World tour of the year 2023

The year 2023 has been very eventful in international relations. Here is an overview in twelve tables.

1) After a bloody and massive terrorist offensive on its territory, Israel attacks Gaza with the objectives of destroying Hamas, deradicalizing the Palestinians and freeing the hostages. The Palestinians’ allies respond little, but the brutality of the Israeli attack on civilians discredits Israel and tears American public opinion on campus.

2) In Ukraine, the Ukrainian and Russian armies are camped on their positions. Trump declares that Ukraine is not among the vital interests of the United States. Vladimir Putin avoids a coup d’état instigated by Evgeny Prigogine, the head of the Wagner group. The latter then dies in a supposed plane crash. Faced with the Russian threat, Sweden and Finland are continuing their efforts to join NATO.

3) In France, Emmanuel Macron is pushing through two important reforms. The first increases the retirement age and the second makes immigration more difficult.

4) After a stormy start to the year, particularly due to a Chinese spy balloon affair, relations between the United States and China are normalizing. However, government reports call on the United States to prepare for the possibility of simultaneous war against China and Russia. The United States is strengthening its alliances in the Asia-Pacific, particularly with the Philippines.

5) Thanks to a modification of the Constitution, Xi Jinping wins a 3^e mandate immediately. He continues his purges among leaders, particularly in the military apparatus and among senior executives of large companies. Its mismanagement is significantly slowing down the Chinese economy.

6) Donald Trump faces numerous trials, including for fraud and inciting an insurrection. Nevertheless, he has managed to infiltrate the Republican Party and is well ahead of winning his party’s nomination. He is also ahead in the polls for the 2024 presidential election. Under his pressure, Congress is blocking military aid to Israel and Ukraine.

7) The inauguration of a new parliament building in India reveals that Narendra Modi continues to fuel his cult of personality. Justin Trudeau clumsily accuses the Indian government of having a Sikh national murdered in Canada, leading to a deterioration in relations between the two countries. Finally, Joe Biden supports Trudeau and intervenes on the same subject with Modi.

8) After coups in Mali and Burkina Fasso in 2022, it is Niger’s turn to be the victim of a coup. The Russian government appears to be behind these coups which, among other things, force the withdrawal of French and American interests from the Sahel.

9) A libertarian, Javier Milei, gets elected in Argentina. He decrees a 50% devaluation of the currency as well as the abolition of several ministries.

10) Despite alarming reports on climate change and despite the record number of climate disasters in 2023, COP28 produces a bogus declaration which allows several countries to escape numerous CO emission limitations₂.

11) Fentanyl is becoming the leading cause of death among young people in the United States and other countries. Governments seem powerless to fight this scourge.

12) Elon Musk buys Twitter, which he renames X. In the name of freedom of expression, he abolishes the company’s moderation mechanisms. Meanwhile, the world is discovering with amazement the new exploits of artificial intelligence, notably ChatGPT.