FEDERAL EUROPE
A STRONG EUROPE
Purchasing power
Economies of scale and debt financing cost reduction in Europe via a European federal state that increase the purchasing power of the middle / popular classes
A fairer taxation via a European state that reduces the tax burden on the middle classes and revive consumption and employment.
Growth and Employment
A powerful Europe with a diplomacy and an army capable of defending its commercial interests and therefore its jobs and endowed with a state capable of implementing pan-European investments necessary for growth and therefore for employment in Europe ..
Illegal immigration
European borders effectively protected against clandestine immigration by a European federal state and European borders much easier to protect than the French or German borders.
International independence
Only a European federal state provides the ability to defend Europe's eastern borders vis-à-vis Russia without the help of the US, the ability to fight against Chinese technological looting, the ability to withstand US trade pressures and the ability to fight effectively against jihadism.
Industrial policy
A political, industrial, energy, ecological effective as driven by a European state that alone can have the legal means and capital required
Social harmonization
Gradual increase of social standards, particularly in the Eastern and Southern European countries through an increased investment policy supported by the European Federal State.
This will benefit European countries in the West and North by increasing the size of the European internal market.
Governance control in Europe
Managing control and reducing public deficits in Europe thanks to the authority, financial means and financial responsibility of a European federal state.
Imbalances in the euro area and problems generated by the EU
Sufficient transfers between debtor countries and creditor countries via the common goods provided by the European State to correct the imbalances of the euro zone, leading to increased deficits, unemployment, wage compression and leading to the implosion of the zone . Effective federal solutions and the prospect of a shared future also make it possible to correct the problems generated by the EU that produce its rejection, namely poorly defended borders, fiscal and social dumping, the preeminence of local national legitimacy.
Solutions for France and Germany specifically
France
Purchasing power
1 / Reduction of public expenditure by eliminating the departments and reducing the State and local/communal expenditures to reduce the compulsory deductions
2 / Reduction of the VAT rate by 2 to 3 points to increase consumption and activity and thus reduce unemployment and thus increase wages
3 / Increased taxation at the European level of high income and large groups to lower taxes of the middle and popular classes
4 / Decrease in the debt service and thus of taxes through budgetary surpluses secured though the reduction of public expenditure.
Employment
1 / Reduction of public expenditure by eliminating the departments and reducing the state of life in order to reduce the compulsory deductions
2 / Reduction of VAT rate from 2 to 3 points to increase consumption and activity and thus reduce unemployment
3 / Increase in the quality and quantity of vocational training
4 / Vocational training in enterprises mandatory for companies starting from a certain size in order to increase the qualification of young people and reduce youth unemployment
Social
1 / Development of territories in difficulty by exemptions from fiscal and social charges
2 / Massive construction of quality social housing
3 /. Massive support for students in difficulty
4 / Minimum wage indexed on the general increase of wages to guarantee the purchasing power, to fight against the poor workers and to avoid the trap with low wages.
5 / Contract of indefinite duration as a principle to fight precarious work
6 / Possibility of increased direct negotiation between unions and companies
7 / Revival of the birth rate via a parental salary.
Education
1 / Accentuation of the autonomy of universities and their means. Establishment of a study allowance
2 / Decrease in class hours and therefore in the number of teachers per class. Massive support for students in difficulty. In the Internet era, it is necessary to replace a lot of lessons by quality of teaching
Immigration
1 / The right of asylum must be reserved for exceptional situations (genocide, state or notorious persecutions)
2 / Intensification of the fight against illegal immigration via the European Federal State and its Border Guard
3 / Significant decrease in the migration flow of unskilled people.
4 / Increase the migration flow of qualified people thanks to the security and attractiveness provided by a European federal state
5 / Integration via intensive language courses and generalized vocational training.
Security
1 / Increased means and skills of municipal police
2 / Establishment of a local police
3 / Priority in the fight against physical aggression, damage and burglaries.
Territory Development
1 / Removal of departments and transfer of their skills and resources to the regions
2 / Increased means and skills of municipal police
3 / Increase of the financial means of the regions via clean samples and decrease of the levies at the French national level.
Germany
Purchasing power
1 / Reduce the VAT rate by 2 to 3 points to increase consumption and activity, thus reducing unemployment and therefore increasing wages
2 / Increased taxation at the European level of high income and large groups to reduce the taxes of the middle and popular classes
Employment
1 / Decrease of the VAT rate from 2 to 3 points to increase the consumption and the activity and the power of purchase
2 / Improvement of training and research in advanced sectors to prepare the jobs of tomorrow
Social
1 / Development of territories in difficulty by exemptions from fiscal and social charges
2 / Massive construction of quality social housing
3 / Massive support to students in difficulty
4 / Minimum wage indexed on the general increase of wages to guarantee the purchasing power, to fight against the poor workers and to avoid the trap with low wages.
5 / Contract of indefinite duration as a principle to fight precarious work
6 / Revival of the birth rate via a very substantial parental salary.
Education
1 / Emphasis on the autonomy of universities and their means. Establishment of a study allowance
2 / Decrease in class hours and therefore in the number of teachers per class. Massive support for students in difficulty. In the Internet era, it is necessary to replace a lot of lessons by quality of teaching
3 / Establishment of a German national secondary education system in order to strengthen equal opportunities and educational coherence.
Immigration
1 / The right of asylum must be reserved for exceptional situations (genocide, state or notorious persecutions)
2 / Intensification of the fight against illegal immigration via the European Federal State and its front-line guard
3 / Significant decrease in the migration flow of unskilled people.
4 / Increase the migration flow of qualified people thanks to the security and attractiveness provided by a European federal state
5 / Integration through more intensive language courses and more systematic vocational training.
security
1 / Increased means and skills of the German National Police (i.e. Federal Police)
2 / Establishment of a local police
3 / Priority in the fight against physical aggression, damage and burglaries.
Territory Development
1 / Increase of the financial means of the regions via increased own levies (except for education) and reduction of levies at the German national level (excluding education)
Why is a European federal State vital ?
This question is the central question for Europeans.
The creation of an European federal State is crucial for prosperity and security of Europe.
The politics in Europe can no longer be conceived mainly in France, in Germany, in Italy …
The local political classes (France, Germany, Italy) are not capable of ensuring prosperity and security in Europe.
To produce results politics in Europe must be conducted at the European level with the aid of an European State.
1/No prosperity in Europe without European federal State
It is not possible to conduct an efficient industrial, energy and transport policy with separate European countries. It is necessary to conduct such policies through a European federal State.
Only a European State can invest to endow Europe of efficient facilities notably via car electrification and via the development of the European fluvial network to ensure the energy independence of Europe.
Only a European State can develop nuclear industry and new energies (notably solar energy) Europe-wide to provide cheap electricity.
Only a European State can push for european industrial concentrations in the domains of energy, railways, of air transportation, telecommunications and of weaponry to form industrial groups capable of investing in European and of imposing themselves in the world.
Only a European State can invest specifically in the Eastern European countries to contribute á their economic adjustment and to reinforce so the European growth which uses á all European countries because of integration very pushed the savings of the countries of Europe. (40 % of their production are reálisé á foible exchanges intra European).
Only a European State can be a product á of transfers towards the countries of southern Europe to develop to them facilities of transport there, energy, of education and of research to correct rocking between credit States and debit States within the euro area. Without this readjustment the euro area is compelled to explode, with as consequence the division of the European market via the barriers of devaluations and the return to a local market. This will producea reduction of growth and of job.
At some point the creditor States will not finance any more the insolvent States (this financing is notably performed via BCE) or the debitor States will not follow any more the discipline imposed by membership of the euro which does not allow them to get out of the situation of debitor and which brings no perspective of growth through lack of of investment and of financing.
Only a European State can tax high incomes and big groups in a consequent way (at a 50 % level) to help the low wages and the middle classes and to contribute to financing the social systems via investments in facilities and social (training, education, access to job). The tax competition within Europe will be considerably minimised with the existence of a European federal State.
Only a European federal State can favour gradual social harmonisation by the top in Europe to protect the rights of the workers, via incentives and sanctions. Even if the social systems will remain of the competence of the local States the European State can orientate the social systems thanks to its investment and intervention capacity in industry and economy.
Only a European federal State can produce economies of scale for army, diplomacy, information, industrial policy, of research, transport allowing to have tools more efficient and less expensive.
Only a European State can have a consequent budget and a debt. When there are several States, every State wants to keep most of its financial resources in its power.
2/No security in Europe without European federal State
It is not possible to have an efficient diplomacy and defence with separate european country. A defence and a diplomacy conducted by a European federal State is needed.
Only a European State can protect European borders efficiently with the aid of an European police well equipped and well trained which must be answerable to a European government (and not to a multitude of governments of which some do not care about fluxes of illegal immigrants because their States are only transit ways towards the heart of Europe).
Only a European State can have the resources, the critical size and the technology allowing to gain the upper hand in intelligence to fight efficiently against terrorism.
Only a European State can have an army capable of ensuring the defence and independence of Europe, notably by constructing missiles, submarines, satellites and the necessary ground forces equipments. Considering the existence of powers such as the United States, Chine, Russia, India and population, economic and military growth of many emergent powers (Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Brazil, Iran etc) wich grow 2 to 3 times faster than Europe, European countries individually cannot play any significant role in international life. They cannot therefore defend their interests any more individually.
Cooperation with the USA must be maintained, notably fot the struggle against terrorism, and by enhancing human exchanges (visas, studies, immigration).
But Europe has to organize its defense independently without NATO.
Only a European State can go without NATO for its defence in order to remove european dependency upon the United States and the consequences this dependency for the fight against terrorism. (The American politicy in Iraq, in Libya, in Syria and in Saudi Arabia is the main reason of the expansion of terrorism, especially, in Mésopotamia, in Yemen, in Afghanistan and in Western Africa. Saudi Arabia feeds terrorism involuntarily via the broadcasting of its fondamentalist-traditionalist ideology through financings, schools and religious institutions).
NATO and the dependency upon the USA is also harmful for European freedom of action in Asia (The American politics of the respect of the corée of the north in 1950 accompanied with massive bombings is the main reason for North Korean armament on a large scale and American interference in the China sea, regarding Taiwan, Korea or of Japan risks drawing us in a war with China).
An independent European defence is also the only means to conduct an independent European diplomacy notably regarding the Arab world, regarding Central Asia ( Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Ouzbékistan etc) and regarding China to struggle against djihadism, to establish a network of European alliance favourable to European interests and to ensure the supply of Europe in raw material and in energy.
An independent European defence also allows to defend European commercial interests, notably regarding the big civil and military contracts.
Why does Russia export 4 times more weapon than France and 3 times more than Germany while its technology is often inferior to European technology? Because its military independence gives her access to markets like China or Iran which are out of reach for Europe and because she can offer neutral powers like Egypt an alternate credible defence solution.
3/ No EU without the perspective of a European federal State
The EU is necessary because it gives advantages for growth and for European unification but the EU is far from being sufficient.
TThe EU does not allow to defend European interests through lack of power on the international stage and through lack of of means in Europe.
Furthermore the Euro and the European Union are not viable without an European federal State capable of transferring public funds inside Europe to correct imbalance between creditor and debtor countries and capable of harmonising governance and tax systems.
Without a European federal State these transfers are impossible because every State wants to keep most of its resources and because every State can escape from the financial rules adopted together.
And without the perspective of a European federal State, that is to say without a European sovereignism, the EU is not viable. Without European sovereignism which alone can mobilise and unite the European to ensure their security and their prosperity, rivalry between European States is going to reassert itself. Forces which advocate the return to the sovereignty of the local States are going to gain the upper hand and the rivalry between European States is going to re-emerge.
This process is already at work with Brexit, the gerrmano-Greek disagreement on Greek debt, the rise of the local sovreignism in the low Countries, in France, in Italy, their victory in Poland and in Hungary.
Populations want a sovereign State: without a sovereign European State to represent them in the world and to defend their interests, they will want to reassert the sovereignty of their local State.
A European sovereignism is therefore neededthat is to say the will to create an European federal State to give the EU a sense and to allow her to survive.
To this European federal State, it is necessary to transfer competences which cannot be any more exercised correctly by European countries individually, namely mainly: defence, diplomacy, industrial policy, research and big transport facilities.
The EU cannot guarantee peace nor prosperity alone. It is necessary to supplement it by the concrete perspective of of a european federal State, what is logical considering the terms of the treaty of Rome. The treaty of Rome enunciates the principle of ’”an ever narrower union between the European people.”
An ever narrower union is a gradual and continuous union which must lead to the creation of a sovereign European State on the international scene.
Economies of scale and debt financing cost reduction in Europe via a European federal state that increase the purchasing power of the middle / popular classes
A fairer taxation via a European state that reduces the tax burden on the middle classes and revive consumption and employment.
Growth and Employment
A powerful Europe with a diplomacy and an army capable of defending its commercial interests and therefore its jobs and endowed with a state capable of implementing pan-European investments necessary for growth and therefore for employment in Europe ..
Illegal immigration
European borders effectively protected against clandestine immigration by a European federal state and European borders much easier to protect than the French or German borders.
International independence
Only a European federal state provides the ability to defend Europe's eastern borders vis-à-vis Russia without the help of the US, the ability to fight against Chinese technological looting, the ability to withstand US trade pressures and the ability to fight effectively against jihadism.
Industrial policy
A political, industrial, energy, ecological effective as driven by a European state that alone can have the legal means and capital required
Social harmonization
Gradual increase of social standards, particularly in the Eastern and Southern European countries through an increased investment policy supported by the European Federal State.
This will benefit European countries in the West and North by increasing the size of the European internal market.
Governance control in Europe
Managing control and reducing public deficits in Europe thanks to the authority, financial means and financial responsibility of a European federal state.
Imbalances in the euro area and problems generated by the EU
Sufficient transfers between debtor countries and creditor countries via the common goods provided by the European State to correct the imbalances of the euro zone, leading to increased deficits, unemployment, wage compression and leading to the implosion of the zone . Effective federal solutions and the prospect of a shared future also make it possible to correct the problems generated by the EU that produce its rejection, namely poorly defended borders, fiscal and social dumping, the preeminence of local national legitimacy.
Solutions for France and Germany specifically
France
Purchasing power
1 / Reduction of public expenditure by eliminating the departments and reducing the State and local/communal expenditures to reduce the compulsory deductions
2 / Reduction of the VAT rate by 2 to 3 points to increase consumption and activity and thus reduce unemployment and thus increase wages
3 / Increased taxation at the European level of high income and large groups to lower taxes of the middle and popular classes
4 / Decrease in the debt service and thus of taxes through budgetary surpluses secured though the reduction of public expenditure.
Employment
1 / Reduction of public expenditure by eliminating the departments and reducing the state of life in order to reduce the compulsory deductions
2 / Reduction of VAT rate from 2 to 3 points to increase consumption and activity and thus reduce unemployment
3 / Increase in the quality and quantity of vocational training
4 / Vocational training in enterprises mandatory for companies starting from a certain size in order to increase the qualification of young people and reduce youth unemployment
Social
1 / Development of territories in difficulty by exemptions from fiscal and social charges
2 / Massive construction of quality social housing
3 /. Massive support for students in difficulty
4 / Minimum wage indexed on the general increase of wages to guarantee the purchasing power, to fight against the poor workers and to avoid the trap with low wages.
5 / Contract of indefinite duration as a principle to fight precarious work
6 / Possibility of increased direct negotiation between unions and companies
7 / Revival of the birth rate via a parental salary.
Education
1 / Accentuation of the autonomy of universities and their means. Establishment of a study allowance
2 / Decrease in class hours and therefore in the number of teachers per class. Massive support for students in difficulty. In the Internet era, it is necessary to replace a lot of lessons by quality of teaching
Immigration
1 / The right of asylum must be reserved for exceptional situations (genocide, state or notorious persecutions)
2 / Intensification of the fight against illegal immigration via the European Federal State and its Border Guard
3 / Significant decrease in the migration flow of unskilled people.
4 / Increase the migration flow of qualified people thanks to the security and attractiveness provided by a European federal state
5 / Integration via intensive language courses and generalized vocational training.
Security
1 / Increased means and skills of municipal police
2 / Establishment of a local police
3 / Priority in the fight against physical aggression, damage and burglaries.
Territory Development
1 / Removal of departments and transfer of their skills and resources to the regions
2 / Increased means and skills of municipal police
3 / Increase of the financial means of the regions via clean samples and decrease of the levies at the French national level.
Germany
Purchasing power
1 / Reduce the VAT rate by 2 to 3 points to increase consumption and activity, thus reducing unemployment and therefore increasing wages
2 / Increased taxation at the European level of high income and large groups to reduce the taxes of the middle and popular classes
Employment
1 / Decrease of the VAT rate from 2 to 3 points to increase the consumption and the activity and the power of purchase
2 / Improvement of training and research in advanced sectors to prepare the jobs of tomorrow
Social
1 / Development of territories in difficulty by exemptions from fiscal and social charges
2 / Massive construction of quality social housing
3 / Massive support to students in difficulty
4 / Minimum wage indexed on the general increase of wages to guarantee the purchasing power, to fight against the poor workers and to avoid the trap with low wages.
5 / Contract of indefinite duration as a principle to fight precarious work
6 / Revival of the birth rate via a very substantial parental salary.
Education
1 / Emphasis on the autonomy of universities and their means. Establishment of a study allowance
2 / Decrease in class hours and therefore in the number of teachers per class. Massive support for students in difficulty. In the Internet era, it is necessary to replace a lot of lessons by quality of teaching
3 / Establishment of a German national secondary education system in order to strengthen equal opportunities and educational coherence.
Immigration
1 / The right of asylum must be reserved for exceptional situations (genocide, state or notorious persecutions)
2 / Intensification of the fight against illegal immigration via the European Federal State and its front-line guard
3 / Significant decrease in the migration flow of unskilled people.
4 / Increase the migration flow of qualified people thanks to the security and attractiveness provided by a European federal state
5 / Integration through more intensive language courses and more systematic vocational training.
security
1 / Increased means and skills of the German National Police (i.e. Federal Police)
2 / Establishment of a local police
3 / Priority in the fight against physical aggression, damage and burglaries.
Territory Development
1 / Increase of the financial means of the regions via increased own levies (except for education) and reduction of levies at the German national level (excluding education)
Why is a European federal State vital ?
This question is the central question for Europeans.
The creation of an European federal State is crucial for prosperity and security of Europe.
The politics in Europe can no longer be conceived mainly in France, in Germany, in Italy …
The local political classes (France, Germany, Italy) are not capable of ensuring prosperity and security in Europe.
To produce results politics in Europe must be conducted at the European level with the aid of an European State.
1/No prosperity in Europe without European federal State
It is not possible to conduct an efficient industrial, energy and transport policy with separate European countries. It is necessary to conduct such policies through a European federal State.
Only a European State can invest to endow Europe of efficient facilities notably via car electrification and via the development of the European fluvial network to ensure the energy independence of Europe.
Only a European State can develop nuclear industry and new energies (notably solar energy) Europe-wide to provide cheap electricity.
Only a European State can push for european industrial concentrations in the domains of energy, railways, of air transportation, telecommunications and of weaponry to form industrial groups capable of investing in European and of imposing themselves in the world.
Only a European State can invest specifically in the Eastern European countries to contribute á their economic adjustment and to reinforce so the European growth which uses á all European countries because of integration very pushed the savings of the countries of Europe. (40 % of their production are reálisé á foible exchanges intra European).
Only a European State can be a product á of transfers towards the countries of southern Europe to develop to them facilities of transport there, energy, of education and of research to correct rocking between credit States and debit States within the euro area. Without this readjustment the euro area is compelled to explode, with as consequence the division of the European market via the barriers of devaluations and the return to a local market. This will producea reduction of growth and of job.
At some point the creditor States will not finance any more the insolvent States (this financing is notably performed via BCE) or the debitor States will not follow any more the discipline imposed by membership of the euro which does not allow them to get out of the situation of debitor and which brings no perspective of growth through lack of of investment and of financing.
Only a European State can tax high incomes and big groups in a consequent way (at a 50 % level) to help the low wages and the middle classes and to contribute to financing the social systems via investments in facilities and social (training, education, access to job). The tax competition within Europe will be considerably minimised with the existence of a European federal State.
Only a European federal State can favour gradual social harmonisation by the top in Europe to protect the rights of the workers, via incentives and sanctions. Even if the social systems will remain of the competence of the local States the European State can orientate the social systems thanks to its investment and intervention capacity in industry and economy.
Only a European federal State can produce economies of scale for army, diplomacy, information, industrial policy, of research, transport allowing to have tools more efficient and less expensive.
Only a European State can have a consequent budget and a debt. When there are several States, every State wants to keep most of its financial resources in its power.
2/No security in Europe without European federal State
It is not possible to have an efficient diplomacy and defence with separate european country. A defence and a diplomacy conducted by a European federal State is needed.
Only a European State can protect European borders efficiently with the aid of an European police well equipped and well trained which must be answerable to a European government (and not to a multitude of governments of which some do not care about fluxes of illegal immigrants because their States are only transit ways towards the heart of Europe).
Only a European State can have the resources, the critical size and the technology allowing to gain the upper hand in intelligence to fight efficiently against terrorism.
Only a European State can have an army capable of ensuring the defence and independence of Europe, notably by constructing missiles, submarines, satellites and the necessary ground forces equipments. Considering the existence of powers such as the United States, Chine, Russia, India and population, economic and military growth of many emergent powers (Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia, Brazil, Iran etc) wich grow 2 to 3 times faster than Europe, European countries individually cannot play any significant role in international life. They cannot therefore defend their interests any more individually.
Cooperation with the USA must be maintained, notably fot the struggle against terrorism, and by enhancing human exchanges (visas, studies, immigration).
But Europe has to organize its defense independently without NATO.
Only a European State can go without NATO for its defence in order to remove european dependency upon the United States and the consequences this dependency for the fight against terrorism. (The American politicy in Iraq, in Libya, in Syria and in Saudi Arabia is the main reason of the expansion of terrorism, especially, in Mésopotamia, in Yemen, in Afghanistan and in Western Africa. Saudi Arabia feeds terrorism involuntarily via the broadcasting of its fondamentalist-traditionalist ideology through financings, schools and religious institutions).
NATO and the dependency upon the USA is also harmful for European freedom of action in Asia (The American politics of the respect of the corée of the north in 1950 accompanied with massive bombings is the main reason for North Korean armament on a large scale and American interference in the China sea, regarding Taiwan, Korea or of Japan risks drawing us in a war with China).
An independent European defence is also the only means to conduct an independent European diplomacy notably regarding the Arab world, regarding Central Asia ( Turkey, Iran, Pakistan, Ouzbékistan etc) and regarding China to struggle against djihadism, to establish a network of European alliance favourable to European interests and to ensure the supply of Europe in raw material and in energy.
An independent European defence also allows to defend European commercial interests, notably regarding the big civil and military contracts.
Why does Russia export 4 times more weapon than France and 3 times more than Germany while its technology is often inferior to European technology? Because its military independence gives her access to markets like China or Iran which are out of reach for Europe and because she can offer neutral powers like Egypt an alternate credible defence solution.
3/ No EU without the perspective of a European federal State
The EU is necessary because it gives advantages for growth and for European unification but the EU is far from being sufficient.
TThe EU does not allow to defend European interests through lack of power on the international stage and through lack of of means in Europe.
Furthermore the Euro and the European Union are not viable without an European federal State capable of transferring public funds inside Europe to correct imbalance between creditor and debtor countries and capable of harmonising governance and tax systems.
Without a European federal State these transfers are impossible because every State wants to keep most of its resources and because every State can escape from the financial rules adopted together.
And without the perspective of a European federal State, that is to say without a European sovereignism, the EU is not viable. Without European sovereignism which alone can mobilise and unite the European to ensure their security and their prosperity, rivalry between European States is going to reassert itself. Forces which advocate the return to the sovereignty of the local States are going to gain the upper hand and the rivalry between European States is going to re-emerge.
This process is already at work with Brexit, the gerrmano-Greek disagreement on Greek debt, the rise of the local sovreignism in the low Countries, in France, in Italy, their victory in Poland and in Hungary.
Populations want a sovereign State: without a sovereign European State to represent them in the world and to defend their interests, they will want to reassert the sovereignty of their local State.
A European sovereignism is therefore neededthat is to say the will to create an European federal State to give the EU a sense and to allow her to survive.
To this European federal State, it is necessary to transfer competences which cannot be any more exercised correctly by European countries individually, namely mainly: defence, diplomacy, industrial policy, research and big transport facilities.
The EU cannot guarantee peace nor prosperity alone. It is necessary to supplement it by the concrete perspective of of a european federal State, what is logical considering the terms of the treaty of Rome. The treaty of Rome enunciates the principle of ’”an ever narrower union between the European people.”
An ever narrower union is a gradual and continuous union which must lead to the creation of a sovereign European State on the international scene.