HomeAuthorsMichel Duclos Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy Expert résidentMichel Duclos, Special Advisor to Institut Montaigne, has had a long diplomatic career. He was first Deputy Director of the Centre for Analysis and Forecasting of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, between 1984 and 1987. He was then an ambassador at the COPS in Brussels, from 2000 to 2002, Deputy Permanent Representative of France to the United Nations from 2002 to 2006, and Ambassador of France to Syria from 2006 to 2009. He was diplomatic adviser to the French Minister of the Interior from 2009 to 2012, then Ambassador to Switzerland from 2012 to 2014. Michel Duclos is the author of the policy paper, “Syria: To End a Never-Ending War”, published by Institut Montaigne in June 2016, and of La Longue Nuit Syrienne (Les éditions de l’Observatoire, 2019) and La France dans le bouleversement du monde (Les éditions de l’Observatoire, 2021). He spearheaded the World of Neo-Authoritarians project with the latter publisher. A frequent contributor to various press media, he is also a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council (Washington).PublicationsNoteOctober 2020Trump or Biden: Rebuilding the Transatlantic RelationshipTrump or Biden - whatever happens, a new transatlantic dialogue has to be built.NoteJUNE 2020Covid-19 the Clarifier: The Impact of the Virus on France's Foreign PolicyNow is the time for Europeans to use all their room for manoeuvre - less restricted than is often said - to take the initiative on a range of issues that shape the way the world evolves.NoteJune 2017Syria: to End a Never-Ending WarThe present paper aims to propose a strategy for the conflict’s resolution, and for leading Syria towards a stable political recovery.06/06/2023Assad's Rehabilitation: Crafting a Western Response Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/31/2023A Special Tribunal for the Russian Crime of Aggression in Ukraine Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 12/16/2022Understanding Syria's Enduring Crisis Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 11/24/2022War in Ukraine: Is the Time Ripe to Negotiate? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 10/31/2022New Order: There Can Be No Turning Back Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 09/30/2022Ukraine: Can the Global South Give Up on Russia? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 09/01/2022The Rationale Behind Institut Montaigne’s New Series: Ukraine Shifting the ... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 08/25/2022Russia’s War in Ukraine Forces France to Rethink its Foreign Policy Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 06/08/2022War in Ukraine - France Needs to Reassess its Foreign Policy Options Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 05/13/2022Ukraine after Victory Day: Will Putin Shift to Negotiations? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 04/28/2022Ukraine: Putin’s War to Change the World Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 04/11/2022"Fighting for your Freedom": The West’s Response to the Ukraine war Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 04/08/2022France’s Presidential Election: A Referendum on Foreign Policy Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 03/22/2022The War in Ukraine - Scenarios for a “Way Out” of the Crisis Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 03/08/2022The Ukraine War: Russia’s Duel With The West Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 02/11/2022Turning the Table: Emmanuel Macron in Moscow Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/25/2022Macron’s Proposals On Russia Could Be Good For The West Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/14/2022Ukraine: China and Russia’s Calculated Mutual Support Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/06/2022Ukraine - Will 2022 Be the Year of Vladimir Putin? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 12/02/2021Iran Nuclear Talks Back On The Table: the Regional Impact Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 11/24/2021Resetting the Entente Cordiale Georgina Wright Resident Senior Fellow and Director of the Europe Program 10/15/2021Tracing French Diplomacy: A New International Strategy for France Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 10/12/2021Tracing French Diplomacy: A Brief History of Macron's Foreign Policy Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 10/04/2021After AUKUS: How Could France Reboot Its Indo-Pacific Strategy? Bruno Tertrais Advisor for Geopolitics 09/21/2021AUKUS: Can the Franco-American Relationship Be Repaired? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 08/24/2021The Fall of Kabul and the Weight of Western Defeat Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 08/02/2021Russia’s National Security Strategy 2021: the Era of "Information Confronta... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 06/17/2021Iran’s Presidential Elections: A Strategic Paradox Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 06/14/2021President Macron’s Two Africa Policies Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 05/11/2021A Call for a Franco-American Initiative on Global Governance Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 04/21/2021Geopolitics of a New World - First Tests Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 03/17/2021Syrian Uprising 10-Year Anniversary: A Diplomatic Perspective Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 02/24/2021The Munich Security Conference 2021-America Is Back, but What About the Eur... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 02/10/2021Russia in the Era of Navalny and Biden Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/18/2021Iran - US: High Tensions Incoming Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/07/2021Do We Need a Global Alliance of Democracies? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 12/03/2020The Macron Doctrine: Season 2 Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 11/25/2020Iran: The Case For a Grand Bargain Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 11/13/2020Nagorno-Karabakh: Lessons From a Peace Deal Brokered by Russia and Turkey Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 11/03/2020How to respond to Recep Tayipp Erdogan? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 10/22/2020Europe at the Helm of a New Transatlantic Agenda Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 10/12/2020Macron’s brand of diplomatic discourse Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 09/17/2020Leaders Revealed by Covid-19: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Irish Origins, I... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 09/11/2020Macron in Beirut and Baghdad: a New French Approach to the Middle East? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 08/18/2020The Israel-UAE agreement, and the consequences for the Middle East Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 06/30/2020The Libyan Crisis: a Russia-Turkey-France Triangle Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 06/23/2020The Trials and Tribulations of Trump’s G7 Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 06/12/2020Russia – The Virus and The Czar Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 05/29/2020Syria - Shaking Up Assad’s House Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 04/23/2020Is Covid-19 a Game-Changer for the Middle East and the Maghreb? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 04/10/2020Is Covid-19 a Game-Changer for Russia? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 03/24/2020Is COVID-19 a Geopolitical Game-Changer? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 03/12/2020The Battle of Idlib: A New Migrant Crisis or a Major Geopolitical Moment? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 02/26/2020After Munich, a Macron doctrine on strategic affairs Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 02/14/2020"The Idlib tragedy is a challenge for Europe" Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 02/10/2020A Crisis Management Mechanism in the Middle East Is Needed More Than Ever Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 02/06/2020Iran's Nuclear Programme - Why Are Europeans Trying a New Tactic? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/16/2020France’s Foreign Policy Outlook 2020 Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/06/2020The Elimination of General Qassem Soleimani – an Act of War That Changes th... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 12/09/2019Protests in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon - the Shiite Axis Caught Off-Guard Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 11/26/2019Emmanuel Macron - "Europe on the edge of a precipice" Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 10/23/2019The Turkish Offensive Against the Syrian Kurds - the Lost War of the West i... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 10/04/2019Jacques Chirac – The Explorer of the Multipolar World Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 10/02/2019Letter from Moscow – Any "Macron effect" on the Kremlin? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 09/02/2019After Biarritz – Macron Is Back on the International Scene Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 07/11/2019Iran – Tourniquet Strategy, Grenade Strategy, Post-Crisis Diplomacy Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 06/17/2019Burning Oil Tankers in the Strait of Hormuz - Has the Iran War Begun? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 06/12/2019France, Germany and Multilateralism Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 05/17/2019Iran – Drumbeats of War? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 05/13/2019Helping Iran to Make the Right Choice Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 04/18/2019Libya - first lessons from Marshal Haftar's offensive on Tripoli Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 04/10/2019Assad and Netanyahu at Theheight of Their Strength Following Trump’s Decisi... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 03/28/2019Syria, Year Zero - Eight Years After the Beginning of the Uprising Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 03/14/2019Letter from Tehran - Tense Climate in Iran Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 02/14/2019Four Dreadful Scenarios for Tomorrow’s Syria and What We Can Do To Avoid Th... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/28/2019Letter from Baghdad: a window of opportunity for Europe in Iraq? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 12/21/2018What to Do About Neo-Authoritarians? Ingredients for a Political Response Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 12/06/2018Crimea and Punishment Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 11/29/2018What to do about neo-authoritarians? Ingredients to start a debate Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 11/20/2018Portrait of Bashar al-Assad - President of the Syrian Arab Republic Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 11/19/2018Iran, November 2018 - a Window of Opportunity for Europeans? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 11/09/2018Midterm US elections - what impact on US foreign policy? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 10/23/2018The Khashoggi Case, a Tipping Point for the Middle East? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 08/31/2018Macron, Year II - Progressivism in Foreign Policy Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 07/06/2018The Iran Deal – Playing the Long Game Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 07/03/2018Will Europe Meet the Strategic Challenge Posed by President Donald Trump? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 06/22/2018After the G7 – the Turnaround in American Politics Takes Shape Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 06/12/2018Mr Netanyahu in Europe - What Was the Goal of the Israeli Prime Minister’s ... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 06/05/2018International Conference on Libya at the Élysée Palace - Was the French Ini... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 05/16/2018Crucial Days in the Middle East: What Strategic Consequences? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 05/09/2018Iran Nuclear Agreement – Why A Transatlantic Crisis Is Just What We Need Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 05/04/2018American Withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal - The Day After? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 04/25/2018Letter from Israel - Regional Brinkmanship Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 04/05/2018The Battle for Syrian Kurdistan - a Delegation at the Elysee Palace, Mr Erd... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 03/29/2018Letter from Moscow: Vladimir Putin’s Pyrrhic Victories Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 03/27/2018Egypt’s Rigged Presidential Elections Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 03/22/2018Syria Seven Years Later - Lessons Learnt by France Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 03/06/2018What the Terrible Eastern Ghouta Crisis Really Means Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 02/20/2018Letter from Munich - World’s Security “On the Brink”? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 02/06/2018Syria – Lessons Learnt After Afrin and Sochi Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/23/2018Iran Nuclear Deal: After Mr. Trump’s Ultimatums, Is There a European Plan B... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/18/2018Mr. Erdogan in Paris: A Strategic Turning Point or A Trivial Event? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/09/2018Syria into the Hands of Russia and Iran Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 01/04/2018Questions Raised by the Iran Protests: What Is to Be Done? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 12/20/2017Yemen: A People’s Tragedy and Geopolitical Challenges Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 11/21/2017Letter from Van : The Kurds’ Great Sorrow after the Iraqi Kurdistan Indepen... Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 11/02/2017What News of Trumpism? Letter from Washington Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 10/25/2017The Middle East After Decertification: A French Perspective Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy 10/02/2017Can Decentralization Help Tackle the Syrian Crisis? Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy