Breaking Britain: A Podcast about the Politics of a Disunited Kingdom

In this week's episode we have been joined by Geoffrey Pleyers, whose extensive expertise in global activism during times of crisis can provide crucial insights into the impact President Trump's authoritarian project has had on Latin America. Starting with how Mexico has struggled to overcome relentless American pressure, in our discussion we also take a broader look at what activists and scholars around the world can learn from how Latin American societies have fought back against authoritarian populists.
As Professor of Sociology at Université Catholique de Louvain and President of the International Sociological Association, Geoffrey Pleyers is a globally renowned scholar. He has produced groundbreaking research exploring how social movements have responded to globalisation. Geoffrey's scholarship is based on direct experience of civil society resistance across Latin America that can help provide a better understanding of the existential challenges that democracies face today.
The background music is by Through the City by Crowander, and the production for this podcast was by Daniel Mansfield.

In this week's episode, we have been joined by Christoph Meyer to take a closer look at how relations between Russia and the European Union fell apart in the 2010s. As a renowned expert in European security, Christoph provides wider insights into how the Russian state's growing hostility to Ukrainian aspirations to join the European Union became part of a wider spiral of escalation between Russia and the rest of Europe. 
As Professor of European & International Politics at King’s College London, Christoph has developed groundbreaking research exploring conflict prevention, public communications and economic governance. With this extensive experience in policy areas that have been transformed by the crises Europe has faced over the last decade, Christoph can help us to better understand the geopolitical dynamics that shaped a growing conflict between Russia and the European Union.  
The background music is by Through the City by Crowander, and the production for this podcast was by Daniel Mansfield.

As part of our series exploring turning points that shaped European politics, we've been joined by Lee Savage to explore the impact the collapse of Communism in 1989 had on societies across Central and Eastern Europe. With Lee's help, in this episode we will take a closer look at how the years after the Fall of the Berlin Wall witnessed economic and political upheavals whose legacies still shape the politics of the European Union. 
As a Reader in European Politics at KCL, Lee Savage has produced groundbreaking research focusing on the impact of economic insecurity and party competition on Central and Eastern European societies. With his extensive experience of the changing nature of European politics, Lee can provide fascinating insights into how Europe was reshaped in the chaotic years after the fall of Communism.
The background music is by Through the City by Crowander, and the production for this podcast was by Daniel Mansfield.

As part of our new season exploring crises that have shaped European politics, in this first episode we look at the impact the collapse of Yugoslavia in the summer of 1991 had on the European Union's military ambitions. We've been joined by Ben Jones, whose expertise on European military cooperation can provide crucial insights into how the wars that erupted through the break-up of Yugoslavia reshaped European security in the 1990s.

As a teaching fellow in European Foreign Policy at King's College London, Ben's research focus is on the ways in which inter-state military cooperation in Europe affects issues of sovereignty and autonomy. Along with his extensive policy-making background through advisory roles in the European Commission and European Parliament as well as for the Liberal Democratic Party in the UK, Ben's vast research experience can help us gain a better understanding into how legacies of wars in the 1990s still shape European politics today.

The background music is by Through the City by Crowander, and the production for this podcast was by Daniel Mansfield.

With the 4 July parliamentary election now coming closer, there are growing indications of a political shock that could reshape the United Kingdom. Over the past few weeks Scotland has emerged as a key electoral battleground, where a Scottish National Party that has governed Scotland's devolved institutions for seventeen years risks losing many of its seats in the UK parliament to a resurgent Labour Party.

To help us explore the impact political turmoil and social change in Scotland will have on this pivotal election we've been joined by David Leask. Through a long career in journalism, David has provided incisive analysis on the changing nature of Scottish and global politics. 

The background music is by Through the City by Crowander, and the production for this podcast was by Daniel Mansfield.