http://www.dw.de/dw/0,,7296,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss DW-TV's international talk show with four journalists discussing the week's top international issue. en 2012 DW-WORLD.DE, Deutsche Welle Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:40:17 GMT Wed, 15 Feb 2012 12:40:17 GMT http://www.dw.de/image/0,,3281570_10,00.jpg http://www.dw.de/dw/0,,7296,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss no clean DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle podcasts@dw-world.de DW-TV's international talk show with four journalists discussing the week's top international issue. DW-TV's international talk show with four journalists discussing the week's top international issue. 30 http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15677558,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15677558,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Syria and the Killing - The World Looks onPresident Bashar al-Assad is continuing his military campaign against opponents within his own country, seemingly emboldened by the UN's inability to reach a consensus. Syria is almost isolated diplomatically, yet Russia and China vetoed a proposed UN resolution condemning the actions of the regime. Russia says it wants an end to the conflict but its attempts to mediate have so far been ineffective. Meanwhile Europeans and Americans are raising the diplomatic pressure on Syria. Economic and other sanctions may be tightened still further. But so far the international community has stopped short of threatening military action. As long as Assad knows that he has more to fear from his own people than from the United Nations, he may continue to confront the opposition with brutal force.How much longer will the international community allow Assad's troops to go on committing murder? Who - if anyone - has the will and the means to put a stop to the ruthlessness of the regime? Can civil war be prevented? Syria is now the major test of the credibility of democratic nations.Tell us what you think: Syria and the Killing - The World Looks on Send an email to: Quadriga@dw.de Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 42:45 Thu, 9 Feb 2012 16:15:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15659564,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15659564,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss US-European Relations - Has the Alliance Run its Course? For more than six decades, the United States and Europe have stood shoulder-to-shoulder. Their military and political bond has survived the Cold War, the Kosovo crisis and the war on terror. Now, US President Barack Obama has said he is withdrawing some of the 80 thousand US troops stationed in Europe. They will be redeployed in the Pacific. President Obama is under pressure because the US is deeply in debt and the election campaign has begun. As the republican opposition hones its rhetoric to an even finer edge, the president is following a plan to focus the country’s military might. He sees the current geostrategic challenge in the Pacific. What does that mean for transatlantic relations? Is Europe so stable that it can maintain political balance without its big brother, the US, to lean on? In the Pentagon, the transatlantic link is being described as a success story. The US covers 75 percent of NATO’s budget. The alliance’s 27 other members provide the remaining quarter. If the US withdraws, that will mean NATO’s other members – above all Germany – will have to assume more political and financial responsibility. But greater spending on security, weapons and troop training is currently a real challenge, particularly in view of the fact that Europe is in the midst of its own debt crisis. Europe could also view taking more responsibility for its own security as an opportunity, however. At the moment, European countries are pursuing widely divergent interests. Unlike Germany, France and England have little interest in joint European security policy. “Alliances of the willing” such as the Libya mission have undermined NATO. And without US support, they quickly lose momentum, as was the case in Libya. That raises the question of how Europeans would like to shape their own security policy in future. Which role would they like to play? The balance of international power has shifted. China is experiencing a military and political upswing as well as an economic boom. That has changed the geopolitical situation in the Asia-Pacific region. Countries such as Japan, South Korea and Australia are regarding these developments with concern. There are unresolved conflicts over territory. As a force to maintain regional order, the US is stepping up to play a greater role than it already has. China is in the process of increasing its influence as a world power in the Pacific. US President Obama is planning to do anything but look on idly as that goes on. What do you think: US-European Relations - Has the Alliance Run its Course? Write us at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Walther Stützle – Born and raised on Sylt, Walther Stützle soon left the idyllic island to study political science. He began his professional career at the International Institute for Strategic Studies in London. In 1969 he started working for the German Ministry of Defence, joined the German daily 'Stuttgarter Zeitung' in 1983, was director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) from 1986 until 1991, became Editor-in-Chief of the German daily 'Der Tagesspiegel' in 1994 and worked as a Junior Minister in the German Defence Ministry from 1998 to 2002. Since then, he has written many books and has become known as an expert on German foreign policy and transatlantic relations. Andrew B. Denison is a political scientist from the United States. He studied both there and in Germany, and is an expert in foreign policy and security issues. He works for the Institute for Strategic Analysis in Bonn, as a researcher and author. Denison is also director of ”Transatlantic Networks”, a research consortium based in Königswinter, Germany. His main emphasis lies on international and domestic security policy focusing particularly on Obama and the USA’s second century, the relationship between US and European economic policies, the future of NATO, Moore’s Law and future security policy. Felix Lee – The German-Chinese journalist spends his time living and working, alternately, in Beijing, Shanghai, Hong Kong and Berlin. Felix Lee has been working for the “taz” newspaper in Berlin since 2003. His primary focus areas are civil society, development policy and international trade. In 2008, he worked for the “taz” as a correspondent in China for several months and also covered the G-8 summit in Japan. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 3 Feb 2012 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15645239,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15645239,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Euro Crisis - Is Germany Paying Enough? The EU's leaders meet again on Monday for a summit that will once again focus on measures to prevent a collapse of the euro. Preparations are in full-swing for marathon voting on measures to preserve the currency. There's pressure on Germany, the eurozone's biggest economy, to do more to help indebted eurozone countries. Most countries that use the euro have more or less accepted Germany's handling of the crisis but now Chancellor Angela Merkel's plans are meeting with increased resistance. Germany's image in Europe has changed dramatically. The Germans have emerged as the winners in the euro-crisis, so they should be the ones to foot the bill -- at least, that's the opinion of Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti. Angela Merkel is feeling the pressure on all sides. She pushed through unpopular austerity measures in Greece but they won't be enough to save the country on their own. Negotiations with private creditors over forgiving Greece for much of its debt are threatening to collapse. If that happened, the eurozone's temporary bailout fund, the EFSF, would have to step in and provide the Greek government with cash. The next tranche of bailout money for Greece depends on the Greek government persuading a team of IMF and European negotiators that it is doing enough to curb spending -- something it has not yet managed to do. At the heart of the matter is money: Who will pay how much into the ESM, the permanent mechanism that is due to replace the EFSF? This mechanism currently has 500 billion euros at its disposal. Calls to increase the fund are growing louder but so far Merkel has resisted. She insists budget reforms are the way to go and she wants eurozone country leaders to keep the focus on cutbacks, debt limits and a fiscal pact for greater budgetary disciple. That's all well and good provided Greece doesn't thwart Merkel's plans. Otherwise, she's going to have to deal with billions of euros of debt guarantees much sooner than she wants too. What do think: Euro Crisis - Is Germany Paying Enough? Write us: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Quentin Peel - he is international affairs editor of the Financial Times. He is also an associate editor, responsible for leader and feature writing. He is working at the FT since 1975. Between 1976 and 1994 he served successively as southern Africa correspondent, Africa editor, European Community correspondent and Brussels bureau chief, Moscow correspondent, and chief correspondent in Germany. On his return to London he became foreign editor. He took up his present position in September 1998. He was born in July 1948 and educated at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he studied economics, with French and German. Friedrich Thelen - After earning his doctorate in law, in 1975 he took on the post of director at the German Development Service. Friedrich Thelen then worked as a journalist for the leading weekly newspaper "Die Zeit". In 1978 he switched to the business weekly "Wirtschaftswoche", where he began his career as the magazine's Bonn correspondent and bureau chief. Later he became the bureau chief of Wirtschaftswoche's Berlin office. Stefano Casertano - He is an academic and a journalist, living in Berlin. He teaches international politics at Potsdam University, and is a Senior Fellow at the Brandenburg Institute for Society and Security. He is a columnist for the Italian business newspaper Linkiesta.it. In 2008 he completed his MBA at Columbia University, and later his Ph.D. Magna cum Laude at Potsdam University. He served as international affairs advisor for the Italian Ministry of Economic Development. He published four books about geopolitics, starting with a History of Cold War in 2009. In 2010, he has been nominated "Italian Young Leader" by the US-Italy council; and "Aspen Young Fellow" by the Aspen Institute. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15630265,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15630265,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Hungary - Goodbye to Democracy Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban continues to lead his country deeper into crisis and further to the right. Now the European Commission has initiated proceedings against Hungary for infringing European law. Brussels has long held the former dissident Orban under a critical eye for his controversial media law. Now EU officials fear he's driving his country to bankruptcy. Instead of introducing economic reforms, Orban now appears to be putting more political pressure on Hungary's central bank. Hungary needs billions of euros in international help to avoid bankruptcy. It needs even more to get its economy back into shape. Rating agencies have downgraded Hungarian bonds to junk status, and Orban must now negotiate a multibillion-euro cash infusion with the EU and the International Monetary Fund. That could be a lever for Brussels, which has seen Orban constantly reject its criticism. Orban has continually steered Hungary to the right at every level since his party won control over parliament with a two-thirds majority. Administrative offices, the judiciary, the cultural scene and even the media are kept in line by Orban loyalists, and those who don’t fall in line get kicked out. The state is accused of interfering in every area of people’s lives. Even anti-Semitism is seemingly no longer taboo. Orban's government has ignored EU regulations, such as data protection law, across the board. But now Brussels seems to be cranking up the pressure, in part to protect Europe’s credibility. What’s your opinion? Hungary - Goodbye to Democracy Write to us at quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Edit Inotai is a journalist with the Hungarian daily Nepszabadsag. Born and raised in Budapest, Inotai studied English and Spanish linguistics and spent time living in the US and Mexico. After completing her doctorate, Inotai began working for Nepszabadsag, with a particular focus on Latin America and Europe. After four years as the paper's Berlin correspondent, she returned to Budapest as Nepszabadsag's head of foreign affairs. Kai-Olaf Lang is a political scientist working for the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin. Lang is specialized in security and foreign policy in Poland, the Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary, with a focus on these countries' entry to the European Union and how the process of consolidation and transformation is taking shape there. Erik Kirschbaum – Born in New York, Kirschbaum began as a reporter for various dailies and magazines in the US. He moved to Europe in 1989 to become a correspondent in Germany and Austria. Kirschbaum now works for the “Reuters” news agency in Berlin. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:29 Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15615822,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15615822,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Greece - A Lost Cause For Greece the coming weeks will be definitive. The country's financial affairs are more distressed than ever and national bankruptcy is a distinct possibility. And Europe's rescue efforts aren't working. What to do? The EU has - so far - given financial support to Greece as a member state. But how much longer will Europe, and the Euro, be able to cope with the strain? Experts from the troika of the EU, the European Central Bank (the ECB) and the International Monetary Fund (the IMF) know that more bad news will come from Athens in the near future. The Greek government has put a rigid austerity plan into place, but nonetheless is expected to miss its financial targets. That means that Greece won't meet the conditions for a new aid package of over 130 billion Euros. If Greece doesn't get the money, that's the end of the line - it will be hard to ignore the increasingly insistent calls for Greece to exit the Eurozone. The IMF's experts think that Greece is already too far gone to be salvaged. They say that pouring billions more into the country will only delay insolvency. But Greece's crisis is also a crisis of the Euro. The common currency is under pressure: the Euro is falling and markets are rattled. Meanwhile Angela Merkel and Nicolas Sarkozy are trying to take the reins in the European debt crisis. In the future a European fiscal treaty with strict budgetary rules is supposed to keep financial catastrophes like this from happening. But for Greece, such rules come too late. What do you think: Greece - A Lost Cause? Write to us: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests Theodore Kouvakas - studied art history in Florence and architecture in Venice, and trained to become a journalist. In the 1980s, he wrote for a range of media outlets. Kouvakas covered foreign policy and financial markets for Imerissia SA, a financial and business newspaper. Since 2010, he has served as Berlin correspondent for Real Media SA. His areas of expertise include European financial markets and foreign policy. Kouvakas also has a strong interest in cultural topics. Quentin Peel - he is international affairs editor of the Financial Times. He is also an associate editor, responsible for leader and feature writing. He is working at the FT since 1975. Between 1976 and 1994 he served successively as southern Africa correspondent, Africa editor, European Community correspondent and Brussels bureau chief, Moscow correspondent, and chief correspondent in Germany. On his return to London he became foreign editor. He took up his present position in September 1998. He was born in July 1948 and educated at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he studied economics, with French and German. Ulrike Guérot - After graduating in political science, Ulrike Guérot worked initially as a junior professor in the European Studies faculty of Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Later she became a researcher at the Organisation Notre Europe in Paris and was a staff member of the foreign policy working group of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag. She moved to Berlin to head the Europe research group at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), where her specialties include the European integration process. European institutions, German-French ties and German-American relations. Currently she is focussing on Germany's role in Europe. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:19 Fri, 13 Jan 2012 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15600816,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15600816,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz - Iranian Showdown or Saber Rattling? Iran is threatening to block the Strait of Hormuz. That would have drastic consequences for the international oil trade. Every day, 20 supertankers pass through the vital shipping lane. Half of China's oil requirements reach the country via this route. The United States has made it clear that it would not tolerate such a blockade. Washington has a strong military presence in the region. The US 5th naval fleet is stationed in Bahrain. The crisis was prompted by the international dispute over Iran's nuclear program. For Iran, the right to enrich its own uranium is a question of national honor. The country says it wants to develop nuclear capabilities purely for peaceful purposes. But having the ability to enrich uranium could enable Iran to build a nuclear bomb. If that happens, Iran would be a potent threat not just to Israel but to the entire region. To prevent that, the US is implementing new sanctions aimed at reducing global imports of Iranian oil. That will hit Iran where it hurts. 80 percent of Tehran's government revenue stems from the oil sector. Iran now claims it has successfully tested both medium and long range missiles developed within the country during naval exercises - weapons that could reach Israel and even Europe. If those missiles were to be equipped with nuclear warheads, the consequences could be catastrophic. What do you think: Escalation in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian Showdown or saber rattling? Write to us: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Malte Lehming - Now the editor of the op-ed page of "Der Tagesspiegel", Malte Lehming was the paper's Washington Bureau Chief from January 2001 to July 2005. He joined "Der Tagesspiegel” in 1991 as a foreign editor, covering security issues, transatlantic relations and the Middle East. From 1989 to 1991, he served as personal assistant and speechwriter for the former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who is now the publisher and editor of the Hamburg weekly newspaper "Die Zeit”. Lehming completed an an MA in philosophy, German Literature and European History in 1988. Jilla Siassi – He attended school in Tehran, studied Mathematics in Great Britain and earned his PhD in Germany. In political opposition to Iranian ruler Reza Shah Pahlavi, he decided to live in European exile. After the 1979 revolution Siassi returned to Iran to pursue a political career, working as the Tudeh party’s spokesman for international relations and writing for several Iranian newspapers. Siassi was forced to leave Iran following increasing political prosecution. Currently he lives in Berlin, works as a university lecturer and continues to write for Iranian newspapers. David Crawford - he came to Germany in 1973 and has been reporting for various media organizations from here since 1976. The American, who grew up in the US capital Washington D.C., has been reporting on international terrorism for the Wall Street Journal since 2001. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 6 Jan 2012 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15583246,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15583246,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss 2012 - Year of Elections, Year of Change?In no less than three of the world’s most powerful nations – the US, Russia and China – people will go to the polls in the coming year. France, too, could see power change hands. Whether the US vote will bring continuity or change depends largely on the economy’s ability to pull out of its long slump. What the Russian transition will mean looks less certain now than it did three months ago, when Vladimir Putin announced his intention to return to the presidency. Meanwhile in China, the jockeying for power goes on behind the scenes. _______________________________________________ Our guests: Hao Gui – Born in Nanjing, Chinese journalist Hao Gui grew up in the People's Republic of China. He went on to study journalism in Germany, in Dortmund and elsewhere. Gui then did an intership at the western German broadcaster, WDR. Hao Gui has also published several books. Since 2003, he has worked in the Asian newsroom at DW-radio. Gui covers economics and politics in Eastern Asia, as well as culture and the media. Andrew B. Denison is a political scientist from the United States. He studied both there and in Germany, and is an expert in foreign policy and security issues. He works for the Institute for Strategic Analysis in Bonn, as a researcher and author. Denison is also director of ”Transatlantic Networks”, a research consortium based in Königswinter, Germany. His main emphasis lies on international and domestic security policy focusing particularly on Obama and the USA’s second century, the relationship between US and European economic policies, the future of NATO, Moore’s Law and future security policy. Michael Stürmer – has been the senior correspondent at the German daily "Die Welt" since 1989. Born in Kassel in 1938, Stürmer studied History, Philosophy and Languages in London, Berlin and Marburg. He is also Professor of Modern History at the University of Erlangen. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:29 Fri, 30 Dec 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15568141,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15568141,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss 2011 - Year of Crisis, Year of HopeArab Spring 14 January 2011: After weeks of public unrest, Tunisia became the first Arab nation to oust its dictator. President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali fled to Saudi Arabia. The Tunisian revolution sparked the Arab Spring, with uprisings in Egypt, Yemen and a civil war in Libya. The era of the dictators may be over, but what follows? Nuclear Disaster 11 March 2011: A magnitude nine earthquake shook Japan, causing a tsunami that flooded coastal regions, claiming more than 10,000 lives. The quake and tsunami caused major damage to the Fukushima nuclear power plant, disabling the reactor cooling systems, and causing nuclear meltdowns which led to radioactive releases. German Chancellor Angela Merkel, until then a friend of nuclear power, announced that the Fukushima disaster had changed her attitude to nuclear energy. On 30 June the Bundestag approved a plan to phase out German nuclear power plants. The energy turnabout in Germany – can it succeed? Eurozone Debt Crisis 7 April 2011: After Greece and Ireland, Portugal became the next Eurozone country to ask for an EU bailout. The debt crisis had begun to spread. Chancellor Merkel warned that a failure of the euro meant failure for Europe. Germany’s share of guarantees for the rescue fund rose from 123 to 211 billion euros. On 9 December an attempt to reach a deal on the Eurozone rescue through EU treaty changes failed when Britain refused to cooperate. When will we see an end to the crisis? What do you think: 2011 - Year of Crisis, Year of Hope? Write us at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Samir Said - Has been living and working as a freelance journalist in Germany for the last five years. Born in Egypt, he studied at Cairo’s Ain Shams University. In 2004 he and his family relocated to Germany, his wife’s home country. He works for Arabic and English medias. He is presently working as a consultant, assisting European media to gain a foothold in the Arab World. Ulrike Herrmann – started her career in banking before taking up journalism at the Henri Nannen School afterwards studying history and philosophy at Berlin’s Free University. She then worked as a research assistant at the Körber Foundation and was the press officer for Hamburg’s Equal Opportunities minister, Krista Sager. In 2000 she became a political correspondent and business editor at the Berlin daily "taz". These days she is the responsible editor for the opinion page of this newspaper. Nicholas Kulish was born in Washington in 1975 and raised in Arlington, Virginia. He graduated from Columbia College in New York with a bachelor’s of arts degree. He worked a series of odd writing and Internet jobs in Hong Kong and New York before landing as a news assistant at The Wall Street Journal. He worked his way up to staff reporter in the paper’s Washington bureau, covering everything from economics to the presidential recount in Florida following the 2000 election. Kulish embedded with a Marine helicopter squadron for the invasion of Iraq. He left the Journal to take a Fulbright creative-writing grant in Berlin, where he wrote a novel set during the opening weeks of the Iraq war, called Last One In. He spent two years on The New York Times editorial board, before moving back to Berlin in August 2007 to become the paper’s Berlin bureau chief. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15551333,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15551333,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Chancellor Merkel's Course - Is Europe Set to Follow? The job of steering Europe out of the crisis falls to Angela Merkel, as Germany is the only country that can save the eurozone. That's a call that has been heard more and more in recent weeks. At the EU summit, the Chancellor argued in favour of a closer fiscal union for Europe, and generally got her way. Together with the French President, Nicolas Sarkozy, she called for caps on national debt in all EU member states, and automatic sanctions for governments which break those rules. In the end, all EU countries except Britain signed up to the deal - some more readily than others. But not all of Germany's fellow EU members are pleased about the way Merkel has taken the helm to steer the bloc out of crisis. The opposition Socialist candidate in France's up-coming presidential elections, Francois Hollande, criticized the Chancellor, saying she was trying to introduce a 'European model that is not our own'. Many in the EU feel sidelined. Britain is isolated. The Union has never before been so split, and that has opened up old wounds that were thought to have healed long ago. Angela Merkel is portrayed as the stereotypical, domineering German, cracking the whip and forcing fiscal discipline on the rest of Europe. But the Chancellor says her course is the only way forward. Only strict budgetary discipline and increased competitiveness will lead Europe out of the crisis. Merkel has already said, plainly and simply, that if the euro fails, Europe fails too. And she's determined to prevent that from happening, even if that means jeopardizing Germany's popularity among its fellow EU members. What do you think? Chancellor Merkel's Course - Is Europe Set to Follow? Email us at Quadriga@w-world.de Our guests: Almut Möller studied political science before working as a trainer and presenter throughout Europe in the field of political education. After various teaching posts in Munich, Möller spent time in Beijing, Cairo and Washington on visiting fellowships. Until 2008, Möller worked at the Center of Applied Policy Research (CAP) at Munich's Ludwig Maximilian University, where she was involved in the center's European Union Reform and Enlargement Program. She later headed the center's Euro-Mediterranean Program. In 2008, she went to London to work as a freelance author, trainer and analyst. Möller has been the head of program at the Alfred von Oppenheim Center for European Policy Studies at the German Council of Foreign Relations (DGAP) since 2010. She is also an Associate Fellow of the Austria Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES) and the editor of berlinbrief, an English-language briefing on German foreign policy. Quentin Peel - he is international affairs editor of the Financial Times. He is also an associate editor, responsible for leader and feature writing. He is working at the FT since 1975. Between 1976 and 1994 he served successively as southern Africa correspondent, Africa editor, European Community correspondent and Brussels bureau chief, Moscow correspondent, and chief correspondent in Germany. On his return to London he became foreign editor. He took up his present position in September 1998. He was born in July 1948 and educated at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he studied economics, with French and German. Friedrich Thelen - After earning his doctorate in law, in 1975 he took on the post of director at the German Development Service. Friedrich Thelen then worked as a journalist for the leading weekly newspaper "Die Zeit". In 1978 he switched to the business weekly "Wirtschaftswoche", where he began his career as the magazine's Bonn correspondent and bureau chief. Later he became the bureau chief of Wirtschaftswoche's Berlin office. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:28 Fri, 16 Dec 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15533983,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15533983,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Rigged Elections - Are Russian Voters Fed up? They're something Russia hasn't seen for a long time. Thousands of enraged demonstrators took to the streets of the big cities. Outspoken protest against voter fraud in last weekend's parliamentary elections and the "Putin system," as they call it. In Moscow alone, more than 6000 people gathered for a major demonstration asserting that the elections were a farce. Authorities responded with a heavy hand. Hundreds of demonstrators were arrested. Despite the allegedly widespread electoral violations, the election outcome was still a big setback for Vladimir Putin's "United Russia" party. It lost its two-thirds majority in the Duma, falling from a 64.3 percent share of the vote in 2007 to just 49.7 percent. Putin's supporters are shocked at the damage to his image and prestige. They fear the actual balance of power could shift even further against them. President Dmitri Medvedev has called the election "democracy in action," but independent monitors have documented grave violations of procedures and manipulation of vote counting. In some districts, ballots that were cast outnumbered registered voters, always tipping the majority in favor of "United Russia." The international reaction is likewise not to the prime minister's liking. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) says the vote was manipulated and the United States has called for an investigation. Putin may have recognized that his plans to switch seats with president Medvedev does not necessarily reflect the will of the people and that the protests should be taken seriously. For the time after the presidential election in March he has promised changes in the country's power apparatus, because he has to be "regarded as an independent politician," his spokesman has said. Putin may have to work harder on that than he expected, because the first cracks his system of power have been exposed. Are the days of Putin's "directed democracy" numbered? What do you think? Rigged Elections - Are Russian Voters Fed Up? Email us at Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Sergei Sumlenny – After studying journalism at Moscow University Sumlenny first worked as producer in the ARD Moscow bureau, then for business TV network RBC TV, becoming chief editor of the “World Business” newscast. In 2005 he came to Germany as a fellow of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, taking a doctorate in political science. Today he is the Germany correspondent of the business journal “Expert.” His book “Nemetskaya System” (The German System), which probes the social and economic mechanisms in German society, was published in 2010. Alexander Rahr - After completing his studies in history and political science at Munich's Ludwig-Maximilians-University, he became a researcher at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's research institute in Munich and then project manager at the former German Federal Institute for Eastern European and International Studies in Cologne. He was a consultant to the Rand Corporation in Santa Monica, California, sits on the board of Yalta European Strategy (YES), and is a member of the steering committee of the Petersburg Dialogue, a program to promote understanding between German and Russian civil society. He currently heads the Berthold-Beitz Center, a think-tank on Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations. He has written two biographies, one on Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986 and one on Vladimir Putin in 2000. His latest books include "Russland gibt Gas" (Accelerating Russia) in 2008, "Putin nach Putin" (Putin after Putin) in 2009 and "Der kalte Freund. Warum wir Russland brauchen” (The Cold Friend. Why We Need Russia) in 2011. Gesine Dornblueth – Dornblueth studied journalism and Slavic languages in Hamburg and earned her doctorate in the latter. Since 1992 she has been an active journalist, reporting from Russia, Ukraine, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijian, Moldova and the Balkans for German Radio, Deutsche Welle and all Germany’s public broadcasters. Her professional focus is on regional conflicts, democratization, human rights and everyday life. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:29 Fri, 9 Dec 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15566657,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15566657,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss UN Climate Change Summit - Hot Air in Durban Delegates from 194 nations are attending the UN Climate Chance Conference in Durban, but before it had even begun, they did not seem optimistic. The chances of achieving a binding agreement that could help save the planet appear remote. A great deal of effort and bargaining are going into producing a follow-up treaty to the Kyoto Protocol, but it's the big industrialized countries that seem most reluctant to commit to strictly regulating carbon dioxide emissions. What is the outlook for the years after 2012? Do we simply have to resign to global warming and the natural disasters that result? Government heads had already given climate protection highest priority at the last conference. But then it was pushed aside by the global financial and debt crises. And countries like Russia and Japan that once boasted of pioneering the field now seem more inclined to quit the talks altogether. Canada and Australia have long been skeptical. The US has never made a binding commitment. Meanwhile, China, India and Brazil have quickly and quietly joined the ranks of the world's largest producers of CO2. These strong negotiating partners and their often widely differing interests and aims are putting a strain on the climate conference. This time, it appears likely to be much harder to find solutions and alternatives. But can we afford to put off taking action on the climate any longer? Climate researchers and other experts are warning decision-makers that urgent action is necessary. Many point to global warming as the cause for more frequent and more severe weather conditions: heat waves, droughts lasting decades, extremely heavy rains, floods, storms and shrinking glaciers. The last UN climate report indicates that these extreme weather events are set to increase considerably. Tell us what you think about the "UN Climate Change Summit - Hot Air in Durban" Write to us at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Dagmar Dehmer is a journalist who has worked for the German daily "Tagesspiegel" in Berlin since 2001. Before that she worked for the business desk of the Badische Zeitung, a regional newspaper based in the southern city of Freiburg. She has specialized in the environment and development, particularly in Africa. Christian Schwägerl - After studying biology Schwägerl was an arts and sciences correspondent for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in Berlin from 2001 to 2007. Today he writes for newsmagazine Der Speigel. He specializes in topics in science, biopolicy, climate change, climate protection and research policy. Ramesh Jaura was born in India. After completing a Masters at the University of Delhi in 1964, he then began work as a journalist. Since 1987 he has been the head of the IPS news agency for the German-speaking world in Berlin. Globalisation and its effects on the lives of people in the developing world are at the centre of his reporting. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 2 Dec 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15502295,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15502295,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Egypt - Will the Elections be Mired by Violence? A few days before the first free elections in Egypt, chaos has returned to the streets. Thousands of Egyptians have returned to Tahrir Square to protest - this time against the military government. Their demonstrations escalated rapidly: so far, more than 30 people have been killed and many more have injured by batons, tear gas and rubber bullets. So are Monday’s elections in jeopardy? The public’s fear that the old leaders will return is equaled only by its distrust of the military council. The military that was once celebrated as an ally in the fight against the old regime is now accused of carrying out the same sorts of violence against opposition activists as Mubarak's thugs. Many Egyptians are questioning whether the military council really wants to bring about political change, or if it’s just concerned with protecting its own power. The head of the Military Council, Field Marshal Mohammed Hussein Tantawi, is considered by many to be the new Mubarak. The generals appointed by the ousted President have emphasized again and again that they only want to facilitate the transition to a civilian government. But the interim government, which has since resigned, was nothing but a puppet of the Council. The draft constitution cemented the power by the military rather than new democratic structures. And accusations of arbitrary arrests, torture and other human rights violations have slowly eroded Egyptians’ last remaining confidence in the military. Meanwhile, supporters of the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood have joined the revolutionaries; arguing that they want a new government that does not share power with generals. What do you think? Egypt - Will the Elections be Mired by Violence? Write to us at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Ebtisam Aly Hussein – is from Egypt. She earned a masters degree in Political Science at the University of Cairo. In 2007 she worked at the Cairo office of Germany's Friedrich-Naumann foundation- a political think tank linked to Germany's Free Democrats. She writes articles for Arabic media outlets on cultural policy and wider issues of society. Currently she is conducting post graduate studies on Muslim Cultures and Societies at the Berlin Graduate School. Thomas Hasel - is a German journalist and political scientist. He studied at the Universities of Munich, Paris and Berlin. His 2002 doctorate examined the conflict in Algeria between Islamists and the state. Since 1994 he has specialized in political and economic systems in the Arab world. He currently holds a post at Berlin's Free University examining the authoritarian regimes of North Africa and the difficulties in democratizing them. He has also written a number of press articles on the region. Ahmed Badawi – After a course in Development Studies at the University of London, Ahmed Badawi joined the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) as a research associate. He earned his doctorate in political science from Humboldt University. He has worked for the Institute of Development and Peace, University of Duisburg-Essen, the Oxford Research Group and the International Crisis Group. His research focused on Palestinian politics, the Israeli Palestinian conflict and the political economy of policy change. Prior to leaving Egypt in 1999, he used to work as a print and TV journalist and as a community development specialist. He is now a Research Fellow at the Zentrum Moderner Orient where he is studying representations of Europe held by contemporary Egyptian Islamists. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 25 Nov 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15485719,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15485719,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Right-Wing Terrorism - Germany Shaken Germany is in shock. For over 13 years a group of far-right terrorists was able to commit a string of murders, rob banks and carry out bombings unhindered. They killed ten people in cold blood, nine members of Germany's Turkish and Greek immigrant communities and a German policewoman. Two male suspects have been found dead and one female suspect turned herself in to authorities. In a macabre video found by the police, the suspects claim responsibility for the murders and ridicule their victims. Chancellor Angela Merkel has voiced her concern, calling the killings a disgrace for Germany. Investigations into the killings are running at high speed. The latest discoveries are shocking, leaving many fearful of what might be revealed next. Much of the background is still unclear, especially in regard to what role the security services played. Germans want to know how a group of criminals could get away with these terrible acts of violence for so long, under the nose of the domestic intelligence services. Other questions are also being asked: Did politicians and domestic intelligence agencies underestimate the danger posed by the far-right scene? Did the three suspected killers act alone or did they have the assistance of a network of likeminded supporters who could very well be planning yet more terrorist attacks? The media is already drawing comparisons to the Red Army Faction. Angela Merkel has admitted that the structures that seem to be in place exceed what the German government had expected. She has promised a full investigation. What is your opinion on?: Right-Wing Terrorism - Germany Shaken Write to us at Quadriga@de-world.de ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Our guests: Peter Carstens - studied history and politics in Paris, Vienna and Berlin. He joined the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in 1994 and moved to the newspaper's Berlin editorial office in 2001. He covers issues of home policy, security and defence. Hajo Funke began his academic career as a research fellow at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB). Some of his early research focused on the emigration of Jews before and during National Socialism. He later went on to publish a book of interviews and portraits of exiled Jewish scholars. After a teaching appointment at Harvard University, he was given a temporary professorship at Berlin's Free University. Funke later returned to the United States to take up the post of Professor of Modern History, Literature and Politics at the University of California. In 1993, he was given a chair at the Otto Suhr Institute of Political Science at Berlin's Free University. In 2010 he became an emeritus professor. His research interests include the culture of politics in international comparison, authoritarianism, right-wing extremism, migration, racism and anti-Semitism, the politics of genocide, and the attempts to come to terms with the Nazi and East German dictatorships. Bodo Wegmann has been studying clandestine intelligence agencies for over a quarter of a century. In particular, his research has focused on the secret services of former communist East Germany, as well as those of former Warsaw Pact countries. His study on the military espionage apparatus of East Germany's National People’s Army is considered a standard work on this subject. Dr. Wegmann is a member of the board and chief executive officer of a Berlin-based forum to discuss the work of the intelligence services in Germany. The GKND association brings together former intelligence officers as well as scholars and journalists. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 18 Nov 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15466902,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15466902,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Iran's Nuclear Ambitions - How Big Is the Threat? Intelligence agencies, nuclear experts and the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna all seem to agree: Iran is slowly but surely on its way to obtaining nuclear weapons. But it's still unclear just how far along Tehran really is. Does the country have the necessary knowledge to build a nuclear weapon, or has production already begun? Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad claims the country's nuclear program is purely for the purposes of producing electricity. But that has failed to stop speculation about what's behind Iran's nuclear ambitions. The IAEA's latest report leaves a number of questions unanswered - but it also points to a number of worrying new developments: Information gathered by intelligence agencies suggests that Iran has made a great deal more progress on the nuclear front than initially thought. A weapons expert is also said to have helped Tehran develop a detonation system, with US media reports claiming the specialist was Russian. The IAEA also cites evidence that Iran made use of designs from a Pakistani engineer, and that Iranian specialists conducted a number of tests with powerful explosives. And the agency says the country has a computer model featuring the core of a nuclear warhead. Taken together, the report's findings raise major questions about Iran's insistence that its nuclear facilities have been expressly developed for peaceful means. Israel has been observing these developments with particular worry. Last week Israeli President Shimon Peres said airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites were looking "increasingly likely". As tensions escalate, the international community is coming under increasing pressure to take action. Israel has called on the UN Security Council to impose a raft of sanctions against Tehran, but China and Russia have vetoed previous attempts to that end. The United States is worried; an attempt by Israel to go it alone in attacking Iran could inflame the entire region - and Washington wants to avoid any more military interventions. Europe is also on edge, amid increasing fears that diplomatic options for resolving the standoff are dwindling. Tehran has warned that any military strike would have "apocalyptic" consequences. Let us know what you think: Iran's Nuclear Ambitions - How Big Is the Threat? Write to us at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Malte Lehming - Now the editor of the op-ed page of "Der Tagesspiegel", Malte Lehming was the paper's Washington Bureau Chief from January 2001 to July 2005. He joined "Der Tagesspiegel” in 1991 as a foreign editor, covering security issues, transatlantic relations and the Middle East. From 1989 to 1991, he served as personal assistant and speechwriter for the former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who is now the publisher and editor of the Hamburg weekly newspaper "Die Zeit”. Lehming completed an an MA in philosophy, German Literature and European History in 1988 Oliver Thränert - A political scientist and security expert, Oliver Thränert is a Senior Fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin. He has been a guest researcher at the ETH University in Zurich and also at Queen's University in Kingston, Ontario. From 1986 to 2001 he worked in the Department of International Political Analysis at the Friedrich-Ebert foundation in Bonn and Berlin. His research focuses in particular on the proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons, and missile defense. Eldad Beck - the Germany correspondent for Israel's largest daily, "Yedioth Ahronot". Born in the northern Israeli town of Haifa, Eldad Beck went on to read Arabic and Islamic studies at the Sorbonne University in Paris. He has been living in Berlin since 1994. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15451049,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15451049,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Syrian Repression - Can Assad Get away with It? The Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has defended his regime with a shocking degree of violence. Despite growing international pressure, crackdowns on government opponents have intensified in their brutality. Assad has shown he's even prepared to turn artillery guns on his own people. The United Nations estimates that more than 3,000 people have been killed since the beginning of the protests in March and says the clashes are getting worse. The international community recognizes the urgency of the situation and has tried to convince Assad to change direction. He has reacted by warning western nations against launching a military offensive against his country. He's said the entire region would go up in flames if outside intervention is attempted. Though not intimidated by the threats, Europe and NATO are keen to avoid a replay of their recent Libyan campaign. The Arab League is trying to mediate. It's demanding the military pull out of strongholds of the protest movement, and that the government release political prisoners and start negotiations with exiled opposition members. If Assad doesn't meet the demands, Syria could be thrown out of the Arab League. But so far there's no evidence things have changed on the ground. The UN Security Council has attempted to pass a resolution on the situation, but China and Russia used their vetoes to block it. They say they won't help lay the groundwork for a possible military intervention. If Assad is excluded from the Arab League, the vetoing countries might be persuaded to reconsider their positions. Sanctions are also a possibility. Turkey recently shifted its position, holding talks with the Syrian opposition. All outside parties agree on one point: The conflict in Syria must not escalate into a long and violent civil war with the potential to destabilize the entire region. Assad is gambling that those fears will save him. What do you think: Syrian Repression - Can Assad Get away with It? Write to us at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests Alexander Bühler - He is a freelance journalist and works for German newspapers and magazines such as Der Spiegel, Die Zeit, NZZ and Cicero as well as national and international radio stations and the German television stations ARD and ARTE. His assignments have included conflict zones in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Kosovo, Haiti, Colombia and Syria covering the drugs, arms and organ trades. He has also made documentaries on emergency aid (Haiti and Pakistan) and the prevention of natural catastrophes (Bolivia). He studied history, political science and anthropology in Heidelberg, Mexico City and Cologne. Heiko Wimmen -- a fellow of the Heinrich-Böll foundation. His area of expertise is political systems and the dynamics of civil conflicts in mixed ethnic-religious societies in the Middle East and the Balkans. From 1997 to 2002 he worked as a freelance broadcast journalist in Beirut. He's currently working on a dissertation project with the Middle East and Africa research group at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP). Ahmed Badawi – After a course in Development Studies at the University of London, Ahmed Badawi joined the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) as a research associate. He earned his doctorate in political science from Humboldt University. He has worked for the Institute of Development and Peace, University of Duisburg-Essen, the Oxford Research Group and the International Crisis Group. His research focused on Palestinian politics, the Israeli Palestinian conflict and the political economy of policy change. Prior to leaving Egypt in 1999, he used to work as a print and TV journalist and as a community development specialist. He is now a Research Fellow at the Zentrum Moderner Orient where he is studying representations of Europe held by contemporary Egyptian Islamists. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 4 Nov 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15437543,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15437543,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Decisive Week - Can Europe Come to Grips with the Crisis? It was a grueling marathon summit for European Union crisis managers. It took a long night of tough negotiating among eurozone leaders, confrontations with the big banks and bitter pills for ailing EU member states to save the euro. EU leaders have pulled Greece back from the edge of insolvency and reached agreements on basic policy. The key decisions that were made are a 50-percent write-down of Greek debt, recapitalization of European banks and leveraging of up to one trillion euros for the rescue fund, the EFSF. Italy will also be expected to take radical austerity measures. "There was no great sensation but this is a significant package on the road to greater stability and a more stable union," said German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Despite that optimism Merkel has not entirely ruled out the possibility that all efforts to avert the crisis may be to no avail. Ahead of the summit Merkel was criticized for her handling of the crisis but since Thursday she's been praised for her cautious and slow approach. It seems the eurozone crisis has been stopped for the moment but it remains to be seen if it has been permanently solved. Stock market investors around the globe reacted positively to the summit’s outcome. Analysts, on the other hand, are less confident. Skeptics do not believe the eurozone's mountain of sovereign debt can be reduced using the approach agreed in Brussels. They believe the problem has merely been kicked down the road. There are also many questions as to how the Brussels deal can be turned into reality and money alone will not solve the problem. The EU still needs to undergo significant reform and government leaders will probably have a few more long nights of summit talks ahead. What do you think? Decisive Week - Can Europe Come to Grips with the Crisis? Write to us at: Quadriga@DW-World.de Our guests Friedrich Thelen - After earning his doctorate in law, in 1975 he took on the post of director at the German Development Service. Friedrich Thelen then worked as a journalist for the leading weekly newspaper "Die Zeit". In 1978 he switched to the business weekly "Wirtschaftswoche", where he began his career as the magazine's Bonn correspondent and bureau chief. Later he became the bureau chief of Wirtschaftswoche's Berlin office. Ulrike Herrmann – started her career in banking before taking up journalism at the Henri Nannen School afterwards studying history and philosophy at Berlin’s Free University. She then worked as a research assistant at the Körber Foundation and was the press officer for Hamburg’s Equal Opportunities minister, Krista Sager. In 2000 she became a political correspondent and business editor at the Berlin daily "taz". These days she is the responsible editor for the opinion page of this newspaper. Stefano Casertano - He is an academic and a journalist, living in Berlin. He teaches international politics at Potsdam University, and is a Senior Fellow at the Brandenburg Institute for Society and Security. He is a columnist for the Italian business newspaper Linkiesta.it. In 2008 he completed his MBA at Columbia University, and later his Ph.D. Magna cum Laude at Potsdam University. He served as international affairs advisor for the Italian Ministry of Economic Development. He published four books about geopolitics, starting with a History of Cold War in 2009. In 2010, he has been nominated "Italian Young Leader" by the US-Italy council; and "Aspen Young Fellow" by the Aspen Institute. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 29:29 Fri, 28 Oct 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15420133,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15420133,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Crisis Summit - Last Chance for EuropeEuropean heads of government are under pressure, as expectations for the upcoming EU crisis summit run higher than ever before. At stake is nothing more nor less than saving the EU itself. Playing for time, European Council President Herman Van Rompuy even set the summit back a week. European finance ministers were meeting to discuss the proposed financial transaction tax. Rompuy also had to wait for the EU, IMF and ECB inspectors' tri-monthly report on Greece. But it's far from clear whether the extra time gained has been sufficient to find a practical and suitable strategy. The situation is screaming for swift action, as the vast mountains of debt of some EU member states tower ever higher. A coup de grace that would resolve the crisis and liberate Europe looks unlikely. "But we'd like to make some decent progress in Brussels", German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated optimistically. With views on how to go about any rescue diverging widely, European leaders are facing some tough negotiations. With a Greek default looming ever larger and even beginning to look attractive to some, a concept for relieving Athens' debt needs to be found sooner rather than later. The first item on the summit agenda is a second bailout package, this time involving private banks and insurance companies and including the prospect of a restructuring of Greek debt. Stabilization and mandatory recapitalization of European banks are also high on the agenda. But financial and credit institutes are dead set against any state intervention. A proposal to separate investment banking from retail banking has also gained little enthusiasm. While European heads of government scramble to find solutions, public anger is growing. Many ordinary taxpayers are unhappy about having to foot the bill for other nations' mismanagement of their economies and the greed of reckless investment bankers. Greece has seen a general strike and mass protests over its government's strict austerity measures. The well-organized and ever-growing Occupy movement is spreading around the globe. Its protests are aimed at banks, credit institutions and speculators. The discontent has taken on a dimension that has many politicians taking it seriously. The crisis managers still have a firm hold on the reins - for now. But Europe may not hold up under current conditions much longer. What do you think? Crisis Summit - Last Chance for Europe Write to us at: Quadriga@DW-World.de Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15403155,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15403155,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Egypt - From an Arab Spring to an Autumn of Anger In Egypt, the Arab Spring blew away an entrenched and corrupt regime and raised hopes that freedom and democracy could take root. Now those hopes have suffered a serious setback. In January, the army joined a growing mass protest movement to force President Hosni Mubarak out of office and put the country on the road to the first free elections in decades. Mubarak is now on trial for violating human rights and other abuses. The country's interim military rulers are working to organize elections scheduled for November. But confrontations between protesters and the interim government continue, and tensions are rising as election day approaches. Last week, a peaceful demonstration by Coptic Christians in Cairo turned into a night of violence that left at least 25 people dead and hundreds injured. It's not clear what triggered the violence, but Coptic Christians and other witnesses blame the military. Foreign reporters described seeing military vehicles driving into crowds of marchers and firing indiscriminately into crowds. The Christians were protesting the burning down of a church in the south and the ruling military council, which they say discriminates against Christians and does not protect them from radical Muslim opponents. Egypt remains on edge amid fears that the country will spiral into chaos and anarchy. And many Egyptians have lost their confidence in the military. Some worry that radical elements in the military are trying to take control. Others fear the use of religious conflict to divide opposition groups and turn them against each other. That's why the military council has banned the use of religious slogans in campaigning leading up to the election. The hope of making a successful and peaceful transition to democracy is hanging in the balance in Egypt. What's your view? Egypt - From an Arab spring to an Autumn of Anger. Write to us at: quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Michael A. Lange - Having completed his doctorate in economics, Michael A. Lange worked on various research projects. In 1981, he joined the Department of Economics at the Konrad Adenauer Foundation. He served as the resident representative for the foundation's programs in Jordan (1981 - 1985), Tunisia (1985 - 1988) and Israel (1989 - 1994). In 1994, he returned to work at the foundation's headquarters in St Augustin, where he started at the US affairs desk, and later served as head of the department for North America and Western Europe. He returned to international work in 1996, as the foundation's resident representative in South Africa (1996 - 2001) and Egypt (2001 - 2007). In 2007, Lange became co-ordinator of the foundation's Middle East and security policy program as part of the department of politics team for foreign, security and European policy. He currently heads up the political dialogue and analysis division at the foundation's department of European and International Cooperation. Yassin Musharbash - Born to a Jordanian father and a German mother, Yassin Musharbash read Arabic Studies and Political Science at the universities of Göttingen in Germany and Birzeit in the Palestinian West Bank town of Ramallah. He began writing for the German daily "tageszeitung" while still a student, reporting on Islamic organisations in Germany. Now, he works as an editor for Spiegel Online, specialising in the Arab world, Islamist terrorism and al Qaeda propaganda posted on the Internet. Ahmed Badawi – After a course in Development Studies at the University of London, Ahmed Badawi joined the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik) as a research associate. He earned his doctorate in political science from Humboldt University. He has worked for the Institute of Development and Peace, University of Duisburg-Essen, the Oxford Research Group and the International Crisis Group. His research focused on Palestinian politics, the Israeli Palestinian conflict and the political economy of policy change. Prior to leaving Egypt in 1999, he used to work as a print and TV journalist and as a community development specialist. He is now a Research Fellow at the Zentrum Moderner Orient where he is studying representations of Europe held by contemporary Egyptian Islamists. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 14 Oct 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15383865,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15383865,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Europe at All Costs - Politics and Integrity There is European unity on one point: everything must be done to save Europe and the Euro. However, heads of government and financial leaders have realized that saving the European Union will require enormous national efforts. The European debt crisis is an unprecedented challenge. So far, EU treaties do not allow for the downfall of a member state, so this crisis is unchartered territory. The political establishment is desperately in search of the right strategy to save Greece, prop up Spain, Italy and Portugal, stabilize the Euro and preserve Europe at any price. Never have politicians, banks and business interests been so at odds as now. One crisis meeting comes hot on the heels of another, new resolutions come daily. Billions in aid have been supplemented by more billions and in the end it's still not enough. Is the challenge too great or do EU crisis managers have too little courage or innovative spirit, or do they just lack good advisers and expertise? The public no longer has much trust in its representatives. People feel overlooked by their own governments and exploited by the bankrupt states of Europe. Conflicts are arising at the national level, throwing the idea of Europe ever more into question. The United States of Europe has long been just a vision. Citizens' trust is diminishing and also their trust in democracy itself. More and more often, decisions are not taken by elected parliaments but at the highest levels of the government. Citizens are prescribed austerity measures and expected to participate in a tax-supported rescue mechanism. The German finance minister's explanation is short and simple: "If the Euro fails, then Europe fails, at Germany's expense." What do you think?: Europe at All Costs - Politics and Integrity. Write to us at: Quadriga@dw-world.de__________________________________________________ Our guests are: Theodore Kouvakas - studied art history in Florence and architecture in Venice, and trained to become a journalist. In the 1980s, he wrote for a range of media outlets. Kouvakas covered foreign policy and financial markets for Imerissia SA, a financial and business newspaper. Since 2010, he has served as Berlin correspondent for Real Media SA. His areas of expertise include European financial markets and foreign policy. Kouvakas also has a strong interest in cultural topics. Ulrike Herrmann – started her career in banking before taking up journalism at the Henri Nannen School afterwards studying history and philosophy at Berlin’s Free University. She then worked as a research assistant at the Körber Foundation and was the press officer for Hamburg’s Equal Opportunities minister, Krista Sager. In 2000 she became a political correspondent and business editor at the Berlin daily "taz". These days she is the responsible editor for the opinion page of this newspaper. Margaret Heckel - After studying economics in Heidelberg and the USA, Margaret Heckel completed her training at the "Georg von Holtzbrinck school of Journalism for modern business and finance journalism.” She then moved on to become the correspondent for Eastern Europe for the weekly publication "Wirtschaftswoche.” In 1999, she switched to the Financial "Times Germany," where she ran the economic policy desk and later was in charge of the political desk as well as managing the Berlin office. In 2006, she took over the political desk for “Die Welt,” “Die Welt am Sonntag” and the “Berliner Morgenpost.” Today she works as a freelance journalist and operates her own websites www.starkemeinungen.de and www.das-tut-man-nicht.de. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:31 Fri, 7 Oct 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15372291,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15372291,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Power and Democracy - Russia under Vladimir Putin Russian president Dmitry Medvedyev won’t be running for re-election in 2012. He has stepped aside to allow his mentor Vladimir Putin to run for a third term as president. The Russian constitution only allows two consecutive terms in the country's highest office, but Putin's hiatus as prime minister gives him a crack at two more terms, potentially another 12 years. The power-politician is as good as on his way back into the Kremlin. Of course, the gambit will not be complete without Medvedyev as Putin’s own future prime minister. The move has not come as a surprise in Moscow, or anywhere else - but the timing has. The announcement of Putin’s candidacy was not expected at the party convention but after the parliamentary elections in December. It’s a blow to Medvedyev’s supporters and to the hopes of Russia’s liberal elite for swifter modernization and democratization. For his part, Medvedyev looks as if a heavy burden has been lifted from his shoulders. Putin made use of his party convention to demonstrate his grip on power and invoke the people’s continued support. His message is that Russia must be strong. He promises economic prosperity, saying he’ll modernize the country’s industry and create millions of jobs. Exactly how he intends to go about it, in the midst of ongoing energy and financial crises, he didn’t say. Increasing criticism has been heard, even from among his closest advisors. One couched it in words of apparent praise: “Powerlessness is a mortal danger to Russia”. Putin has no lack of will to power, as he has shown again and again. But to be sure, there will be no swift change in Russia under a Putin presidency. What do you think? Power and Democracy - Russia under Vladimir Putin Write to us at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Sergey Lagodinsky - was born in Russia and emigrated to Germany in 1993. He is a fellow with the Global Public Policy Institute, Berlin. Lagodinsky's areas of expertise include transatlantic relations, global security, and international law. He is a frequent guest and commentator on RTVi (a world wide Russian speaking TV network). He is currently an associate with Orrick Hölters & Elsing in Berlin. Lucian Kim - He studied languages and geography at Clark University in Worcester, Massachusetts, and holds a master’s degree in Nationalism Studies from Central European University in Budapest. As the Berlin correspondent for The Christian Science Monitor from 1996 to 2002, he also covered conflicts in Kosovo and Afghanistan. He moved to Russia in 2003, where he worked as an editor for The Moscow Times and a correspondent for Bloomberg News. He now is writing a book on the Putin era. Alexander Rahr - After completing his studies in history and political science at Munich's Ludwig-Maximilians-University, he became a researcher at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's research institute in Munich and then project manager at the former German Federal Institute for Eastern European and International Studies in Cologne. He was a consultant to the Rand Corporation in Santa Monica, California, sits on the board of Yalta European Strategy (YES), and is a member of the steering committee of the Petersburger Dialogue, a program to promote understanding between German and Russian civil society. He currently heads the Berthold-Beitz Center, a think-tank on Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Central Asia at the German Council on Foreign Relations. He has written two biographies, one on Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986 and one on Vladimir Putin in 2000. His latest books include "Russland gibt Gas" (Accelerating Russia) in 2008, "Putin nach Putin" (Putin after Putin) in 2009 and "Der kalte Freund. Warum wir Russland brauchen” (The Cold Friend. Why We Need Russia) in 2011. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:27 Fri, 30 Sep 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15354623,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15354623,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss The Euro Crisis - Stress Test for Angela Merkel's Coalition Greece is facing a possible default. Italy has just seen its credit rating downgraded. The euro is in deeper trouble than ever. Europe is looking to Germany for leadership. But is it up to Germany to churn out ideas for rescuing the euro? Is it up to Germany to front billions to help bail out indebted EU members like Greece? Such great expectations may well be pushing Germany headfirst into a political crisis. The coalition government of Christian Democrats, Bavarian CSU and liberal Free Democrats can't seem to agree on a common strategy for saving the euro. Free Democrat party chairman Philipp Rössler's attempt to rally support for his troubled party with anti-euro populism was an epic failure. Now the FDP is down and out of many state parliaments, and cracks are showing in the coalition. Now fellow junior coalition partner, the conservative CSU, says it can no longer rule out Greece's default. Add to that criticism from the new Bundesbank president Jens Weidmann of both German government and European Central Bank policies . So what's to be done? Greece needs ever more billions of euros in bail-out loans to head off the looming default but doesn't have much to show for its austerity efforts so far. Hard-hitting reforms are only the first step toward winning Europe's solidarity. Now, other European lender nations are getting the jitters, as well. But nowhere else is the political situation as shaky as in the European Union's biggest economic power and largest country, Germany. What do you think? Is the Euro crisis also a crisis for Angela Merkel's government? Write to us at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Ulrike Herrmann – started her career in banking before taking up journalism at the Henri Nannen School afterwards studying history and philosophy at Berlin’s Free University. She then worked as a research assistant at the Körber Foundation and was the press officer for Hamburg’s Equal Opportunities minister, Krista Sager. In 2000 she became a political correspondent and business editor at the Berlin daily "taz". These days she is the responsible editor for the opinion page of this newspaper. Friedrich Thelen - After earning his doctorate in law, in 1975 he took on the post of director at the German Development Service. Friedrich Thelen then worked as a journalist for the leading weekly newspaper "Die Zeit". In 1978 he switched to the business weekly "Wirtschaftswoche", where he began his career as the magazine's Bonn correspondent and bureau chief. Later he became the bureau chief of Wirtschaftswoche's Berlin office. Ulrike Guérot - After graduating in political science, Ulrike Guérot worked initially as a junior professor in the European Studies faculty of Johns Hopkins University in the United States. Later she became a researcher at the Organisation Notre Europe in Paris and was a staff member of the foreign policy working group of the CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag. She moved to Berlin to head the Europe research group at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP), where her specialties include the European integration process. European institutions, German-French ties and German-American relations. Currently she is focussing on Germany's role in Europe. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:27 Fri, 23 Sep 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15337022,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15337022,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Middle East Upheaval - Israel Sidelined The political upheavals in the Middle East have been piling pressure on Israel and its Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. In Cairo, an enraged mob stormed the Israeli embassy building, Turkey's relations with Israel have worsened in recent months and the Palestinians are pushing towards statehood without Israeli cooperation. The former political allies are taking up antagonistic positions. Erdogan keeps pressing for an Israeli apology for its attack on a Turkish aid convoy to Gaza and has expelled Israel's ambassador. Israel is now without a strategic partner in the region. Erdogan said the issue was a matter of Turkish honor. On Tuesday in Cairo Erdogan affirmed his country's bid for a leadership role in the Islamic world. His visit to Egypt also caused additional difficulties for Netanyahu, because the Egyptian people are already seething against the Jewish state. While pursuing Palestinian terrorists who had attacked a bus full of Israelis in Sinai, Israeli troops killed five Egyptian border guards. Israeli leaders expressed regret at the incident only after being pressured to do so. The rage in Cairo at the killings spilled over into open violence as the Israeli embassy was stormed and the ambassador forced to flee. Both Egypt and Turkey reject Israeli policy toward the Palestinians. Amid this turmoil, the Palestinians have said they would seek official recognition of Palestine as an independent state at the United nations next week. Although the US, many European countries and Israel oppose the move, it stands a chance of at least partial success. The general Assembly could approve the motion, even if US President Barack Obama has vowed to veto the motion in the Security Council. Obama said the Palestinian initiative is counterproductive and called on both sides to seek a negotiated two-state solution. But Washington also says that Netanyahu's hardline policies are isolating Israel The question is how long the Israeli people will keep supporting their government's policies, especially now during the Arab Spring. Demands for a change of course are growing louder... and the country's discontented youth have already demonstrated their staying power when it comes to demonstrating. What do you think? Middle East Upheaval - Israel Sidelined. Send us an e-mail at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Margret Johannsen has been a senior research fellow at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH) in Hamburg since 1997. She co-edits the Institute's annual Peace Report. She is also a lecturer at the University of Hamburg on the Master of Peace and Security Studies postgraduate program. From 1987 to 1997 she organized and contributed to IFSH's peace education service. She studied in Berlin and Hamburg, writing her doctoral thesis on "American nuclear weapons in Europe". She has written numerous books and articles on the Middle East conflict. Ilan Goren has worked in Berlin as European Affairs correspondent for Israel's Channel 10 News, in London for Israeli national radio and as a writer for the Washington Post and the German magazine Der Spiegel. He studied at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and at the London School of Economics, during which time he also worked as a reporter for the Israeli newspaper Kol Ha'Ir. He currently works as an author writing on politics. Renée Abul-Ella is active in several projects dealing with immigration and integration. A Palestinian, she came to Germany after studying journalism in Cairo. She has worked in Germany as a correspondent for the Palestinian news agency WAFA. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 16 Sep 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15319557,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15319557,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Changed World - Europe after 9/11 September 11th, 2001 marked an historic watershed. The terrorist attacks on the United States have left deep wounds. Today, ten years on, the effects both on politics and daily life are keenly felt. Commentators at the time were right: the world has changed. By launching its "War Against Terror," the United States risked losing its position of pre-eminence in the world. The repercussions of 9/11 are also still acutely evident in Europe, which has also suffered terrorist attacks. The presence of terrorist cells in Germany, as well as attacks in Madrid and London, have served to unnerve people in Europe. Politicians are facing new challenges in formulating both foreign and domestic policy. Joint efforts to combat terrorism call for cooperation in law enforcement and in tackling economic crime. Security and defence policy have become more important. Politics is being shaped by drawn-out and difficult debates on military deployments. The mission in Afghanistan is far from over. Security agencies are being given new powers. This has resulted in more monitoring and surveillance at the expense of freedom. The fight against radical Islamists continues to have the highest priority. It also influences both the way politics and society view Muslims and Islam. Osama bin Laden is dead and Al Qaeda has been weakened. Young people in the Arab world are turning to other means to make their demands felt: communication rather than terrorism. Europe is unprepared for the dramatic changes in the Arab world. Changed World – Europe after 9/11. What do you think? Contact us at Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Malte Lehming - Now the editor of the op-ed page of "Der Tagesspiegel", Malte Lehming was the paper's Washington Bureau Chief from January 2001 to July 2005. He joined "Der Tagesspiegel” in 1991 as a foreign editor, covering security issues, transatlantic relations and the Middle East. From 1989 to 1991, he served as personal assistant and speechwriter for the former German Chancellor Helmut Schmidt, who is now the publisher of the Hamburg weekly newspaper "Die Zeit”. Lehming completed an an MA in philosophy, German Literature and European History in 1988. Quentin Peel - he is international affairs editor of the Financial Times. He is also an associate editor, responsible for leader and feature writing. He is working at the FT since 1975. Between 1976 and 1994 he served successively as southern Africa correspondent, Africa editor, European Community correspondent and Brussels bureau chief, Moscow correspondent, and chief correspondent in Germany. On his return to London he became foreign editor. He took up his present position in September 1998. He was born in July 1948 and educated at Queens’ College, Cambridge, where he studied economics, with French and German. Rob Savelberg - The Dutch journalist has been living in Berlin since 1998 and works as a correspondent for the newspaper "De Telegraaf”. He studied history, German Studies and journalism in Amsterdam, Rotterdam and Berlin. In 2009 he published his book ,,Berlijn beweegt. Oude hoofdstad in een nieuw land". He works as a freelancer for various German newspapers. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:27 Fri, 9 Sep 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15306966,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15306966,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Famine and War - The Misery of Somalia It was a catastrophe that many saw coming: the Horn of Africa is suffering from the worst drought in 60 years. 12 Million people are threatened by famine. Tens of thousands have already died. Once again parts of Africa are unable to help themselves. Worst hit is Somalia, a country ravaged by decades of civil war. The UN wants to raise 2.4 billion dollars in emergency aid. But for years Somali warlords have been siphoning off large amounts of international aid. The UN’s Monitoring Group on Somalia has established that each year about half of all food aid for Somalia, worth approximately 450 million dollars, ends up in the pockets of warlords and corrupt local officials. Some estimates say this could be as much as 80 percent. In effect this means that Somalia’s radical Islamist al-Shabab militia is being financed by international aid. As a result the aid does not end the suffering, but it prolongs the war. It destroys local economies and keeps people permanently dependent on handouts. The international community is aware of this problem. But it has to square this dilemma with its moral obligation to help any human being in need. Early August saw an initial success. A large portion of the al-Shabab militia retreated from the capital Mogadishu after heavy fighting with government troops. The airport is open again and can receive shipments of food aid for the starving. Tell us your opinion: Famine and War - The Misery of Somalia Write to us: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Bastian Hartig is a freelance journalist based in Berlin. He studied languages, economics and Southeast Asian studies in Passau, then did a masters in Chinese Studies in London. He completed a training program at Deutsche Welle, and has done video reports from North Africa for the broadcaster. Markus Virgil Höhne was born in 1975. He works at the Max Planck Institute for Social Anthropology. He completed his doctoral dissertation on the constitution of state and identity in northern Somalia (Somaliland and Puntland) this year. He co-edited with Virginia Luling the book 'Milk and Peace, Drought and War: Somali Culture, Society, and Politics' (London, 2010). Mekonnen Mesghena was born in Eritrea and studied Political Science and Journalism. In 1988 he worked as a trainee at the Westdeutschen Rundfunk radio station in Cologne. He went on to work for a number of newspapers. In 1990 he returned to Eritrea where he helped restructure a radio station known as "Voice of the Eritrean Masses". Today he works for the Heinrich Boll Foundation in Berlin where he heads the Department of Immigration and is involved in media policy. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 2 Sep 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15292302,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15292302,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Turmoil in Libya - What will follow after Gaddafi? Protesters in Tunisia and Egypt set an example by deposing their rulers Zine el Abidine Ben Ali and Hosni Mubarak. After a deadly six-month civil war, rebels in Libya have taken over Muammar Gaddafi's headquarters in the capital Tripoli. Many western nations sided with the regime opponents early in the campaign and NATO came to their aid with air raids authorized by a UN resolution. But who exactly makes up the National Transitional Council moving in to take Gaddafis place? Its members have not been democratically elected and the names of many are not even known. Last month, the NTC's designated defense minister, Abdel Fattah Younes, was killed in an attack widely believed to have been carried out from within the rebels' own ranks. So just who is taking control in Libya? Are they regime opponents and pro-democracy supporters like Abdel Hafiz Ghoga, the NTC's vice chairman and official spokesman? Or are they tribal leaders eager to get their share of Libya's oil wealth? And how strong is the Islamist movement? Could the country eventually even break apart? The NATO mandate expires in September - but right now it is far from certain that the struggle for power in Libya is over. What do you think? Turmoil in Libya - What will follow after Gaddafi? E-mail us at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Stefan Buchen – is a journalist. He studied Arabic and French in Germersheim before going on to post-graduate study of Arabic language and literature. In 1995, he worked as a correspondent for "AFP" in Jerusalem and as a freelance producer in the Middle East. Buchen began an internship in 2000 at the German radio station "Norddeutscher Rundfunk." He later worked on the Panorama program and was a freelance reporter for the TV station "Arte." Buchen has reported from many countries around the world, including Iran, Iraq, Israel and the Palestinian territories. Hamed Abdel-Samad – is the son of a Sunni Imam. At the age of 23, the Egyptian national moved to Germany. He studied political science in Augsburg and English and French at Cairo University. After his studies, he taught at the Institute for Jewish History and Culture at the University of Munich. Since 2009, he has worked exclusively as a freelance writer and journalist. His works include, Mein Abschied vom Himmel: Aus dem Leben eines Muslims in Deutschland (My Farewell from Heaven: the Life of a Muslim in Germany), and Der Untergang der islamischen Welt: Eine Prognose (The Downfall of the Islamic World: A Forecast). He also made a name for himself as a critic of Islam when he co-authored Entweder Broder – Die Deutschland Safari (Either Broder - The Germany Safari). Erik Kirschbaum – Born in New York, Kirschbaum began his career as a reporter for various dailies and magazines in the US. He moved to Europe in 1989 to become a correspondent in Germany and Austria. Kirschbaum now works for “Reuters” news agency in Berlin. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:31 Fri, 26 Aug 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15268590,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15268590,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Debt Crisis - Europe’s Fate in Berlin’s Hands? As Europe plunges deeper into debt, will the Germans end up footing the bill? It’s a nightmarish prospect for Chancellor Angela Merkel. All eyes in Europe are now on her. As head of the continent's largest and most stable economy, she bears a big responsibility for the euro and for the European Union. But all the stabilizing measures and rescue packages agreed so far have done little to calm the financial markets. This week, Merkel and French President Nicolas Sarkozy drew up a list of measures in response to the debt crisis. It involves restructuring economic and fiscal policy in Europe. Germany and France want to press for closer economic integration within the eurozone. The two leaders want bi-annual meetings of the 17 heads of the eurozone governments, chaired by Herman van Rompuy, the current president of the European Council. They have also advocated a tax on financial transactions and a binding debt ceiling for all eurozone members. It's an attempt to achieve stability at a time when there's little evidence of it in Europe. Greece, Portugal and Ireland have already availed of bailouts. Now the crisis is threatening to batter Italy, Spain and even France - a country at the heart of Europe. Can the European Union withstand such financial shocks? The bloc now needs to reinvent itself and overhaul its structures. Germany’s role as a guarantor of currency and financial stability is set to become ever more important. But many Germans are uneasy about that. Chancellor Merkel has appealed to the national responsibility of struggling euro zone countries to tackle their debt problems on their own and not to push them on to other member nations. Merkel has rejected the idea of introducing Eurobonds - jointly guaranteed by the 17 eurozone governments - to stabilize the euro. For Germany, the bonds would be expensive and they would also amount to a violation of current EU agreements. So far, the bloc has worked on the principle that every defaulter must be responsible for their own debts. Some members of Germany’s Free Democratic Party (FDP) have even threatened to withdraw from the coalition with Merkel’s conservatives over the issue. But if Germany doesn’t take a stronger responsibility and leading role in Europe, could the eurozone unravel? Germany, which is hugely dependent on exports, would then be one of the biggest losers in the crisis. One way or the other, Germany must take a decision. There’s simply too much at stake. What do you think? Debt Crisis - Europe’s Fate in Berlin’s Hands? Write to us at Quadriga@dw-world.de The guests on the English-language show will be: Heike Göbel studied economics at Heidelberg University. She worked for two years at the Kiel Institute for the World Economy before completing a training program at the Stuttgarter Nachrichten newspaper. In April 1992, Göbel moved to the business desk of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung. From 1994 she reported from Bonn and Berlin, specializing in financial and pensions policy. In 2002, Göbel returned to FAZ headquarters in Frankfurt as economic policy editor. She has won two major business journalism awards: the Karl Bräuer Prize (2005) and the Ludwig Erhard Prize (2006). Frank Paul Weber was born in France, and has worked as a correspondent for the Paris daily "La Tribune" since 1999. He first reported from Germany, and then from Italy. Before his career as a foreign correspondent, Weber was a research associate at universities in Paris, Berlin, Warsaw and New York. He lives and works in Berlin. Quentin Peel is the international affairs editor of the Financial Times. He is also an associate editor, responsible for leaders and features. He has worked at the FT since 1975. From 1976 to 1994, Peel worked as southern Africa correspondent, Africa editor, European Community correspondent and Brussels bureau chief, Moscow correspondent and chief correspondent in Germany. He returned to London to become foreign editor, and took up his current position in September 1998. Peel was born in 1948. He was educated at Queens' College Cambridge, where he studied economics, French and German. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:27 Fri, 19 Aug 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15250800,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15250800,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss World Markets in Disarray - Politicians Out of Their Depth The fear of a global market crash is driving politicians to take emergency action. In hurriedly convened telephone conferences, European leaders, the US President and the finance ministers and central bankers of the Group of Seven major industrialized economies have sought to find ways of averting a global financial collapse. But actions alone are not enough to calm the markets. Trading floors around the world have witnessed a panicky reaction from investors, with trillions wiped from stock portfolios. The global economy is in jeopardy. Far from taking the lead, world leaders have found themselves playing catch-up, which has resulted in short-term solutions and emergency stop-gap measures. Decisions are made on a case-by-case basis, with little evidence of any clear policy that would convince investors that the situation is under control. The United States' huge debt burden and the downgrading of its credit rating by Standard & Poor's have further spooked the markets. Asia is also being drawn into the crisis and an ever declining number of people believe the politicians have the answers. Barack Obama's address to the American people this week, designed to reduce anxieties, appears to have had little impact, with US stocks dropping even before his television broadcast ended. Political squabbling in Washington and a US economy now said to be weaker than previously thought have added to the fears of recession. The Nikkei and the DAX have nosedived - and even the price of oil dipped below the 100 dollar mark for the first time in months. European political leaders also have to contend with their own lack of credibility and the debt crisis in the Eurozone. The European Central Bank has begun buying Spanish and Italian government bonds in an effort to shore up their growing debt burden. The move is meant to stabilize the markets--but it has limited impact as the market jitters continue. Investors appear to be skeptical that politicians can lead entire national economies out of the crisis. If the measures taken so far don't work, what other options are left? What do you think: World Markets in Disarray - Politicians Out of Their Depth Drop us a line at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Kai A. Konrad - after completing doctoral and post-doctoral studies in economics at the University of Munich, Konrad taught at universities in Munich, Bonn, Bergen (Norway) and the University of California in Irvine before taking up a professorship at the Free University in Berlin. He held this post until 2009. Parallel to this, he was director of the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB). In 2008, he was appointed as a scientific member of the Max Planck Society. Currently, he is the managing director of the Max Planck Institute for Tax Law and Public Finance. Since 2007 he has been a co-editor of the Journal of Public Economics. His main topics of interest in his research and publications in numerous economic and political journals are public finance, micro-economics and the New Political Economy. In addition, he is a member of the German Ministry of Finance's scientific advisory council. Ursula Weidenfeld - has a PhD in history from the University of Bonn and studied journalism at the Holtzbrinck School in Düsseldorf. She became Berlin correspondent and a deputy editor at Wirtschaftswoche, before going on to head the corporations desk at the Financial Times Deutschland. In 2001 she became economics editor at Der Tagesspiegel in Berlin. Ms Weidenfeld has also worked as a presenter and commentator for various TV and radio stations. In 2008 she became editor of the Cologne-based business magazine Impulse; before resigning earlier this year. In 2008 she was awarded the Ludwig Erhard prize for business journalism. Ms Weidenfeld is now a freelance journalist, working in several media and in internet with www.starke-meinungen.de and www.das-tut-man-nicht.de Marcus Walker - A British citizen, Marcus Walker was born in the eastern German city of Leipzig and grew up in England. He moved to Germany in 2000, at which time he began writing for the american newspaper The Wall Street Journal. Marcus Walker moved to Berlin in 2005 to concentrate on German and European affairs. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:28 Fri, 12 Aug 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15231641,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15231641,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Bloodshed in Syria - as the World Looks on The regime of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has launched a brutal crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators. Over 1800 civilians are thought to have been killed by government troops since the start of the uprising. Over 12,000 people have been imprisoned. And many regime opponents have simply disappeared. In the latest assault, Syrian troops attacked the rebel stronghold of Hama and unleashed a bloodbath. Some reports say as many as 140 people have been killed there. It is difficult to verify the reports coming out of Syria, because the authorities are refusing entry to international journalists. The Syrian government's attacks on its own people have triggered international condemnation. But the UN Security Council has not agreed to impose sanctions. Any such move has so far been blocked by veto powers Russia and China. In the meantime, the killing in Syria continues. President Assad has denied that there is a serious protest movement in his country and instead accused "armed groups" of stirring up trouble. Any military intervention on the part of the West seems out of the question. Neither the Arab League nor any element within the United Nations is pushing for that - unlike in the case of Libya. Even regime opponents inside Syria have not called for outside military intervention. Both the West and the Arab League are being very cautious. There is a geniune fear that the unrest could spread to neighboring countries. Syria is a patchwork of ethnic and religious groups held together by the firm hand of the Assad regime. If Assad is toppled, it could have unforeseen consequences for the entire region.What do you think? Bloodshed in Syria - as the World Looks on Drop us a line at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Salam Said - Born and raised in Syria, Salam Said studied economics at Damascus University, majoring in macro-economics and international economic relations. She came to Germany in 2001 and earned her doctorate at the University of Bremen. Afterwards, she worked in research posts at various institutes, mostly in Hamburg and Berlin. Currently, she is a postdoctoral fellow at the Centre for Iraq Studies, part of the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg. Her specialist areas of interest are economic change in the Arab world, the Syrian-European economic partnership, international trade relations and the globalization of world markets. Michael Stürmer – has been the senior correspondent at the German daily "Die Welt" since 1989. Born in Kassel in 1938, Stürmer studied History, Philosophy and Languages in London, Berlin and Marburg. He is also Professor of Modern History at the University of Erlangen. Kristin Helberg - She studied political science and Journalism in Hamburg and Barcelona. First she was a freelance correspondent in Syria from 2001 to 2009. She worked for various radio stations such as ARD, DRS and ORF, as well as for German newspapers such as die Tageszeitung. In 2009 she returned to Germany and lives in Berlin where she works as a freelance journalist. Her main emphasis still focuses on the Middle East and she travels and reports from there regularly Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:29 Fri, 5 Aug 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15212140,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15212140,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss The Massacre in Norway - An Attack on Openness and Tolerance Days after the horrific massacre, Norway is still in deep shock. How could such a cold-blooded attack occur in a country as safe and peaceful as Norway? Anders Behring Breivik spent years meticulously planning his bombing of a government building and subsequent rampage through a youth camp outside the capital. The nondescript-looking 32 year old has been arrested and is being held in isolation while an investigation continues. At his first court appearance, he compounded his crimes by pleading "not guilty”. He says he was defending his country from Islam and Marxism, and wanted to do as much damage as possible to the social-democratic Labor party. Police believe Breivik acted alone, despite his claims that he belongs to several far-right groups. Shortly before the attacks, he emailed a 1500-page document which he called a "European Declaration of Independence” to right-wing extremists in Europe and the USA. It was a message to those who, like him, reject the idea of a multicultural society. Breivik’s actions have raised fears that other people may be planning similar acts. Law enforcement and intelligence agencies in Norway and elsewhere are on high alert. Norwegian society has been deeply affected by the massacre. Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg has spoken of a "national tragedy.” His answer to the killings is "more democracy, more humanity, but without naiveté.” Norwegians are regarded as among the most open and tolerant people in the world. They have few reasons to complain. Their country is prosperous and stable. But it seems this is not enough to guarantee either peace or security. As in Denmark and Finland, the influence of right-wing extremists in Norway is growing. Security is now a major issue, because increasing security means tighter control and runs counter to an open society. What do you think about "Massacre in Norway - An Attack on Openness and Tolerance?" Write to us at quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Asbjörn Svarstad - after studying history, Asbjörn Svarstad worked as a freelance journalist for various Norwegian newspapers. In 1987 he relocated to Copenhagen. These days he is the Berlin correspondent for the biggest Norwegian daily “Dagbladet”. Peter Carstens - studied history and politics in Paris, Vienna and Berlin. He joined the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in 1994 and moved to the newspaper's Berlin editorial office in 2001. He covers issues of home policy, security and defence. Alan Posener was born in London and grew up in Kuala Lumpur and Berlin (West). A teacher by training, he quit school to become a freelance author and journalist. At present, he is Chief Commentator with "Welt am Sonntag". Posener is the author of several critically acclaimed books, among them biographies of the American idols John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Elvis Presley Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:28 Fri, 29 Jul 2011 22:30:00 GMT http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15198998,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss http://www.dw.de/dw/episode/0,,15198998,00.html?maca=en-podcast_quadriga_en-2647-xml-mrss Saving Greece - Is Europe's Crisis under Control? As European leaders meet in order to agree on a second bailout package, the Greek patient is in intensive care, fighting for survival. Other countries that have the euro as their currency have also been infected by the virus of debt. Ireland, Portugal, Spain and Italy are all have economies that are plagued by debt. Time is running out for European leaders and financial markets to act. There are plenty of suggestions on the table - but no one is daring to predict what the effects of any of these measures would be. Some are arguing for wiping the debts immediately. Germany’s central bank, the Bundesbank, however, has warned strongly against taking this step. Germany’s top bankers say that would undermine the foundation of the euro and jeopardize any further successes in terms of stabilization. Crisis managers in Brussels fear that allowing Greece to default would dampen Athens’ motivation to get Greek finances in order and would set a bad example for other troubled euro countries. What if there is no debt relief? Some say another multi-million euro rescue package would only help Greece in the short term. The fundamental problems affecting the Greek economy would only be masked, not solved. Issuing eurobonds is another controversial option. If the eurozone chooses that route, it may take the pressure off Greece, but there's the danger that other European economies may also flounder. The option of allowing private investors to foot some of the bill is also on the table. Efforts to combat Greece's spiraling debt have not proved effective enough, so far. What is needed is an all encompassing solution for Greece, for the Euro and for Europe What do you think: Saving Greece - Is Europe's Crisis under Control? Write to us at: Quadriga@dw-world.de Our guests: Frank Paul Weber - A Frenchman who has worked as a correspondent for the Paris daily “La Tribune” since 1999. He initially reported from Germany, later from Italy. Before taking up duties as a foreign correspondent, Weber was engaged as a social scientist at universities in New York, Paris, Berlin and Warsaw. He lives and works in Berlin. Cornelius Adebahr studied political science, philosophy, public law and international business in Tübingen, Germany, in Paris and Berlin. From 2006 he worked as a research associate at the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) in Berlin, initially as part of the European Foreign and Security Policy program. Since 2009 he's worked at the Alfred von Oppenheim Center for European Policy Studies. He has published papers dealing with European crisis management and European economic and financial policy reform. Athanassios Pitsoulis studied macroeconomics at Siegen University in Germany, specializing in economic policy and economic history. In 1999 he became a research associate there. He held a chair in economic science and economic didactics. Today's he's a professor of microeconomics at Cottbus university, in eastern Germany. His published papers deal with institutional competition within Europe and its effect on European and national economies. Quadriga DW-WORLD.DE | Deutsche Welle clean 26:30 Fri, 22 Jul 2011 22:30:00 GMT