FEATURED COMMENTARY & ANALYSIS

Will France stem the tide of populism?

Report Nov 10, 2025

France’s policy on China: Strategic autonomy and less naïveté

By Zoltán Fehér

Over the last decade, France’s long-standing engagement with China has transformed into a more nuanced and cautious dynamic, reflecting a growing emphasis on balancing. This shift is guided by France’s pursuit of strategic autonomy, its effort to “de-risk” economic and security ties, and the broader geopolitical realities unfolding in the Indo-Pacific.
China Economy & Business
Will France stem the tide of populism?

New Atlanticist Sep 8, 2025

Experts react: The French government has collapsed again. What does this mean for France, the EU, and Macron?

By Atlantic Council experts

On Monday, Prime Minister François Bayrou lost a confidence vote in the National Assembly, removing him from office and leaving France in a state of political uncertainty.
France NATO
Will France stem the tide of populism?

New Atlanticist Jul 16, 2025

Reading between the lines of the new France-UK nuclear entente

By Léonie Allard

French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Kier Starmer released a “truly historic” declaration on nuclear planning on July 10.
France Nuclear Deterrence

Program

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Content

Event Recap

Dec 16, 2016

Will France stem the tide of populism?

As France looks ahead to its 2017 presidential elections, one of many elections throughout Europe next year, the electorate’s decision will set the tone for the future of Europe, either encouraging or halting the spread of populism throughout the transatlantic community, said an expert on French public policy. In introductory remarks at an event at […]

Europe & Eurasia
European Union

Issue Brief

Dec 13, 2016

Spotlight France: Europe’s swing state

By Jérémie Gallon and Jeff Lightfoot

France’s geopolitical power in Europe is unique. It combines a positive legacy of global leadership, a rich diplomatic network, universal aspirations, global military reach, cultural influence, and economic heft. The authors, Atlantic Council Senior Fellows Jérémie Gallon and Jeff Lightfoot, of this paper, “France: Europe’s Swing State: Foreign Policy Begins at Home,” argue that France […]

European Union
France

Issue Brief

Dec 13, 2016

Spotlight France: Europe’s swing state

By Jeffrey Lightfoot, Jérémie Gallon

“France: Europe’s Swing State: Foreign Policy Begins at Home,” argue that France is the pivotal swing state in shaping the contours of a stronger European Union (EU) and a reinforced transatlantic alliance at a crucial moment in the history of the West.

European Union
France

In the News

Dec 13, 2016

Polyakova in the Huffington Post: Russia’s Likely to Interfere in French and German Elections Next

By Alina Polyakova

Read the full article here.

France
Germany

New Atlanticist

Dec 6, 2016

Domestic Reforms Must Be a Priority for France

France occupies a unique geopolitical position and can positively influence Europe’s trajectory, but first it must undertake significant domestic reforms, Jérémie Gallon, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Future Europe Initiative, said in a Facebook Live discussion on December 6. Gallon joined Jeffrey Lightfoot, a nonresident senior fellow with the Atlantic Council’s Brent […]

France

UkraineAlert

Nov 17, 2016

The Russian Plot against Europe

By Alina Polyakova

Russia’s influence reaches deep into Western Europe. France has a major far-right, Eurosceptic, and openly pro-Russian party that receives funding from the Kremlin. In London, Brexit provides an opportunity for Moscow to gain a toehold in British politics. Germany’s former Chancellor Gerhard Schröder serves as chairman of the Russian-German pipeline Nord Stream. But these examples […]

European Union
France
French nuclear ballistic missile submarine Téméraire

NATOSource

Nov 16, 2016

German Lawmaker: Europe Must Consider Own Nuclear Deterrence Capability

By Andrea Shalal, Reuters

Europe needs to think about developing its own nuclear deterrent strategy given concerns that U.S. President-elect Donald Trump could scale back U.S. military commitments in Europe, a senior member of Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives said.

European Union
France

New Atlanticist

Nov 16, 2016

Former NATO Leaders to Trump: Don’t Make Bad Deals with Putin

By Ashish Kumar Sen

Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Anders Fogh Rasmussen warn against turning Ukraine into a ‘bargaining chip’ US President-elect Donald Trump must not strike any deals with Russian President Vladimir Putin that turn Ukraine into a “bargaining chip,” and must send a clear signal of commitment to the security of the United States’ NATO allies, two former […]

European Union
France

Defense Industrialist

Nov 3, 2016

Technological disjunctures and the 21st century destroyer

By Danny Lam

The future of surface warfare requires cooperation across borders. Sea control in the twentieth century revolved around fleets based on battleships, then aircraft carriers. Lesser vessels like destroyers and frigates were for constabulary duty during peacetime, and during wartime, for assisting the main battle fleet in defeating opposing navies to restore control of seas. In […]

China
Conflict

UkraineAlert

Oct 26, 2016

Don’t Expect Quick Resolution to Europe’s Only Active War

By Vera Zimmerman

The most disputed point about the Minsk agreements has been whether to hold local elections in the Donbas before Ukraine regains control of its border with Russia, or after. Ukraine has insisted that security and the return of the border should precede elections, while pro-Russian separatists and Moscow have been pushing for the opposite, as […]

France
Germany
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Experts

Fellow

Jérémie Gallon

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

Economy & Business English

Fellow

Marie Jourdain

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Europe Center

Africa English

Fellow

Erwan Lagadec

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

English Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Jeffrey Lightfoot

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

English Europe & Eurasia

Fellow

Leo Michel

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security Transatlantic Security Initiative

Europe & Eurasia European Union

Staff

Emma Nix

Assistant Director

Europe Center

Central Europe Eastern Europe
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