France: The EU’s Political Engine
France is the EU’s 2nd largest economy (€2.8 trillion GDP), its only nuclear power, and — alongside Germany — the primary driver of European integration. Post-Brexit, France’s relative weight in the EU has increased significantly.
EU Policy Leadership
Defence: France leads the European Defence Fund (€8B) and PESCO projects. The only EU member with full-spectrum military capability. Digital: France championed the EU AI Act, Digital Services Act, and sovereign AI investment. Climate: Nuclear advocacy reshaped EU taxonomy to include nuclear as green energy. Trade: France shapes EU trade policy through agricultural interests and industrial strategy.
Key EU Roles
France held the EU Council Presidency in H1 2022 (Macron’s agenda: European sovereignty, green transition). France provides the 2nd largest EU budget contribution (~€26B/year) and receives significant CAP agricultural funding. French nationals lead or have led key EU institutions: ECB, European Commission, European Parliament.
Institutional Presence
France holds significant weight across EU institutions. In the European Parliament, France has 81 MEPs (2nd largest delegation). In the Council of the EU, France’s voting weight reflects its population of 68 million. France provides the 2nd largest contribution to the EU budget at approximately €26 billion annually, while receiving substantial allocations from the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) as the EU’s largest agricultural producer. French officials have held the presidencies of the European Commission, European Parliament, European Central Bank, and European Council at various points — reflecting deep institutional integration.
Franco-German Engine
The Franco-German partnership remains the EU’s political engine. The Élysée Treaty (1963) and Aachen Treaty (2019) formalize bilateral cooperation spanning defence, education, research, and economic policy. Joint initiatives include the Franco-German Brigade, the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) (€100B+ programme), and coordinated positions on EU fiscal policy, energy, and enlargement. When France and Germany align, EU policy moves; when they diverge, the EU stalls — a dynamic that has shaped every major EU decision from the eurozone crisis to COVID recovery.
Digital and Industrial Sovereignty
France has been the EU’s most vocal advocate for European digital sovereignty. French policy shaped the EU AI Act (world’s first comprehensive AI regulation), the Digital Services Act (DSA), the Digital Markets Act (DMA), and the Data Act. France’s €54 billion France 2030 programme explicitly targets European competitiveness in semiconductors, AI, cloud, and quantum computing. President Macron’s “European sovereignty” doctrine argues that the EU must develop autonomous capacity in defence, energy, digital, and space to reduce dependence on the US and China.