With the enlargement of the European Union to 25 members (and soon to 27), the question of Europe’s frontiers arises once more. How far can these frontiers be pushed? Where do we stop? Also, is there confusion between the problem of the limits of Europe, a vaguely defined continent, and that of the frontiers of the European Union, to which not all European countries belong?

Raymond Aron et le débat stratégique français: 1930-1966 (Raymond Aron and the French Strategic Debate 1930-1966) by Christian Malis, published by Editions Economica, 2005. The book gives a clear and edifying review of the works of Raymond Aron in the military and strategic fields.

French actions with regard to reinforcing African peacekeeping capabilities: a national approach towards essential integration within the European Union’s strategy vis-à-vis the Dark Continent.

Repeated failures in attempts to modernise North Korea are a direct consequence of the rigidity and security paranoia of the regime there, acting as major disincentives to potential investors. It is these same factors, aggravated by American inflexibility, which make the six-party negotiations on eliminating Pyongyang’s nuclear weapons so ineffective. In a rather more calm approach than that of Western countries, China favours patience and negotiation in the attempts to slow North Korean and Iranian proliferation. Knowing how difficult it is to manage time and how dangerous to hurry events, China is addressing the control of its strategic environment in the Middle East and North-East Asia. Ever prudent, it is giving itself the capacity to protect its strategic approaches to the east and its land-based energy supply lines to the west.