The British decision to leave the European Union comes at a critical moment for Germany and the EU. It exacerbates the “polycrisis” of recent years and leads to controversial questions: What should the EU look like without Great Britain? What is the objective, the “finality”, of European integration? And what role should Germany play in the future? 

Military intelligence has evolved significantly as a result of advanced technology and the changing character of war. 

This Workshop report was written by the participants of the French-German Future Dialogue 2016. It's the result of three seminars (Dijon, Lübeck, Alcala de Henares) on youth unemployment in Europe: Equal opportunities for European youth? 

On June 23rd, the UK voted 51.9% to 48.1% to leave the European Union. While the referendum outcome was not legally binding, the broad political consensus that has since emerged across both Remain and Brexit camps has been that the will of the majority must be upheld. So while the UK leaving the EU could be considered inevitable, and has continued to be reinforced with the political mantra of ‘Brexit means Brexit’, it is not clear what this exit will look like.

Southeast Asia is one of the world's most dynamic regions and experiences strong economic and energy demand growth rates. In this context, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is seeking to interconnect the electric grids and gas networks of the countries through two initiatives, the Asean Power Grid and the Trans-Asean Gas Pipeline, in order to pool resources and optimize energy markets integration in the region.

October 2016 presented a grim test for the fourteen-year-old International Criminal Court (ICC) as three Sub-Saharan African countries, Burundi, South Africa and Gambia announced their decision to opt out of the international judicial body. 

Like most “traditional” industries, for several years the space industry has been faced with the challenges of digital technology. So, the European space industry is dealing with new actors from digital technology, which are mainly American start-ups or Silicon Valley giants such as GAFA (Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple)

The descent into the morass of failure seems relentless for a country that used to be, at the aftermath of its independence in 1980, the “jewel in Africa” to be carefully preserved, as former Tanzanian President Julius Nyerere advised an acclaimed Mugabe ascending into power.

This book is a major new study of the extent to which national mentalities, or 'ways of war', are responsible for 'national styles' of insurgency and counterinsurgency

The article discusses Russia’s informational and digital strategy towards Europe. It focuses on its content, instruments, infrastructures and techniques. 

As China elaborates on the design of its "Belt and Road Initiative" (OBOR), the place of Europe within this project is slowly but surely taking shape. 

Contrary to other immigration societies such as the United States, Canada or Australia, migrations is not a core element of European narratives on shared identity. Each country maintains a very particular understanding of his migratory past and on the extent to which it should become part of the national narrative. The question of a European memory of migration therefore struggles to emerge.

This chapter covering the French energy transition model is part of a broader study conducted by the Institute of Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS), in preparation of the German Presidency of the G20. Based on the analysis of fourteen national strategies, the IASS study considers the potential of the G20 to shape a global transition to sustainable energy, urgently needed in order to achieve the United Nations' climate and sustainability goals.

This paper analyses the causes and consequences of the 2016 uprising in Kashmir, making six interrelated arguments. 

Relations between Russia and the West have deteriorated dramatically in recent years. The institutional foundations of cooperative security in Europe and the rules and principles they represent are rapidly disappearing. 

This HET report assesses the impact of sustained low fossil fuel prices on the transition to a low carbon energy system.

The Mediterranean is currently an intersection of upheavals and crises. Destabilization on its southern shores, uncontrolled migrations, simmering hostilities in the east surrounding exploitation of energy resources, military presence of all the great world powers (from Washington to Beijing, and Moscow of course), and increasing assertion of regional powers…

The Brexit referendum demonstrated the fundamental reticence of the British to embrace the ethos underpinning the European construction, the powerlessness of politicians to explain it clearly to the public, the particular difficulties of the main political parties involved, as well as the development of a specifically English nationalist sentiment.

Chinese presence in the Mediterranean is increasing: propositions for cooperation forums with various southern European countries, investment in port terminals, military maneuvering, evacuation of citizens, etc.

Current hostilities between the United States, NATO and Russia, though they might not be at Cold War levels, do indicate real danger. NATO’s continued expansion toward the east and the deployment of defensive American antimissiles in Europe constitute serious strategic problems for Moscow.

Coping with “gray zone” situations has in recent years become the core security challenge for Japan. Since September 2012, Beijing has been challenging Japan’s sovereign control of the Senkaku Islands by regularly sending law-enforcement vessels into Japanese territorial waters and contiguous zones.

Having long remained a passive presence within multilateral economic organisations, China recently changed its stance when the United States was faced with a major financial crisis. 

Since the Modi government came to power in June 2014, it has invested diplomatic capital in announcing the transformation of India’s ‘Look East’ policy into a new ‘Act East’ policy. 

The reason for the deployment of a People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) “anti-piracy task force” in the Gulf of Aden (GoA), a key area for the Chinese economy, was obvious in 2008. However, as the pirate activity has faded away since 2012, the objectives of the PLAN in GoA became unclear. 

Facing turmoil on its eastern and southern borders, the European Union has sought some answers by revising its European Neighbourhood Policy and releasing a reviewed Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy. Beyond these documents, what is the real impact of the EU in its neighbourhood?

What will become of US foreign policy under Donald Trump? A selection of Ifri researchers has come together to offer their thoughts on this question. Our experts cover an array of topics through 14 contributions, ranging from the future Sino-American relations, through US engagement in the Middle East, to the prospects of a renewed transatlantic relationship. This analysis intends to help readers anticipate the outcomes of this election in order to facilitate decision-making.

Innovation, entrepreneurship, growth and competitiveness go hand in hand. This short paper looks at two areas where the EU plays a role to help drive innovation: regulation and financing.

After the audacity of hope, the rage of hopelessness has thus propelled Donald Trump to the White House. In a tamed but still tragic repetition of history, the economic crisis of 2008 has eventually produced its eventual political outcome, embodied in a farcical show-businessman who proudly cultivates contempt for the liberal institutions of Washington while supporting the authoritarian politics of Moscow. The consequences of this Trump moment will be profound for America, they may be even more crucial for Europe. That American elections are a global phenomenon is not new. But for the first time since World War II, an overtly nationalist, proud protectionist and self declared neo-isolationist will become the leader of the free world.

The South African political landscape experienced a shock from an unlikely source; the country’s local government elections on August 3, 2016 representing the last tier of government and often overlooked in favour of national and provincial polls. 

Japan’s latest space policy is designed to support a more proactive US-Japan alliance role in containing China, and robustly defend Japan against North Korean ballistic missile threats. 

Since the start of the Ukraine crisis in early 2014, the states of East Central Europe have become increasingly important targets of Russian economic, political and military pressure. Russia finds itself in the trajectory of geopolitical retreat on the Western “front”, and seeks to slow down this process by mobilizing every economic, political and military asset in East Central Europe, where various weak points in the European and Atlantic unity exist—and are typically overestimated by Moscow.

Up until recently, little attention has been paid to the crisis which the Ethiopian regime has nonetheless been sinking into for more than two years. The rare spotlights focused on this country have praised its economic performance, describing it as a new “Far East” or even an “African lion”. The violence and imprisonment aimed at activists, journalists, and a good many citizens have remained hidden.

In the context of liberalisation and the creation of a European electricity market, security conditions underlying the supply of electricity need to be reconsidered. 

The French Army's Sangaris Operation in Central African Republic proved successful despite it being first undermined. 

The Indian government has launched the Smart Cities Mission in June 2015 with the aim of providing a better quality of life to the citizens in 100 cities of the country. This paper describes the main features of the Mission and attempts to explain the challenges in the way forward.

The Calais’ camp demolition operation that has begun on October 24^th 2016 is the most significant ever conducted. It follows numerous failed or aborted attempts to dismantle the shanty town and relocalize its inhabitants. 

The 2016 White Paper on security policy and the future of the Bundeswehr is testament to Berlin’s declared will to play a more active role internationally, to assume more responsibility and to provide leadership in close concertation with its partners in Europe and the world. 

In December 2015, a new international climate agreement was adopted, paving the way for increased mitigation and adaptation efforts.

In this short study of attempts that have been made in recent years to modernize the Russian economy, the author explains why they have all ended in failure. Unlike most experts, he focuses on politics and ideology.

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development; featuring a set of 17 measurable and time-bound Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) with 169 associated targets for 2030. This Hot Energy Topic analyzes advancement to SDG7 (access to a clean energy) and SDG13 (combat and adapt to climate change) in Africa through the prism of SDG17 (partnership).