After the American and French Revolutions, new-style written constitutions gradually came to be viewed as an essential symbol of a modern state. Britain fought against these two revolutions and has famously retained its un-codified constitution.

New York Times correspondent Elaine Sciolino and retired foreign service officer Brinton Rowdybush discuss how the French view their role in global affairs.

Across Europe we have seen a sharp increase in anti-Roma persecution, particularly in the Western democracies of France and Italy.

Two new positions introduced by the Lisbon Treaty will significantly affect EU's ability to conduct foreign policy: the permanent Presidency of the European Union and the appointment of a High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy. Anne-Marie Le Gloannec argued that the EU's ability to formulate and execute a common foreign policy foreign remains questionable because the Lisbon Treaty "does not simplify representation; does not conjure up coherence; and does not muster will." Given these problems, she argued that Europeans should continue to develop institutions and cooperative representation outside the scope of EU institutions.