Zanny Minton Beddoes Quotes

Europe’s slow political decline has been disguised for decades by American power.

In a changing global landscape, Europe will be more and more an indispensible power.

I think that Benjamin Franklin felt very strongly in foreign policy in this world, that you needed to at least show some humility, especially when you were strong.

Globalization is blurring the distinction between foreign affairs and domestic politics.

Just as the United States doesn't like others to take charge, other countries also don't like the United States to play a dominant role in the United Nations.

The United States may have to abandon its policy of avoiding entangling alliances.

Power is the true reserve currency in international affairs.

France had a policy, initiated by General de Gaulle, of trying to turn Europe into what was then called a 'third force,' independent of the two superpowers, so Europe should pursue an independent course.

I want to show a new vector of policy that will be there when I will become a president. And my vector is friendship with America and friendship with European Union.

I have always thought that foreign-policy idealism has to be tempered with realism.

The world is shifting from a hegemonic era, where the United States dominated alone, to a multipolar system.

I'm a member of the Pacific Council on International Policy.

All in all, the League of Nations is not inevitably bound, as some maintain from time to time, to degenerate into an impotent appendage of first one, then another of the competing great powers.

To be influential in tomorrow's world, to defend our values and our development model, France needs Europe and Europe needs France.

Foreign policy is really domestic policy with its hat on.

But I believe that the DPKO at this time was very much involved with American administration and was acting, taking on consideration the demand or the recommendation of the American administration. American administration was very powerful.

I don't believe, in the 21st century, in the balance of power system. This is a European idea of the 19th and 20th centuries.

The world is fortunate - for the time being, at least - that it has an American president in Obama who is prepared to take a conciliatory and concessive attitude towards America's decline and that it has a Chinese leadership which has been extremely cautious about expressing an opinion, let alone flexing its muscles.

A lot of people think international relations is like a game of chess. But it's not a game of chess, where people sit quietly, thinking out their strategy, taking their time between moves. It's more like a game of billiards, with a bunch of balls clustered together.

I don't think Russia is setting this as a goal; I don't think this should be Russia's goal. I think even the United States doesn't need to be a superpower. China doesn't need to be a superpower. It's a different world.

France isn't just any country in Europe, and its president is not an ordinary leader in the world. Sometimes directing or leading the way is not enough, he has to initiate policies, as Nicolas Sarkozy was able to demonstrate during his term.

With the rise of America, the global balance of power shifted away from the old European powers.

Foreign Policy has to be less foreign.

Very near the heart of all foreign affairs is the relationship between policy and military power.

You can't build a foreign policy on the presence of an individual [a particular foreign leader].