Populism and International Relations
Populism is flourishing, in Europe and elsewhere: a populist holds power today in Argentina and perhaps tomorrow in the United States. What does its spread say about our societies? And how is it shaping them, where populists rule? Do their economic policies stand any chance of success? Do their foreign policies have a greater impact on the world around them or at home? If “Trump 2.0” comes to be, will he have a free hand? If so, what can we expect?
Does the tragedy in Gaza leave any room for hope? Can the two-state solution, the only rational one, still be implemented? The challenges are daunting: redrawing a geography fractured by colonization; establishing a credible Palestinian voice that can engage in a long negotiation; seeking acceptance in Israeli society; and rallying a range of foreign powers to take concrete action and push for the only remaining solution.
Beyond Ukraine and Gaza, Africa has been serving as a playing field for rival powers of all stripes: while France retreats and the US hesitates, Russia is advancing and several other states are making their presence felt—Turkey, Iran, the Gulf states, Hungary, even Ukraine. The range of opportunist strategies keeps growing, but is there a common geopolitical rationale underlying them all?
In the interview that opens this issue of Politique étrangère, Thierry de Montbrial analyzes an international scene in which the major instruments conceived in recent decades to foster global governance have been undermined. In particular, he considers the effects of the war in Ukraine and the uncertain destiny of the European Union.
This issue is available in French only: Populismes et relations internationales
Global Governance, Ukraine, and the European Union: Quo Vadis?, by Thierry de Montbrial
POPULISM AND INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS
Populism and the Far Right: What Exactly Do We Mean?, by Jean-Yves Camus
The Diversity and Failures of Economic Populism, by André Cartapanis
What Is a Populist Foreign Policy?, by Sandra Destradi
US Institutions and the “Trump 2” Hypothesis: The Lure of Authoritarianism, by Lauric Henneton
Argentina in the Era of “Mileism”, by Florian Vidal
ISRAEL-PALESTINE: THINKING ABOUT PEACE?
Israel-Palestine: One Solution, Two States, by Élie Barnavi
Israel-Palestine: The Question of Geography, by Michel Foucher
CURRENT AFFAIRS
The Red Sea: A New Geopolitical Era, by Cyrille P. Coutansais
Africa: The New Great Game, by Thierry Vircoulon
Myanmar: Military Victory Unattainable, Negotiated Peace Unlikely?, by Christian Lechervy
BAROMETERS
Paris 2024: The Geopolitics of the Olympic Games, by Jean-Baptiste Guégan
Syria: “Post–Civil War” Reprisals and the Persistence of the Past, by Myriam Benraad
BOOK REVIEWS
Editor: Marc Hecker
L’enchevêtrement des crises au Sahel. Niger, Mali, Burkina Faso, Jean-Pierre Olivier de Sardan
Le djihad de la vache. Pastoralisme et formation de l’État au Mali, Giovanni Zanoletti
Read by Alain Antil
Backfire. How Sanctions Reshape the World Against U.S. Interests, Agathe Demarais
Read by Michel Makinsky
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Populism and International Relations
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Return to the East: the Russian Threat and the French Pivot to Europe's Eastern Flank
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, has flung Europe’s Eastern flank into a new phase of strategic confrontation. It has had a major effect on France’s position, which was previously somewhat timid, leading it to significantly reinforce its deterrence and defense posture in support of the collective defense of Europe, in the name of strategic solidarity and the protection of its security interests.
Military Stockpiles: A Life-Insurance Policy in a High-Intensity Conflict?
The war in Ukraine is a reminder of the place of attrition from high-intensity conflict in European armies that have been cut to the bone after three decades of budget cuts. All European forces have had to reduce their stocks to the bare minimum. As a result, support to Ukraine has meant a significant drain on their operational capabilities. A significant amount of decommissioned systems were also donated, due to the lack of depth in operational fleets.
France’s Place Within NATO: Toward a Strategic Aggiornamento?
With a rapidly deteriorating security environment, a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan, internal disputes exploding into public view, and questions being raised about the scope of its security responsibilities, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) seemed to be in dire straits at the time of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022.
Towards a European Nuclear Deterrent
While major European powers may have to contemplate nuclear deterrence without America, the national flexibility and European financial support required to make it feasible is currently difficult to imagine.