‘I hope that in the coming months we will move forward towards a strengthening of European defence and the renovation of NATO, and thus its relationship with France. The two go hand in hand: an independent European defence and an Atlantic organization in which we play a full role.’ Such were the words of the President of the Republic when, at the Ambassadors’ Conference on 27 August 2007, he launched the debate on France’s reintegration into NATO, ahead of the decisions likely to be announced at the summit planned for 2009 in Strasbourg and Kehl to celebrate 60 years of the Alliance.

For some, this amounts to a fundamental break with our foreign and defence policy, and for others nothing more than a logical conclusion to a series of developments to which we committed at the end of the Cold War. Nevertheless, the prospect raises controversy even though the issues surrounding the question are not always clearly expressed, in turn leading to the risk of overshadowing what is really at stake.

The fact remains that whilst France contributed to the creation of this regional security organization, and that for nearly 15 years our forces have been committed under the NATO banner in several operational theatres, NATO itself, how it functions and the operations it conducts remain relatively poorly known in our country. There are many preconceived ideas in circulation: images from the past persist, and people have not always fully taken into account the fundamental developments related to the engagement of NATO in crisis management operations.