Two Shades of Blue: Europe and the Pacific Islands, Strategic Partners in the Indo-Pacific Era
In recent years, France and the European Union (EU) have published their respective Indo-Pacific strategies and a Ministerial Forum was held in Paris on February 22, 2022, bringing together over 60 foreign affairs ministers from European and Pacific Island countries.
Emmanuel Macron: The Preferred Choice for Taipei and Beijing
The second round of the French presidential election on April 24 will decide whether Emmanuel Macron, the incumbent president, or Marine Le Pen, the leader of the far right nationalist party Rassemblement national (national gathering), will become president of the French Republic for the next five years.
Towards a War of Norms ? From Lawfare to Legal Operations
Defined as the use of law to establish, perpetuate, or change power relations in order to counter an adversary, lawfare practices reflect a reality that is inherent in international law.
The French Strategy of the Saarland. A German Federal State on the Way to a Living European Multilingualism
With the France Strategy, Saarland set out in 2014 to become an efficient multilingual German-French region within a generation.
Accelerating the energy transition in France: drawing inspiration from best practice in our European neighbours
The success of energy transition is first and foremost a question of good governance, which must be based on expertise and collective deliberation.
Digital Sovereignty Review of Macron’s Term and Debates in the 2022 Presidential Campaign
One month before the French presidential election, this briefing assesses the actions undertaken during Macron's term as well as the presidential candidates' proposals concerning France's digital sovereignty.
The Weimar Triangle Three Decades After Its Foundation: Review and Prospects
When it was founded in August 1991, the Weimar Triangle was intended as a forum for trilateral consultations between the foreign ministers of France, the Federal Republic of Germany, and Poland on the future of Europe after the end of the Cold War.
The French-Greek Partnership: Beyond the Eastern Mediterranean
The bilateral defense agreement signed by France and Greece in September 2021 confirms the strategic turn of the relationship between the two countries. It was already unveiled in 2020 when Paris supported Athens to counter Turkish maritime operations that France and Greece considered very hostile.
The Employment of Refugees – From Career Pathways to Company Recruitment Policies
The issues of employment and work for refugees have received increasing attention from both the political, NGO and economic spheres in France since 2017, but few studies have yet to address this subject. This study was born out of cooperation between the Observatory on Immigration and Asylum and the “Work with Refugees” collective, that brings together several French NGOs supporting refugees and asylum seekers into employment.
French Engagement in the Western Balkans: Boosting Strategic, Political, Economic, and Societal Cooperation
After years of lower interest, France has signaled its ambition to re-engage in the Western Balkans. It is not starting from scratch. Historical affinities with the countries of the region abound, in culture, sciences, politics, and economy.
Space Collaboration between India and France: Towards a New Era
In the sphere of space research, France-India collaboration began in the early 1960s, with France providing assistance to India’s Rohini sounding rockets programme. Over the years, France has played a constructive role in helping India to develop its ground and space infrastructure, as well as its launching platforms and human resources. In point of fact, France has emerged as one of India’s most dependable partner in the realm of space.
The French Army and the Military Revolution of the First World War
In 1914 the firepower of modern weaponry produced a massacre. To limit losses, the warring parties dug themselves into trenches. The French army was forced to innovate.
Judicialization of the Battleground
The increasing judicialization of external military action is encouraging military law to fall into line with common law.
France, Germany, Turkey: A New Triangle of Powers
Relations between Germany, France and Turkey have been strictly bilateral for a long time, with varying intensity, styles and areas of cooperation. The European perspective that is now part of these relations has introduced a three-way dynamic.
France and the Fight against Terrorism in the Sahel: The History of a Difficult Leadership Role
Except for its extreme poverty and the disastrous effects of a series of droughts, the Sahel region has been largely out of the spotlight of international attention in the past. Yet the rise of terrorism and especially the creation of Al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in 2007 brought the region into the focus of world politics. Initially, AQIM"s activities in the Sahel mainly posed a threat to the stability of the Sahelian states themselves. In an effort to internationalize its agenda, however, AQIM also started targeting Western countries.
The Defense Budget in France: Between Denial and Decline
Although defense spending is the fourth budget item in France, it is rarely a matter of public debate. During the past three decades, defense has been affected in turn by the desire to rip the benefit of the post-Cold War “peace dividend”, the professionalization of 1997, and the increase of overseas operations after September 11, 2001.
France and the EEAS: A give-and-take relationship
Based on interviews with diplomats from a representative cross-section of nine member states and members of the EEAS (European External Action Service) itself, the research findings of this EPIN Working Paper confirm long-standing traditions and member state perceptions of cooperation with European institutions.
Defence and Foreign Policy Under President-elect François Hollande
We know little about François Hollande's stance on wider foreign and defence policy issues. Though we are unlikely to see major changes from his predecessor, some clues from his successful campaign suggest that President-elect Hollande will adopt a more European and Gaullist approach.
Digital Hoplites: Infantry Combat in the Information Age
FELIN, the world's first "integrated soldier system", will enter service in the French Army this year. Throughout history, infantrymen have sought to capitalize on technology while seeking the best compromise between three basic requirements: mobility, firepower and protection of combatants.
European Task Force on Irregular Migrations - Country Report: France
Looking back since the end of the 1970’s, French immigration policy has been characterised by an increased toughening, both on the outside, through greater border control and an increasingly strict asylum policy, and on the inside, with a progressive criminalisation of irregularity.
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