Power Play

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Rating
3.7
from
963 reviews
This podcast has
92 episodes
Language
Publisher
Explicit
No
Date created
2017/02/03
Latest episode
2025/05/01
Average duration
25 min.
Release period
7 days

Description

Power Play is POLITICO's new weekly transatlantic podcast hosted by renowned British journalist Anne McElvoy. It takes listeners inside the minds of those who wield power to better understand the choices they face. The show features guests at the top of their fields in government, business, civil society and more — accompanied by the expert analysis of journalists across POLITICO's newsrooms globally, giving listeners the inside take on the most significant issues raised by the guest, as well as the implications. Read our show notes here: https://www.politico.eu/power-play-podcast/

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How will Carney take on Trump?
2025/05/01
One hundred days into Donald Trump’s second presidency and he’s already swung another election. How will Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, emboldened by his victory at the polls, take on Trump? Host Anne McElvoy talks to Ralph Goodale, who has been at the centre of Canadian politics for several decades and now holds one of the country’s top diplomatic posts as High Commissioner to the U.K. A former finance minister, he has served in the cabinets of three Liberal prime ministers from Jean Chrétien to Justin Trudeau between 1993 and 2019. She's also joined by Nick Taylor-Vaisey, POLITICO’s Ottawa bureau chief and Playbook author. He’s been covering one of the most eventful election campaigns in recent Canadian history. Senior Producer: Peter Snowdon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why the next pope may be a 'break' from the past
2025/04/24
As Catholics gather in Rome to mourn Pope Francis, those hoping to succeed him are preparing to engage in one of the world's oldest and most intriguing electoral contests. This week's guest knows the inner workings of the Vatican and the key players involved as cardinals gather for the next conclave. Host Anne McElvoy talks to Francis Campbell, who served as Britain’s ambassador to the Holy See from 2005 to 2011. Campbell became ambassador not long after the death of Pope John Paul II and a few months into Benedict’s pontificate, which preceded that of Francis. He believes that the cardinals may opt for a break from the past, rather than for a continuity candidate. Brought up in Northern Ireland, Campbell was the first Catholic to represent the U.K. in the Vatican. He was a foreign policy adviser to former Prime Minister Tony Blair, who converted to Catholicism after he left office. Campbell is now vice-chancellor of the University of Notre Dame Australia.   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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How the US-China trade war will do 'enormous damage' to the world
2025/04/10
In a dramatic twist, President Trump announced an abrupt reversal of the tariff policy that had spooked the markets and threatened to upend world trade. While many trading partners have been given a temporary reprieve, Washington’s tit for tat with Beijing has reached new heights. Where does it leave the credibility of the Trump administration? Host Anne McElvoy talks to Jason Furman, former U.S. President Barack Obama’s top economic adviser and chair of his Council of Economic Advisers. He’s currently the Aetna Professor of the Practice of Economic Policy jointly at Harvard Kennedy School and the Department of Economics at Harvard University. She's also joined by Nahal Toosi, POLITICO’s senior foreign affairs correspondent, who has been closely following the machinations of Trump’s new tariff regime.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Sen. Mark Kelly notches up his feud with Elon Musk
2025/04/03
United States President Donald Trump’s "Liberation Day" of tariffs on foreign imports has roiled the markets and caused upset across the Atlantic. But is there anything opposition Democrats can do to curtail an all-powerful president? Host Anne McElvoy talks to Sen. Mark Kelly, former NASA astronaut and naval officer, who is one of the few prominent Democrats taking the fight to the Trump administration with gusto. Kelly’s criticism of the president’s approach to Ukraine turned into an ugly spat with Elon Musk, who called him a "traitor." The politician from Arizona sits on the Senate's influential Armed Services and Intelligence committees, where he’s been probing senior officials in the administration about leaked Signal messages detailing a recent U.S. combat mission. They discuss "Signalgate," the impact of tariffs on the American and global economy, and how the Democrats can recover from last year's election defeat. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Germany’s next leader could be a 'loose cannon.' Is that good news for Europe?
2025/03/27
Germany entered a new political era this week as the Bundestag met for the first time since last month's pivotal general election. Does the country's leader-in-waiting, Friedrich Merz, have what it takes to reassure a fractious nation worrying about its fading status as an economic giant and lead Germany toward smoother transatlantic relations? Some question whether he has the political skillset to provide firm leadership. Host Anne McElvoy talks to Gordon Repinski, POLITICO’s executive editor in Germany and host of the Berlin Playbook podcast, and Jennifer Wilton, editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Die Welt. They survey the challenges facing Merz as he tries to forge a grand coalition between his Christian Democrat party and the Social Democrats. A sluggish economy, a growing defense budget and the war in Ukraine loom large as Merz prepares to take over the Chancellery. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Trump and Musk take on the judges. Will they win?
2025/03/20
United States President Donald Trump has been rebuked by the chief justice of the Supreme Court for his attacks on judges who have ruled against his flurry of executive orders. Elon Musk has joined the fray by calling this a "judicial coup." Is this the road to a full-blown constitutional stand-off? Host Anne McElvoy talks to Matthew Platkin, Attorney General of New Jersey, and prominent thorn in the Trump administration’s side. Platkin is spearheading a coalition of Democratic law-enforcement officials from more than 20 states, resulting in lawsuits attempting to thwart the president’s executive orders to revoke birthright citizenship, stop a sweeping freeze on federal funding and challenge an attempt to dismantle the Department of Education. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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How can Trump push Putin toward peace?
2025/03/13
The United States-Ukraine plan for a temporary ceasefire has turned up the heat on Russian President Vladimir Putin. What are Donald Trump's next moves if Putin either refuses to accept the deal or places unacceptable demands on Ukraine and its allies? Host Anne McElvoy talks to Kurt Volker, who has a particular insight into Trump’s thinking on Ukraine. Volker was the U.S. special representative during his first administration and America’s ambassador to NATO under President George W. Bush. They discuss how any ensuing negotiations might play out and whether a meaningful peace deal can be achieved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Zelenskyy ally: Trump is being used by Putin
2025/03/06
Will Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s olive branch to Donald Trump be enough to secure Ukraine’s future — and his own? After his bruising encounter with the U.S. president in the Oval Office, Zelenskyy issued an eleventh-hour missive and said he was ready to sign the minerals deal and "work fast to end the war." Host Anne McElvoy speaks with one of the most senior politicians in Ukraine, Oleksandr Merezhko, Foreign Affairs Parliamentary Committee chair and staunch Zelenskyy ally, who argues that Trump is "being used by Putin" in his attempts to force a deal and call for fresh elections in Ukraine. She is also joined by POLITICO Europe’s Opinion Editor Jamie Dettmer from Kyiv on the fast-moving realpolitik being played between Ukraine, the U.S. and European capitals. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Trump ally Dan Crenshaw: Europe needs to boost its defense or 'shut up'
2025/02/27
The French president and British prime minister have been to the White House to urge President Donald Trump not to abandon Kyiv as negotiations with Russia loom. Trump's attacks on Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and his administration's approach to the Western alliance have caused consternation among European capitals. This week, host Anne McElvoy talks to Dan Crenshaw, a Republican congressman representing the Second Congressional District in Texas and an ally of President Trump. A former Navy SEAL, Crenshaw served in Iraq and Afghanistan, where he lost an eye to a bomb blast in the province of Helmand. He was in London to attend the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship conference, where right-wing thinkers from Europe and the U.S. gathered. They discuss Trump's position on Ukraine, Russia and the Western alliance as well as transgender rights in the U.S. military. Crenshaw argues that Europe needs to mount a more aggressive defense posture or "shut up" about the need for American support. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Europe is dealing with Trump all wrong, according to his former national security adviser
2025/02/20
President Donald Trump’s quick-fire approach to ending Russia’s war against Ukraine has left European allies worried they are being sidelined by the United States administration, as Washington and Moscow conduct direct negotiations. It has also caused a crisis in European capitals about the future of NATO, created in the wake of World War II to uphold security in Europe and protect it from a Russian threat. Now, it’s America that looks as if it's turning its back on NATO and Europe — in search of a grand bargain with Moscow. Host Anne McElvoy talks with John Bolton, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations who also served as national security adviser under Trump, and Sanna Marin, Finland’s prime minister from 2019 to 2023, who led the country to its NATO accession. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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What Trump and Musk think they can learn from Argentina’s Javier Milei
2025/02/13
Donald Trump may have ruffled feathers with his closest neighbors in recent weeks, but he has a willing ally in South America. Argentina’s President Javier Milei has become something of a hero in the MAGA movement for his populist style and radical economic reforms. Will the love affair outlast an era of tariff-wielding?  Host Anne McElvoy talks to Federico Sturzenegger, the former president of Argentina’s central bank and an economist at Harvard. He is now leading the Ministry of Deregulation and State Transformation under Milei. They discuss whether the South American free-market experiment provides a catalyst for Trump’s vision for the United States' economy and the wider world, and whether Margaret Thatcher — elected as Britain's Conservative Party leader 50 years ago this week — is an inspiration for Milei. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Larry Summers: How to deal with Trump's tariff threat
2025/02/06
United States President Donald Trump has shown he means business when it comes to threatening a splurge of tariffs around the globe. Mexico and Canada agreed last-minute deals to temporarily avert tariffs, whereas China was not spared. Will the president's combative approach pay off?    Host Anne McElvoy talks to Larry Summers, former U.S. Treasury secretary under President Bill Clinton and economics professor at Harvard University. Summers is an outspoken critic of the Trump administration’s use of tariffs and offers candid advice to the European Union and the United Kingdom on how to respond to the threat of them. They also discuss how American universities are dealing with the Trump administration's efforts to remove diversity and inclusion programs and whether campuses could face fresh protests this spring. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Why DeepSeek has deepened the US-China AI rivalry
2025/01/30
Donald Trump has made a blitz of announcements designed to boost the United States' tech industry. But then a new Chinese artificial intelligence model came along and caused a stir on Wall Street. Is this a new dawn or a fresh threat?  Host Anne McElvoy talks to one of Silicon Valley’s leading entrepreneurs, Reid Hoffman. Co-founder of LinkedIn, he’s invested in companies like Airbnb and Facebook and is now investing in AI startups. His new book is called "Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future." How does his optimistic vision for the future square with the disruptive force of a world powered by AI — and one in which American and Chinese rivalry could have unforeseen consequences? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Sponsored content: Davos marks a new era of collaboration on AI
2025/01/27
The world has entered a new era of intelligence, as artificial intelligence technologies are being rapidly developed and adopted across industries and around the globe. So, it’s apropos that the theme of the 2025 World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, was “Collaboration in the Intelligent Age.” With the first provisions of the European Union’s AI Act set to roll out shortly after the forum wraps, conversations in Davos were buzzing around AI. In an ever-changing global marketplace, collaborative development and effective governance are essential to building AI ecosystems that are transparent, ethically compliant and safe. On a special branded episode of Power Play, presented by IBM, POLITICO Focus contributor David Himmel explores what true collaboration looks like, the ways open AI systems are changing the game for businesses of all sizes and how industry leaders can work with governments to ensure a return on investment that benefits everyone. Himmel speaks with Christina Montgomery, IBM’s chief privacy and trust officer and interim leader of government affairs. She talks about the need for access to open AI development, the importance of privacy and how diverse, global collaboration will help solve the questions and challenges we face in this new age of intelligence. Power Play is a POLITICO original podcast series. This special branded episode from IBM was produced by POLITICO Focus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Davos 2025: What is Trump's plan for Ukraine?
2025/01/24
This year’s annual jamboree in the Alps is drawing to a close. And the man who’s dominated the week — Donald Trump —spoke to the World Economic Forum. He’s hardly the centrist “Davos Man” but he had a message from Washington for the gathering. In Power Play's final edition from the World Economic Forum in Davos, host Anne McElvoy talks to William Browder, financier and activist, who has been a leading campaigner against Vladimir Putin’s regime since his lawyer, Sergei Magnitsky, was arrested and died in custody in Russia 15 years ago. Does he think Trump can strike a deal with Putin to end the war in Ukraine? Later, she talks to Suzanne Lynch, author of POLITICO’s Global Playbook, who steps away from her whirlwind of conversations to sum up the week’s events — and gossip — here in Davos. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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Podcast reviews

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3.7 out of 5
963 reviews
dcm pa 2025/03/03
Dan Crenshaw Ep
I usually love your episodes because they offer insightful commentary from thoughtful people across the political spectrum. I especially enjoy the dog...
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Candice Gawne 2025/01/24
Artist
Totally Enjoy & Admire Anne McElvoy as very Smart & Charming interviewer. She is incredibly knowledgeable & sharp in her questions & reparte with grea...
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bryjak 2024/09/01
Anne McElvoy is the best interviewer around
Great show.
rebewinwin 2024/07/13
Love it
Anne McElvoy is so great at getting insightful nuggets out of people in the nicest ways !
JS415 2024/07/05
Excellent access
Ann McElvoy parlays her experience at the Economist into a winning podcast with excellent access to very important people.
Elealiu 2023/09/28
Anne
I love Anne’s interview style. I’ll be a listener for sure.
Mobile site is better 2024/06/06
Tried to like it
I generally like politico and what they put out. Lately, this just feels like too much airtime for Trump sympathizers and apologists. There’s already ...
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브라우니 프라이스 2023/09/26
Great podcast!
So well presented and brilliantly produced! I’ll be tuning in every week for sure!
fishyrainn 2021/01/25
Great industry perspective
The perfect podcast for new learners in the sector as well as more experienced people as well in order to grasp the current conversations in the indus...
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SaraBrooklyn 2021/11/16
Naftali Benett I intend to be Primi Minister
Wow, this is literally on of the most racist podcast I have ever listened to. Susan Glasser dies not hold Bennett to any standard for his racist polic...
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