From the famous annual Ramses report of the IFRI, Thierry de Montbrial’s book is a broad retrospective of the political and economic events that have marked the world for 20 years. The reader is impressed by the extent of the changes experienced by humanity. He is surprised to find that, despite its disagreements and dysfunctions, the European Economic Community – which became the European Union in 1992 – has exerted an increasing influence on other nations. He witnesses almost “live” the crises and the realizations of terrorism, financial bubbles, global warming … He observes the emergence of a new multipolar international system, both heterogeneous and global, marked by shared sovereignty.
The author advocates a “variable geometry” regulation to adjust the devices (institutions, rules, systems) to the overall performance (economic, social, ecological) desired by civil society. These measures would respect the sovereignty of nation-states or federations of states. It would preserve the history of nations and the genius of peoples. Reading the book allows us to better understand the importance of the debates on global governance, revived by the current crisis.
Review by J-J.Pluchart