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Jolyon Howorth, Great Britain and Europe: From Resistance to Rancour
British Euro scepticism – primarily English – is undeniable and the Tory's recent inception in government is unlikely to change this. The British people are largely uninformed when it comes to Europe, and the parties' ambiguous positions on the issue – with the exception of the Liberal-Democrats – do not help. In light of the recent coalition, conservatives have reviewed their position concerning Europe, but the future nevertheless does not look European.

Eric Le Boucher, The British Economy: A New Life for an Old System or the End of that System?
Will the financial crisis lead to the end of the British economic model set up by Margaret Thatcher and continued by Labour? The United Kingdom's economy has certainly entered a difficult phase of adjustment and debt can no longer be an asset. The British economic model has other advantages, however, which could redeem it and give it new momentum: the population is dynamic and educated, employment is flexible and therefore dynamic, the fiscal system is attractive, the industrial basis of the economy is solid and the currency is low...

Alan Butt Philip, Will the United Kingdom Be More United in 2020?
The United Kingdom is divided on several critical aspects. There are religious divisions, namely the Muslim community's feeling of isolation and the debate on schooling, a stiffening of social classes due to the slowing of social mobility, and clashes of interest between generations, an issue heightened by an ageing population. Finally, the future of institutional relations between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland remains uncertain.

Andrew Geddes, Immigration and Multi-Culturalism in Great Britain: Towards a New Civic Nation?
The wave of mass immigration towards Great Britain after the European Union enlargement in 2004 begs the question: should British citizenship be reviewed and adapted to current needs? The public debate focuses on ‘British values'. Yet it might be more accurate to question the ability of the welfare state and its economic setup to guarantee the integration of new populations through work and social protection.

Benoît Gomis and Christophe Goussot, The Future of the United Kingdom's Defense Policy
Faced with multiple deployments, difficulties linked to equipment and personnel management, and restrictions linked to budget, the UK's military is at a dead-end. Its defense policy must be reviewed, a process that has been started in view of the next Strategic Defence and Security Review. However, the parties in charge of this decision must first compromise and reach an agreement on the matter. Changes in the UK's defence strategy might help develop practical cooperation with the rest of Europe, and particularly with France.

Cédric Pène, From Doha to Copenhagen: A Change in Multilateral Negotiations as We Know Them?
Negotiations on international trade or the environment are held at several different levels: among all members of the debate, representative groups of states, smaller groups of key countries, and between the two main players in the negotiation. This setup is challenged by new international balances of power, the discrepancy between short-term political mandates and drawn-out negotiation on long-term issues, and by new internal factors that must be taken into account. This may well be an opportunity to review the structure of negotiations and the EU and the UN's place within these debates.

Emma Broughton, Copenhagen Climate Change Conference: The Current Situation and the Future
The Copenhagen climate change conference has failed to meet expectations but has also led to a shift in the structure of multilateral negotiations on climate change. States have reclaimed negotiations, while the UN-centred structure has been weakened. Relations between developed and emerging countries have shifted, with the latter's influence growing. There has also been an increased participation of civil-society actors (NGOs) in the debate. A new negotiation structure is emerging but it faces the difficult challenge of avoiding fragmentation.

Georges Le Guelte, Nuclear Doctrines and Arsenals after the Prague Treaty
As demonstrated by the latest American Nuclear Posture Review, nuclear deterrence policies in the West are gradually taking on a greater resemblance. Yet Russia's policy is still cause for concern and the doctrines of new nuclear powers remain vague. The tendency within Western countries and Russia is certainly a decrease in nuclear weapons stockpiles, but this is not the case with emerging nuclear powers. Moreover, nuclear arsenals around the world are being modernized. This ultimately paints a troubling picture.

Michel Miraillet, Nuclear Deterrence in a New Nuclear Era
Within an unstable international environment and an impredictable future, nuclear weapons will continue to play a major role in defense policies. Indeed, since disarmament currently seems an unlikely objective, nuclear weapons remain as a security guarantee. Within this context, talk of the global abolition of nuclear weapons remains essentially rhetorical and the supposed link between disarmament and non-proliferation is a tenuous one. The foremost purpose of both disarmament and nuclear deterrence must be security.

José Maurício Bustani, Brazil in the 21st Century and its Strategic Partnership with France
In recent years, and in spite of the global economic crisis, Brazil has benefited from a remarkable economic growth. Internal changes in the structure of Brazilian society have gone hand-in-hand with changes in the country's foreign policy, and more specifically: integration within South America, new regional relations and, generally, an increased influence on the world scene. In this context, relations between France and Brazil are symbolic of the new partnerships that are the basis for Brazil's new international influence.

Bruno Muxagato, Brazil-Iran Relations and the Question of Nuclear Force
The Brazilian president plans to open a new chapter in Brazil's international engagement by intervening in the world's great crises. In terms of Iranian nuclear question, the Brazilians have chosen to adopt a conciliatory stance. But will the rapprochement between Brazil and Iran be beneficial to the South American giant's advancement on the international scene or will it, on the contrary, tarnish the world's traditionally positive image of Brazil?

Dominic Fean, Yanukovych and Ukraine's Foreign Policy: Back to a More Balanced Position?
Bettering relations with Moscow is one of the new Ukrainian president's foreign policy priorities. Recently reached agreements relative to gaz and Russia's Crimean fleet are a testament to this commitment. Notwithstanding, Kiev has stated that its foreign policy is no longer a question of East and West; further, enhanced relations with the EU will serve to balance Moscow's weight. Fine-tuning this new balance may be tricky, however, due to divisions within the Ukrainian political world.

Renaud Dorlhiac, Greece's Foreign Policy – Caught between Self-Containment and New Regional Relations. The weakening of Greece's traditionally perceived threats, progress in European and Atlantic integration and disillusionment with the UN's inability to manage bilateral problems are leading Greece towards new diplomatic horizons, particularly in the regional sense. However, this new diplomatic setup is facing problems of its own in light of the serious economic and financial crisis Athens is suffering from, and in the context of a more self-contained view of Greek national interests.

Jean-Philippe Tardieu, Withdrawal of Anti-Ballistic Missiles in Europe – A Welcome but Ambiguous Message. The withdrawal by Barack Obama of the Bush Administration's plan to deploy anti-ballistic missiles in Europe certainly marks a change, and one that was necessary in order to redefine relations between Washington and Moscow. Nevertheless, this change by no means constitutes a break from the Bush Administration's policy. Technically speaking, other systems will simply be deployed. Strategically speaking, Russia's power must still be ‘contained' so that US national interests – which remain strikingly constant – may prevail.