Languages: French, English, Spanish
Areas of Expertise: Security crisis management; multilateralism and the United Nations; European foreign policy; transatlantic relations; human rights; international law and justice; Middle East and North Africa; French foreign policy
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil is a senior policy fellow and head of the Paris office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. His topics of focus include defence and security affairs, French foreign policy, the UN, and the Middle East and North Africa.
From 2011 to 2015 Lafont Rapnouil headed the Political Affairs Division of the Department for UN affairs at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development; in this capacity, he was responsible for French foreign policy at the United Nations Security Council, including peacekeeping and sanctions. Prior to that, he held various postings within the French diplomatic service, including in Washington and at the Policy Planning Staff (Centre d’Analyse, de Prévision et de Stratégie). Lafont Rapnouil was also a rapporteur for both French White papers on Defence and National Security and on Foreign and European Policy (2008). From 2008 to 2010, he was a Visiting Fellow at the Europe Programme of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank.
Richard Gowan & Manuel Lafont Rapnouil - 13 October 2015
European leaders need to find a way to put President Putin back on the diplomatic defensive and the UN may be the best place for them to act.
Josef Janning & Manuel Lafont Rapnouil - 09 October 2015
The Franco-German perspective on the British referendum on the EU
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil - 29 September 2015
France tows the German line on refugees, but with elections looming seeks to balance openness and firmness
by Manuel Lafont Rapnouil - 10th April, 2018
France sees the MENA region as a state for foreign policy and great power politics and an opportunity to shape global politics and punch above its weight.
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by Findings of a reflection group led by Marta Dassù, Wolfgang Ischinger, Pierre Vimont, and Robert Cooper. Edited by Susi Dennison - 20th March, 2018
by Mathieu Duchâtel, Richard Gowan, Manuel Lafont Rapnouil - 14th June, 2016
China is taking on a new military role in Africa, seeking to boost its image as a great power that promotes peace and security worldwide.
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Manuel Lafont Rapnouil & Tara Varma - 08 October 2018
“Information manipulation” or just plain “fake news”? How France is grappling with a very modern threat
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil & Tara Varma & Nick Witney - 03 September 2018
Only if Europeans resume a serious debate about their responsibilities for their own security
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil - 20 June 2017
The rise of Macron has transformed the French political landscape – but its final shape is still emerging.
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil & Jeremy Shapiro - 05 May 2017
Macron’s inexperience means he needs to reassure the electorate that he can manage the national security state.
François Godement & Manuel Lafont Rapnouil - 10 April 2017
All major candidates see the international situation through the lens of Europe.
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Manuel Lafont Rapnouil - 03 February 2017
So far, this French electoral cycle is something in between a roller coaster and a demolition game. The French political system is accustomed to crushing incumbents, but this time the destruction has been more inclusive.
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil - 29 November 2016
No EU head of state has yet dared to break the EU’s consensus on Russian sanctions. Will François Fillon be the first?
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil - 14 October 2016
'Selective engagement' echoes perfectly France's preferred approach to Russia.
Mark Leonard speaks with Simon Kuper, Tara Varma and Manuel Lafont Rapnouil about the Yellow Vest Movement, and whetherit’s only a French phenomenon. The podcast was recorded on 21 March 2019.
Bookshelf:
Sur le fil de l'asile by Pasquale Brice
Harcelées by Astrid de Villaines
Heroic Failure: Brexit and the Politics of Pain by Fintan O’Toole
Twilight of the Elites: Prosperity, the Periphery, and the Future of France by Christophe Guilluy & Malcolm DeBevoise
The 2019 European Election: How anti-Europeans plan to wreck European and what can be done to stop it by Susi Dennison and Pawel Zerka
Why Viktor Orbán and his allies won’t win the EU elections by Ivan Krastev
Will the yellow vests movement spread across Europe? by Tara Varma
Secrets of the populist playbook: How a new breed of political strategist paved the way for Trump and Orbán by Simon Kuper
Podcast de notre BCM du 29 janvier « Les élections européennes vues d'Allemagne » en présence d'Almut Möller, directrice du bureau de l'ECFR à Berlin, Shahin Vallée, économiste au European Institute de la LSE et modéré par Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, directeur du bureau de l'ECFR à Paris.
Anthony Dworkin steps in for Mark Leonard and speaks with Almut Möller, Manuel Lafont Rapnouil and Tom Nuttall about how significant the new treaty of friendship between France and Germany is. The podcast was recorded on the 17 January 2019.
Bookshelf:
Iron Kingdom by Christopher Clark
Wir sind ja nicht zum Spaß hier: Reportagen, Satiren und andere Gebrauchstexte by Deniz Yügel
La Faiblesse du vrai: Ce que la post-vérité fait à notre monde commun by Myriam Revault d'Allonnes
Sabbath's Theater by Philip Roth
Warnings From Versailles: The Lessons of 1919, a Hundred Years On by Margaret MacMillan
Podcast de notre BCM du 19 octobre : « Les Européens peuvent-ils rester solidaires face à Donald Trump ? » avec Célia Belin, chercheuse invitée au Centre sur les Etats-Unis et l'Europe de la Brookings Institution, Barbara Kunz, chercheuse au Cerfa de l'IFRI, et moderé par Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, directeur du bureau de Paris de l’ECFR.
Syrie : Quel rôle pour l'Europe ? Discussion avec Julien Barnes-Dacey, directeur du programme MENA de l'ECFR et Manuel Lafont Rapnouil, directeur du bureau de Paris.
Mark Leonard speaks with Erica Moret and Manuel Lafont Rapnouil about European sanctions policies, secondary sanctions and counter measures. The podcast was recorded on the 27 September 2018.
Bookshelf:
Keeping Europe Safe after Brexit - Findings of a reflection group led by Marta Dassù, Wolfgang Ischinger, Pierre Vimont, and Robert Cooper. Edited by Susi Dennison
Cassandra by Christa Wolf
Un publicista en apuros by Natalia Moret
Why Europe should focus on its growing interdependence with Africa by Jeremy Cliffe
La Rue vers L’Europe by Stephen Smith
Jeremy Shapiro covers for Mark Leonard and speaks with Ulrike Franke, Manuel Lafont Rapnouil and Piotr Buras, about what this means and what the Trump-Putin meeting might bring. The podcast was recorded on 12 July 2018.
Bookshelf:
Esprit Journal
Communique from NATO Summit 2018
The Swan King: Ludwig 2. of Bavaria by Christopher McIntosh
Mark Leonard speaks with Josef Janning, Silvia Francescon, Piotr Buras and Manuel Lafont Rapnouil about the major rift between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and her interior minister over migrant policy.
Bookshelf:
L'Ordre du jour by Eric Vuillard
The Miracle Of Mindfulness by Thich Nhat Hanh
Utopia for Realists: And How We Can Get There by Rutger Bregman
The Mask it Wears by Pankaj Mishra
Manuel Lafont-Rapnouil is quoted on French president Macron's strategy ahead of May's European Parliament elections.
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil participated in RFI's radio show "Carrefour de l'Europe", about the relationship between Europe and the United States.
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil and Ulrike Esther Franke are quoted by EURACTIV regarding European defence.
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil is quoted by Bloomberg regarding Macron's political attitude and the upcoming European elections.
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil quoted by RFI regarding the relationship between France and Egypt.
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil is quoted by Voice of America regarding the Aachen treaty.
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil is quoted by Le Journal du Dimanche regarding the Aachen treaty.
Manuel Lafont Rapnouil is quoted by Bloomberg regarding the Aachen treaty.