Spotlight is a daily prime-time interview program from FRANCE 24 English. It goes beyond the headlines by inviting news-making guests from around the world to discuss the stories that matter in depth. New episodes air every day at 6:15 pm Paris time. The show focuses on in-depth conversation and global perspectives on current events.
Épisodes

Teddy Riner candidacy 'illustrative of hunger for alternatives' to France's Le Pen or Mélenchon
As Teddy Riner throws his hat in the race for the French presidency, amid France's sociopolitical and economic crises, François Picard is pleased to welcome Lex Paulson, Director of Executive Programs at UM6P School of Collective Intelligence at Mohammed VI Polytechnic University. The prospect of Olympic judo champion Riner entering France's presidential race raises questions that extend well beyo

Will Eisenkot succeed in 'minefield of Israeli politics' where 'so many other generals' have failed?
François Picard welcomes Dahlia Scheindlin, Israeli political analyst, strategic consultant and pollster, to examine a question that reaches far beyond the immediate struggle for power: Can Israel move beyond PM Benjamin Netanyahu amid coalition deadlock, growing disillusionment in Washington and the persistent limits of political inclusion? As Gadi Eisenkot embarks on a 45-day race to form a gove

Pope Leo in Latin America: Papal politics and Peru
After wrapping up his first visit to Uruguay, Pope Leo XIV heads to Argentina for the second leg of his South America tour, where he's expected to draw the biggest turnout of his papacy so far. Colleen Dulle, Vatican Correspondent at America Magazine and co-host of the "Inside the Vatican" podcast, joins us to analyse the significance of Leo's Latin American tour.

France Unbowed's Mélenchon unveils 'A Shared Future' manifesto ahead of 2027 presidential race
"We are facing a crisis of human civilisation. And we are going to win." A defiant Jean-Luc Mélenchon was in fighting mood on Saturday as he presented his presidential manifesto at Le Bourget, north of Paris. It is his fourth bid for the French presidency, and he has chosen a venue steeped in left-wing campaign history: the site of former president François Hollande's famous 2012 rally. With socia

A homegrown Georgia moderate and pragmatist: Is Senator Ossoff the future of the Democratic Party?
Is Senator Jon Ossoff the future of the Democratic Party? Following his resounding re-election in Georgia, the 39-year-old senator has emerged as a prominent figure as the Democrats look ahead to 2028 for their next presidential nominee. His natural confidence, polished media performances and ability to appeal to a diverse electorate have prompted comparisons with Barack Obama. Yet behind the exci

'Period of uncertainty: Trump is tormented, he's unstoppable, and he's desperate for immortality'
François Picard is pleased to welcome Craig Copetas, Greek-American author, international affairs columnist and editor at Türkiye Today and French Senator Hélène Conway-Mouret. "What you have is a tormented and unstable president who's desperate for immortality." With this arresting assessment, Copetas captures what he considers the defining paradox of Donald Trump's presidency in the aftermath of

'Leaders all over the world understand that Trump is only there for two more years & then he's gone'
In American politics, even presidential power has its limits. And now, the laws of political gravity may finally be catching up with Donald Trump's hyper-aggressive exercise of executive authority. Following what political scientist Ian Bremmer describes as the most consequential electoral reversal for a governing party in more than half a century, the president and founder of Eurasia Group and GZ

Historian Timothy Snyder: Trump running US foreign policy 'as though he were an organised criminal'
As Americans head to the polls for the midterm elections, François Picard welcomes historian Timothy Snyder, professor at the University of Toronto's Munk School of Global Affairs, for a conversation about the future of American democracy, the growing political influence of technology billionaires and the dangers of a new Gilded Age. Who really holds power in Donald Trump's America: the president

‘I saw the best of humanity’: Trekker Karl Bushby on his 28-year walk home
"They say it takes a village. In this case, it took a world." After 28 years and some 50,000 kilometres, British explorer and adventurer Karl Bushby has returned to his hometown of Hull, completing an extraordinary life journey across four continents that illustrates not only the limits of human endurance, but also the intricate relationship between individual determination, geopolitical constrain

Michigan 'betrayal’ & midterm manoeuvres
FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee assesses the last-minute campaign dramas and takes a US election overview on the "must-watch states" alongside Professor Donald Green, Professor of Political Science at Columbia University and co-author of the definitive book "Get Out the Vote", and foreign affairs analyst Laurie Dundon, who previously served in the US State Department during the Clinton administration.

Testimonies from Ukraine's Oleshky: Residents flee Russian-occupied city
In Ukraine, some of the evacuees from the frontline city of Oleshky are beginning to tell their stories. They've been able to leave after four years of Russian occupation. American filmmaker Zarina Zabrisky has lived and reported across the Dnipro River in Ukrainian-controlled Kherson for the past three years. She's been speaking to FRANCE 24's Gavin Lee about the events of the past 24 hours.

'Extremist right-wing ideologies' an increasing threat in France & 'across much of democratic world'
François Picard is pleased to welcome Dr Joseph Downing, Senior Lecturer in International Relations and Politics at Aston University. He reacts to last week's deadly shooting in the Paris suburbs, which was allegedly motivated by racist and anti-Muslim hostility. In modern France, Downing notes, the politics of insecurity increasingly extends beyond questions of crime and public order to encompass

Amid uncertainty over EU aid, Vitalii Kim insists Ukraine has no choice but to fight for motherland
François Picard is pleased to welcome Vitalii Kim, Minister for Veterans' Affairs of Ukraine. "If Europe will not support us, we also will fight because it's our motherland," says Kim, insisting that Ukraine's determination to resist Russian aggression will endure regardless of the outcome of negotiations over European financial assistance. Yet behind this assertion of national resolve lies a more

Mbappé's China faux pas: When the sports world collides with the complexities of geopolitics
François Picard welcomes Igor Mladenovic, a French-Serbian sports writer, sports business analyst and former football commentator based in Luxembourg. For Mladenovic, the backlash in China over Kylian Mbappé's playful reference to a meme depicting him in the likeness of Mao Zedong illustrates a dilemma of the digital age: how a seemingly innocuous anecdote from a football superstar can escalate in

'They should be afraid': Serbia's student-led victory over Vučić sends warning to 'corrupt' leaders
François Picard welcomes Helena Ivanov, associate research fellow at the Henry Jackson Society, a London-based foreign policy and national security think tank advocating liberal democracy, strong transatlantic alliances, robust Western defence capabilities and the international promotion of democratic institutions. Ivanov describes the election result in Serbia as a historic turning point in the c

French education reform proposals 'vague': Govt created 'most of the problems' it now seeks to solve
François Picard welcomes Jean-Rémi Girard, president of the SNALC teachers' union, who places responsibility for France's educational difficulties not simply on demographic change or fiscal constraints, but on years of political decisions that, he argues, have weakened the state education system. Against a backdrop of student protests, budgetary uncertainty and mounting concerns over educational i

Marine Le Pen's 'Renaissance': Fourth time lucky?
Just before half past four this Sunday, Marine Le Pen took to the stage under the stadium strobe lights at the Zénith Arena in Orléans. The far-right French politician, who analysts say is on the doorstep of the presidency, is a polarising figure yet increasingly popular with her base, and has topped the popularity polls for months in France. Her entrance came 24 hours after the latest protests ac

Brazil presidential election: Lula's late surge
It's a coin-flip election in Brazil, with little separating the country's left-wing President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and his far-right rival Flavio Bolsonaro. The results of the run-off vote will become clear in a few hours. The two contenders have traded insults as they cast their votes, with Lula describing the choice as one between himself and a morally, ethically and personally unqualified

France: Watching the post-riot protests
After the French protests turned into riots last weekend, followed by curfews and the alleged racist mass shooting on Friday on the outskirts of Paris, there has been much anxiety, planning and preparation ahead of this Saturday's protests. Intelligence reports had predicted up to 500,000 people taking to the streets nationwide, and suggested there were elements of ultra-left agitators plotting on

'Witkoff should step down,' says Ukraine foreign policy committee chief
Ukraine's access to Starlink and Starshield satellite links has been restored to the speeds it had before restrictions that disrupted front-line operations for more than a week, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Saturday. "The speeds are now where they need to be," Zelensky wrote on X, adding that restoration began overnight and was sufficient by Saturday morning, improving front-line

NFL Paris premiere: The Saints' Alvin Kamara on global reach and sport as an opportunity for youth
FRANCE 24's François Picard and Selina Sykes are pleased to welcome New Orleans Saints running back Alvin Kamara as the National Football League (NFL) expands its international reach to Paris. As the Saints prepare to face off with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Kamara calls the occasion "an opportunity unlike any other" while reflecting on his remarkable career, his interest in representing his country

Netanyahu weighs West Bank operation ahead of elections: 'Politically, it will not help anybody'
As Israel approaches a consequential parliamentary election amid renewed violence in the occupied West Bank, Yedioth Ahronoth Senior Journalist Ben-Dror Yemini offers a critical assessment of Benjamin Netanyahu's political prospects, the limits of military escalation and the shifting relationship between national security and electoral legitimacy. Since October 7, 2023, "Netanyahu is not popular a

'The best on Earth': Can weak economic growth undermine Europe's 'very sophisticated social system'?
Can Europe continue to sustain one of the world's most ambitious social models while falling increasingly behind its major economic competitors? For Pascal Lamy, former European Commissioner for Trade and former Director-General of the World Trade Organization, this question lies at the heart of the continent's mounting economic and political tensions. Lamy looks beyond the immediate turmoil in Fr

Trump admin 'destroying' US democracy with 'autocratic, terrorist version of Christian nationalism'
François Picard welcomes former US Assistant Secretary of Defense Jim Townsend and former US Air Force officer Michael (Mikey) Weinstein, founder and president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation. Is American military power becoming an instrument of political and religious coercion, both at home and abroad? From the reported restrictions on Ukraine's access to Starlink satellite communica
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