2011年是2012年法国总统大选前最后一年，左右翼力量都进入了冲刺阶段。民调表明，社会党比执政党更得民心。极右翼势力异军突起，引人关注。法国经济复苏后2011年初一度高速增长，然而受欧债危机等因素影响，不久又陷入停滞。萨科齐为备战2012年总统大选，利用移民问题大做文章，致使法国社会排外仇外心理严重。2011年法国同时担任8国集团和20国集团轮值主席国，外交活跃。在利比亚问题上，法国率先动武引国际社会广泛关注。
In the year 2011, although certain signs of recovery have already been seen in both countries, they are still facing a number of difficulties in stabilizing the economy. Fiscal deficit is one of the most difficult issues that both governments must address first and foremost, which requires austerity measures to be taken in the coming years. The UK coalition government has been running generally smoothly, except social unrest caused partly by its social reforms. The UK has taken an active part in the Libya crisis, but at the same time its relationships with the EU have been deteriorated to a certain extent by the disputes on the EU's budget. On the Irish side, it became the first country in the Euro area that was forced to hold an early general election. Owing to the huge deficit, the Irish government had to seek for assistance from the IMF and the EU.
