France and NATO

Survival

Volumn 51, Issue 2, 2009, Pages 77-90

  Ghez, Jeremy ^a   Larrabee, F Stephen ^b  

^a Frederick S Pardee RAND Graduate School   (United States)

^b RAND CORPORATION   (United States)

Author keywords

[No Author keywords available]

Indexed keywords

EID: 70449732596     PISSN: 00396338     EISSN: 14682699     Source Type: Journal    
DOI: 10.1080/00396330902860819     Document Type: Article

References (22)

1. De ́fense et Se ́curite ́ nationale: Le Livre blanc (Paris: Odile Jacob, 2008). For an English version see 'The French White Paper on Defence and National Security', Présidence de la République, June 2008, available at http://ambafrance-uk.org?New- French-White-Paper-on-defence. html.
2. For details on Mitterrand's attempted rapprochement with NATO
3. Robert P. Grant, 'France's New Relationship with NATO', Survival, vol. 38, no. 1, Spring 1996, pp. 58-80.
4. 'Livre blanc sur la defense: Deux des auteurs s'expliquent', Le Monde, 19 June 2008.
5. Nicolas Sarkozy, 'Renewing the French-American Alliance', speech before the Congress of the United States of America, 7 November 2007.
6. France is thus unlikely to participate in the Alliance's Nuclear Planning Group. 'La France gardera une liberté d'appréciation totale', Le Monde, 18 June 2008.
7. The new French White Paper states: 'There is no rivalry between NATO and the European Union, rather complementarity. We need both to manage threats and crises. These realities lead us to favor the full participation of France in the military structures of the Atlantic Alliance.' 'Les priorités du Livre blanc sur la défense', Le Monde, 18 June 2008.
8. Stephen Collins, 'Major Swing in Favor of Lisbon Treaty as 51% Would Now Vote Yes', Irish Times, 16 February 2009.
9. Merkel was particularly irritated by Sarkozy's initiative for a Mediterranean Union, which was launched without prior consultation with Berlin and seemed to duplicate the EU's Barcelona Process. Her reservations killed the initiative before it could get off the ground. The decision to fold the initiative into the Barcelona Process was largely a result of active behind-the-scenes German diplomacy.
10. The Military Balance 2009 (London: Routledge for the International Institute for Strategic Studies, 2009), p. 447.
11. 'New Europe' Backs EU on Iraq', BBC, 19 February 2003, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/2775579.stm.
12. Henri de Bresson et Arnaud Leparmentier, 'Sarkozy poursuit à Varsovie son offensive de charme en Europe centrale', Le Monde, 25 June 2008.
13. Ben Hall and Jan Cienski, 'Czechs act on "Protectionist' Paris', Financial Times, 10 February 2009.
14. Jean-Michel Normand, 'Le PS dénonce des conclusions définies par une logique budgétaire', Le Monde, 18 June 2008.
15. Françoise Fressoz, 'Le scud d'Alain Juppé contre la politique de défense de Nicolas Sarkozy', Le Monde, 20 June 2008.
16. Laurent Suply and Charlotte Menegaux, 'La Mission française en Afghanistan est prolongée', Le Figaro, 22 September 2008, http://www. lefigaro.fr/politique/2008/09/22/01002-20080922ARTWWW00600-fillon- defend-l-engagement-en-afghanistan. php.
17. '14 Juillet: grogne dans les rangs', Le Monde, 13-14 July 2008; 'Mailaise in den französi- schen Streitkräften', Neue Zuercher Zeitung, 7 July 2008, http://www.nzz.ch/nachrichten/wissenschaft/malaise_in_den_franzoesischen_streitkraeften_1.775178.html.
18. The 'Surcouf' group, 'Livre blanc sur la défense: une espérance déçue', Le Figaro, 19 June 2008, http://www.lefigaro.fr/debats/2008/06/19/01005-20080619ARTFIG00011-livre-blanc-sur-la-defense-une-esperance-decue. php.
19. The death of ten French soldiers in August 2008 caused a national outcry and sparked a vivid debate about France's ties to NATO, putting Sarkozy in a tough position. The strong public reaction highlighted the sensitivity of the Afghanistan deployment and is one of the reasons why Sarkozy has been circumspect about responding to US requests to send more French troops to Afghanistan.
20. Natalie Nougayrède, 'Paris finalise sa pleine réintégration dans l'OTAN', Le Monde, 5 February 2009.
21. Ben Hall and James Blitz, 'Command Accord Presages French Return to NATO', Financial Times, 5 February 2009.
22. Défense et Sécurité nationale, p. 90.