The Global Economy: Caught in the Storm / Politique étrangère, Vol. 91, No. 1, 2026
The global economy has become the primary arena for the clash of power ambitions in a world where understanding, coordination, and concerted multilateralism seem to have been permanently marginalized. In this fragmented landscape, how will American and Chinese strategies interact? Will the European Union manage to break out of its decades-old framework in order to face new competition? And will it be able, like others, to integrate the announced shift from a production economy to a digital, information economy? And what role will financial institutions, and central banks in particular, play in this transitioning international economy?
The pressing challenges of the present day should not, however, cause us to forget some decisive markers. What does the widespread reduction in development aid tell us about our conception of North/South economic relations? Beyond the daily political debates, are we fully grasping the scale of the problems posed by large-scale migratory movements, which, incidentally, do not primarily concern Europe? Half a decade after Covid-19, have we made any progress in developing measures to combat infectious diseases? In Africa, the Middle East, and Ukraine: what lessons can we learn from the latest armed conflicts to help us shape the world of tomorrow?
This issue is available in French only: Économie internationale: la fin d'un monde ?
THE GLOBAL ECONOMY: CAUGHT IN THE STORM
The Global Economy in the Face of Geopolitical Upheaval, by Norbert Gaillard
From Trump to Xi Jinping: Globalization's Great Rupture, by Sébastien Jean
The European Union: A Lagging Economy and a Software Update, by Sébastien Maillard
Digital Revolution, Economic Upheaval, by Hugo Le Picard
What Can Central Banks Do?, by Christian de Boissieu
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Official Development Assistance in the Age of Deglobalization, by Jean-Michel Severino
Migration: The European Union's Dilemma, by Didier Leschi
India-United States Relations under Threat from Trump II, by Jean-Luc Racine
Germany: The Return of Military Service?, by Paul Maurice
BAROMETERS
Sudan in Search of an Unlikely Peace, by Roland Marchal
Israel and the New Middle East: Between Normalization, Deterrence and Messianism, by Jean-Loup Samaan
Ten Years On: Brexit Up for Debate, by Marie-Claire Considère-Charon
REFLECTIONS
Why Russia Wages War, by Bernard Chappedelaine
The Sahel: The Operational Legacy of Barkhane, by Tewfik Hamel
Eradicating Infectious Diseases: A Multilateral Utopia, by Antoine Flahault, Johanna Elbel and Agnès Buzyn
BOOK REVIEWS
Editor: Marc Hecker
Climat. Les énergies de l'espoir, by Cédric Philibert
From Crisis to Action: Climate Change Through the Eyes of the Most Vulnerable, by Abena Takyiwaa Asamoah-Okyere, Christina Natalia Widjaja and Tim Smedley
Économie de l'(in)action climatique, by Christian Gollier
Reviewed by Christian de Perthuis
248 pages. 23 euros.
March 5th, 2026.
Diffusion : Pollen/Dif'Pop.
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Digital Revolution, Economic Upheaval
The digital revolution is profoundly shaking up the economy, with the impact felt well beyond the digital sector itself. Indeed, it is transforming the very concept of value creation. Artificial intelligence represents a new phase that requires a colossal investment in physical infrastructure like data centers. Europe failed to grasp the scale of these changes in time, but it does have certain advantages.
Germany: The Return of Military Service?
Abolished in 2011, conscription returned to Germany in 2025, albeit in a new, voluntary form. The decision in 2011 was broadly supported. Public opinion, like the political sphere, is more divided now. The reintroduction of voluntary service for men reflects the demands of the geopolitical landscape and the Bundeswehr’s need for troops. It remains to be seen whether the model chosen will fulfill the requirements of defense chiefs.
Foreword
In this special issue of Politique étrangère devoted to the proceedings of the conference organized by Ifri on April 10, 2019, in the Grand Amphitheater of the Sorbonne, on the occasion of its fortieth anniversary, read the foreword by Thierry de Montbrial, founder and president of Ifri.
Europe and Africa
In this special issue of Politique étrangère devoted to the proceedings of the conference organized by Ifri on April 10, 2019, in the Grand Amphitheater of the Sorbonne, on the occasion of its fortieth anniversary, discover the conversation between Louise Mushikiwabo, Secretary General of La Francophonie and Thierrry de Montbrial, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ifri.