Foreign Policy: France at a Turning Point?
An exceptional issue of Politique étrangère
Confronted with a world in which the fundamentals are being redefined, France’s foreign policy is under scrutiny. In which geographies should France assert its presence? To which major challenges should France be responding in order to survive in tomorrow’s world? What kind of relationship to that world should France be establishing, as thirty years of Western intervention have ended in catastrophic failure in Afghanistan?
France welcomes Germany’s new ‘pro-European’ coalition agreement
The coalition deal struck between three parties that will form Germany’s next government is very much in line with France’s own ambitions and priorities, including its vision of a more federal EU.
The Energy Price Crises: A Reality Check for Europe’s Green Deal
On its path to carbon neutrality, the European Union (EU) will be exposed to growing energy price volatility and vulnerable to Russian and Chinese pressure on supply and demand.
Building European Strategic Autonomy vs. Turkish Strategic Depth: Macron's Diplomatic Gamble
Since coming into office in 2017, Emmanuel Macron has been the loudest advocate for the development of European ‘strategic autonomy’, which aims at reinforcing the European Union’s geo-strategic independence. Asserting the EU’s role on the international stage, starting with its immediate neighborhood, directly clashes with Recep Tayyip Erdogan's long-term expansion strategy in several key areas.
A Strategy for Solving Europe’s Imported Deforestation Problem
The European Union (EU) is the world’s main trader in agricultural products, with imports totaling €142 billion in 2020. These imported agricultural products include commodities – palm oil, beef, cocoa, coffee, soy, etc. – that are responsible for deforestation in producing countries and thus create an “imported deforestation” problem for Europe.
Strategic Calculation: High-Performance Computing and Quantum Computing in Europe’s Quest for Technological Power
Computing power plays a key role in enabling machine learning, for scientific research, and in the military domain. Therefore, the race for computing power has become a key element of the US-China technological competition, and it is also a strategic priority for Europe.
Namibia’s Fair-Weather Friends and One All-Weather Friend
The relationship between Namibia and its historical partners has evolved over the last thirty years since Namibian independence. As in many countries, Namibia has been going through transformation, influenced by the process of globalization. This created new sets of geopolitical challenges and opened up new opportunities for Namibia's small and poorly diversified economy which has relied heavily on the mining industry.
China Bristles as EU Turns Its Attention Toward Indo-Pacific
Recent months have seen the United States and its allies step up their assertiveness toward China, with support voiced for Taiwan, a new deal to provide Australia with nuclear submarines and a new European strategy for increased presence in the Indo-Pacific, according to the Associated Press.
Which way for Germany’s foreign policy after the 2021 elections?
After 16 years of Angela Merkel, Germany’s federal election will not only pave the way for a new government but also for a brand-new foreign policy. At least potentially.
Europe/United States: 50 Shades of Dependence
Is Joe Biden’s United States (US) returning to multilateral, traditional diplomacy? This more open stance does not eliminate either its domestic problems or the divergence in interests separating the US from the Europeans: how will open diplomacy fit in with the priority of defending US interests? Will Washington organize a broad anti-Chinese coalition that the Europeans are opposed to? Will sanctions with their resulting effects remain at the heart of US strategy? Will the Europeans be able to assert their sovereignty in the key area of new technologies against the US giants?
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