With the clock ticking and 29 March 2019 approaching ever closer, Brexit negotiations are entering their final, frantic stage. While the EU27 and Britain continue to disagree over the backstop in Northern Ireland, political disagreement within the UK has become the status quo. Amid all this, a crucial alliance at the heart of Europe is coming under increasing pressure, write former French prime minister Bernard Cazeneuve and former UK defence minister and NATO secretary general George Robertson in a joint op-ed article in The Guardian.
The Franco-British alliance on defence and security has never been so valuable, as the threats we face are getting stronger: Islamist-inspired terrorism, Russia’s destabilising actions, state fragility in North Africa and the Middle East. All of this at a time when a new US foreign policy is heralding a world in which Europe will have to rely more on its own forces to defend itself.
Our alliance is fundamental to Europe’s security. Our two countries are the only true military powers on the continent: together they account for more than half of the European defence budget and capabilities. They are the only European countries with nuclear weapons, the only ones with both the political will and military means to engage in expeditionary operations, and the only ones willing to show leadership on the global stage in line with their responsibilities as permanent members of the United Nations security council.
Our alliance is old – we do not forget the entente cordiale of 1904, nor the fact that we fought together for Europe’s freedom during the two world wars. The Lancaster House treaties, signed in 2010, aimed to give it a new impetus. Since then, France and the UK have embarked on an ambitious programme of operational, industrial and nuclear cooperation – with many successes.
We established a combined joint expeditionary force, aimed at increasing successful military operation. We have fought side by side in Libya and the Levant. Officer exchange programmes have helped to break down barriers between the services. In the nuclear field, our two countries have set up joint simulation and research infrastructures, crucial for the viability of our nuclear deterrence. The success of this cooperation, in an area so sensitive and so closely linked to issues of national sovereignty, shows the strength of our relationship.
But today, our alliance seems fragile. Even before Brexit, certain aspects were unsatisfactory, but the UK’s withdrawal from the EU exacerbates these tensions. It threatens security cooperation, much of which is achieved through EU and multilateral European mechanisms, and risks complicating ties between British and French businesses that are crucial for industrial collaboration. Above all, it raises questions about our shared goals and ambitions.
So while the case for cooperation may be obvious, strong ties do not maintain themselves. As with all relationships, it is one that needs to be nourished and looked after. This is why we have been working with a range of experts, brought together by the Policy Institute at King’s College London and Institut Montaigne, to review the “health” of UK-France defence and security relations since the 2010 treaties. Proud of what has already been accomplished, while also acknowledging where we have fallen short, we have taken stock of this partnership and looked at how it could be strengthened.
We have identified three priorities.