The year 2024 is drawing to a close, after twelve tumultuous months to say the least. The Middle East has been particularly shaken by an escalation of events following the massacre of 7 October 2023: the world seems powerless in the face of the Israeli army’s merciless shelling of Gaza. Then in Lebanon, where Israeli operations against Hezbollah were equally deadly. In a domino effect the destabilisation of the region ended up toppling one of its oldest dictatorships, the Al-Assad regime in Syria. War continued in full swing in Ukraine and Sudan, and threatened to erupt in Asia, the new theatre of international tensions.

In 2024, half the world voted for new leaders. In many cases, it was the populist and extremist vote that won the day. In France, the far-right’s victory in the European elections triggered an unprecedented arc of political instability, scarcely forgotten during the Paris Olympic and Paralympic Games. The most significant election of all was that of Donald Trump, for its future international consequences. It is also a sign of the decline of the West, long-awaited by the powers of the Global South, with China and Russia at the forefront. To top it all off, the year was punctuated by a series of climatic disasters, leaving too many victims in their wake. Will we have any respite in 2025?

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