3391 publications
Trump and the Republican Party: electoral defeat, ideological victory?
During Donald Trump’s four-year term, many new Republican candidates have been elected to Congress. Often backed by the former president from the GOP’s primaries, they were chosen for their devotion towards him and their support for his policies : moral conservatism and laissez-faire attitudes towards fiscal and environmental issues are old Republican tenets taken over by Trump, while nativist and economic nationalism (based on anti-immigration and protectionist policies respectively), as well as the portrayal of White people without college degree as an oppressed minority are fresh precepts brought forward by the former populist President.
The United Arab Emirates in Africa: The Partly Thwarted Ambitions of a New Regional Player
The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has long-standing ties with African countries, but the implementation of a genuine Africa policy dates back only about 15 years.
Japan’s Infrastructure Investment in the Indian Ocean: Checking China, Securing the Sea Lanes
In the 2010s, Japan gradually increased economic connections with the Indian Ocean region (IOR) through trade, foreign direct investment, and official development assistance (ODA).
Germany’s Africa Politics: Renewal of an Unequal Cooperation?
In recent years, Germany’s Africa politics have been characterized by proactive international initiatives and the claim for a "partnership at eye level". However, a look at the power constellations of its cooperation indicates that inequalities are – contrary to Germany’s own claims – rather reproduced than reduced.
Corruption in Kenya. Understanding a Multifaceted Phenomenon
In Kenya, corruption results from a confusion of public and private interests that is specific to the neo-patrimonial logic in place since British colonization. The strong moral and political ethnicity that characterizes the country fuels an ambiguous relationship between the population and the elite.
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?
Americans First: The Biden Administration’s Geopolitics
The Biden administration’s geopolitics is beginning to be noticed. It aims to build on a reconciled nation willing to see its foreign policy objectives as a defense of its own interests.
Is Europe a “Digital Colony” of the United States?
Edward Snowden’s revelations, the Cambridge Analytica affair and the digital transformation accelerated by the Covid-19 crisis have all shown Europe's technological dependence on foreign powers.
Climate and International Trade: The Clash of Powers
The fight against climate change has a major economic dimension. With climate neutrality as their new objective, the major powers are counting on green industrial policy, and trying to contain the emissions related to their imports.
Germany/European Union: Angela Merkel’s Ambiguous Legacy
Angela Merkel is ending her fourth term as German Chancellor. Although she has made a number of statements demonstrating her commitment to the European project, her record in this area nevertheless appears to be mixed.
Moving Towards the End of 20 Years of War on Terror?
Twenty years after 9/11, the assessment of the “War on Terror” is mixed: heavy financial and human costs, weakening of Al-Qaeda central and the Islamic State in the Levant, but creation of affiliates in different locations, fatigue of endless wars, etc.
German Foreign Policy: Caught Between Multilateralism and Germany First
Underneath the rhetoric of commitment to a multilateral order, Germany's policy seems to be mainly structured around its national interests.
The European Union: Caught Between the United States and China
The United States and the European Union (EU) are now both in agreement regarding China – long viewed benevolently – as a systemic rival in the international order.
Conflicts in the EastMed: From Germany’s and France’s Conflicting Strategies to a Dual Approach
France, China and the BRI: The challenge of conditional engagement
Moving away from its traditional low-profile attitude, China has gradually shifted to a muscular foreign policy in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis and the resulting change in the global balance of power.
From Friends to Partners? The Changing Nature of Sino-Tanzanian Relations
Since the post-colonial period, China and Tanzania have maintained a close diplomatic relationship. This note offers a subtle analysis of the changing relationship between both countries since the 1960s. It assesses the economic ties and studies the collaboration of both countries in the agriculture, health, education and security sectors.
RAMSES 2022. Beyond Covid
For its 40th edition, RAMSES 2022. Beyond Covid, written by Ifri's research team and external experts, offers an in-depth and up-to-date analysis of geopolitics in today’s world.
CCUS in Europe: A New Role and Implications for France and Germany
A second wave of carbon capture, utilization and storage (CCUS) projects is under development, and it is much different from the 2000 wave. While Norway, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands are at its forefront, France and Germany have major competencies, and many projects could be carried out in these countries.
Russia: Can Economic Difficulties Weaken the Political System?
Year after year, Russian liberal politicians and experts have been promising radical changes in Russia’s economics and politics, which, they believed, would lead to the collapse of the Putin regime.
The China dilemma from Trump to Biden: one consensus and three worldviews
The United States underwent a fundamental transformation in its stance on China during the Trump presidency.
The Changing Landscape of European Cloud Computing: Gaia-X, the French National Strategy, and EU Plans
Non-European cloud service providers host the vast majority of European data, which is viewed as an economic as well as a political problem. Gaia-X, European governments and the European Union aim to bolster the European cloud market while responding to data privacy and cybersecurity concerns.
Turkey's Method in the Mediterranean: The Hold over Northern Cyprus
On July 20, 2021, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan celebrated with his Turkish Cypriot counterpart Ersin Tatar the 47th anniversary of the Turkish military intervention in Northern Cyprus. This ceremony marks the strategic reinvestment of the Cypriot file by Turkey.
Towards Geopolitical German Development Cooperation? Recent History, Current Trends, and Future Prospects
German development cooperation (GDC) in a post-Merkel era can be expected to become more geopolitical. Recently adopted German policy documents like the Indo-Pacific guidelines as well as the support to the geopolitical ambition of the European Commission suggest such a tendency for future German policy making.
Land Governance in the Outskirts of African Cities. Socio-Economic Challenges of Growing Peri-Urban Land Markets
Between 2020 and 2050, Africa’s population is expected to double, and the continent will be home to 2.5 billion people. Almost half of this population will be living in urban agglomerations. Metropolitan cities, such as Lagos, Nairobi, Dar es Salaam or Abidjan will host several tens of millions of urban dwellers. Peri-urban areas are most affected by the cities’ expansion and undergo important social, political, and economic transformations.
Back to “the Tradition”: Turkey’s Changing Position from a Federal to a Two-State Solution to the Cyprus Conflict
When it came to power in 2002, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) defended a bicommunal, federal solution for Cyprus, and supported the Annan Plan to reunite the island.
Advancing Europe: Green for Danger?
In France, the prospect of the Greens entering the German government this fall raises both hopes and fears.
The SPD Between Programmatic Reorientations and Political Continuity?
Just like most of the European Social-Democratic parties, the Social Democratic Party of Germany (SPD) has been going through a major crisis for several decades. Its centrism that got Gerhard Schröder elected in 1998 and 2002 is seen as a betrayal by the party's traditional electoral base.
Mexico’s Energy Policies During the Presidency of Andrés Manuel López Obrador: Sovereignty and Security
In power for three years, President López Obrador leads a National Revolution. The energy sector sees the strengthening of the State and state-owned companies, the Federal Electricity Company and Petróleos Mexicanos, against the liberalization principles implemented in the Energy Reform (2013-2014).
Europe, Power and Finance
Finance has become an essential attribute of power. Its importance has grown given the substantial investments needed for the energy and digital transitions as well as the need to support economies affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Health Data Governance: Lessons Learned from the COVID-19 Pandemic in Europe, China, and the United States
The health crisis has triggered a tectonic movement in the recomposition of health data governance and protection models around the world, while accelerating the investment of large digital companies in the field of e-health.
USA/Europe: Seven Digital Challenges
As a consequence of the positive momentum in Transatlantic relations brought about by the arrival of the Biden administration, significant progress is expected on a range of key digital issues.
India’s Energy and Climate Policies Post COVID-19: Short Term Slowdown, Longer Term Boom in Renewables
India has long been a positive and committed partner in global and domestic climate change mitigation efforts.
The Importance of the OSCE in German Diplomacy
As an essential platform for multilateralism, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) has always been important to German diplomacy, although in varying degrees. Historically, Germany’s support for the Conference on Security and Co-operation in Europe (CSCE) process was motivated by the aim of mitigating and ultimately overcoming the division of Germany.
Xi Jinping’s Conquest of China’s National Security Apparatus
One indisputable trend of Xi Jinping’s leadership since taking up the reins of government in 2012 has been the reaffirming of the Party’s control over the state, the army, society, and the economy. To this aim, establishing heightened control over the national security apparatus has been his means as much as an end. Xi has thus strengthened the Party’s overall security authority through major institutional and legal reforms.
Dialogue with Russia. Russia Needs to Reset Relations with the West
This report analyses Western-Russian relations and proposes a way forward for conducting dialogue with Russia. It offers an analysis of Russia’s relations with NATO and the EU, an overview of the bilateral relations of various Western countries with Russia, a glimpse of China’s role, and an assessment of the main interests and contentious issues in Western-Russian relations.
Green Recovery for Sub-Saharan Africa: Boosting Sustainable Electrification
If sub-Saharan Africa followed the same model of economic development as the rest of the world, focused on the growth of carbon intensive industries, cities and infrastructures, it would seal the planet's climate future. Africa’s emissions today are among the lowest per capita in the world: 0.8 tons/capita.
The Herculean Task of Decarbonizing the American Power System by 2035
The Biden Administration has so far taken the focus of the Biden candidate on climate issues seriously, especially the commitment made during the campaign of a net zero power system by 2035.
The German Presidency of the EU Council 2020. What Role for Paris and Berlin?
The German EU presidency in the second half of 2020 was Angela Merkel’s last presidency, shortly before her chancellorship ends in 2021. It was therefore expected that the Chancellor would use all her experience and influence to achieve positive results.
A “Coronavirus Presidency”: The Consequences of the Health Crisis for the German Presidency of the Council of the EU
On July 1, 2020, Germany assumed the six-month EU Council Presidency, at a time of global pandemic crisis. This presidency has thus quickly become a “corona presidency” in its objectives and functioning, itself a victim of the pandemic.
European asylum and immigration policy: what role for the Franco-German couple?
EU policy on migration and asylum is being built for the last 20 years. But this process is today on hold although France and Germany support the same position on this matter. However, the “migration crisis” in 2015 highlighted the weakness of the Franco-German alliance and the extend to which France’s support to Germany was timid although Germany was facing an extraordinary circumstances.