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.
Post-Nkurunziza : The Total Supremacy of the CNDD-FDD
Despite the coronavirus pandemic and the passing of President Pierre Nkurunziza on June 8, 2020, the election cycle (presidential, legislative, senatorial, communal and hillside elections) have been upheld and went smoothly. Not only has the ruling party, the National Council for the Defense of Democracy-Forces for the Defense of Democracy (CNDD-FDD) remained in power, but it has also consolidated its dominance over an institutional system that had been modified with the 2018 constitutional revision.
Is Russia Fascist? Unraveling Propaganda East and West
The charge of "fascism" has become a strategic narrative of the current world order.
The African Union’s Migration Agenda: An Alternative to European Priorities in Africa?
While migration from Africa is the priority of European policies for the control of the European Union’s external borders, African migration dynamics are above all regional. Sub-Saharan migration is poorly connected to transcontinental flows: more than 70% remain in Africa.
The Biden Administration: What Consequences for Allies? Views from Japan and France
The US allies greeted the election of Joe Biden with relief, but also with expectations.
The Japan-US alliance under the Biden administration: Quo vadis?
In this interview, Kunihiko MIYAKE, President of the Foreign Policy Institute; Research Director, The Canon Institute for Global Studies (CIGS) and Special Adviser to Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga’s Cabinet looks at the Japan-US alliance under the Biden administration.
Towards the Second Crusade?
Europeans first grew aware of a possible pandemic exactly one year ago. The wave is here. It has submerged the world, claiming many lives and causing tremendous collateral damage.
Guerres invisibles - Nos prochains défis géopolitiques
What are the next geopolitical challenges of the century? The global pandemic has altered the equilibrium between Asia and the West and sealed the rift between China and the United States, accentuating the world’s shift towards the East. On this polarized chessboard, two fault lines converge: environmental degradation and technological propagation where the main strategic and economic rivalries are now being played out.
Portugal and Lusophone Africa: Complex Postcolonial Relationships
Whereas the strong ties between France and its former colonies in Africa have been studied extensively, the relationships between Portugal and Lusophone Africa have attracted less attention. This editorial offers insights into the political, economic, and diplomatic interactions between Lisbon and different African countries.
Uncertain Times Lie Ahead. The CDU at the End of the Merkel Era
Since 2018, the Christian Democratic Union (CDU - Christlich Demokratische Union) has been confronted with a long-lasting leadership crisis. Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, Merkel’s favorite candidate for the position of party leader, was not able to maintain herself at the top of the party and resigned after only 15 months.
How the French Understand Immigrant Integration and Citizenship
On December 9, 2020 will be celebrated the 115th anniversary of the 1905 law on French secularism (laïcité). On the very same day, a new law project will be presented by the French government, with the objective of further strengthening the “republican values” in order to fight against so-called “Islamist separatism” within French society.
Towards a More Principled European China Policy?
Promoting political values (democracy, human rights and the rule of law) in China is a colossal undertaking, but the EU could be more effective than we think. To do so, it must act strategically, in unity, and in concert with like-minded partners. It must also strengthen its record of upholding political values and reform its procedures for foreign policy decision-making.
COVID-19 Reveals Europe’s Strategic Loneliness
The COVID-19 crisis has not only revealed a world that has moved into an age of interdependence and competition, it has also laid bare Europe’s strategic loneliness and vulnerability.
GovTech, The New Frontier in Digital Sovereignty
The COVID-19 crisis has been a catalyst for a surge in the GovTech market, while triggering debate around the use of new technologies in the public health response to the pandemic. More broadly, the health crisis has shed a new light on the strategic importance of some domains relevant to GovTech such as HealthTech, smart cities and EdTech.
Conference with Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary of the Republic of India
On October 29,2020, Ifri welcomed Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary of the Republic of India, for a conference/debate chaired by Thomas Gomart, Director of Ifri.
Israel-Africa Relations: What Can We Learn from the Netanyahu Decade?
Since he came to power in 2009, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not made Israeli-African relations a priority in his foreign policy.
Tanzania’s 2020 General Elections between Repression and Manipulation. A Consolidation of Magufuli’s “Authoritarian Turn”?
Tanzanian voters were called to the polls on Wednesday, October 28, 2020 to elect the country’s main political institution – the President, the National Assembly, and the District Councillors (diwani). Without surprise, the outcome of the sixth general elections since the reintroduction of multiparty politics in 1992 reaffirmed the longstanding grip on power of Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM).
World’s Rich Nations Jostle to Lead Globalization Clubhouse
The race to fill a role at the heart of world economic policy making is turning into a new battleground for the future of globalization.
L’inégalité du Collège électoral aux États-Unis : comment réparer la démocratie américaine ?
Since the start of the 21st century, the flaws of the Electoral College, which completes the election process of the president of the United States by indirect universal suffrage, are the target of stronger than ever criticism.
Belarus opposition leader takes risky diplomatic path
Once a political novice, Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya is joining Europe's diplomatic big leagues but risks undermining her own cause in the process, experts said.
Thirty Years after its Reunification, Germany's “European Moment”?
On October 3, 1990, after forty years of division, Germany once again became one state. Less than a year after the fall of the Berlin Wall, on November 9, 1989, the territories of the German Democratic Republic (GDR) became part of the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) under Article 23 of its Basic Law.
European States and their Muslim Citizens
States' Power in the European Union
On an initiative of the IP-Journal of the German Council of Foreign Relations (DGAP), the Study Committee for Franco-German Relations (Cerfa) of the French Institute of International Relations (IFRI) and the Polish Institute of International Affairs (PISM) are regularly publishing short contributions on a common subject, written by three experts of these institutes. The purpose of these “Weimar Triangle Analyses” is to give the French, Polish and German views on central questions of European politics and European integration.
ASEAN-India Political Cooperation: How to reinforce a much-needed pillar?
India is one of Southeast Asia’s principal neighbors and there is certainly great potential for cooperation with the region and its institutional representation, ASEAN. But does India properly exploit this opportunity? Is Southeast Asia satisfied with the level of engagement?
China's Two-Track Foreign Policy: From Ambiguous to Clear-Cut Positions
This analysis examines the current ambiguities, priorities and approaches of Chinese foreign policy from a practitioner’s perspective, taking into account experiences of Beijing-based diplomats (interviews conducted in 2011 and 2012), in addition to recent Chinese foreign policy positions and official communications.
It leads to the following conclusions:
What Role for the EU in Doha?
Historical leader of the fight against climate change, the European Union’s influence declined in Copenhagen. This opened the way to the so-called BASIC countries to show their willingness to become a driving force in the international climate agenda. Interestingly enough, the Copenhagen conference also introduced a welcome shift in the traditional UN separation between developed and non-developed countries.
Challenges and Opportunities of a EU-Taiwan ECA: A Review of Political-Economic Perspectives
Concerns over becoming marginalized in the course of East Asian economic integration are driving a proactive regional trade agreement (RTA) strategy on the part of Taiwan. Three factors explain this concern: Competing visions of economic integration in the region from both the United States and China, the success of Korea in concluding a large number of important RTAs, and the increasing number of overlapping agreements that crowd out countries and economies such as Taiwan that do not have proactive RTA strategies.
Temporary Workers or Permanent Migrants? The Kafala System and Contestations over Residency in the Arab Gulf States
The Arab Gulf is the third largest receiving region for global migrants (after North America and the European Union). The six states of the Gulf Corporation Council (GCC) are the richest Arab economies, boast some of the highest GDP per capita rankings in the world, and they all depend upon guest workers in virtually every economic sector. Guest workers have played an integral role in the Gulf since the 1970s, supplying the skills and manpower needed to implement ambitious development plans.
Crossing the line: A new status quo in the East China Sea?
The decision of the Japanese Government to purchase a number of the Senkaku/Diaoyu islands from their private owner sparked fury in Beijing. Such spikes of fever between China and Japan are not without precedent. However, the gravity of this latest episode raises the question of whether a point of no return has been reached in the Sino-Japanese relationship.
The GCC States of the Persian Gulf and Asia Energy Relation
Since the 2000s, China and India's needs for hydrocarbons, coming on top of those of older industrialized Asian countries (Japan and South Korea), have considerably strengthened customer-supplier links between Asia in general and the Persian Gulf, in the energy field.
Religion and Politics in Egypt Today: Ideological Trends and Future Prospects
The dynamics of Muslim-Copt relations and how they are managed by the Church and the State are part and parcel of Egypt’s transition post-Mubarak because they underlie the discussions concerning Egypt’s future as a civil State. The treatment of Copts and other religious communities under a new government will be a key indicator of the maturity of Egypt’s democratic transition.
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 2026, Ifri partners with over 90 French and international companies and organizations.
