The French Return to NATO

The French return to NATO has been met with standing ovations in the alliance and perceived as France finally returning to the fold. This article traces the evolution of the French process and suggests that it does not entail a major change in French policy, nor is it taking place at the expense of the European Union's Common Security and Defence Policy. The French have been given central positions within the Command Structure that will enable them to influence NATO's transformation and achieve the ultimate goal of developing a European Union strong enough to be considered an equal partner to the United States.