Letter from Europe: French defense hopes lie in rejoining NATO

The British believed that locking France into this defense structure would strengthen the transatlantic relationship. But France believed it could realize the Gaullist dream of creating a European defense architecture independent of the United States.

The next step came in April 2003, when France, Germany (then led by Chancellor Gerhard Schröder), Belgium and Luxembourg called for a separate EU military command. These four were the most vocal opponents of the U.S invasion of Iraq. The administration of George W. Bush hit back at Europe’s attempts to forge an independent military capability, contemptuously referring to the “chocolate summit.”

The foursome got nowhere. There were too many Atlanticists in Europe and suspicions of France ran too deeply, especially Chirac’s attempt to have Europe become a counterweight to NATO and the U.S. The EU countries, 21 of which are members of NATO, were also in no mood to spend more on defense in order to give Europe the military clout France had always wanted. And the U.S was bent on opposing the EU’s defense policy.

Then came Sarkozy.

In his first major foreign policy speech after becoming president in 2007, Sarkozy said France was ready to “resume its full role in NATO.”

Ever since, Sarkozy has been trying to convince skeptical Gaullists that France would retain an independent defense policy and that it would not automatically be aligning itself with the United States. France’s newly discovered Atlanticism was compatible with pursuing a strong European defense policy.

“France wants to establish the lines of demarcation between NATO and the EU,” said Jolyon Howorth, a political science professor at Yale University.

Perhaps. But what does Sarkozy really want from NATO? There have been few concrete proposals.

Frédéric Bozo, a political science professor at the Sorbonne, says that Sarkozy does not want the alliance to become a global organization carrying out military, humanitarian and international police activities that could rival or replace the United Nations. Traditionally, France has wanted NATO to concentrate on Europe, but it has given up that battle now that NATO is in Afghanistan.

Sarkozy is also calculating that ending France’s rupture with NATO would give European defense a new lease on life because the suspicions that have held up such a development would be removed.

But most of Europe has no stomach for tough missions like Afghanistan. It has not supported France in playing a bigger role in Africa. The Europeans do not want to spend more on defense, especially given the global financial crisis. Above all, there is no strategic thinking about what defense and security role the EU should have.

None of this will automatically disappear when France becomes a full member of NATO. But there will be no excuse left not to think about it.

International Herald Tribune.com, 18 February 2009

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