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Hosted by Marcel Dirsus · news · EN · 38 episodes
Hey, it’s Marcel Dirsus. I’m a political scientist and this is The Next Best, my podcast. The world is complex, dangerous and confusing. To make sense of it all, I talk to authors, historians, diplomats and spies. Together, we’re going to learn about nuclear weapons, sanctions, targeted killings and much more. Let’s go.Have a question? Email at: thenextbestpodcast@gmail.com
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Signup to Generate a PitchHey, it’s Marcel Dirsus. I’m a political scientist and this is The Next Best, my podcast. The world is complex, dangerous and confusing. To make sense of it all, I talk to authors, historians, diplomats and spies. Together, we’re going to learn about nuclear weapons, sanctions, targeted killings and much more. Let’s go. Have a question?
The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus is hosted by Marcel Dirsus. The show has published 38 episodes to date.
Recent episodes include "#37 Florian Flade: Inside the Spy Scandal of the Century (Happening Now)" (14 October 2026, 47 minutes), "#36 Hanna Notte: Isolating Russia? Impossible." (22 September 2026, 46 minutes), and "#35 Ben Macintyre: The Cold War Spy Who Stopped Nuclear War" (11 September 2026, 38 minutes).
The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus publishes roughly weekly, with episodes averaging 44 minutes across 38 episodes.
Booking probability for The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus is 46%, and the host is rated Selective on guests. The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus requires a Pod Score of 80 or higher. The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus's contact route on record: verified email.
The strongest fits for The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus are Defense & International Affairs. The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus has a news audience.
Marcel Dirsus hosts The Next Best with Marcel Dirsus, a news show with 38 episodes published.
Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.
Episode #37
Germany’s former intelligence chief has been accused of treason. Here's the full story. Important: The investigation is ongoing. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Episode #36
Russia was supposed to be isolated. But four years into the war in Ukraine, that hasn’t happened. Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/DrMarcelDirsus Buy Hanna's book: https://wwnorton.com/books/9781324117018 In this...
Episode #35
What happens when a senior KGB officer walks into the British embassy in revolutionary Iran and offers to spy for MI6? Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/DrMarcelDirsus Redwood: The Untold Story of the Cold War's Most...
Episode #34
Is Vladimir Putin running out of options in Ukraine—and could desperation push Russia into war with NATO? Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/c/DrMarcelDirsus In this episode of The Next Best, host Marcel Dirsus sits down...
Episode #33
There is no "magic button" in war. From naval blockades in the Strait of Hormuz to precision air strikes and economic sanctions, military planners constantly search for a magic button — a way to achieve decisive...
Episode #32
How do elite Russian spies operate? How are they recruited and trained, and what makes the life of these "Illegals" so miserable? Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/DrMarcelDirsus In this episode...
Episode #31
What happens when billionaires buy democracy?In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus speaks with author and investigative journalist Casey Michel about the rise of America’s oligarchs — and how enormous private...
Episode #30
What would actually happen if nuclear war broke out?Nuclear weapons expert Frank Sauer explains, step by step, how a nuclear war could begin, how world leaders would make life-or-death decisions in minutes, and what the...
Episode #29
Why did the United States lose the war in Afghanistan? Why did the Taliban ultimately return to power? And what lessons should policymakers take from America's longest war? In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel...
Episode #28
How does Kim Jong Un stay in power? In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus speaks with journalist Anna Fifield, former Washington Post Beijing bureau chief and author of The Great Successor, about the inner...
Episode #27
How much do ordinary Russians really support the war in Ukraine? Can Ukraine's drone strikes change the course of the conflict? And what happens after Vladimir Putin? In this episode of The Next Best, I sit down with Dr...
Episode #26
Historian Margaret MacMillan explains why Trump's foreign policy is unprecedented, what Putin wants, and whether the liberal international order is coming to an end.What happens when the world's most powerful democracy...
Episode #25
Germany is spending more on defence than at any point in recent history — and some analysts believe it could soon become Europe’s dominant military power.But what happens if Germany rearms in a world where Europe can no...
Episode #25
<p>Germany is spending more on defence than at any point in recent history — and some analysts believe it could soon become Europe’s dominant military power.But what happens if Germany rearms in a world where Europe can...
Episode #24
<p>What keeps Iran’s regime in power—and why has it survived repeated crises, protests, and international pressure? </p><p><br></p><p>In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus sits down with Yeganeh Torbati (New...
Episode #24
What keeps Iran’s regime in power—and why has it survived repeated crises, protests, and international pressure? In this episode of The Next Best, Marcel Dirsus sits down with Yeganeh Torbati (New York Times Iran...
Episode #23
<p>Most countries are not superpowers. They’re not regional hegemons. They’re small states trying to survive in a world dominated by giants.In this episode, I speak with Anders Wivel, Professor of Political Science at...
Episode #22
<p>The Houthis aren't Iran's puppet. That's what makes them so dangerous. They can shut down two of the world's most critical chokepoints simultaneously — and there's very little the West can do about it.In this episode...
Episode #21
<p>Everyone thinks Putin perfected the energy weapon. But Russia has been using oil and gas as a political bludgeon for over 70 years — and it didn't start with him. </p><p><br></p><p>Historian Sergey Radchenko traces...
Episode #20
<p>In this live episode recorded in Berlin, Marcel Dirsus sits down with researcher and author Julia Ebner to explore the psychology of extremism, conspiracy theories, and online radicalization. From QAnon and neo-Nazi...
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