voters. Protests claiming the poll was rigged have been widespread, but the electoral commission has upheld the outcome. Is the country sliding towards one-party dictatorship?

HARDtalk celebrates its 20th anniversary with a repeat of one of its classic interviews. Tim Sebastian speaks to Mira Markovic, the wife of former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic, who repeatedly laid theblame for ten years of bloodshed during the Balkan wars squarely at the feet of the West. Mrs Markovic staunchly defended Milosevic, incarcerated at the time of this interview in 2001 in The Hague by the International Court of Justice. In this bruising encounter as her husband awaited trial for war crimes, Tim Sebastian asked her who she thought was responsible for the thousands of forced deportations and the mass murders, and whether she expected her husband to one day be released?

The war in Yemen has resulted in 10,000 civilian fatalities so far, but this number may soon be dwarfed by the number of deaths caused by starvation. Yemen is experiencing a humanitarian catastrophe which thewarring parties are making worse and which the outside world seems unwilling or unable to tackle. Stephen Sackur talks to the UN humanitarian coordinator in the country, Jamie McGoldrick. Is he losing the struggle to save millions of lives?

HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to South Africa's police minister Fikile Mbalula. South Africa's ANC was once seen as an inspirational model for Africa, but now it's becoming a watchword for infighting,cronyism, corruption and the dangers of one party rule.President Jacob Zuma stands accused of abusing his power - not just by his enemies but by many erstwhile ANC colleagues. Fikile was made police minister in a recent hugely controversial cabinet shake-up, as the scandals pile up are we witnessing the slow death of the ANC?

HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to the international ballerina Michaela DePrince. To make it to the top in the world of ballet requires not just extraordinary talent, but immense reserves of physical andmental determination.Imagine how much more it takes if your childhood is torn apart by civil war, hunger and homelessness. Michaela DePrince has made a remarkable journey from horrific suffering in Sierra Leone to accolades in the world of international dance - how did she make it happen?

Stephen Sackur talks to American diplomat Christopher Hill, who has served under three US presidents and was a former lead negotiator on North Korea. President Trump has described North Korea's leader KimJong-un as a 'pretty smart cookie' who he would be 'honoured' to meet. But with military tensions on the peninsula rising, could Trump's unpredictable approach to foreign policy actually work?

On Sunday 14 May, Emmanuel Macron takes office as president of France. His nascent political organisation promises to get France's sluggish economy on the move again, but only if it can win legislativeelections in June. Shaun Ley speaks to French MEP Sylvie Goulard, who has thrown her support behind Mr Macron. Can the new president deliver and move France forward ?

Stephen Sackur is in Dublin for a special edition of HARDtalk. Ireland has bounced back from the financial crisis of 2008, but now it is being swept by a new wave of apprehension. This time it's all aboutBrexit. When Britain leaves the European Union, Ireland will suffer significant collateral damage - in terms of jobs, trade, and the status of its borders. HARDtalk speaks to Ireland's foreign and trade minister Charles Flanagan, will Britains leaving the EU have catastrophic consequences across the Irish Sea?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Turkish novelist and writer Elif Shafak, who lives much of her life in London.A dozen years ago, Europeans looked at Turkey and thought they saw a country becoming more like them, embracing western values and on a long-term track to EU membership. But today Europe sees authoritarianism, conservatism and repression embodied in the all-powerful figure of President Erdogan.Does the West get anywhere close to understanding Turkey's complex culture and politics?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Rob Wainwright, head of the European police agency Europol. With people and businesses increasingly dependent on the internet and computing, they are more vulnerable than ever to cybercrime. One such example is the worldwide spread of the ransomware known as WannaCry which has shut down vital computer systems in businesses and public institutions around the world. Are the cyber-crooks several steps ahead of the cyber-cops?

Mass anti-government protests have swept across Venezuela in the past month as the country becomes ever deeper embroiled in economic and political chaos. Close to 40 people have been killed in street clashes,shops are short of food, and hospitals low on medicine.Stephen Sackur asks Julio Borges, speaker of the opposition-controlled National Assembly, if the Chavista socialist revolution is dying on its feet.

As part of the BBC's Trading Fortunes season focusing on global trade, Stephen Sackur speaks to Nigeria's minister of state for petroleum resources, Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu. When President Muhamadu Buhari won theNigerian presidency two years ago it seemed like Africa's most populous nation had turned a corner. A first ever peaceful, democratic transition brought a promise of cleaner, better governance, and major economic reform. Two years on, how has it gone? Can oil-dependent Nigeria transform itself into a modern trading economy?

HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to bank president Sir Suma Chakrabarti. From the wreckage of the Soviet Empire a new, freer, more prosperous region emerged, anchored in the EU and NATO. The European Bank ofReconstruction and Development was created to foster that transformation. These days many of its investment projects are in Turkey, Central Asia and North Africa - has mission creep undermined the values of the EBRD?

HARDtalk's Stephen Sackur speaks to renowned academic Gilles Kepel, an expert on Islamist terrorism in France and beyond. His work is influential in some political circles, it was cited by newly-elected Frenchpresident Emmanuel Macron during the recent campaign, and controversial in others.In the wake of the terrible suicide bombing in Manchester, a familiar question is being asked again - is the West any closer to an effective counter-terror strategy?

Stephen Sackur is in New York city to speak to Dean Baquet, the executive editor of the New York Times. The paper has been at the forefront of reporting into alleged Russian meddling in the 2016 US presidential election and the first months of the Trump presidency. President Trump has regularly criticised the Times and accused it, and other media, of propagating 'fake news'.Dean Baquet is asked how far the public can trust the New York Times's regular use of anonymous sources to report on the inner workings of the White House and whether its claim to be fair in its reporting stands up to scrutiny.

Stephen Sackur speaks to the head of the United Nations mission in South Sudan, David Shearer.South Sudan's lethal cocktail of civil war, ethnic division, failed governance, widespread hunger and disease threatens millions of lives. It represents a tragic failure on the part of the rulers of Africa's newest country, and on the part of the United Nations mission there which has brought neither peace nor protection. What hope is there for the people of South Sudan?

Stephen Sackur is at the 2017 Hay Literary Festival to speak to US senator Bernie Sanders, the longest-serving independent in US congressional history. He was credited with injecting passion and belief into therace for 2016's Democratic presidential nomination, a race that was eventually won by Hillary Clinton. But did he plant the seeds of a political revolution in the United States?

HARDtalk's Zeinab Badawi speaks to US Democratic Party insider Jake Sullivan, a key adviser to senior Democrats, including Hillary Clinton when she was secretary of state as well as on the campaign trail in2016. President Trump has attracted a lot of criticism at home and abroad over his rhetoric and style of leadership. But is he not proving more effective in important foreign policy issues, like the fight against extremists, than the previous Democratic administration?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Stephen King, the influential economist, writer and former chief economist to HSBC bank. The western world's position as the dominant force in global politics and economics is confused and uncertain, with the recent elections in the UK and France pointing to fractures in Europe.Meanwhile, president Trump and Angela Merkel have worldviews that are poles apart and the western consensus on liberal economics and globalisation is at loggerheads. Is globalisation stuck in reverse gear?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the deputy prime minister of Belgium, Alexander de Croo. The recent UK general election was supposed to strengthen the British government's hand in the looming Brexit negotiations.Instead, it has backfired with Theresa May a weakened prime minister at the head of a minority government, ill-prepared for the complex, difficult talks that lie ahead. Does Europe view Britain's travails with sympathy or relish?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the former head of Russian Railways, Vladimir Yakunin. For the past 17 years Vladimir Putin has ruled Russia - as president or prime minister. But he hasn't done it alone. He has beenbacked by a coterie of trusted associates, connected through past ties in St Petersburg, or in the KGB or in business. Yakunin was part of President Putin's inner circle, so much so the US made him a target of sanctions after the invasion of Crimea. Are cracks showing in the Putin project?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Philippines senator Antonio 'Sonny' Trillanes. When it comes to populist politics delivered with robust action, no-one does it quite like Rodrigo Duterte, elected president of thePhilippines a year ago. Since he came to power, around 7,000 people have been killed in his war on drugs crime. Human rights groups are aghast, but a majority of Filipinos seem to admire his iron fist policy. Is President Duterte taking the Philippines and the region in a new direction?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Thuli Madonsela, South Africa's public protector until late 2016. President Zuma's grip on power in South Africa appears to be weakened. He will relinquish leadership of the ANC at theend of 2017. Whether he will complete his term as South Africa's president is uncertain as allegations of cronyism and corruption pile up around his government. Thuli Madonsela exposed a web of worrying connections between the state and big business interests, but are her concerns about to be brushed off?

Stephen Sackur speaks to Greece's economy minister, Dimitri Papadimitriou. Greece's debt crisis and economic collapse used to be headline news, but not so much anymore. But does that mean the country is in recovery? Not if you ask the average Greek.Almost half of all young people are jobless and the elderly continue to see their pensions cut. With austerity biting deeper with every new release of European bailout money, is there any way out of the hole Greece is in?

Stephen Sackur speaks to the former Israeli defence minister Moshe Ya'alon, who has become a harsh critic of prime minister Netanyahu.On the face of it, Israel has achieved a form of stability - led by the sameman for eight years, locked in a state of hostile non-communication with the Palestinians, confident of strong support from Washington.But look a little deeper and cracks appear. Prime minister Netanyahu is under investigation and Israeli society appears ill at ease with itself. How fragile is Israeli unity?

Stephen Sackur talks to former US senator Joe Lieberman about the example America is now setting for the world. Lieberman was Al Gore's vice presidential running mate in 2000 and has recently been touted as acontender to be FBI director under Donald Trump. Is Trump fundamentally changing America's global role?

Zeinab Badawi speaks to the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda. The recent release of Saif Al-Islam Gaddafi by the Libyan group holding him has led the ICC in The Hague to demand his arrest. He has been indicted by the Court for alleged crimes against humanity, murder and persecution.The ICC was set up in 2002 as a court of last resort to try such individuals. But it has met a barrage of criticisms, principally that it has an anti-African bias, because only Africans have been convicted and nearly all the cases before it are from the continent. What does Fatou Bensouda, a lawyer from Gambia, say in the Court's defence?

Stephen Sackur talks to Nigeria's army chief, Lieutenant General Tukur Yusuf Buratai. Nigeria's stability and unity is threatened by internal tensions, conflict and corruption. From the Boko Haram insurgency inthe north to violent militancy in the south and separatist aspirations in the east. Amid all this turmoil, how effective in securing the country is the Nigerian army?

No synopsis available.