Stepping into the Unknown: Geopolitics and the Global Economy after the Covid Crisis

More than 18 months after the coronavirus pandemic first cast its spectre across the world, there is a sense that we are moving into a new phase of the crisis, but the shape and nature of what lies ahead remains extremely uncertain. To help make sense of the geopolitical and global economic consequences of this global health emergency, on the 6th of September, the British Foreign Policy Group hosted a debate and discussion about the post-pandemic global landscape, with two leading experts in conversation with the BFPG’s Director.

Adam Tooze previewed his forthcoming book, Shutdown: How Covid Shook the World’s Economy, which details the chaotic and catastrophic impacts of the pandemic on global financial systems and what the future may hold.

Bruno Maçães spoke to his forthcoming book, Geopolitics for the End Time: From the Pandemic to the Climate Crisis, which considers the lasting impact of the pandemic and what it reveals about how the impending climate emergency will play out.

The event was chaired by Sophia Gaston, the Director of the British Foreign Policy Group.

Speakers:

Adam Tooze is a Professor of History and Director of the European Institute at Columbia University. His interests lie within economic, political, intellectual and military history but he also comments on broader globalisation trends such as the climate crisis. Adam is a columnist at Foreign Policy and writes political commentary for The Guardian and the Financial Times. He won The Lionel Gelber Prize in 2019. He has written four books relating to economic history with the latest entitled ‘Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World’. Adam’s upcoming book ‘Shutdown: How Covid Shook the World’s Economy’ was released early September 2021. If you would like to purchase this book, please click here.

Bruno Maçães is a Senior Advisor at Flint Global, advising on issues relating to EU policy, Brexit and EU-China relations, as well as a non-resident senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and a non-resident fellow at the Renmin University. He was formerly Europe Minister of Portugal. He has published three books, ‘The Dawn of Eurasia: On the Trail of the New World Order’, ‘Belt and Road: The Sinews of Chinese Power’ and ‘History Has Begun: The Birth of a New America’. His upcoming book, ‘Geopolitics for the End of Time’, was released early September 2021. If you would like to purchase this book, please click here.

Sophia Gaston is Director of the British Foreign Policy Group. A social and political researcher specialising in public opinion, her research particularly explores populism, nationalism and the rise of anti-establishment movements, as well as broader threats to governance in Western nations.