Multilateralisms: Survival or Revival?
The organized multilateralism born out of the Second World War and the Cold War, and revived in the 1990s with the dream of a world of peaceful “global governance,” has fizzled out. The erosion of the large universal frameworks (United Nations, World Trade Organization, arms control and disarmament, international criminal justice, and so on) did not give way to a void but to an excess: a multitude of agreements and schemes that bore witness to the accelerated rebuilding of international relationships. Will institutional anarchy and the open competition of interests visible in uninhibited struggles for power be able to organize themselves around common fundamental interests in the future?
Today, Lebanon symbolizes all the ambiguity resulting from almost two years of war in Gaza. Once again, the question relates to political and institutional recomposition, the reconstitution of a Lebanese army in charge of guarding its borders. But it is common knowledge that beyond its internal complexity, Lebanon’s future depends on the general fate of the region: Will Israel accept a political solution to Gaza, downgrading the aggressiveness of Hezbollah? Can Syria and Jordan retain a degree of stability? Can relations with Iran be normalized to an extent through a nuclear agreement?
Whether we focus on the complex issues of the Middle East or choose to observe the international system as a whole, the era has all the hallmarks of a time of change, with no certainty on what lies ahead.
MULTILATERALISMS: SURVIVAL OU REVIVAL?
Saving the UN, Saving Multilateralism, by Bernard Miyet
Navigating the Multilateral Seas: Lost in Decomposition?, by Frédéric Ramel
Preparing for and Responding to Pandemics, by Michel Kazatchkine
The Faces of Multilateralism: Arms Control and Disarmament, by Serge Sur
Digital Challenges: Fragmented Governance, by Benjamin Pajot
WHAT WILL POSTWAR LEBANON LOOK LIKE?
Lebanon 2025: Where Wars Intersect, by Joseph Maïla
Lebanon: How Much has Changed?, by Nabil el Khoury
CURRENT AFFAIRS
Syria: Post Assad, the Trap of Permanent Conflict, by Fabrice Balanche
The Baltic Sea and the War in Ukraine, by Philippe Perchoc
BAROMETERS
The “Europe of Internal Security”: An Unknown Quantity, by Jean Mafart
France and Chad: One Crisis after Another, by Nathaniel Powell
South Caucasus: History, Europeanness and Geostrategy, by Pierre Andrieu
REFLECTIONS
The IMEC: Trade Routes in a Multipolar World, by Simon Savary
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June 6th, 2025.
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Multilateralisms: Survival or Revival?
Iran: Anatomy of a Power at War
The elimination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several high-ranking officials at the outset of the 2026 American-Israeli operation did not succeed in bringing down the Iranian regime. The regime had prepared for such a scenario, notably by decentralizing its structures. Moreover, it continues to adapt to war. The power of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is growing at the expense of the Shiite clergy. The security apparatus defends the country’s sovereignty and justifies its actions in the name of raison d’état.
“Remodeling” the Middle East?
Chaos continues to spread, seemingly without end, across the Middle East. The Israeli-American attack on Iran has resulted in a clear military and diplomatic failure, but it is paving the way for a regional realignment, the consequences of which remain uncertain. New regional groupings are taking shape, either centered around Israel or built on the prospect of coexistence with Tehran, alongside a decline in American influence and the marginalization of Europe, while China maintains a low-key presence.
Silicon Valley and War: Lessons from Ukraine
Over the course of international conflicts, and particularly in Ukraine, major tech companies have emerged as central actors. Initially subject to wartime maneuvering, they have since become decisive actors in their own right, privatizing a significant share of wartime exchanges, shaping the information flows of societies, and presenting themselves as providers of security. This situation raises important questions about states’ autonomy in making decisions and taking action.
Does Artificial Intelligence Change the Nature of War?
From Gaza to Ukraine and Iran, current conflicts are being shaped by the arrival of artificial intelligence and robots on the battlefield. The changes under way are so profound that humans risk rapidly losing control over entire aspects of the conduct of military operations. While these technological developments are altering the character of war, their impact on the very nature of war itself remains a matter of debate.