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02/03/2016

The defense policy of France: The end of strategic independence? (DIEEEA14-2016)

In recent years the security and defense policy of France has become more realistic and less ambitious restricting its scope to the periphery of Europe. Dreams made in the past to play a relevant role is Asia have been relegated, while reinforcing its role in Africa with an increased military presence and activity on the continent. With its armed forces engaged on several fronts, France seems to have reached the limit of its operational and financial capacities, at a time when the growing Russian threat in Europe, the emergence of new scenarios such as Libya or Syria and, above all, the operational requirements arising from the fight against jihadist terrorism will increase the "military and financial stress" of France in the coming years. It will therefore be difficult for France to maintain its current operational effort alone and it will need to count on its European partners even if it means, as a consequence, to give up the strategic autonomy France has felt so proud of in the past.

Author: Ignacio Fuente Cobo

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