France and NATO or How to Build a European Defence

• Autores: Marcel H. Van Herpen
• Localización: Análisis del Real Instituto Elcano ( ARI ), ISSN-e 1696-3466, Nº. 40, 2009
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • The author analyses the present debate in France on the reintegration of France into NATO`s military command. Is it the end of Gaullism and the end of French efforts to build a European defence, as opponents from the left and the right pretend? According to the author, Sarkozy`s move is less gaulliste than gaullien: he acts as the General did, taking daring initiatives when he deems them necessary. Far from giving up this objective, building a European defence is at the centre of his initiative. By bringing France back into NATO, Sarkozy wants to woo Britain, who has always been suspicious of French anti-Atlanticist tendencies. Cooperation with Britain, the indispensable nation for European defence, will become easier when France becomes a fully-fledged member of the Alliance.