International Journal on Criminology Volume 6, Number 1, Spring 2018 | Page 4

International Journal on Criminology • Volume 6, Number 1 • Spring 2018
Between Instability and Chaos: The Hybridization
of Threats
November 30, 2017
Strategic Research Forum
Jean-Yves Le Drian
International engagements mean that I cannot be with you today. I
send my apologies but seek with these few words of introduction to
present my view of the issue that concerns you today. I entrust it to
Alain Bauer, who I am confident will be able to convey all aspects
of my message. The topic he has chosen is not only crucial, but also
suited to the uncertainties and instability that characterize the era of
strategic upheaval in which we are living.
1. UPHEAVALS IN THE INTERNATIONAL ORDER
- The Proliferation of Security Crises
This is a period of high tension, the most serious since the end of the Cold War.
Never, since that time, have differences in vision and the level of violence and potential
for conflict been so great. This can be seen in the number and intensity of
security crises, the spread of extreme terrorism, and the significant development
of conflict proliferation in a small number of highly susceptible countries. The
regional nature of these crises must not fool us into underestimating their global
significance, for they directly concern the safety of our citizens, here in France,
and in Europe.
- Economic Tensions
This is compounded by a new economic order. Serious commercial tensions are
emerging. The world has never been so interdependent, and some areas are experiencing
a spectacular level of growth. Yet, despite globalization, economic cooperation
is less apparent than in the early 2000s. The flows of goods, services,
and people have never been so high, and yet we are discovering that some actors
may still see trade as an unequal relationship, closing their markets while expecting
others to open theirs up to them, and stealing technologies and intellectual
property.
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doi: 10.18278/ijc.6.1.1