Western Europe

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French Government: White Paper on Defense and National Security

The French government published a white paper on June 17, 2008, which, according to its introduction, "substantially redefines French strategy in a 15-year perspective, embracing both defense and national security." On April 29, 2013, the government released its fourth defense reform paper, which freezes the budget, further reduces personnel and equipment in addition to 2008 cuts, and focuses on intelligence gathering, cyberwarfare, and drones.

See more in France, Defense Strategy

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How long will it take southern Europe to rebound from the eurozone crisis, and how will that affect the rest of Europe?

Asked by Jackson Ryan, from King HS

The debt crisis that has hammered southern Europe since 2010 will have long-lived economic effects, despite the moderation in Spanish and Italian government borrowing costs since the European Central Bank's "Outright Monetary Transactions" initiative last September.

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See more in Western Europe, EU, Economics, Financial Crises, EU, IMF

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What will happen if Britain quits the European Union?

Asked by Neela Chipalkatty, from New York University
Author: Sebastian Mallaby

Britain has long been ambivalent about the European Union (EU) and Britons' low regard for the EU has been exacerbated by the euro crisis. British prime minister David Cameron has said two things. There will be a referendum on Europe before the end of 2017. But before that, Cameron promises to renegotiate Britain's relationship with the EU. Putting these two promises together, the referendum may be less important than one might think.

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See more in U.K., EU