What can you read into the body language of the world’s politicians when they press the flesh? Is the G20 anything more than a support group for embattled and unloved leaders? And was Putin right that liberalism is dead? On this week’s Democracy Sausage podcast, Mark Kenny and Marija Taflaga are joined by Michael Wesley and Lauren Richardson to talk international relations and diplomacy. The team also tackle your questions and comments.

Mark Kenny is a Senior Fellow in the ANU Australian Studies Institute. He came to the university after a high-profile journalistic career including six years as chief political correspondent and national affairs editor for The Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, and The Canberra Times.

Marija Taflaga is a lecturer in the ANU School of Politics and International Relations. Her major research is on political parties and particularly the Liberal Party of Australia. She has previously worked in the Australian Parliamentary Press Gallery as a researcher at The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

Lauren Richardson is Director of Studies and Lecturer at the Australian National University’s Asia-Pacific College of Diplomacy. Her research focuses on the role of non-state actors in shaping transnational diplomatic interactions in the context of Northeast Asia, particularly Japan-Korea relations.

Michael Wesley is Professor of International Affairs and Dean of the College of Asia and the Pacific at the Australian National University. He has published on Australian foreign policy, Asia’s international relations and strategic affairs, and the Politics of state-building interventions. His book, There Goes the Neighbourhood: Australia and the Rise of Asia (2011), was awarded the John Button Prize for the best writing on Australian politics and public policy.

Democracy Sausage with Mark Kenny is available on Apple podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. We’d love to hear your feedback for this podcast series! Send in your questions, comments, or suggestions for future episodes to podcast@policyforum.net. You can also Tweet us @APPSPolicyForum or join us on the Facebook group.

This podcast is published in partnership with The Australian National University.

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