Französische Außenpolitik in Zeiten der Polykrise

Under the presidency of Emmanuel Macron, France has set itself the goal of strengthening its international presence, being more proactive and defining the European reform agenda. However, the French room for manoeuver is limited. The increasingly confrontational nature of the clashes between the United States, China and Russia as well as the US’s challenge to the rules of multilateralism reduce the influence of a regional power such as France. Furthermore, French domestic issues - for example high unemployment and the lack of competitiveness as well as social tensions - contradict its claim to equality on the international stage. Last but not least, France’s capacity to respond to global challenges such as climate change or demographic change in Africa is very limited.