The position of france and the european union on nuclear disarmament

Abstract

The position of France – President Nicolas Sarkozy reiterated the French nuclear doctrine in a speech in Cherbourg. For the first time, a French president dealt at length with the problems of disarmament. He also clarified the French position: Paris has always been doubtful about the “Global Zero” level advocated by some other countries.

Under President Jacques Chirac another element was added: the force de frappe could be used against the leadership of states that use terrorism against France as well as those that envisage using weapons of mass destruction. In addition to the vital interests of the French nation, “the interests of nations allied to France” consacrated a first step toward a common European policy in nuclear matters.

From the beginning of the Fifth Republic (1958) till today, there has been a wide consensus on defense issues, particularly on the force de frappe. Even the Socialists under Mitterrand rallied to the necessity of a policy of deterrence; the Communists, though proponents of total nuclear disarmament, did not oppose it.

The position of European Union – However, the European Union has worked on strategy policies on subjects such as the Union action plan on chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear security; nuclear nonproliferation; European security strategy; etc.

The European Union consists of two nuclear states and 25 nonnuclear states. It makes it difficult to find a unified approach toward disarmament. Despite the Treaty of Lisbon and the creation of post of a high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, the European Union struggles to define a common foreign policy.

Citation

Arpi, C. (2013), "The position of france and the european union on nuclear disarmament", Nuclear Disarmament: Regional Perspectives on Progress (Contributions to Conflict Management, Peace Economics and Development, Vol. 21), Emerald Group Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 169-188. https://doi.org/10.1108/S1572-8323(2013)0000021018