On 9th July we held a joint event with Fundación Ortega-Marañón in Madrid to discuss ‘Global challenges, Peligra la democracia en el mundo?’ and Reino Unido Cambio y Futuro.

If you missed the conversation but would like to hear what our expert panelists had to say follow this link to listen to the recording.

The challenges to democracy internationally and facing the new British Labour government, were the subjects of the conference held in Madrid on July 9^th  and hosted by the prestigious research and academic institution the Fundación Ortega-Marañón in collaboration with the BritishSpanish Society.

Following a  warm welcome from Federico Buyolo, cultural director of the Fundación Ortega-Marañón, experts from the world of academia and the media, moderated by BSS chairman Anglo Spanish author and journalist Jimmy Burns Marañón, discussed a range of subjects from the war in the Ukraine and the US presidential elections to the personality and politics of Keir Starmer and the prospects of  an improved relationship between the UK and Europe.

A  first panel focusing on the global context was led by Emilio Sáenz-Francés, professor of history and international relations at the Universidad Pontificia Comillas ICAE-ICADE and included Iliana Olivié, lead investigator at the Real Instituto Elcano and professor in economics and history at the Universidad Complutense in Madrid, and Lane Greene, Madrid based columnist for The Economist.

The second panel, analysing the recent UK elections and the nature of the new government, was led by David Mathieson, a former adviser on foreign policy during the government of Tony Blair, and included the Madrid based prize winning multi-media British journalist Sarah Morris, and  Ben Sills a specialist in European politics and finance with Bloomberg News. The panel discussions were followed by a lively Q & A session from the audience.

The full house of distinguished attendees in the Fundación Ortega-Marañón’s Maria de Maeztu conference hall included BSS members, patrons, representatives of the UK embassy in Madrid, and two former Spanish ambassadors to London, Carlos Miranda and Federico Trillo. The event was  hybrid and was recorded on YouTube. If you missed the conversation but would like to hear what our expert panelists had to say follow this link to listen to the recording.