War economy: how is France adapting to high intensity?
France's military capabilities have been weakened by several decades of peace in Europe. With this in mind, the executive intends to adapt the armed forces to the new strategic situation created by the war in Ukraine.
Lt-Gen Benoît Durieux: "The war in Ukraine is a reminder that we cannot ignore high-intensity warfare.
Since the outbreak of the conflict in Eastern Europe, the concept of "high-intensity warfare" has regularly been mentioned by commentators. Lieutenant General Benoît Durieux, Director of the IHEDN, looks at how it has been defined, both in operations and historically.
The Indo-Pacific region,
at the heart of France's multipolar strategy
A key arena for bipolar rivalry between the United States and China, this region, in which France is a major power, is the focus of many issues that will be crucial in the years ahead. Against this backdrop, Paris is striving to maintain a strategy of balance and to combat unilateralism.
"Women must be more involved in spreading the spirit of defence".
Sophie de Ravinel is a listener at 2e national session 2022-2023, defence policy major. The current strategic context was the trigger for her application. The political journalist from Le Figaro wanted to improve her knowledge of defence and national security issues. A few days after registration opened for the 2023-2024 national session, she explains why women should apply.
Multilateralism is now in crisis
Multilateralism is failing to provide solutions to the various current crises. This situation has become even more acute since the outbreak of war in Ukraine. These are the findings of Jean-Vincent Holeindre and Julian Fernandez in their book, Nations désunies? The book brings together leading specialists in multilateralism to shed light on the various factors behind the decline of this central phenomenon in international relations.
Pierre Vimont: "Multilateralism must be reinvented".
Until the outbreak of war in Ukraine, Pierre Vimont was the French President's "special representative" in Russia. A witness to the collapse of the multilateralism created in 1945, he points to the inability of the major powers to take account of the agenda of those that have emerged: "the major global priorities (such as the climate, energy and food crises) require non-Western countries to be integrated into multilateralism".
Justin Vaïsse: "Geopolitics is slowly killing global governance".
At a time when the demise of multilateralism is being heralded, it is reappearing in new forms, involving new players, such as the Conferences of the Parties (COPs) and the Paris Peace Forum. In November, this forum brought together nearly 5,000 players in global governance. Justin Vaïsse, its founder and Managing Director, gives us his views on these new frameworks for international cooperation.
E. Chiva: "The Directorate General for Armaments must shed light on the future".
Emmanuel Chiva, appointed Delegate General for Armaments this summer, gave his views on the major issues facing the sector in the current context at the IHEDN on 13 October. Recalling the origins and missions of the French Defence Procurement Agency (DGA), Emmanuel Chiva details the threats and challenges ahead. "We have to invest in multiple fields", he explains, citing the technological breakthroughs that are set to become geostrategic breakthroughs.
"The EU's relationship with power is being turned upside down".
"To arms, Europeans! This is the title of the article by Pierre Haroche, a specialist in European Union (EU) defence policy, published in the 3e Rubicon volume, "The European and transatlantic awakening". In support of this observation, the researcher recalls the means implemented in recent years to strengthen European security, and puts forward concrete proposals. In the light of recent events, he returns to these essential themes at the strategic debate organised by the IHEDN on 15 November.
What is a just war?
On Friday 11 November, Lt-Gen Benoît Durieux, Director of the IHEDN, and Mgr de Romanet, Bishop of the French Armed Forces, discussed a concept that is still relevant today, formalised as far back as Antiquity and brought to light once again by the tragedy of the war in Ukraine. Beyond what religions preach, and which states should put into practice, is there a way to avoid resorting to this form of exacerbated violence? In an age of new forms of conflict, from information warfare to cyber and hybrid warfare, what can be said about the relevance of this concept?
