A Bit about the Franco-German Collaboration

I haven´t covered in a very long time European-related topics, and I still need more time to update some of my previous information in this field. However, the constant flux of news regarding the current situation in Europe, especially the impact of the war in Ukraine on the everyday life of European citizens - particularly the recent security threats and cybersecurity risks - forced me to speed up a bit the process.

But as I was listening tonight to the very interesting remarks of the participants to the Freedom Tech Forum generously hosted by the Embassy of France in Germany, I realized that although the risks are different compared to let´s say, ten years ago, the stage of the discussion - a stronger French-German European engine, the punctual collaboration in the field of defense, the regrets of the unachieved project of a European Army - is turning in the same circles.

Politically, the cards never been better for the franco-german collaboration: the current German chancellor has strong French afinities, including geographically and president Macron wants a stronger French presence in Europe which cannot achieved without the German support. Since the Toulon Summit this August, a couple of initiatives are ongoing or further supported, particularly in the field of defense and cybersecurity. Germany, whose economy is going through a pronounced decline for a couple of years already, with the car industry being unable to compete with the world economic trends, particularly Made in China, in need of a reorientation that the defense industry can provide generously. Next week, Macron will be in Berlin to participate to a bilateral summit dedicated to the digital sovereignty that may given even more impetus to the bilateral projects.

Indeed, now it is the right moment - last train, some may say - for increasing the collaboration. But what about the day after, when maybe the politicians supporting it will be no more in the forefront? Do we need to wait again for a happy configuration of sorts, like an alignment of stars, to hope for an operational French-German European politics? Caught unprepared for the challenges of a (conflictual) multi-polar world, not of the friendliest type, threatened by aggressive non-democracies who infiltrated its very own members, the political Europe needs more than friendly politicians. It needs on one side long-term visions of a common democratic future and mechanisms of defending democracy, including against its very own demons. Politicians alone cannot succeed, they need the common concert of all democratical actors to inform, react and generate democratic solutions. 

Introduction to the 'Hacked World Order'

Cyber security and its appending concepts - among others cyber weapons and cyber space - is no more a new idea, but the ways in which to approach the conundrum it creates is still work in process.

The Hacked World Order by Adam Segal initiates a discussion about the various aspects involving the cyber security nowadays, which browses both the technical aspects and the diplomatic implications of the new realities. And, as usual in the case with the researches with a generalistic outreach, it doesn't offer enough insights into the specificities of any of the topics but at least outlines the main topics that can be eventually researched throughout later.

The cyber world of tomorrow may be guarded by a large coalition which involves both private and state actors, from the companies in Silicon Valley to the newly created state institutions in charge with such issues. The collaboration mechanisms and technical ways of control aren't settled yet and not necessarily in favor of the free trade of information (see the case of state-filtered Internet in China and most recently the complete blackout for a couple of days during the mass protests in Iran). But both state and private actors are both perpetrators and victims of cyber attacks and a smooth mechanism aimed at protecting the state and its individual citizens in terms of privacy and freedoms is unrealistic.

A cyber world based on trust is possible only in a global political system based on trust. Edward Snowden revelations regarding how the USA through the NSA is practically have the capacity of keeping under tight control everyone, regardless of the importance from the security point of view (although the real time capacity of processing those humongous amount data is highly problematic if not impossible) broke the fragile trust between old time allies. Coalitions of likeminded countries are possible, but trust doesn't operate as long there is the temptation of cheap and relatively risk-free information gathering. The new army of electronic spies has other rules and moves faster than, for instance protection system aimed to guarantee the human rights.

The Hacked World Order offers a couple of directions and concepts to follow further - for example how the cyber issues are integrated into the everyday flow of foreign relations and international treaties. Not all chapters are equal and some are just reproducing well-known cases such as the Stuxnet virus. The information used is solid although there are rarely clear conclusion regarding an issue or another. Maybe this is how the cyber world operates at the intellectual level.

Note: I've listened to the audio version of this book.

Rating: 4 stars