Is lasting peace finally within reach in the South Caucasus—or is the latest deal just another geopolitical powerplay?

In this episode of Language of Power, we unpack the US-brokered peace agreement between Armenia and Azerbaijan, signed at the White House on 8 August, and explore what it means for the region and the wider world.

Host Paul Taylor is joined by Matthew Bryza, former US Ambassador to Azerbaijan, and Viktorya Muradyan, Brussels-based public affairs consultant and former co-editor-in-chief of The European Correspondent. Together, they explore why President Trump succeeded where the EU faltered, and what’s at stake for Washington, Moscow, and Tehran.

We examine Armenia’s pivot away from Russia, Azerbaijan’s growing leverage despite its authoritarian record, and the prospects for regional transformation. Can Armenia’s government survive the fallout of losing Karabakh? Is EU membership a credible alternative? And how might Russia and Iran respond to losing influence in their own backyard?

EPC Language of Power - Armenia-Azerbaijan: the Trump Route to Where?

This week’s episode of The Language of Power explores whether Washington and Europe are on different planets when it comes to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Just a day after President Trump unveiled a 20-point peace plan, securing Netanyahu’s backing while warning Hamas of annihilation, European countries led by France and the UK joined Saudi Arabia in recognising a Palestinian state. But will either move change realities on the ground, or simply highlight diverging transatlantic approaches?

Host Paul Taylor speaks with Aaron David Miller, a veteran US peace negotiator, and Silvia Colombo of the NATO Defence College, about the prospects of a ceasefire in Gaza, Europe’s divided role in the Middle East, and whether recognition of Palestine is meaningful diplomacy or symbolic virtue-signalling.

Listen in for insight on what’s at stake for peace, power, and Europe’s influence in the region.

The Language of Power: The Trump plan and Europe recognising Palestine - two different planets?

In this episode of Language of Power, Paul Taylor explores the tragic story of over 19,500 Ukrainian children abducted by Russia since the 2022 invasion, with only around 1,600 returned. 

Featuring insights from Mykola Kuleba, founder of Save Ukraine, and Thordis Kolbrun Gylfadottir, a former Icelandic foreign minister who is the Council of Europe’s Special Envoy on the situation of the children of Ukraine, the discussion highlights the scale of the crisis, the international response — including ICC arrest warrants and Ukraine’s “Bring Kids Back” initiative — and the disturbing findings of a Yale report suggesting up to 35,000 children may have been taken, indoctrinated, and adopted under new identities.

The episode also examines Europe’s role in supporting affected children and the diplomatic efforts underway to bring them home.

The Language of Power: Ukraine's Kidnapped Kids

In this week's episode, host Paul Taylor explores how Europe can harness disruptive technologies to modernise its defence capabilities amid rising geopolitical tensions.

Joined by Chris Kremidas-Courtney and Jonas Singer, the discussion dives into the challenges of integrating civilian innovations into military systems, critiques the outdated “dual-use” concept, and highlights what Europe, especially Germany, must change to stay ahead in defence innovation.

The Language of Power: How innovation can turbocharge European defence

In this episode of The Language of Power, Paul Taylor, Senior Visiting Fellow at the European Policy Centre, explores the global backsliding of liberal democracy and asks whether it is losing its anchor.

Once seen as the inevitable “end of history,” democratic progress has stalled and reversed in many countries, including the United States, which now faces internal democratic erosion and a growing embrace of strongman regimes abroad. Joining Paul to discuss these trends and their implications are Amanda Sloat, Professor of International Relations at IE University and former Senior Director for Europe at the U.S. National Security Council, and Richard Youngs, Senior Fellow at Carnegie Europe and co-founder of the European Democracy Hub. Together, they examine the drivers of democratic decline, the role of technology and AI, prospects for resilience, and lessons from the Global South on sustaining democratic norms.

The Language of Power: Liberal democracy under threat around the world

In this episode of The Language of Power, Paul Taylor, Senior Visiting Fellow at the European Policy Centre, explores the dangers facing liberal democracy within the European Union and what can be done to counter them.

Last week, we examined the global assault on democracy – from socio-economic and technological forces driving public alienation to the rise of a new authoritarianism, with a few bright spots of democratic renewal. This episode turns the lens to Europe, where “illiberal democracy,” a term coined by Fareed Zakaria in 1997 and later embraced by Viktor Orbán, has spread from Hungary to Poland, Slovakia and EU-candidate Serbia. Elected governments have used majorities to weaken judicial independence, capture media, and roll back women’s and LGBTQ+ rights.

Joining Paul to discuss how these trends are reshaping European politics – and how liberal democracy can be defended – are distinguished Professor of Political Science Brigid Laffan and Liza Saris, Policy Analyst and Project Manager of the EPC’s Connecting Europe initiative.

The Language of Power: Liberal democracy under threat in the EU

In this episode of The Language of Power, Paul Taylor, Senior Visiting Fellow at the European Policy Centre, explores the dangers facing liberal democracy within the European Union and what can be done to counter them.

Last week, we examined the global assault on democracy – from socio-economic and technological forces driving public alienation to the rise of a new authoritarianism, with a few bright spots of democratic renewal. This episode turns the lens to Europe, where “illiberal democracy,” a term coined by Fareed Zakaria in 1997 and later embraced by Viktor Orbán, has spread from Hungary to Poland, Slovakia and EU-candidate Serbia. Elected governments have used majorities to weaken judicial independence, capture media, and roll back women’s and LGBTQ+ rights.

Joining Paul to discuss how these trends are reshaping European politics – and how liberal democracy can be defended – are distinguished Professor of Political Science Brigid Laffan and Liza Saris, Policy Analyst and Project Manager of the EPC’s Connecting Europe initiative.

This podcast is a part of the European Policy Centre's Europe in the World Programme.

What happens to liberal democracy when not only institutions, but also social and societal rights come under strain?
In a special edition of The Language of Power – recorded live at the margins of the EPC Annual Conference 2025 – Paul Taylor, Senior Visiting Fellow at the European Policy Centre, explores how threats to Europe’s democracy are evolving.
After examining global and EU-level democratic backsliding in previous episodes, this conversation turns to the erosion of employment protections, welfare rights, women’s rights and LGBTQ+ rights, and the ways in which these pressures are reshaping European politics.
Paul is joined by:
• Laszlo Andor, former European Commissioner for Employment and Social Affairs and Secretary-General of FEPS
• Georgia Mourad Brooks, CEO of The Nine and founder of the Fempower Initiative
Together, they discuss whether liberal democracy is losing its social foundations, and what Europe can do to protect them.

Special Edition: Liberal democracy's social, societal fabric under threat – Live from the EPC Annual Conference 2025

Stay up to date with this regular podcast on EU affairs. Sounds dry? Don't worry, we'll be sure to find something to wet your appetite.
Stay tuned, stay fresh, stay informed.

Special Edition: Liberal democracy's social, societal fabric under threat – Live from the EPC Annual Conference 2025

epc_eu

Related tracks