French initiatives in the field of EU security and defense

Abstract

This article provides insight into the initiatives of the President of France Emmanuel Macron in the field of European Union security and defense. France is leading the processes of military convergence of the EU members. The author examines the perspectives of such a convergence and tries to identify both internal and external causes of the French European policy. The author explores Macron's European policy and compares it with the ideology of classical gaullism, laid the foundation for the Fifth Republic led by general Charles de Gaulle. The author characterizes Macron's policies as ―flexible gaullism'' and identifies its main features. The author assesses the perspectives of the initiatives suggested by Macron in the sphere of European security and defense and tries to reveal possible obstacles for the realization of these initiatives. The article also provides an analytical assessment of the current French external European policy, evaluates the political influence of modern France on the European Union Common Security and Defense. The author explores the impact of Brexit on the position of France in EU and studies the role of Paris in PESCO - Permanent Structured Cooperation. The article reveals joint initiatives of France and Germany and the role of Franco-German tandem in the EU Common Security and Defense Policy. © 2020 Institute of Europe Russian Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.