Devalued as much by electoral sociology as by the academic discipline of international relations, the role played by « the international » in the heart of French presidential campaigns demonstrates that there are three dynamics simultaneously at work on them since 1965. The first underlines at what point the international scene provided a precious reservoir of resources for the credibility wars waged by the candidates. The second dynamic reveals that campaign debates on foreign policy (...)  lire suite

Since the end of the 1950s, the internationalization of the French economy has called to question the performance of political decision makers with respect to the management of foreign affairs. This process has also stimulated antagonisms between the administration of foreign affairs and, by the intervention of the ministry of foreign trade, the administration of economy and finance. For a long time, diplomats have considered activities of other administrations as an attack on their (...)  lire suite

Without assuming that physical mobility will stay ahead of the new opportunities for virtual mobility, French tourism in other countries has produced the original idea of the internationalization of French society through the mobility of its individuals actors. The quantitative approach, though difficult to work with, demonstrates an increase in trips abroad, but also a social polarization of these movements which reproduces the divisions observable in other domains as a result of the (...)  lire suite

The evolution of certain practices observable in city government gives some original information on the movement of the borders of international politics. Following the shifting of the legitimacy of such practices, we can see how local political activities participate in the constitution of a social order which, using the analysis of John Ruggie, goes beyond the modern construction of territoriality. In the case of twin cities, these practices were conceived of as forms of friendship (...)  lire suite

For five decades various impulses stemming from big institutions, NGO’s, and local communities and authorities have all contributed to the development of decentralized cooperation. This concept refers to various practices of fundamental importance, but all the actors that we have mentioned do not participate in the same way in bringing together peoples and in consolidating peace, democracy and development. Without underestimating the part played by the other actors of international (...)  lire suite

If French firms do not practice lobbying, it is without a doubt because lobbying is foreign to French legal system. This article therefore proposes to demonstrate that the European legal system is organized differently in this sense, and includes characteristics which should little by little conduct French firms to recognize not only that lobbying is a legal activity, as European law encourages and regulates lobbying, but also that lobbying is not foreign to the activity of firms. The (...)  lire suite