HomeAuthorsMichel Duclos Michel Duclos Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow - Geopolitics and Diplomacy Resident FellowMichel Duclos, Special Advisor and Resident Senior Fellow, Geopolitics and Diplomacy at Institut Montaigne, is a diplomat. 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 a graduate of the École Nationale d'Administration (ENA).He is the author of La Longue Nuit Syrienne (2019) and La France dans le bouleversement du monde (2021) published by Editions de l'Observatoire, and has directed two books, Le Monde des Nouveaux Autoritaires (2019) and Guerre en Ukraine et nouvel ordre du monde (2023), co-edited by Institut Montaigne and Editions de l'Observatoire.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.05/07/2025 A Geopolitical Conclave in the Vatican Michel Duclos 04/25/2025Should France Recognize the State of Palestine? Michel Duclos 02/25/2025 The Week Everything Changed Michel Duclos 01/28/2025 2025: Seven Strategic Challenges for France Michel Duclos 12/17/2024 Syria: The Day After Michel Duclos 11/25/2024 G20 Summit - Is Multilateralism Lost in Rio ? Michel Duclos Amélie de Montchalin 10/22/2024 [Middle Powers] - The Corridor of Middle Powers Michel Duclos 10/22/2024 [Middle Powers] - In the Shadow of Saudi Arabia and Kazakhstan Michel Duclos 10/22/2024[Middle Powers] - Australia and Indonesia Michel Duclos 10/22/2024[Middle Powers] - Definition’s Way Michel Duclos 10/22/2024 [Middle Powers] - From Origins to Crisis? Michel Duclos 10/07/2024 Can France Still be Heard on the International Stage? Michel Duclos 12/22/2023 Ukraine Cannot Wait Michel Duclos 10/02/2023 French diplomacy: shades of 1956? Michel Duclos 09/15/2023 The BRICS +, the G20 and the New Global Order Michel Duclos 07/27/2023 What Comes Next ? The Future of Vladimir Putin’s Regime Michel Duclos 06/06/2023 Assad's Rehabilitation: Crafting a Western Response Michel Duclos 01/31/2023 A Special Tribunal for the Russian Crime of Aggression in Ukraine Michel Duclos 12/16/2022 Understanding Syria's Enduring Crisis Michel Duclos 11/24/2022 War in Ukraine: Is the Time Ripe to Negotiate? Michel Duclos 10/31/2022 New Order: There Can Be No Turning Back Michel Duclos 09/30/2022 Ukraine: Can the Global South Give Up on Russia? Michel Duclos 09/01/2022 The Rationale Behind Institut Montaigne’s New Series: Ukraine Shifting the ... Michel Duclos 08/25/2022 Russia’s War in Ukraine Forces France to Rethink its Foreign Policy Michel Duclos 06/08/2022 War in Ukraine - France Needs to Reassess its Foreign Policy Options Michel Duclos 05/13/2022 Ukraine after Victory Day: Will Putin Shift to Negotiations? Michel Duclos 04/28/2022 Ukraine: Putin’s War to Change the World Michel Duclos 04/11/2022 "Fighting for your Freedom": The West’s Response to the Ukraine war Michel Duclos 04/08/2022 France’s Presidential Election: A Referendum on Foreign Policy Michel Duclos 03/22/2022 The War in Ukraine - Scenarios for a “Way Out” of the Crisis Michel Duclos 03/08/2022 The Ukraine War: Russia’s Duel With The West Michel Duclos 02/11/2022 Turning the Table: Emmanuel Macron in Moscow Michel Duclos 01/25/2022 Macron’s Proposals On Russia Could Be Good For The West Michel Duclos Georgina Wright 01/14/2022 Ukraine: China and Russia’s Calculated Mutual Support Michel Duclos François Godement 01/06/2022 Ukraine - Will 2022 Be the Year of Vladimir Putin? Michel Duclos 12/02/2021 Iran Nuclear Talks Back On The Table: the Regional Impact Michel Duclos 11/24/2021 Resetting the Entente Cordiale Georgina Wright Michel Duclos 10/15/2021 Tracing French Diplomacy: A New International Strategy for France Michel Duclos 10/12/2021 Tracing French Diplomacy: A Brief History of Macron's Foreign Policy Michel Duclos 10/04/2021 After AUKUS: How Could France Reboot Its Indo-Pacific Strategy? Bruno Tertrais Michel Duclos 09/21/2021 AUKUS: Can the Franco-American Relationship Be Repaired? Michel Duclos 08/24/2021 The Fall of Kabul and the Weight of Western Defeat Michel Duclos 08/02/2021 Russia’s National Security Strategy 2021: the Era of "Information Confronta... Michel Duclos 06/17/2021 Iran’s Presidential Elections: A Strategic Paradox Michel Duclos 06/14/2021 President Macron’s Two Africa Policies Michel Duclos 05/11/2021 A Call for a Franco-American Initiative on Global Governance Michel Duclos 04/21/2021 Geopolitics of a New World - First Tests Michel Duclos 03/17/2021 Syrian Uprising 10-Year Anniversary: A Diplomatic Perspective Michel Duclos 02/24/2021 The Munich Security Conference 2021-America Is Back, but What About the Eur... Michel Duclos 02/10/2021 Russia in the Era of Navalny and Biden Michel Duclos 01/18/2021 Iran - US: High Tensions Incoming Michel Duclos 01/07/2021 Do We Need a Global Alliance of Democracies? Michel Duclos Bruno Tertrais 12/03/2020 The Macron Doctrine: Season 2 Michel Duclos 11/25/2020 Iran: The Case For a Grand Bargain Michel Duclos 11/13/2020 Nagorno-Karabakh: Lessons From a Peace Deal Brokered by Russia and Turkey Michel Duclos 11/03/2020 How to respond to Recep Tayipp Erdogan? Michel Duclos 10/22/2020 Europe at the Helm of a New Transatlantic Agenda Michel Duclos 10/12/2020 Macron’s brand of diplomatic discourse Michel Duclos 09/17/2020 Leaders Revealed by Covid-19: Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, Irish Origins, I... Michel Duclos 09/11/2020 Macron in Beirut and Baghdad: a New French Approach to the Middle East? Michel Duclos 08/18/2020 The Israel-UAE agreement, and the consequences for the Middle East Michel Duclos 06/30/2020 The Libyan Crisis: a Russia-Turkey-France Triangle Michel Duclos 06/23/2020 The Trials and Tribulations of Trump’s G7 Michel Duclos 06/12/2020 Russia – The Virus and The Czar Michel Duclos 05/29/2020 Syria - Shaking Up Assad’s House Michel Duclos 04/23/2020 Is Covid-19 a Game-Changer for the Middle East and the Maghreb? Michel Duclos Hakim El Karoui 04/10/2020 Is Covid-19 a Game-Changer for Russia? Michel Duclos 03/24/2020 Is COVID-19 a Geopolitical Game-Changer? Michel Duclos 03/12/2020 The Battle of Idlib: A New Migrant Crisis or a Major Geopolitical Moment? Michel Duclos 02/26/2020 After Munich, a Macron doctrine on strategic affairs Michel Duclos 02/14/2020 "The Idlib tragedy is a challenge for Europe" Michel Duclos 02/10/2020 A Crisis Management Mechanism in the Middle East Is Needed More Than Ever Michel Duclos Andrey Kortunov 02/06/2020 Iran's Nuclear Programme - Why Are Europeans Trying a New Tactic? Michel Duclos 01/16/2020 France’s Foreign Policy Outlook 2020 Michel Duclos 01/06/2020 The Elimination of General Qassem Soleimani – an Act of War That Changes th... Michel Duclos 12/09/2019 Protests in Iran, Iraq and Lebanon - the Shiite Axis Caught Off-Guard Michel Duclos 11/26/2019 Emmanuel Macron - "Europe on the edge of a precipice" Michel Duclos 10/23/2019 The Turkish Offensive Against the Syrian Kurds - the Lost War of the West i... Michel Duclos 10/04/2019 Jacques Chirac – The Explorer of the Multipolar World Michel Duclos 10/02/2019 Letter from Moscow – Any "Macron effect" on the Kremlin? Michel Duclos 09/02/2019 After Biarritz – Macron Is Back on the International Scene Michel Duclos 07/11/2019 Iran – Tourniquet Strategy, Grenade Strategy, Post-Crisis Diplomacy Michel Duclos 06/17/2019 Burning Oil Tankers in the Strait of Hormuz - Has the Iran War Begun? Michel Duclos 06/12/2019 France, Germany and Multilateralism Michel Duclos 05/17/2019 Iran – Drumbeats of War? Michel Duclos 05/13/2019 Helping Iran to Make the Right Choice Michel Duclos Andrey Kortunov 04/18/2019 Libya - first lessons from Marshal Haftar's offensive on Tripoli Michel Duclos 04/10/2019 Assad and Netanyahu at Theheight of Their Strength Following Trump’s Decisi... Michel Duclos Dominique Moïsi 03/28/2019 Syria, Year Zero - Eight Years After the Beginning of the Uprising Michel Duclos 03/14/2019 Letter from Tehran - Tense Climate in Iran Michel Duclos 02/14/2019 Four Dreadful Scenarios for Tomorrow’s Syria and What We Can Do To Avoid Th... Michel Duclos Andrey Kortunov 01/28/2019 Letter from Baghdad: a window of opportunity for Europe in Iraq? Michel Duclos 12/21/2018 What to Do About Neo-Authoritarians? Ingredients for a Political Response Michel Duclos 12/06/2018 Crimea and Punishment Michel Duclos Andrey Kortunov 11/29/2018 What to do about neo-authoritarians? Ingredients to start a debate Michel Duclos 11/20/2018 Portrait of Bashar al-Assad - President of the Syrian Arab Republic Michel Duclos 11/19/2018 Iran, November 2018 - a Window of Opportunity for Europeans? Michel Duclos 11/09/2018 Midterm US elections - what impact on US foreign policy? Michel Duclos 10/23/2018 The Khashoggi Case, a Tipping Point for the Middle East? Michel Duclos Soli Özel 08/31/2018 Macron, Year II - Progressivism in Foreign Policy Michel Duclos 07/06/2018 The Iran Deal – Playing the Long Game Michel Duclos 07/03/2018 Will Europe Meet the Strategic Challenge Posed by President Donald Trump? Michel Duclos 06/22/2018 After the G7 – the Turnaround in American Politics Takes Shape Michel Duclos 06/12/2018 Mr Netanyahu in Europe - What Was the Goal of the Israeli Prime Minister’s ... Michel Duclos 06/05/2018 International Conference on Libya at the Élysée Palace - Was the French Ini... Michel Duclos 05/16/2018 Crucial Days in the Middle East: What Strategic Consequences? Michel Duclos 05/09/2018 Iran Nuclear Agreement – Why A Transatlantic Crisis Is Just What We Need Michel Duclos 05/04/2018 American Withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal - The Day After? Michel Duclos 04/25/2018 Letter from Israel - Regional Brinkmanship Michel Duclos 04/05/2018 The Battle for Syrian Kurdistan - a Delegation at the Elysee Palace, Mr Erd... Michel Duclos 03/29/2018 Letter from Moscow: Vladimir Putin’s Pyrrhic Victories Michel Duclos 03/27/2018 Egypt’s Rigged Presidential Elections Michel Duclos 03/22/2018 Syria Seven Years Later - Lessons Learnt by France Michel Duclos 03/06/2018 What the Terrible Eastern Ghouta Crisis Really Means Michel Duclos 02/20/2018 Letter from Munich - World’s Security “On the Brink”? Michel Duclos 02/06/2018 Syria – Lessons Learnt After Afrin and Sochi Michel Duclos 01/23/2018 Iran Nuclear Deal: After Mr. Trump’s Ultimatums, Is There a European Plan B... Michel Duclos 01/18/2018 Mr. Erdogan in Paris: A Strategic Turning Point or A Trivial Event? Michel Duclos 01/09/2018 Syria into the Hands of Russia and Iran Michel Duclos 01/04/2018 Questions Raised by the Iran Protests: What Is to Be Done? Michel Duclos 12/20/2017 Yemen: A People’s Tragedy and Geopolitical Challenges Michel Duclos 11/21/2017 Letter from Van : The Kurds’ Great Sorrow after the Iraqi Kurdistan Indepen... Michel Duclos 11/02/2017 What News of Trumpism? Letter from Washington Michel Duclos 10/25/2017 The Middle East After Decertification: A French Perspective Michel Duclos 10/02/2017 Can Decentralization Help Tackle the Syrian Crisis? Michel Duclos