2019-2029: The World in 10 Years
The last four decades have witnessed the profound transformation of the very foundations of the international system: the globalization of trade, technical revolutions, the upheaval of the hierarchy of powers, the emergence of China, the explosion of the Middle-East, the mutation of conflicts and threats, climate concerns, etc.
This special issue of Politique étrangère celebrates the 40th anniversary of IFRI. It includes contributions by the best international specialists to clarify and shed light on the major trends affecting today’s effervescent world: Where is it taking us? What may happen on this global stage, in all its parts, over the next ten years?
How far is the world going to be “de-westernized”? Does modernity concentrate power, or dilute it? How should the advances of the international financial system be evaluated, and what are their limits? Can poverty be reduced further? Will the energy transition be successful? What forms will international violence take? What will the world’s population look like in 2029? Are new technologies redesigning new geopolitics? Is global trade hesitating between trade war or multilateralism? Is Europe undoing itself, or reconstructing itself? What is the economic and political future of Africa in all its pluralities? Is the Middle-East doomed to breakdown? Will Asia be the center of tomorrow’s world?
How is the world of 2029 being sketched out today?
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Between Concentration and Dispersion: A Promising Future for Power Relations, by Thomas Gomart (Entre concentration et dispersion : le bel avenir de la puissance)
The Waning of Universalism, by Chantal Delsol (Le crépuscule de l'universel)
2029: TOWARD A NEW WORLD?
The Future of the International Monetary and Financial System, by Jean-Claude Trichet
International Trade Disagreements: Beyond Trump, by Sébastien Jean
Poverty and Inequality through 2030, by Ravi Kanbur
Possible Energy Transitions through 2029, by Adnan Z. Amin
Wars in the Next Decade, by Lawrence Freedman
After the Demographic Explosion, by Hervé Le Bras
When Technology Shapes the World..., by Jared Cohen
2029: WORLDS ADRIFT
Europe in 10 Years, by Nicole Gnesotto
The Africas of 2029, by Alioune Sall
The Middle East in 2029, by Fawaz A. Gerges
2029, the Great Asian Renaissance, by Kishore Mahbubani
A VIEW FROM HISTORY
Between the Lines of Questionable Battles, by Raymond Aron
This content is available in French : "L'éditorial de Politique étrangère, vol. 84, n° 1, printemps 2019"
This content is available in French : "Le dossier de presse de Politique étrangère, vol. 84, n° 1, printemps 2019"
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Trump II: The Clash of Ideologies
The second Trump administration brings together a number of very different, even opposing, ideologies: far-right populism, the reactionary Christian right, paleolibertarianism, and technolibertarianism. The most visible measures taken since Donald Trump's return to the White House have been populist in nature, with the president's authority strengthened, checks and balances weakened, a form of identity politics embraced, and economic nationalism implemented.
Europe Uncovered?
As Russia continues to threaten Europe, the Trump administration is making no secret of its desire to withdraw—at least partially—from the defense of the Old
Continent in order to focus on strategic competition with China. It is thus putting pressure on its European allies to increase their investment in the military sector. The NATO Summit in The Hague in June 2025 resulted in ambitious commitments by member states to increase their defense spending.
Trump II and Asia: The Wind is Picking Up…
The Indo-Pacific is a priority for the second Trump administration, which sees China as the United States' principal rival. However, Donald Trump began his second term in a rather disconcerting fashion by taking a harder line with Washington's traditional partners. He then provoked hostilities with Beijing, sparking a trade war even more intense than during his first term. The Chinese authorities have no intention of taking it lying down.
Trump II and the World / Politique étrangère, Vol. 90, No. 3, 2025
Does Trumpism exist? And if so, how can its ideology be characterized, given the myriad currents underpinning it—from populism and the Christian Right to paleolibertarianism and technolibertarianism? Does it embody a genuine worldview that informs its diplomatic actions? An obsessive drive to overturn long-standing practices, alliances, and commitments deemed “detrimental” to American interests, coupled with a fixation on transactional, one-off deals, appears to serve as its de facto strategy—hence the widespread weakening of allied ties. Observers are equally at a loss to discern an economic strategy, and above all reluctant to anticipate the possible outcomes of its contradictory maneuvers.