NATO and France, a long story

Nicolas Sarkozy, French President is going to change French policy concerning NATO. This change is particularly expected. It should happen next month for the 60^th anniversary of the alliance. European allies and the United States congratulate this decision.

Yet, for most of us, this statement could seem a little bite strange. “What happen? Had France left NATO many years ago? But France ever took part of many NATO actions, so?”. French history is quite complicate. In 1966, President Charles De Gaulle decided to leave the military command of NATO. De Gaulle never really accepted that American policy led NATO, and so European military policy. He always showed himself as a separatist. When he arrived at the French Presidency in 1958 (he had ever freed France from Germany in 1944), he never kept restoring France as a big country. Thus, by leaving the command of NATO, he could kick American bases out of France. France appeared during the cold war as another way, between USSR and the United States. Specialists will use the word “counterweight”.

But in fact, he never really leaved NATO. He just stopped been a full membership. Some secret agreements were signed during the cold war. For example, if USSR threaten became bigger, France could take part to the most important decisions about NATO military policy. So, that’s why, this announcement will change nothing into the command of NATO. France has never stooped giving money to NATO and sending military forces when they needed. The change is more political and psychological.

French President argues that NATO is changing and they need French support to be better. They want now to avoid some failure. This article gives for example, Kosovo war. Everybody remember that European countries were dividing during this fight. They never could find a common solution and they needed American help. For once, American and especially President Bill Clinton wouldn’t take part of this war. He had some troubles in US, so he wanted to focus on that.

Nicolas Sarkozy also expects a full voice now. As a member in the military command of NATO, he will take part of many discuss about world’s issues. As he said, it’s true that it completely absurd to send troops and give money in an organization where France cannot really make hear its voice. 

This reintegration embodies a new Europe: a Europe built by French and German hand by hand. European Union ever symbolizes that but they would like to go deeper. Besides, the next summit will takes place in Strasbourg, the city just at the border of France and Germany and the field which led to 3 wars between both countries.

In France, Gaullists are criticizing this decision as evidence. They are still researching a separatist way. But there are not a lot anymore. Others critics come from the socialist party which is very amusing. When De Gaulle took his decision, the socialist party organized a motion against De Gaulle government. They totally disagreed with that. But now, the same party wants to keep the separatist way. As they say, they are afraid that France looses weight in the world.