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Frédéric Encel: "Is there really a Western model?"

2020-10-30T16:48:28.619Z


FIGAROVOX / INTERVIEW - NATO has no real leader and Europe does not intend to weigh in international relations, according to the doctor in geopolitics. Since America has become isolationist again, France therefore finds itself practically alone in carrying the torch of Western values. Provided that these still exist?


Frédéric Encel holds a doctorate in geopolitics from the University of Paris VIII authorized to supervise research (HDR), lecturer at Sciences-Po Paris, winner of the Grand Prize of the Société de Géographie, founder and host of the Rencontres internationales géopolitiques de Trouville, in particular, he published

My Geopolitical Dictionary

(PUF, 2nd ed., 2019).

FIGAROVOX.

- Should a correlation be established between President Erdogan's recent insults against President Macron and the latest attacks?

Frédéric ENCEL.

-

One could be tempted to believe it, considering the violence and the coarseness of these remarks instrumentalizing Islam.

However, I am not convinced of this;

the Islamists did not wait for Mr. Erdogan to hate France for the fundamental values ​​carried by its Revolution, its law, its institutions, by its secularism, by its majority of Christian culture or even the alleged Judeo-Masonic plot that it shelters against Islam.

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Above all, these fanatics hate our country because women of Muslim origin or faith can freely marry there with atheists, Jews, Christians or others, but also abort, divorce (and not be repudiated!), In short, live free. !

In addition, the Islamist terrorists who have bloodied our country for almost two decades now are not of Turkish origin and, if Ankara's policies are indeed aggressive, imperialist, denial and dangerous, they do not claim to be.

There is a boycott of French products by Muslim countries like Turkey, and to a lesser extent Qatar and Kuwait.

Why do you speak in

Le Parisien

of a “micro phenomenon”?

But because there are fifty-seven 57 Muslim states!

And that only Turkey has so far, through the voice of its leader, called for a boycott;

as for Qatar, it is a small troublemaker of 300,000 subjects, whose regime is Wahhabi (Islamist) and which fully supports the fanatical brotherhood of the Muslim Brotherhood.

It is above all Salafist associations (...) which call for a boycott and not States

Elsewhere, it is above all Salafist associations - so here too radical Islamists - which are calling for a boycott and not for States.

Finally, demonstrations exist but in negligible quantities compared to the number of Muslims living in the world, namely more than a billion and a half!

We are in the process of overestimating - either out of naivety, or out of complacency among the useful idiots of Islamism - the phenomenon ...

Nagorno-Karabakh, insults against President Macron, boycott ... We have the feeling that there are not many Western responses to the aggressive behavior of Turkey.

Why you think?

First, because there is no pilot on the NATO plane.

Any American president worthy of the name and of this position of high responsibility would have long whistled the end of the game, leaving the choice to this state - totally sovereign - to remain in the alliance (and therefore to respect it). or leave it.

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Then, because Europe is neither united enough nor sufficiently proactive to weigh politically, and I will use the very correct formula of Jean-Yves Le Drian: “

Europe must be geopolitical

” (Le Monde, 20/4 / 2020).

This is true vis-à-vis Turkey but also other states.

I would add that despite her courageous positions, Mrs Merkel must take into account, on the one hand, a very considerable volume of exchanges with Ankara, and, on the other hand, the presence of a strong community of Turkish origin on German soil.

With Trump's America ceasing to play the role of policeman of the world on the one hand, and the virulent criticisms of Arab-Muslim countries towards the West on the other, are we can say that the Western model is more contested than ever?

Is there really a western model?

Moreover, if you refer to a system which is generally liberal both politically and economically, it still attracts and influences a lot, including in East Asia and Africa, here political powers, there legal institutions, elsewhere currents of opinion. .

And then, opposite, which alternative model really and massively attracts?

No.

The American elections will take place on November 3.

Is Joe Biden really the most able to promote French and European interests over Donald Trump?

Yes, if only because he will not be able, even by making efforts, to reach the degree of incompetence, inconsistency of irresponsibility of Trump!

However, minimum predictability and seriousness are precious at this level of power, both for France and for the world.

Should we precisely break the close alliance (allegiance?) With Washington to form a bloc elsewhere, in Europe or with Russia?

More concretely, Biden will maintain NATO and will undoubtedly be keen to strengthen the ties that Trump has loosened with European allies.

Afterwards, your question refers to a philosophical choice: should we precisely break the close alliance (allegiance?) With Washington in order to form a bloc elsewhere, in Europe or with Russia?

Those who think so will be sad to see a democrat-centrist close enough to Europe take control ...

Is France in the process of reconnecting with interventionism at all costs?

To the point of becoming a leader in European diplomacy?

It all depends on what you mean by “all-out

interventionism

”.

Since 1945, France has almost never ceased to intervene militarily outside its borders, in a sometimes questionable, more often very legitimate way.

But indeed, I would tell you that the decade which is ending will have been a very active sequence;

fight against jihadism (Iraq, Sahel), search and defense of new allies (Middle East), attempt to prevent major massacres (Central African Republic), demonstrations of authority (Taiwan Strait, Eastern Mediterranean), etc.

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This movement predates Brexit and rather stems from developments and external necessities.

But since Brexit, indeed, France finds itself the only complete power.

As such, I think that the Macron / Le Drian tandem did well to project forces alongside our Greek and Cypriot allies, in the face of Turkish activities in their sovereign territorial waters.

You know, in geopolitics, often a show of force equals force.

And, at the end of the day, only credibility really matters.

France must keep its rank.

Source: lefigaro

All news articles on 2020-10-30

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