Following a European Union election victory for France’s far right, French President Emmanuel Macron decided to dissolve parliament. Now, France is facing a snap election, and voting begins June 30th. With the far-right National Rally projected to win, what will the future of France look like? 

In this episode: 
Tristan Redman (@TristanAJE), Al Jazeera Senior Producer and host of the award-winning investigative podcast ”Ghost Story” 

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by David Enders, and Duha Mosaad, with Amy Walters, Chloe K. Li, Mohammed Zain Shafi Khan, Manahil Naveed and our host, Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.

Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, Threads and YouTube

Following a European Union election victory for France’s far right, French President Emmanuel Macron decided to dissolve parliament. Now, France is facing a snap election, and voting begins June 30th. With the far-right National Rally projected to win, what will the future of France look like? 
In this episode: 
<ul>
<li>Tristan Redman (<a href="https://twitter.com/TristanAJE?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor">@TristanAJE</a>), Al Jazeera Senior Producer and host of the award-winning investigative podcast ”<a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ghost-story/id1708635466">Ghost Story</a>” </li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by David Enders, and Duha Mosaad, with Amy Walters, Chloe K. Li, Mohammed Zain Shafi Khan, Manahil Naveed and our host, Natasha Del Toro, in for Malika Bilal. 
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our lead of audience development and engagement is Aya Elmileik. Munera Al Dosari and Adam Abou-Gad are our engagement producers.
Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer, and Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera's head of audio.
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEPodcasts">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/">Instagram, </a><a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.threads.net/@ajepodcasts">Threads</a> and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzGHKb8i9vTwjZkiFu6LhzsLUKFkYO60I">YouTube</a>

The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.

With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.

The Take is a daily interview-driven international news podcast hosted by award-winning journalist Malika Bilal. Each episode focuses on conversations with journalists and people directly impacted by the news of the day, offering our listeners the context necessary to understand what's in the headlines.
With millions of global listens, it's clear the conversations we're having on The Take are worth hearing. And critics think so too. The show has won the Online Journalism Awards, the Signal Awards, Lovie Awards, and Anthem Awards, among others.

The Take

The Take - Disco

Will France’s election gamble pay off for Macron - or backfire?

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on June 2, 2025. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.

Elon Musk may have resigned from the Department of Government Efficiency, but few believe he’s stepping away from power. In under a year, DOGE brought Silicon Valley-style disruption to Washington, consolidating federal data and dismantling oversight. Now, Musk is expected to channel what he gained into a private AI venture – with public systems still in reach.

In this episode: 
Matt Binder (@mattbinder), Writer of Disruptionist

Episode credits:

This episode was updated by Tamara Khandaker. The original production team was Tamara Khandaker, Sonia Bhagat, Chloe K. Li, Sarí el-Khalili, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Kisaa Zehra, Mariana Navarrete, Alexandra Locke, and Natasha Del Toro.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement and Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Every Saturday, we revisit a story from the archives. This originally aired on June 2, 2025. None of the dates, titles, or other references from that time have been changed.
Elon Musk may have resigned from the Department of Government Efficiency, but few believe he&rsquo;s stepping away from power. In under a year, DOGE brought Silicon Valley-style disruption to Washington, consolidating federal data and dismantling oversight. Now, Musk is expected to channel what he gained into a private AI venture &ndash; with public systems still in reach.
In this episode:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Matt Binder (<a href="https://x.com/mattbinder">@mattbinder</a>), Writer of<a href="https://www.disruptionist.com/"> Disruptionist</a></li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was updated by Tamara Khandaker. The original production team was Tamara Khandaker, Sonia Bhagat, Chloe K. Li, Sar&iacute; el-Khalili, Phillip Lanos, Spencer Cline, Kisaa Zehra, Mariana Navarrete, Alexandra Locke, and Natasha Del Toro.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our engagement producers are Adam Abou-Gad and Vienna Maglio. Andrew Greiner is lead of audience engagement and Alexandra Locke is The Take&rsquo;s executive producer.
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEPodcasts">X</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzGHKb8i9vTwjZkiFu6LhzsLUKFkYO60I">YouTube</a>

Another Take: What did Elon Musk get from DOGE – and what’s next?

As US President Donald Trump pushes deeper into war with Iran, Europe is keeping its distance, calling it “not our war”. But as strikes on Gulf energy facilities send oil and gas prices soaring, that distance is being tested. In a rare joint move, leaders from across Europe and Japan have pledged to help stabilize energy markets and ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Can Europe stay out of the fighting while being pulled in by its economic consequences?

In this episode: 
Sven Kühn von Burgsdorff, Former EU Diplomat

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by David Enders and Chloe K. Li, with Spencer Cline, Sonia Baghat, Tuleen Barakat, Catherine Nouhan and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Sarí el-Khalili. 

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan.  Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. 

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

As US President Donald Trump pushes deeper into war with Iran, Europe is keeping its distance, calling it &ldquo;not our war&rdquo;. But as strikes on Gulf energy facilities send oil and gas prices soaring, that distance is being tested. In a rare joint move, leaders from across Europe and Japan have pledged to help stabilize energy markets and ensure safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. Can Europe stay out of the fighting while being pulled in by its economic consequences?
In this episode:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Sven K&uuml;hn von Burgsdorff, Former EU Diplomat</li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by David Enders and Chloe K. Li, with Spencer Cline, Sonia Baghat, Tuleen Barakat, Catherine Nouhan and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Sar&iacute; el-Khalili.&nbsp;
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. &nbsp;Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take&rsquo;s executive producer.&nbsp;
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEPodcasts">X</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzGHKb8i9vTwjZkiFu6LhzsLUKFkYO60I">YouTube</a>

Will Europe be pulled into the Iran war?

Drone attacks are reaching deeper into Pakistan, hitting sensitive areas and raising alarm. Officials call them rudimentary, but analysts warn their impact could far exceed their sophistication. What do these low-cost drones reveal about the country’s vulnerabilities, and what comes next as tensions with Afghanistan continue to grow?

In this episode: 
Abid Hussain (@abidhussayn), Al Jazeera Digital Correspondent

Episode credits:

This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz, Marcos Bartolomé and Sarí el-Khalili with Spencer Cline, Catherine Nouhan, Tuleen Barakat, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.

Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take’s executive producer. 

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Drone attacks are reaching deeper into Pakistan, hitting sensitive areas and raising alarm. Officials call them rudimentary, but analysts warn their impact could far exceed their sophistication. What do these low-cost drones reveal about the country&rsquo;s vulnerabilities, and what comes next as tensions with Afghanistan continue to grow?
In this episode:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li aria-level="1">Abid Hussain (<a href="https://x.com/abidhussayn?s=20">@abidhussayn</a>), Al Jazeera Digital Correspondent</li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was produced by Noor Wazwaz, Marcos Bartolom&eacute; and Sar&iacute; el-Khalili with Spencer Cline, Catherine Nouhan, Tuleen Barakat, and our host, Malika Bilal. It was edited by Alexandra Locke.
Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is The Take&rsquo;s executive producer.&nbsp;
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on <a href="https://twitter.com/AJEPodcasts">X</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/">Instagram</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts">Facebook</a>, and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzGHKb8i9vTwjZkiFu6LhzsLUKFkYO60I">YouTube</a>

Will France’s election gamble pay off for Macron - or backfire?

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