France

Politics

French prosecutors asked for a five-year prison sentence and a five-year ban from public office for far-right National Rally party leader Marine Le Pen for embezzlement of EU funds, Le Figaro reported on Nov. 13.

France: Potential Ban on Le Pen From Public Office Puts Her 2027 Presidential Bid in Doubt

Argentina

Brazil

Paraguay

Uruguay

Europe

Economics

The European Union and the Mercosur trade bloc -- which includes Argentina, Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay -- are reportedly close to finalizing negotiations for a free trade agreement long in the making, Politico reported on Nov. 13, citing sources close to negotiations. 

EU, Mercosur: The Two Blocs Eye Free Trade Deal in Early December

United States

United Kingdom

Ukraine

Military & Security

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer met with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris, France, and discussed bilateral and broader European cooperation on a range of issues, including stemming illegal migration across the English Channel and the likely implications of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s second term on the war in Ukraine and Europe’s defense, the BBC reported on Nov. 11.

U.K., France: Starmer and Macron Pledge Unity on European Defense and Support for Ukraine

Morocco

Energy

French President Emmanuel Macron is set to conclude his three-day visit to Morocco on Oct. 30 after addressing Morocco's parliament on Oct. 29, France 24 reported on Oct. 29.

France, Morocco: Macron Concludes Visit to Morocco After Inking 22 Agreements

Australia

Australia will invest up to $12 billion in its domestic munitions manufacturing by establishing a manufacturing facility with U.S. company Lockheed Martin, including for the manufacture of Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems, or GMLRS, which it will make for the first time, according to an Australian Department of Defense readout released Oct. 30.

Australia: Canberra To Invest in Advanced Munitions Manufacturing Amid Defense Overhaul

Niger

Russia

France's state-owned uranium miner Orano announced that it was halting operations at its Somair uranium mine in Niger due to its local subsidiary's financial difficulties, Radio France Internationale reported on Oct. 24.

Niger: France's Orano To Suspend Operations at Somair Mine

French government spokesperson Maud Bregeon said President Emmanuel Macron was "considering" using his presidential powers to approve a budget for 2025 without a vote in the National Assembly, Le Figaro reported on Oct. 23. 

France: Government Threatens To Bypass National Assembly After Defeat in Budget Discussions

The French government will present a new immigration law in early 2025 that would extend the period during which migrants can be detained in administrative centers while awaiting deportation if they received an order to leave the country, Le Monde reported on Oct. 14, citing a statement by government spokesperson Maud Bregeon.

France: Government To Propose Tougher Immigration Rules in 2025

Snapshots

Debris lies in the courtyard of a damaged house following a missile attack at an undisclosed location in Ukraine's Odesa region on Nov. 17, 2024.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

The U.S. decision to allow Ukraine to strike deeper into Russia with ATACMS missiles signals a policy shift but is unlikely to change the war's trajectory.

U.S. Greenlights Limited Ukrainian Strikes Inside Russia with Long-Range Missiles

Germany

The U.S. and EU flags.

Cyber

Global Elections

Donald Trump's return to the U.S. presidency is set to disrupt trans-Atlantic relations, likely escalating trade tensions, weakening already limited cooperation on climate and tech policy, and straining EU unity on defense and support for Ukraine. 

What Trump's Return to Office Means for the European Union

Columns

On Geopolitics

With both nations looking inward in 2025, the European Union will be deprived of its central leadership, leaving it without clear strategic direction or decisive policymaking.

French and German Struggles Leave the EU Adrift

Media

Mexico

China

Forecast Webcast

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

Join our analysts for this webcast recording exploring key topics identified in RANE's 2024 Fourth-Quarter Geopolitical Forecast.

2024 Fourth-Quarter Geopolitical Forecast Webcast

Assessments

Italy

A Russian warship transits the Neva River in Saint Petersburg, Russia.

Russia's risk tolerance for physical and cyber operations against Western targets appears to be increasing, raising the likelihood of more disruptive and/or violent attacks.

A More Brazen Russia Slowly Raises the Specter of a NATO Confrontation

Incoming Prime Minister Michel Barnier (R) delivers a speech next to outgoing Prime Minister Gabriel Attal on Sept. 5 in Paris. Barnier will struggle to pass legislation in a highly fragmented National Assembly.

France's new prime minister will struggle to pass legislation in a highly fragmented National Assembly. While the government will still have options to reduce the country's fiscal deficit and avoid a financial crisis, these would come at the cost of severe social unrest and political volatility.

France's New Prime Minister Will Struggle to Pass Laws and Avoid Financial Woes

Turkey

Cambodia

Japan

Uzbekistan

Turkmenistan

Kazakhstan

Kyrgyzstan

Afghanistan

The Geopolitics of Water

The escalating impacts of climate change and water scarcity will inflame tensions between Central Asian countries, raising the risk of violent state conflict in the coming decades. 

The Geopolitics of Water: The Looming Threat of Central Asian 'Water Wars'

Denmark

Sweden

Norway

Austria

Slovenia

Hungarian police officers check cars at the Nickelsdorf-Hegyeshalom border crossing on the Austrian-Hungarian border on March 18, 2020. 

Increasing levels of migration, terrorism activity and Russian aggression in Europe are driving Schengen countries to tighten their border controls, heralding a more spotty functioning of the passport-free travel zone.

Growing Border Controls Threaten Europe's Schengen Area

Israel

Palestinian Territories

Samoa

Federated States of Micronesia

Fiji

Kiribati

Marshall Islands

Nauru

New Zealand

Palau

Papua New Guinea

Solomon Islands

Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky holds a flag during a ceremony on Ukraine's Independence Day on Aug. 24, 2023, in Kyiv, Ukraine. 

Israel-Hamas Conflict

A look at what the coming week will bring -- and a list of recommended RANE articles from the week that was.

The Weekly Rundown: Gaza Cease-Fire Talks Resume, Ukraine Observes Third Post-Invasion Independence Day

Algeria

Algeria's President Abdelmadjid Tebboune meets with France's President Emmanuel Macron at the Borgo Egnazia resort on the sideline of the Group of Seven summit in Savelletri, Apulia region, Italy, on June 13, 2024.

The likely reelection of President Tebboune will yield a nationalist approach to foreign policy in the short term and additional economic reforms, though a growing internal debt burden will challenge economic growth.

Algeria's Political and Economic Course Seems Set as President Tebboune Readies Himself for Another Term

Angola

Botswana

Comoros

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Lesotho

Madagascar

Malawi

Mauritius

Mozambique

Namibia

Seychelles

South Africa

Eswatini

Tanzania

Zambia

Zimbabwe

Egypt

Iran

Lebanon

Qatar

Vietnam

Yael Braun-Pivet, a French lawmaker for the ruling Renaissance party, delivers a speech after being reelected as National Assembly president following the third round of voting on July 18, 2024.

The Weekly Rundown: France Resumes Political Horse-Trading, Blinken Returns to Middle East

India

Parc des Champions on July 4, 2024, at the foot of the Eiffel Tower at the Trocadero in Paris.

The Weekly Rundown: The Paris Olympics, Netanyahu Addresses Congress

<p>France is a country in Western Europe bound in the south by the Alps, Pyrenees Mountains and the Mediterranean Sea. To the west and north is the Atlantic Ocean, and on its eastern border lies the river Rhine and the low mountains of the Ardennes, Vosges and Jura. Mountains, rivers and seas help protect France at all points but one: the North European Plain. As a result, France&#39;s main geographic challenge is safeguarding its eastern border on the path of this historic invasion route. The lack of internal geographic barriers contributed to France&#39;s social cohesion, which in turn led France to become one of the world&#39;s first modern nation-states. The Beauce region represents France&#39;s core. Its navigable rivers, warm climate, sufficient rainfall and fertile soils have made France one of the world&#39;s leading agricultural powers. At the extreme northern border of the Beauce region, where the rivers Marne and Seine meet, lies Paris &mdash; France&#39;s economic and political center. Paris&#39; strategic location on these rivers gives it administrative control of trading routes from the Beauce region to the rest of France and Europe In modern times, the most existential threats to France have come from its powerful eastern neighbor, Germany. Between 1871 and 1945, France and Germany fought three major wars &mdash; all on the North European Plain. After World War II, France attempted to contain Germany largely through the creation of the European Union. The economic and political crisis plaguing Europe has put France&#39;s containment strategy into question.</p>

EU: Regional Blocs

Divided EU Foreign Policies

The Fate of the Eurozone

European Disintegration

SITUATION REPORTS

France: Potential Ban on Le Pen From Public Office Puts Her 2027 Presidential Bid in Doubt

EU, Mercosur: The Two Blocs Eye Free Trade Deal in Early December

U.K., France: Starmer and Macron Pledge Unity on European Defense and Support for Ukraine

France, Morocco: Macron Concludes Visit to Morocco After Inking 22 Agreements

Australia: Canberra To Invest in Advanced Munitions Manufacturing Amid Defense Overhaul

Niger: France's Orano To Suspend Operations at Somair Mine

France: Government Threatens To Bypass National Assembly After Defeat in Budget Discussions

France: Government To Propose Tougher Immigration Rules in 2025

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