Secretary John Kerry and French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius held this press conference after their meeting on February 27, 2013. They discussed the Syrian crisis, negotiations with Iran, and terrorism in North Africa.

Jihadists were already finding it hard to operate in North Africa before the Arab Spring of 2011. Since then their problems have become almost insurmountable: they thrive only in countries where Islamists are in prison, not where they are in the ascendant or contesting elections. As for Europe, the last attacks instigated by al-Qaida date back to Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005. Jihadism looks less like a rising phenomenon in the north of Mali than a force in retreat. The French intervention may well give them purpose and greater coherence.

France's new president will likely pursue growth policies that could put him at odds with Germany on austerity measures, with serious ramifications for the EU and the global economy.

Following the first round of France's presidential election, CFR's Charles A. Kupchan discusses Nicolas Sarkozy's chances and the potential impact of a Francois Hollande win on transatlantic ties and the eurozone crisis.

France's next president faces tough choices on EU integration, immigration, NATO's mission in Afghanistan, and economic reforms, says CFR's Charles Kupchan.

A surge in pirate attacks off the Somali coast in recent years has prompted the deployment of an international coalition of navies. But experts say that military force alone cannot address the underlying issue of failed Somali governance.

Ed Husain discusses the Toulouse shootings and the need for Jews and Muslims to demonstrate togetherness against a common enemy.

Italy's budget may matter more than ineffectual Franco-German summitry, but the new agreement between France and Germany on reforming EU rules remains a reckless distraction, says CFR's Sebastian Mallaby.

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen was passed by the French National Assembly on August 26, 1789. The declaration expressed the ideas of the French Revolution and was incorporated into France's Constitution in 1791.

New IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde has to move quickly to establish independence from the European authorities who got her the job, enhance the IMF's legitimacy, and display her ability to manage the fund, says CFR's Steven Dunaway.

Micah Zenko says the United States, France, and Britain must be clear about their objectives in Libya.

James M. Lindsay and Kate Collins discuss France's recognition of the National Libyan Council as the sole legitimate representative of the Libyan people.

The passage of a burqa ban by the French National Assembly is a response to France's "idea of women's dignity," voter support, and a desire to blunt "the rise of fundamentalism," says CFR's Isobel Coleman.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel faces dwindling support because of "dithering" on the euro crisis and Germans' opposition to having troops in Afghanistan, says Germany expert William Drozdiak.

Max Boot remembers General Marcel Bigeard.

Mira Kamdar, a senior fellow at the World Policy Institute and an award-winning author, analyzes the rocky relationship between French President Nicolas Sarkozy and German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Mildrade Cherfils of the Global Post discusses the recent recommendation by French lawmakers to forbid women from wearing head-to-toe Islamic dress in some public spaces, and how this proposed law relates to the question of "French identity," including issues of immigration, integration and religion.

"France can help us more than we think," writes Walter Russel Mead looking through the history of the rocky U.S.-French relationship to provide context for the current state of the alliance.

Amel Boubekeur writes that the controversy surrounding Nicolas Sarkozy's comments on the full-face veil in France has excluded the people it most concerns - the women who wear it.

France's move to rejoin NATO's integrated military command structure reflects a shift in French strategic thinking about new reliance on allies and diminished projection of unilateral power abroad.