The wind of change is again blowing through the Paris offices of this publication. At the beginning of this year our pub­lisher decided that the English edition of Défense nationale et sécurité collective would appear quarterly. Since then we have also seen a change of Editor-in-Chief, with Georges Girard leaving to be replaced by Jean Dufourcq, like his predecessor a retired admiral, and a number of brainstorming sessions with specialists in the field on the future of our journal.
The French edition will continue as before, but expect a change in the editorial style and direction. For the English version, it has been decided to revert to monthly issues, which will contain four or five articles only, at least initially, chosen from among those appearing the same month in the French, and published on the same date. That will start in January next year—the status quo ante in a sense. The big change, however, is from paper to binary digits. Also as from next January, the English edition will no longer be printed; it will appear on our website only. This is because of financial constraints, but also since we are aware that most readers open our pages via the Internet and do not require a paper magazine.
We of course regret the turbulence we are subjecting you to, but are confident that the change will be positive. And it goes without saying that we will ensure present subscribers do not lose out on the deal.
This, the last print edition in English, contains a selection of pieces that have appeared in the French version since July. They have been chosen bearing in mind our overall aim: to give you an insight into current strategic thinking in France.