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Great legal traditions have shaped international law; they have also characterized major geopolitical units. These major legal systems struggle within the international law, fighting or ignoring one another with a movement similar to tectonic plates –these plates sliding over the “magma of power.” The “schizo-American,” the “kanto-European,” and the “Sino-sovereignist” plates are different from each other because of their conceptions of sovereignty. However, the confrontation of these plates will determine a changing international system in the 21st century; within this context, the kanto-European plate seems to be the most fragile.Julien AUBERT, former student of the École nationale d’administration (ENA), graduated from the Institut d’études politiques (IEP) of Paris and the Johns Hopkins University (School of Advanced International Studies). High-ranking civil servant, he teaches international relations at the Institut de la gestion publique et du développement économique and at the Centre de préparation à l’ENA (Sorbonne/Ulm).

Yannick PROST, 'agrégation' in history, former student of the ENA, is a high-ranking civil servant. He teaches international relations at the Centre de préparation à l’ENA (Sorbonne/Ulm) and history at the IEP of Paris. He is the author of Relations internationales (in collaboration with Justine Faure, Paris, Ellipses, 2004).