François PICARD

Can Europeans and Americans still speak of shared values? The longest-ever speech by a US president to a joint session of Congress doubling down on an America First vision of foreign policy that’s heavy on sticks, light on carrots. In […]

Can Syria keep its promises? Since the fall of Assad last December, the new rulers of Damascus have convened a one-day national dialogue conference. On paper, the outcomes sound promising: transitional justice, inclusive democracy, and the disarmament of the country’s

Amid armed conflicts, a climate emergency and the disruptions of the digital age, now comes another layer of uncertainty to worry about:   Since Monday, nightly Rosary prayers in Saint Peter’s Square as pilgrims pray for an 88-year old Pope

There’s no hitting the snooze button on this wake-up call. Germany’s chancellor-in-waiting savoring victory in Sunday’s federal elections while taking stock of what he faces: with the Putin and Trump-backed far-right finishing a strong second, Friedrich Merz stating this his

The killing in the heart of Moscow of his general in charge of chemical weapons comes on the eve of the Russian president’s traditional marathon end-of-year press conference. Putin’s so far yet to comment on his country’s precipitated drawdown from

Paris got 46 hours of sunlight in November. The weather wasn’t particularly cold, it was only slightly wetter than usual, but definitely grey. As for France’s political climate, the gridlock’s enough to make the natives want to hibernate.  Source link François

It took years for Bashar al-Assad’s forces to take back Syria’s second city. It took days for jihadist-led rebels to overrun Aleppo. Why has a conflict that has been effectively frozen for four years suddenly spring back to life? What

Is France broke? Is France broken? Marine Le Pen to join the left and bring down a minority government that was scrambling to stop a spiraling budget deficit. What is the plan for the far-right leader of parliament’s largest opposition

It’s hard to believe she’s only been out of power for three years. While no one expects Angela Merkel’s supporters to rally behind calls to “make Germany great again”, the excitement surrounding the release of her memoirs highlights a sense of

With just two months until Donald Trump’s anticipated return to the White House, tensions are rising on multiple fronts. The Biden administration, in its final stretch, has eased restrictions on Atacms long-range missile use, approved the provision of landmines to