This is a critical time for the future of democracy as citizens in America and across the globe are losing faith in democratic institutions. We often view the rollback of democracy and threats to the liberal international order as separate problems, but in reality they are closely interlinked. In this podcast series, MEI Senior Fellow Gonul Tol examines the interplay between democracy's domestic and international foes as well as how to counter them.
Latest episodes
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35 min
Can Turkey's Opposition Fight Back?
A Turkish court has taken a dramatic step that could reshape the country's political landscape. It annulled the results of the CHP's 2023 party congress, effectively overturning th…
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43 min
Can Hamas Be Disarmed?
As the world's attention shifts to the Iran war, Gaza is increasingly disappearing from the international spotlight. But more than six months after the United Nations endorsed a pe…
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46 min
Will the PKK Really Disarm?
In 2025, jailed PKK leader Abdullah Öcalan made a historic call for the group to disarm and dissolve, raising hopes of ending a 40-year conflict that has shaped Turkey and the wide…
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36 min
Can Syria Hold Together?
Syria is in the midst of a fragile transition. Many observers see positive momentum, with new humanitarian initiatives underway and fresh funding beginning to flow. But the risks r…
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51 min
Nazanin Boniadi: How the World Can Help Iran's Democratic Struggle
Just weeks before President Trump's war began, Iran was in the midst of a powerful wave of anti-regime protests spreading across the country. But once the war started, that momentu…
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43 min
Lebanon at the Brink: War, Hizballah, and the Fate of Democracy
Israel's escalating campaign against Iran-backed Hizballah is rapidly turning Lebanon into one of the most unstable fronts in the wider US-Israel confrontation with Iran — pushing…
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40 min
The Kurdish Card: Can Iranian Kurds Shape the War's Endgame?
The war against Iran has entered its third week with no clear endgame—and no clear strategy from Washington. At one point President Trump appeared to encourage Iranian Kurdish grou…
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52 min
Is Turkey the New Iran — Or Is that the Wrong Question?
The balance of power in the Middle East is shifting. Iran is on the defensive — its military capabilities were badly degraded by last year's 12 days of Israeli and US strikes, and…
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48 min
After Rojava: What's Next for the Kurds?
Dramatic developments in Syria have delivered a major blow to Kurdish ambitions for self-rule. In a rapid offensive, Damascus moved into northeast Syria, forcing the Kurdish-led Sy…
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51 min
Israel-Palestine: Is the Two-State Solution Dead?
Long before the Gaza war erupted in 2023, a broad consensus had already taken hold across policymakers, activists, and foreign-policy circles: the Israeli-Palestinian conflict was…
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49 min
Can Iran's Regime Survive This?
Iran is once again at a boiling point. For more than a week, nationwide protests have shaken the country, with tens of thousands pouring into the streets of major cities, including…
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35 min
When the World's Oldest Democracy Goes Illiberal
The Trump administration has released its new National Security Strategy—and analysts say it signals a decisive break from America's role as the leader of the free world. Instead,…
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45 min
From Brightest Hope to Open-Air Prison: How Tunisia Lost Its Democratic Promise
Thousands of Tunisians marched in the capital last week against what they called 'injustice and repression,' accusing President Kais Saied of cementing one-man rule through the pol…
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33 min
From Ballots to Bargains: The Struggle for Iraqi Democracy
Iraqis have just gone to the polls in a pivotal parliamentary election that could redefine the country's political trajectory. What do the results tell us about the state of Iraqi…
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47 min
From Protest to War: How October 7 Reshaped Israeli Democracy
For years, Israeli populist politicians have chipped away at the country's democratic guardrails. But the Hamas attacks of October 7, 2023 accelerated Prime Minister Benjamin Netan…
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40 min
The US Role in Democracy Promotion: Continuity or Collapse?
For much of the past eighty years, the United States has seen itself — and often acted — as a global champion of democracy. Through the power of example, and through its diplomacy,…
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53 min
Can Lebanese Democracy Be Saved?
Once hailed as a rare democracy in the Middle East, Lebanon has now slipped into the ranks of closed autocracies. Decades of corruption, sectarian rule, and foreign meddling have l…
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1 h 02
Markets, Mayors, and Crackdowns: Erdoğan's High-Stakes Gamble
Turkey's main opposition, the CHP, is facing its toughest test yet: mass arrests, sham court rulings, and the ouster of key leaders—including Istanbul's mayor Ekrem İmamoğlu, Erdoğ…
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59 min
Iran at a Crossroads: War, Survival, and the Future of the Islamic Republic
Could this be the beginning of a new chapter for Iran's foreign policy—and for its pro-democracy movement? Gönül Tol speaks with Dr. Vali Nasr, one of the world's leading experts o…
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46 min
Syria After Assad: Transitional Justice, Governance, and the Road Ahead
With Bashar al-Assad ousted and Syria entering a new political chapter, what comes next for a country ravaged by war, repression, and sectarian divisions? Gonul Tol speaks with Ste…