EUDIS, HEDI, DIANA: What's behind Three Defense Innovation Acronyms?
In Europe, with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine showing little sign of abating, a persistent gap remains between security needs and defense spending. According to a 2006 commitment enshrined at the 2014 Wales NATO summit, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members should disburse no less than 2% of their national gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, out of which 20% is to be spent on equipment and research and development. In 2024, only 23 Allies out of 32 are expected to meet or exceed this target, though a significant improvement from only three in 2014. This total includes the United States (US) devoting 3.38% of its GDP to defense, constituting almost 70% of all NATO member defense spending combined.
Ensuring a Fair Green Transition
“Humanity has opened the gates of hell”, stated UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the Climate Ambition Summit in September 2023, emphasising that we are currently on a path of global warming above 2.4°C or even 2.9°C.
Between „Strategic Autonomy” and „Zeitenwende”: The Importance of Trade Between The EU and Mercosur
This policy paper analyses the geopolitical and economic significance of the EU-Mercosur agreement for the European Union (EU) in the context of the EU’s new European Economic Security Strategy.
'Unprecedented' security operation promised for Paris Olympic Games
The organisers of the Paris Olympics have promised an "unprecedented" security operation in the city ahead of the official start of the games later this week, and indeed the signs are everywhere in the heart of the French capital.
French thinking on AI integration and interaction with nuclear command and control, force structure, and decision-making
This paper analyses the French literature on France’s perception of military AI, especially its consequences on strategic systems and competition, and nuclear deterrence.
Germany and France agree Ukraine may strike Russian Military Targets
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany would not prohibit Ukrainian attacks on Russian military targets, saying Ukraine "is allowed to defend itself."
Neither Left nor Right, but Both? The Sahra Wagenknecht Alliance (BSW) in the Wake of European Elections
The 2024 European elections not only provided the occasion for a new German party, the “Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht” (BSW), to emerge but also to obtain 6.2% of the vote.
France's Indo-Pacific strategy
This article has been extracted from the magazine Question internationales - n°118 - Avril-mai 2023.
The Indo-Pacific, a new theater of strategic rivalry between China and the United States, is of growing interest to France, where it defends its interests related to its vast maritime territory by promoting multilateralism and forging multiple partnerships in the region.
France Adapts to an Era of Strategic Competition With China
Franco-German relation faces familiar challenge ahead of Macron’s Germany trip
Franco-German symbolism, rather than bickering over policy, will briefly take centre stage when French President Emmanuel Macron meets German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier in Berlin on Sunday (26 May) during a three-day state visit, the first in 24 years.
EUDIS, HEDI, DIANA: What's behind Three Defense Innovation Acronyms?
In Europe, with Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine showing little sign of abating, a persistent gap remains between security needs and defense spending. According to a 2006 commitment enshrined at the 2014 Wales NATO summit, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) members should disburse no less than 2% of their national gross domestic product (GDP) on defense, out of which 20% is to be spent on equipment and research and development. In 2024, only 23 Allies out of 32 are expected to meet or exceed this target, though a significant improvement from only three in 2014. This total includes the United States (US) devoting 3.38% of its GDP to defense, constituting almost 70% of all NATO member defense spending combined.
Ensuring a Fair Green Transition
“Humanity has opened the gates of hell”, stated UN Secretary-General António Guterres at the Climate Ambition Summit in September 2023, emphasising that we are currently on a path of global warming above 2.4°C or even 2.9°C.
Between „Strategic Autonomy” and „Zeitenwende”: The Importance of Trade Between The EU and Mercosur
This policy paper analyses the geopolitical and economic significance of the EU-Mercosur agreement for the European Union (EU) in the context of the EU’s new European Economic Security Strategy.
French thinking on AI integration and interaction with nuclear command and control, force structure, and decision-making
This paper analyses the French literature on France’s perception of military AI, especially its consequences on strategic systems and competition, and nuclear deterrence.
France's Indo-Pacific strategy
This article has been extracted from the magazine Question internationales - n°118 - Avril-mai 2023.
The Indo-Pacific, a new theater of strategic rivalry between China and the United States, is of growing interest to France, where it defends its interests related to its vast maritime territory by promoting multilateralism and forging multiple partnerships in the region.
France Adapts to an Era of Strategic Competition With China
Populism and International Relations
Populism is flourishing, in Europe and elsewhere: a populist holds power today in Argentina and perhaps tomorrow in the United States. What does its spread say about our societies? And how is it shaping them, where populists rule? Do their economic policies stand any chance of success? Do their foreign policies have a greater impact on the world around them or at home? If “Trump 2.0” comes to be, will he have a free hand? If so, what can we expect?
Fumio Kishida's Visit to Paris. The France-Japan Relation Deserves Better
Chinese President Xi Jinping's state visit to France hit the headlines. President Macron rolled out the red carpet to welcome his guest, hoping to convince China to limit its support for Russia and respect fair trade rules.
Xi Jinping’s Visit to France: Stumbling Blocks Pile Up on the Path of Bilateral Cooperation
On May 6 and 7, Chinese President Xi Jinping will pay a state visit to France, his first to Europe since 2019 and the Covid-19 pandemic. Emmanuel Macron and Xi Jinping will celebrate Franco-Chinese friendship and the sixtieth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between their two countries. It comes at a time when the bilateral relationship is officially perceived as positive on both sides, especially after the French President’s visit to China in April 2023.
After the Failure in the Sahel, Rethinking French Policy in Africa
Condemnations of French politics have gained momentum in recent years in French-speaking Africa. The grievances are multiple: military interventions, the persistence of the regional currency inherited from colonial time (CFA franc), development aid policy, restrictive visa policy, etc. However, the reasoned criticism against the French policy in Africa has turned into an anti-French diatribe on social networks and in the simplistic rhetoric of neo-Pan-Africanists.
'Unprecedented' security operation promised for Paris Olympic Games
The organisers of the Paris Olympics have promised an "unprecedented" security operation in the city ahead of the official start of the games later this week, and indeed the signs are everywhere in the heart of the French capital.
Germany and France agree Ukraine may strike Russian Military Targets
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Germany would not prohibit Ukrainian attacks on Russian military targets, saying Ukraine "is allowed to defend itself."
Paris Olympics may face security contractor shortage
PARIS — Three months before an Olympics that presents unprecedented security challenges at a globally tense time, French officials are facing a potential shortfall of qualified private contractors to help protect the Games.
Europe Yearns to Be an Indo-Pacific Player
There is a war on at home, but Europe’s strategic and naval aspirations are on the far side of the world. After years in search of a geopolitical identity, Europe is aiming to become a much bigger player in one of the most contentious spaces in international relations: maritime security, including in Asia.
France is already sending an armored ‘oddity’ to Ukraine. Now this can send a little odd.
France may send Ukraine its AMX-10Ps, an amphibious infantry fighting vehicle that was phased out of service by the French army nearly a decade ago.
High hopes UK-France summit will reset soured post-Brexit relations
As Emmanuel Macron prepares to welcome Rishi Sunak to Paris, hopes are high that the first UK-France summit since 2018 will turn the page on years of strained post-Brexit relations.
French delight as Emmanuel Macron will be first world leader to visit Biden in US
President Macron is set to become the first world leader to make a state visit to the US during the Biden presidency, to the delight of Paris. Following the announcement on Tuesday, some commentators claimed that France was being “pampered” by the US, while others drew a contrast with what they described as Britain’s loss of prestige on the global stage following Brexit.
EDF’s problems pile up as full nationalisation looms
French supplier of nuclear energy is struggling with plant shutdowns, build problems and skills shortages.
Africa-France: Can Macron’s ‘new partnership’ succeed?
Africa has occupied a significant place in Emmanuel Macron’s political agenda but he will need more than fine speeches to change the longstanding paternalist image of France on the continent.
France: 'Precarious' employment conditions for refugees
Around 42% of refugees settled in France manage to find a job within a year of obtaining official status. But the jobs they find are often far below their skill levels, resulting in a "professional downgrade" that leads to discontent and exhaustion.
Replay - Paris Naval Conference 2024: The Evolving Role of the Carrier Strike Group
This second edition of the Paris Naval Conference, bringing together high-level speakers from France, the UK, the USA, Italy and India, and organized by Ifri and the French Navy, aimed to redefine the role of CSGs in a changing strategic context, particularly in terms of the future threats it faces.
European Strategic Autonomy and the Green Transition: What Industrial and Technological Strategies? (Replay)
The invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation and consequent supply chain disruptions in the energy sector have exposed critical vulnerabilities in the European Union’s broader strategic autonomy agenda and bolstered efforts at lessening strategic dependency on third states in a variety of areas , from raw materials, batteries and active pharmaceutical ingredients to hydrogen, semiconductors, and cloud and edge technologies.
(Replay) Conférence navale de Paris : the return of naval combat
A conference organized by Ifri and the French Navy with British, French and American speakers to reflect on the evolution of naval strategy and the impact of new technologies on navies.
Interview - Conférence navale de Paris: The Return Of Naval Combat
An interview with the chiefs of staff of the French, American, and British navies.
Energy & Climate Policies of France Going Forward
Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), makes 5 key recommendations for the future of French energy & climate policies to foster energy security and achieve climate objectives:
The French-Greek Partnership: Beyond The Eastern Mediterranean.
This week, Ifri, in partnership with CATS Network, is launching a series of five videos on the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, seen through the prism of the geopolitical rivalry between France and Turkey.
The French Military's Perception of the Turkish Military and Turkey's Expansion in the EastMed.
This week, Ifri, in partnership with CATS Network, is launching a series of five videos on the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, seen through the prism of the geopolitical rivalry between France and Turkey.
Building European Strategic Autonomy vs. Turkish Strategic Depth: Macron's Diplomatic Gamble.
This week, Ifri, in partnership with CATS Network, is launching a series of five videos on the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, seen through the prism of the geopolitical rivalry between France and Turkey.
Conflicts in the EastMed: from Germany's and France's Conflicting Strategies to a Dual Approach.
This week, Ifri, in partnership with CATS Network, is launching a series of five videos on the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, seen through the prism of the geopolitical rivalry between France and Turkey.
France/Turkey in the EastMed: a Closer Look at the Rivalry between the Two Countries.
This week, Ifri, in partnership with CATS Network, is launching a series of five videos on the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean, seen through the prism of the geopolitical rivalry between France and Turkey.
Macron-Scholz meeting - Insights from Éric-André Martin on BBC World
The first meeting between French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz occurred on Friday, December 10, 2021, in Paris. An important visit for both Germany and France and an opportunity to relaunch the Franco-German couple since Angela Merkel’s departure from the German chancellery.
[Webinar] German and French responses to COVID-19
Thierry de Montbrial, Ifri's founder and executive chairman, participated in a webinar organized by the Harvard Kennedy School, alongside Daniela Schwarzer, Director, German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP).
The significance of the France-Japan partnership
A dialogue with Yoshiji NOGAMI, Vice-Chairman of the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA).
Support independent French research
Ifri, a foundation recognized as being of public utility, relies largely on private donors – companies and individuals – to guarantee its sustainability and intellectual independence. Through their funding, donors help maintain the Institute's position among the world's leading think tanks. By benefiting from an internationally recognized network and expertise, donors refine their understanding of geopolitical risk and its consequences on global politics and the economy. In 2024, Ifri will support more than 70 French and foreign companies and organizations.
