The Implications of Strengthening ‘European Strategic Autonomy’ and Its Defence Capabilities for the Growth of France’s Global Importance and Power
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.20.2024.88.1.13Keywords:
France, strengthening, ‘Europe of defence’, ‘European strategic autonomy’Abstract
France occupies a key position in Europe’s defence and security structures and the promotion of a ‘Europe of defence’ has been one of the political priorities of French leaders since the late 1990s. One of the key initiatives strengthening multilateral military cooperation in the EU is the European Intervention Initiative (EI2), which aims to instil a French strategic culture among Europeans. The aim of the study is to show that France is ‘shifting’ its power ambitions to Europe, which is to become a significant actor in international relations, equipped with mechanisms of political representation and credible military forces, enabling it to conduct a global-scale independent policy. The analysis leads to the conclusion that the strengthening of ‘European strategic autonomy’ serves to preserve a multipolar world, in which France will play the role of Europe’s ‘leader,’ and is expected to be conductive to the development of defence industry cooperation.
Downloads
PlumX Metrics of this article
References
Bora S.I., Schramm L., “Toward a More ‘Sovereign’ Europe? Domestic, Bilateral, and European Factors to Explain France’s (Growing) Influence on EU Politics, 2017-2022,” French Politics, vol. 21 (2023), pp. 3-24, https://doi.org/10.1057/s41253-022-00203-y.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/s41253-022-00203-y
Google Scholar
Bozo F., La politique étrangère de la Fance depuis 1945, Flammarion 2019.
Google Scholar
Charillon F., La politique étrangère de la France de la fin de la guerre froide au prinemps arabe, Paris 2011.
Google Scholar
Chirac J., Discours sur la construction européenne, le rôle politique de l’UE, la réduction des tensions internationales, le maintien de la paix en Europe et dans le monde, la réconciliation entre les peuples des Balkans, le désarmement, la défense européenne, la création d’une force européenne de réaction rapide et l’ensemble des moyens dont dispose l’Europe pour agir sur la scène internationale, Paris, Élysée, 30 May 2000, at https://www.elysee.fr/front/pdf/elysee-module-9497-fr.pdf.
Google Scholar
Council Decision (CFSP) 2017/2315 of 11 December 2017 establishing permanent structured cooperation (PESCO) and determining the list of participating Member States, Official Journal of the European Union 2017, L 331/57.
Google Scholar
Deschaux-Dutard D., “La coopération militaire franco-allemande et la défense européenne après le Brexit,” Les Champs de Mars, no. 32 (2019), pp. 63-64, https://doi.org/10.3917/lcdm.032.0053.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3917/lcdm.032.0053
Google Scholar
Deschaux-Dutard D., „La France, l’Allemagne et la défense européenne: une locomotive symbolique plus qu’opérationnelle?” Revue Défense Nationale, no. 821 (2019), pp. 37-42, https://doi.org/10.3917/rdna.821.0037.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3917/rdna.821.0037
Google Scholar
“Emmanuel Macron Warns Europe: NATO is Becoming Brain-Dead,” The Economist, 7 November 2019.
Google Scholar
Euractiv with Reuters and AFP, “French Defence Minister: »It’s Called Article 5, Not Article
Google Scholar
F-35,«” Euractiv, 19 March 2019, at https://www.euractiv.com/section/defence-andsecurity/news/french-defence-minister-its-called-article-5-not-article-f-35.
Google Scholar
Frank R., „La France et son rapport au monde au XXieme siècle,” Politique étrangère, nos. 3-4 (2000), pp. 827-839, https://doi.org/10.3406/polit.2000.4986.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3406/polit.2000.4986
Google Scholar
Gaffney J., “Leadership and Style in the French Fifth Republic: Nicolas Sarkozy’s Presidency in Historical and Cultural Perspective,” French Politics, vol. 10, no. 4 (2012), pp. 345–363, https://doi.org/10.1057/fp.2012.18.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/fp.2012.18
Google Scholar
Garnier G., “La France dans l’OTAN: de l’allié difficile au contributeur essential,” Focus stratégique, no. 115, IFRI, Juin 2023.
Google Scholar
Gomart T., Guerres invisibles. Nos prochains défis géopolitiques, Paris 2021.
Google Scholar
Koszel B., “Współpraca kanclerz Angeli Merkel z prezydentami Francji,” Przegląd Zachodni, no. 3 (2022), pp. 123-126.
Google Scholar
Le Drian J.-Y., Speech in Bratislava – “GLOBSEC 2020 Bratislava Forum” (8 October 2020), at https://id.ambafrance.org/Speech-by-Jean-Yves-Le-Drian-in-Bratislava-GLOBSEC-2020-Bratislava-Forum-8.
Google Scholar
Lefebre M., La politique étrangère de la France, Humensis 2019, https://doi.org/10.3917/puf.lefeb.2019.01.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3917/puf.lefeb.2019.01
Google Scholar
Letter of Intent Concerning the Development of the European Intervention Initiative (EI2), Bundesministerium der Verteidigung, at https://www.bmvg.de/resource/blob/25706/099f1956962441156817d7f35d08bc50/20180625-letter-of-intent-zu-der-europaeischen-interventionsinitiative-data.pdf.
Google Scholar
Livre Blanc sur la Défense 1994, Vie publique, at https://medias.vie-publique.fr/data_storage_s3/rapport/pdf/944048700.pdf.
Google Scholar
Macron E., Discours à la conférence des ambassadeurs et des ambassadrices de 2019, Élysée, 27 August 2019, at https://www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-macron/2019/08/27/discours-du-presidentde-la-republique-a-la-conference-des-ambassadeurs-1.
Google Scholar
Macron M., Discours pour une Europe souveraine, unie, démocratique, Élysée, 26 September 2017, at https://www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-macron/2017/09/26/initiative-pour-l-europediscours-d-emmanuel-macron-pour-une-europe-souveraine-unie-democratique.
Google Scholar
Macron E., Discours sur la stratégie de défense et de dissuasion devant les stagiaires de la 27ème promotion de l’école de guerre, Elysée, 7 February 2020, at https://www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-macron/2020/02/07/discours-du-president-emmanuel-macron-sur-la-strategie-de-defenseet-de-dissuasion-devant-les-stagiaires-de-la-27eme-promotion-de-lecole-de-guerre.
Google Scholar
Macron E., International Security – Statements by President of the Republic, at the Munich Security Conference (excerpts), Munich, 15 February 2020, at https://nz.ambafrance.org/President-sets-out-vision-for-Europe-s-future-security.
Google Scholar
Malinowski K., „Perspektywy współpracy w dziedzinie bezpieczeństwa,” in J. Schulz, E. Hillebrand (eds.), Między przyjaźnią a frustracją – Polska i Niemcy 30 lat po podpisaniu traktatu o sąsiedztwie, trans. by A. Peszke, Poznań 2021, pp. 88-90, Studium Niemcoznawcze, no. 98.
Google Scholar
Ministère des Armées, Actualisation Stratégique 2021, at https://www.defense.gouv.fr/sites/default/files/dgris/REVUE%20STRAT%202021%2004%2002%202021%20FR.pdf.
Google Scholar
Miszczak K., Armia Europejska. Strategiczne bezpieczeństwo militarne Unii Europejskiej, Warszawa 2020.
Google Scholar
Ratti L., “Stepping up to Reintegration: French Security Policy Between Transatlantic and European Defence During and After the Cold War,” Journal of Transatlantic Studies, vol. 12, no. 4 (2014), pp. 367-378, https://doi.org/10.1080/14794012.2014.962784.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/14794012.2014.962784
Google Scholar
Ray L., “Anti-Americanism and left-right ideology in France,” French Politics, vol. 9, no. 3 (2011), pp. 201-221, https://doi.org/10.1057/fp.2011.13.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1057/fp.2011.13
Google Scholar
Revue Stratégique de Défense et de Sécurité Nationale 2017, at https://www.diplomatie.gouv.fr/IMG/pdf/2017-revue_strategique_dsn_cle4b3beb.pdf.
Google Scholar
Sarkozy N., Speech Before the United States Congress on Franco-American Relations, Washington, 7 November 2007, Vie publique, at https://www.vie-publique.fr/discours/168471-declaration-de-m-nicolas-sarkozy-president-de-la-republique-sur-les-r.
Google Scholar
Transformer nos armées: le Président de la République présente le nouveau projet de loi de programmation militaire, Élysée, 20 January 2023, at https://www.elysee.fr/emmanuel-macron/2023/01/20/transformer-nos-armees-le-president-de-la-republique-presente-le-nouveau-projet-de-loi-de-programmation-militaire.
Google Scholar
Vaïsse M., Sebag C., “France and NATO: An History,” Politique étrangère, no. 5 (2009), pp. 139-150, https://doi.org/10.3917/pe.hs3.0139.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3917/pe.hs3.0139
Google Scholar
Védrine H., Report for the President of the French Republic on the Consequences of France’s Return to NATO’s Integrated Military Command, on the Future of Transatlantic Relations, and the Outlook for the Europe of Defence, Permanent Representative of France on the North Atlantic Council, 14 November 2012.
Google Scholar
Węc J.J., “Perspektywy reformy wspólnej polityki bezpieczeństwa i obrony Unii Europejskiej do 2025 roku,” Politeja, vol. 19, no. 3(78) (2022), pp. 211-239, https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.19.2022.78.12.
Google Scholar
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.
