Sarkozy’s speech on foreign policy: France has to earn its status
PARIS — “France, like every other nation, has no given right when it comes to its international status; its message to the world won’t be heard unless it comes from a confident and ambitious society.”
This is how Nicolas Sarkozy chose to revitalize French foreign policy in a speech delivered August 27 to all French ambassadors, who had gathered in Paris for their annual conference.
There is with no doubt a change of tone on foreign and security policy issues, as this has been the case on domestic affairs since Sarkozy has been elected. The speech was punchy, ambitious, and showed a desire to put France back on track on the international scene. The style is definitely more pragmatic than Chirac’s one was, and the quest for a non-idelogical approach of foreign affairs (especially when it comes to the transatlantic dimension) is obvious. In a very smart way, Sarkozy made clear that there is a direct linkage between France’s capacity to reform and adapt itself on the domestic front and its credibility on the international stage and in foreign affairs.
Now, what does Sarkozy see as the main international challenges?
First comes the necessity “to avoid the clash between the West and Islam”. No doubt Jacques Chirac would have never used such a direct and strong wording. Sarkozy announced that:
France will increase its efforts in Afghanistan ; his concept and plan for a “Mediterranean Union” will be further developped; the “tragedy in Iraq” should be ended. France still thinks the war was wrong, a timeline for the withdrawal of foreign troops should be devised; last but not least, on Iran: a nuclear Iran would be “unaceptable”, and we should avoid being trapped by the following alternative: “the Iranian bomb or Iran being bombed”.
Second challenge: how to better integrate emerging powers such as China, India and Brazil in the global world order? Sarkozy put an accent on the necessary reform of multilateral institutions such as the UN, the IMF and the G8 (the latter should be transformed into a G13).
Third: how to better fight against new risks such as climate change, pandemics and energy security? Here again, a more robust and smart multilateralism should be devised.
Sarkozy highlighted European integration as the “absolute” priority of French foreign and security policy which according to him means: going fast on a simplified treaty ; pushing European common defence forward with the adoption of a new EU’s strategy under the upcoming French presidency of the EU in 2008; creating a committee of “wise” men who should reflect on EU’s strategy for 2020-2030.
If the EU takes this road, then France won’t oppose opening new chapters of negociations with Turkey. Sarkozy remains in favor of a “close association” between the EU and Turkey, but he made clear in this speech that the option of full accession should remain on the table. This is kind of breaking news after the “no accession whatsoever” leitmotiv of his presidential campaign.
New tone, strong ambitions, different wording: Sarkozy wants to bring new blood to French foreign policy. It is clear that the goal here is to put France back on the map, and to regain what both Sarkozy and his Minister for Foreign affairs Bernard Kouchner perceive as a loss of status and grasp on strategic and international affairs. It will be interesting to see how such a change in declaratory policy will be put in practice.