Political Systems
At the end of the Cold War, the idea spread that liberal democracy was going to take over the world. In reality, authoritarian regimes have resisted, and political systems remain varied.
Macron turns to Merz as French parliament nears collapse
The French president must now rely more than ever on Merz to make his voice heard in Europe.
PARIS – Emmanuel Macron will host German Chancellor Friedrich Merz on the Riviera on Thursday evening, hoping support from Berlin can bolster his standing in the EU as the French government edges towards collapse.
Macron and Merz try to revive challenging French-German partnership in Berlin
The French president and the German chancellor met on Wednesday, July 23, to prepare for a joint cabinet meeting scheduled for August 29. From defense projects to trade negotiations, several disagreements remain.
Doing Politics in African Cities Actors, Causes and Forms of Urban Social Mobilization
From Maputo to Nairobi and from Lagos to Dakar: recently, African cities have been the theatre of mobilizations by groups of young protesters.
Replay of Ifri's webinar held on April 17, 2025.
Paris Olympics may face security contractor shortage
PARIS — Three months before an Olympics that presents unprecedented security challenges at a globally tense time, French officials are facing a potential shortfall of qualified private contractors to help protect the Games.
How Macron and Scholz broke the Franco-German alliance at the heart of the EU
Breakdown of continental partnership is a threat to Europe – and could be catastrophic for Ukraine. It was meant to be a patching up of the notoriously fraught Macron-Scholz relationship, a “reset”, to borrow Hillary Clinton’s expression.
Can Politics and Business Align? Policy, Transparency and Logistics
Politics and business can be intertwined in many ways but also conflicting. This is especially the case regarding foreign investments and possible influence by third countries in Europe, for example.
France accepts migrant rescue ship rejected by Italy as tensions flare
A weeks-long ordeal for asylum seekers who had been stranded at sea concluded on Friday, as the French government granted safe harbor for the Ocean Viking rescue ship in the southern city of Toulon.
France accepts a migrant rescue ship as relations sour with Italy
As a ship carrying more than 200 migrants rescued at sea docked in a French port on Friday, a diplomatic crisis between France and Italy worsened, signaling further chaos in the European Union's already erratic handling of asylum seekers coming to Europe.
Migrants rescued in the Mediterranean: What does international law say?
After several days of diplomatic wrangling with Italy, France decided to 'exceptionally' allow the humanitarian ship Ocean Viking to dock. While maritime law requires the rescue of migrants in danger, it does not state which country should welcome them.
Asia after the War in Ukraine: Re-imagining multilateralism and the risk of high-intensity conflict (video replay)
Annual conference of Ifri's Center for Asian Studies. The war in Ukraine has marked the return of high-intensity conflict in Europe and represents a profound, structural shift in the region’s strategic environment. It also takes place against a backdrop of a decades-long rebalancing of global power and the increase of strategic competition between the United States and China, in particular.
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