History Behind the Headlines: Elections, ‘panda diplomacy’ and the word of the year

The latest instalment of our monthly sees Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter look back at the history behind the big stories of 2023 – and what they might tell us about the year to come

Our monthly series exploring how the past informs today’s world returns with a special episode catching up on some of 2023’s biggest stories, and considering how they might shape the events of 2024. Regular panellists Hannah Skoda and Rana Mitter discuss the surprisingly brief history of elections, the panda democracy phenomenon, and the long roots of the Oxford Word of the Year – ‘charisma’.

The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine.

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