What Expectations Can Europe Meet in Tomorrow's World?
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 debate moderated by Christine Ockrent between Franziska Brantner, Jean-Louis Boulanges, Bernardino Leon, and Igor Yurgens.
The World of Yesterday and Tomorrow
In this special issue of Foreign Policy 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 speech by Thierry de Montbrial, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ifri.
The Future of Europe in the Context of Sino-American Competition
In this special issue of Foreign Policy 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 speech by Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy and Finance.
Placing the EU on a Warfare Footing: Energy and Raw Materials Priorities for 2026
The year 2025 has confirmed that one must prepare for much worse in the field of geopolitics and geoeconomics as the intensity and frequency of shocks increase and as the European Union (EU) has no more stable flanks now that crises with the United States (US) become so frequent and reveal a systemic rift. In the world, barriers to trade multiply and dependencies are weaponized.
Merz’ European Policy-making: The End of the ‘German Vote’?
Friedrich Merz’s European ambition is to turn Germany, long seen as hesitant into a leading actor within the European Union (EU). To that end, he has pledged to end the “German vote,” a phenomenon that epitomizes the paradox of a country both indispensable and frequently absent from European decision-making.
Europe in Ten Years
In the last 10 years, European integration has suffered several shocks. These shocks have challenged the historical narrative of the European Union, and have profoundly affected policies, as well as support by the peoples of Europe for the EU project. The real risk of disintegration can only be avoided if Member States accept to overhaul European integration, based on the idea of “civilizing globalization” and adopting corresponding policies grounded in solidarity.
French-German future combat aircraft project on the brink of collapse
Eight years after Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel launched the SCAF, this symbol of European sovereignty in defense is on the verge of collapse. At issue are the demands of the project's main contractor, Dassault Aviation, which Berlin considers excessive, as well as political and strategic differences between France and Germany.
A Vibrant and Flexible Alliance
NATO has proved its renewed usefulness and is today fully engaged, well beyond its former frontiers, wherever its interests and those of its members are threatened.
NATO: A View from Central Europe
Poland is not just concerned with the usefulness of the Alliance, but also with what can be done to make it more effective, and to maintain its relevance and good health in the decades ahead.
NATO and ESDP: Institutional Complexities and Political Realities
With 50 years’ seniority over the ESDP, and despite its austere origins, NATO transformed itself during the 20th century into a political-bureaucratic machine in search of a more appropriate international role.
What Expectations Can Europe Meet in Tomorrow's World?
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 debate moderated by Christine Ockrent between Franziska Brantner, Jean-Louis Boulanges, Bernardino Leon, and Igor Yurgens.
The World of Yesterday and Tomorrow
In this special issue of Foreign Policy 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 speech by Thierry de Montbrial, Founder and Executive Chairman of Ifri.
The Future of Europe in the Context of Sino-American Competition
In this special issue of Foreign Policy 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 speech by Bruno Le Maire, Minister of Economy and Finance.
Placing the EU on a Warfare Footing: Energy and Raw Materials Priorities for 2026
The year 2025 has confirmed that one must prepare for much worse in the field of geopolitics and geoeconomics as the intensity and frequency of shocks increase and as the European Union (EU) has no more stable flanks now that crises with the United States (US) become so frequent and reveal a systemic rift. In the world, barriers to trade multiply and dependencies are weaponized.
Merz’ European Policy-making: The End of the ‘German Vote’?
Friedrich Merz’s European ambition is to turn Germany, long seen as hesitant into a leading actor within the European Union (EU). To that end, he has pledged to end the “German vote,” a phenomenon that epitomizes the paradox of a country both indispensable and frequently absent from European decision-making.
Europe in Ten Years
In the last 10 years, European integration has suffered several shocks. These shocks have challenged the historical narrative of the European Union, and have profoundly affected policies, as well as support by the peoples of Europe for the EU project. The real risk of disintegration can only be avoided if Member States accept to overhaul European integration, based on the idea of “civilizing globalization” and adopting corresponding policies grounded in solidarity.
A Vibrant and Flexible Alliance
NATO has proved its renewed usefulness and is today fully engaged, well beyond its former frontiers, wherever its interests and those of its members are threatened.
NATO: A View from Central Europe
Poland is not just concerned with the usefulness of the Alliance, but also with what can be done to make it more effective, and to maintain its relevance and good health in the decades ahead.
NATO and ESDP: Institutional Complexities and Political Realities
With 50 years’ seniority over the ESDP, and despite its austere origins, NATO transformed itself during the 20th century into a political-bureaucratic machine in search of a more appropriate international role.
NATO-Russia: Is the ‘Russian Question’ European?
The proliferation of theaters (in Europe, the Caucasus, Central Asia, the Far East, the Middle East and the Arctic) and cross-cutting issues (proliferation, disarmament, energy, arms sales) demonstrate the overall importance of the NATO/Russia relationship.
French-German future combat aircraft project on the brink of collapse
Eight years after Emmanuel Macron and Angela Merkel launched the SCAF, this symbol of European sovereignty in defense is on the verge of collapse. At issue are the demands of the project's main contractor, Dassault Aviation, which Berlin considers excessive, as well as political and strategic differences between France and Germany.
Energy sector: outlook and opportunities
The recent energy crisis has highlighted our economies' dependence on energy resources. With fossil fuels becoming less available, and a necessary transition to more decarbonised alternatives, could tomorrow's energy not become more expensive and less certain in availability?
The E.U. Offered to Embrace Ukraine, but Now What?
The European Union and NATO have promised a path to membership for the embattled country. But real partnership will hold risks and benefits for both sides.
EU Winds Down Military Training Operations in Mali
The European bloc is involved in two training missions in Mali – the EUTM and the EUCAP – to coach soldiers and police.
Whatever it takes? EU in race to shore up sovereignty
Can Europe man the ramparts on its own? As the US war secretary snubbed a NATO defence ministers' meeting in Brussels, EU leaders converged on the 16th-century Alden Biesen castle in Belgium's Limburg province to answer former Italian prime minister Mario Draghi's call for a "big bazooka" approach to reform and competitiveness.
Replay - Europe in turbulence: navigating a new world order without the United States?
A webinar organized by the Austro-French Centre for Rapprochement in Europe (ÖFZ) and the French Institute of International Relations (Ifri), on June 25, 2025. The foundations of the post-1945 international order, long anchored by U.S. leadership, are shifting. Amid intensifying geopolitical rivalry, democratic backsliding, and strategic fatigue in Washington, the question arises: what if the United States no longer plays its pivotal role in international security? Simultaneously, the Global South is asserting new political and economic agency, complicating the old binaries of West vs. Rest. For Europe, this landscape is both a challenge and an inflection point.
Better know a nuke: France
In this episode of The Arms Control Poseur, host Dr Alexander Bollfrass is joined by nuclear policy experts Héloïse Fayet, Emmanuelle Maitre and Dr Liviu Horovitz to discuss the history and the current trajectory of France's nuclear arsenal.
Gabrielius Landsbergis: "The Ukrainians have shown that they have the capacity to win this war"
On 8 June, Ifri welcomed the Lithuanian Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis. Isabelle Lasserre, diplomatic correspondent at Le Figaro, conducted a video interview with the minister.
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.
The EU’s Power System by 2030: Navigating the Crisis and Keeping the Decarbonization Cap (video)
Replay from Ifri's conference at the European Parliament in Brussels (October 11, 2022). The combination of the climate crisis and Russia’s war in Ukraine makes the case for a much faster transition to a fully decarbonized power system.
Video replay - Space and Quantum Technologies: What Strategies and Industrial Models for Europe?
Watch the video replay of the conference organized by Ifri's Geopolitics of Technology program on November 18, 2021.
Does a European diplomacy exist?
An interview with Thierry de Montbrial, Founder and Executive Chairman of the Ifri, on the occasion of his participation in the Trilateral Commission.
ENTSO-E's views on the Clean Energy Package - An Interview with Laurent SCHMITT
Laurent Schmitt, Secretary General, ENTSO-E, explains how to improve cooperation between transmission system operators and strengthen security of electricity supply, and how the Clean Energy Package will enhance the design of electricity market as a continuation of the network codes.
Reforming the EU electricity markets - Florian ERMACORA
Florian Ermacora, Head of the Internal Energy Market Unit in DG Energy, explains how the Clean Energy Package will improve the functioning of the internal electricity market, and how the new market design will help integrating larger shares of renewables.
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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 2025, Ifri supports more than 80 French and foreign companies and organizations.
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I see some degree of — I don’t want to say panic — but really alarmed Europeans who realize they need to stick together as much as possible.
If the Europeans want to step up and make up for the loss of American aid to Ukraine, it needs to happen now, they need to put the money on the table; they need to pass on the orders to the defense industry.
Europe is lacking ammunition, we’re lacking replacement parts, we’re lacking readiness.
quoted by Lisa Bryant for Voice of America.
Merz's statement now needs to be followed up in the long term at political level, on both the French and German sides. It's been on the table for five years, and if we don't talk about it now, when Europe is in danger, we'll never talk about it.
cited by Politico.