The Franco-German Day on January 22nd provides an opportunity to reflect on the capabilities and limitations of the Franco-German engine: is it still able to drive Europe forward, or does it need to recalibrate and rethink its ambitions profoundly?

From the growing size and diversification of the North Korean nuclear arsenal, and an open rhetoric in favor of nuclear proliferation in the South because of the loss of credibility of U.S. extended deterrence, the Peninsula is facing raising nuclear tensions. 

The Georgian state is currently undergoing a critical phase of democratic decline, marked by the domination of the Georgian Dream party and an authoritarian drift that is disrupting its political institutions.

The world order is undergoing a profound and accelerating reconfiguration. In this multipolar context, actors such as China, Turkey, Russia, India, and Gulf region countries like the United Arab Emirates or Saudi Arabia, are increasingly asserting themselves as essential strategic partners for the continent. Simultaneously, European states are also seeking to redefine their roles on the continent.

European energy policy sits at the fault line of geopolitical conflict, climate obligations, and transatlantic bargaining. While Hungary, Slovakia and others remain heavily reliant on Russian gas, the EU has sought to harden its stance through sanctions -most recently with Ursula von der Leyen’s announcement of a ban on Russian LNG imports in the 19th package.

Annual Conference of The Study Committe on Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) ─ Faced with a profoundly disrupted strategic and economic environment, Franco-German cooperation is more than ever the central pillar of Europe's future. The war in Ukraine, energy and technological dependence, and uncertainty about the strength of the transatlantic ties require urgent deepening of European sovereignty, both in terms of defence and economic and industrial competitiveness.

As tensions continue to rise in the Taiwan Strait and discussions grow about hybrid frictions potentially escalating into a kinetic conflict in the coming years, neighboring countries are bracing for impact. Japan and the Philippines would be on the front lines if a crisis were to erupt in the Taiwan Strait.

Greece stands at the crossroads of Europe’s southern flank, the Balkans, and the Eastern Mediterranean, a pivotal position for regional security and stability.

This seminar, co-organized by Ifri, CAPS, and the GCSP, brought together a wide range of international experts to analyze political, security, and economic transformations in the Eastern Mediterranean, two years after October 7.

Amid growing strategic and geopolitical uncertainty, Europe is grappling with the notion of its strategic autonomy. For Europe’s partners in Asia, the concept is also becoming increasingly salient as the world enters an era of structural transformation.