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Upcoming elections could pull France to the right and the United Kingdom to the left, so the Net Assessment team discusses how this might alter policies in Paris and London. They discuss articles by Ulrike Franke and David Lammy, which sketch out the implications for French and British policy, respectively. In particular, what would it mean for the European Union and NATO if London doubles down on Europe just as France pulls away? Chris questions the value of Congressionally-required unfunded priorities lists, Melanie applauds Kaja Kallas’s selection as the European Union’s chief diplomat, and Zack commends progress made to host nuclear-powered submarines in Perth, Australia.

Episode Reading

• Ulrike Franke, “What France’s Surprise Elections Could Mean for its Relations with the World,” War on the Rocks, June 28, 2024.
• David Lammy, “The Case for Progressive Realism: Why Britain Must Chart a New Global Course,” Foreign Affairs, May/Jun 2024.
• Laura Tingle, “Julian Assange’s return is being framed as a triumph by the Australian government, but there are awkward parts to the story,” ABC News, June 28, 2024.
• The Economist, “Our new ‘mega-poll’ gives Labour an expected majority of 280 seats,” June 26, 2024.
• Celia Belin and Matthew Droin, “What Would a Far-Right Victory Mean for French Foreign Policy?”, Foreign Policy, June 26, 2024.
• “According to a Private Consultancy, Food Inflation in the Third Week of June was 0%,” Perfil, June 23, 2024.
• Aris Folley, “Eyeing Trump Presidency, Conservatives Want to Delay Funding Fight,” The Hill, June 15, 2024.
• “Kaja Kallas, the Plain-Talking Estonian Tipped to be the EU’s Top Diplomat,” The Economist, June 23, 2024.
• Audrey Decker, “Is NGAD slipping off the table? Air Force chief declines to confirm plans to build next-gen fighter,” Defense One, June 13, 2024
• “TCS Urges House to End Pentagon Wish Lists,” Taxpayers for Common Sense, June 26, 2024