Top Risks 2019

Every January, Eurasia Group issues its flagship Top Risks report. This year we discuss why the geopolitical environment is the most dangerous it’s been in decades, despite global economic growth. On this episode we’re joined by Willis Sparks, Director of Global Macro who takes listeners through the report’s drafting process, and tackles a selection of our 10 top risks for 2019. We begin with our #1 top risk for 2019 “Bad Seeds.” It suggests the geopolitical dangers taking shape around the world will bear fruit in the years to come. We define a G-Zero world: one where no state or alliance is willing to lead on a myriad of complex and structural global issues. Our #2 risk is the tense and jittery bilateral US-China relationship, we’re not confident the trade and economic disagreements will be resolved anytime soon. The US at Home, our #5 risk is next given the impasse over immigration and continuing US government shutdown. 2019 will be a chaotic year for US domestic politics, with Trump facing adversarial congressional oversight for the first time, along with Democratic subpoena power. We close with risks #8-10, all discreet country risks on Mexico, Ukraine and Nigeria respectively.