The United States will no longer play global policeman, and no one else wants the job. This is not a G-7 or a G-20 world. Welcome to the GZERO, a world made volatile by an intensifying international battle for power and influence. Every week on this podcast, Ian Bremmer will interview the world leaders and the thought leaders shaping our GZERO World.

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Viktor Orbán's last stand, and the future of Europe's far right with Ivan Krastev

Ian Bremmer sits down with Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies and political scientist, to discuss Hungary's consequential upcoming election and what it means for the far right globally.

For sixteen years, Viktor Orbán has dominated Hungarian politics, rewriting rules, consolidating power, and positioning himself as Europe's leading nationalist and Donald Trump's closest ally on the continent. But with parliamentary elections approaching on April 12th, his aura of invincibility is finally cracking. Opposition candidate Péter Magyar, a conservative former Orbán insider, is polling ahead by double digits, and the Trump administration is scrambling to help keep its favorite European in office.

Krastev explains what most Americans get wrong about Orbán: that his real economic patron isn't Trump but China. Chinese investment in Hungary now exceeds Chinese investment in Germany and France combined, and Beijing's interest is straightforward: Orbán's willingness to veto any EU anti-China policy. Krastev also breaks down Orbán's ideological roots, arguing he is far closer to Putin than to Trump, anchored in 19th-century Hungarian nationalism and the grief of a nation that lost everything after World War I.

Together, Krastev and Bremmer look ahead to what an Orbán loss would mean for Europe's far-right parties, for EU policy on Ukraine, and for Trump's own political brand. "For President Trump and for President Putin," Krastev says, "Orbán losing is going to be their personal loss." And if Trump's oldest, best-known European ally falls, being backed by Washington may soon be worth far less than it once was.

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Assessing the Iran War's "structural damage" with Harvard economist Gita Gopinath

Rising energy prices, higher inflation, and growing economic uncertainty — a Harvard economist says the fallout from the Iran war is already being felt.

On the GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with Harvard economist and former IMF Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath to unpack how the conflict is rippling through the global economy. As oil and gas prices surge, inflation is climbing, adding new costs for households and businesses and putting pressure on growth worldwide.

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On the GZERO World Podcast, Ian Bremmer sits down with Harvard economist and former IMF Deputy Managing Director Gita Gopinath to unpack how the conflict is rippling through the global economy. As... More >

GZERO World with Ian Bremmer

Rahm Emanuel on Trump's Iran war “of choice” and Midterm implications

Listen: Ian Bremmer and Rahm Emanuel discuss the deepening conflict in the Middle East, US foreign policy under Trump, and the upcoming midterms.

Emanuel argues that this is a war of choice, one President Trump made himself, not one driven by external pressures like Israel’s influence. While Benjamin Netanyahu has long pushed for military action, Emanuel stresses that the responsibility for war ultimately lies with the US president, not foreign actors. He also highlights how America’s fractured political system has complicated decision-making, making it harder for the US to act with a unified voice on the world stage.

Emanuel argues that Trump’s actions have eroded relationships with critical allies, particularly in Europe and the Gulf. “The price of belittling your allies is now coming home to roost,” Emanuel warns, pointing to the growing isolation the US faces at a time when global cooperation is needed most. He also discusses the broader implications of US military deployments in the region and the rising threat of Iran's growing influence.

Emanuel also addresses the internal division within the US, explaining how China is carefully watching America’s internal dysfunction. “Nothing China does scares me,” he says. “It’s what we don’t do here at home that scares me.”

🔔 Subscribe to the GZERO World Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or your preferred podcast platform, to receive new episodes as soon as they're published

Ian Bremmer and Rahm Emanuel discuss the deepening conflict in the Middle East, US foreign policy under Trump, and the upcoming midterms.... More >

Unpacking Iran’s competing endgames with Brookings Institution’s Thomas Wright

Listen: Ian Bremmer sits down with Thomas Wright, Brookings Institution fellow and former Senior Director at the US National Security Council, to unpack the deepening war in Iran and the divergent strategies shaping it.

What are the possible outcomes for the widening conflict in Iran? What began as a dramatic opening strike has evolved into a far more complex war, with Washington, Jerusalem, and Tehran all pursuing different aims. Wright argues this isn’t simply about degrading military capability; it’s about competing endgames that may pull the region in unpredictable directions.

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Ian Bremmer sits down with Thomas Wright, Brookings Institution fellow and former Senior Director at the US National Security Council, to unpack the deepening war in Iran and the divergent strategies... More >

Tariffs: what comes next with Paul Krugman and Scott Lincicome

Listen: While Washington has become more hostile to free trade, Americans continue to buy foreign goods in record numbers. Lincicome notes that economic nationalism is “about an inch deep,” with support collapsing when Americans face higher prices for domestic products.

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The Supreme Court curbs Trump’s trade agenda, but the administration is undeterred. So, what's next? Ian Bremmer sits down with economists Scott Lincicome of the Cato Institute and Paul Krugman to... More >

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In this episode of The Ripple Effect: Investing in Life Sciences, host Dan Riskin speaks with Patrick Horber, President of Novartis International, and David Gluckman, Vice Chairman of Investment... More >

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Viktor Orbán's last stand, and the future of Europe's far right with Ivan Krastev

Ian Bremmer sits down with Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies and political scientist, to discuss Hungary's consequential upcoming election and what it means for the far right globally.

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Assessing the Iran War's "structural damage" with Harvard economist Gita Gopinath

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Rahm Emanuel on Trump's Iran war “of choice” and Midterm implications

Unpacking Iran’s competing endgames with Brookings Institution’s Thomas Wright

Tariffs: what comes next with Paul Krugman and Scott Lincicome

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Viktor Orbán's last stand, and the future of Europe's far right with Ivan Krastev

Ian Bremmer sits down with Ivan Krastev, Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies and political scientist, to discuss Hungary's consequential upcoming election and what it means for the far right globally.

More from GZERO World Podcast

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