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|capital =Paris
 
|capital =Paris
 
|capital-raw =
 
|capital-raw =
|government =Republic
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|government =
|government-raw =
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|government-raw =[[Semi-presidential republic]]
 
|language =French
 
|language =French
 
|king         =
 
|king         =
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|president =Emmanuel Macron
 
|president =Emmanuel Macron
 
|president-raw =
 
|president-raw =
|conservative-leader=Marine Le Pen
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|conservative-leader-raw=[[Marine Le Pen]] & [[Éric Zemmour]]
 
|chancellor =
 
|chancellor =
 
|chancellor-raw =
 
|chancellor-raw =
|pm         =Gabriel Attal
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|pm         =Michel Barnier
 
|pm-raw         =
 
|pm-raw         =
 
|area         =260,558 sq mi
 
|area         =260,558 sq mi
 +
|borders        = [[Belgium]] <br/> [[Brazil]] <br/> [[Germany]] <br/> [[Italy]] <br/> [[Luxembourg]] <br/> [[Spain]] <br/> [[Suriname]] <br/> [[Switzerland]] <br/> [[United Kingdom]] (maritime)
 
|pop         =66,666,667 (2020)
 
|pop         =66,666,667 (2020)
 
|pop-basis =
 
|pop-basis =
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|gdp-year =
 
|gdp-year =
 
|gdp-pc         =$41,250 (2020)
 
|gdp-pc         =$41,250 (2020)
|currency      =euro
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|currency      =[[Euro]]
 +
|idd =+33
 +
|tld            =.fr
 
}}
 
}}
 
:''For the impact on left-wing policies on France and the rest of Europe, see [[European migrant crisis]]''
 
:''For the impact on left-wing policies on France and the rest of Europe, see [[European migrant crisis]]''
'''France''' is a republic in [[Europe]] and is about the size of [[Texas]]. It has the second largest population in [[Western Europe]], roughly the same as the [[United Kingdom]] but behind [[Germany]]. The elected president is the dominant figure in the country's politics. The French national currency, or franc, was phased out and replaced by the [[euro]] in 1999-2002. France is the world's most popular tourist destination with 80 million visitors in 2011.<ref>"[http://geography.about.com/od/economic-geography/a/20-Most-Popular-Countries-As-Tourist-Destinations.htm 20 Most Popular Countries as Tourist Destinations]".</ref> The Eiffel Tower in Paris is world's most visited tourist attraction. [[Nuclear power]] produces 78 percent of the country's electricity.
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'''France''', officially the '''French Republic''', is a country located primarily in [[western Europe]]. The elected president is the dominant figure in the country's politics. The French national currency, or franc, was phased out and replaced by the [[euro]] in 1999-2002. France is the world's most popular tourist destination with 80 million visitors in 2011.<ref>"[http://geography.about.com/od/economic-geography/a/20-Most-Popular-Countries-As-Tourist-Destinations.htm 20 Most Popular Countries as Tourist Destinations]".</ref> The Eiffel Tower in Paris is world's most visited tourist attraction. [[Nuclear power]] produces 78 percent of the country's electricity.
    
In ancient times, the area that is today France was included in the Roman province of Gaul. Together with Germany and Northern Italy, it was part of the Carolingian Empire. The earliest document attesting to a distinct French language is the Oaths of Strassbourg of 842. In 843, the Treaty of Verdun divided the Carolingian Empire into French, German, and Italian kingdoms.
 
In ancient times, the area that is today France was included in the Roman province of Gaul. Together with Germany and Northern Italy, it was part of the Carolingian Empire. The earliest document attesting to a distinct French language is the Oaths of Strassbourg of 842. In 843, the Treaty of Verdun divided the Carolingian Empire into French, German, and Italian kingdoms.
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==History==
 
==History==
[[File:Palacio del Luxemburgo ELUE Romero.jpg|thumb|left|Luxembourg Palace.]]
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See: [[History of France]]
 
See: [[History of France]]
[[File:Azov-bn.gif|right|400px|thumb|(left) French-supported Azov Battalion; (center) Nazi Black Sun wheel; (right) SS Panzer Division ''Das Reich'' which committed the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre.]]
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The "Vichy" government largely cooperated with the German Nazi regime, namely in the allocation of French resources and manpower, and the forceful deportations of tens of thousands of French [[Jews]] living in France to [[concentration camp]]s across Europe.  France came under more complete German control following the German military occupation of November 1942 in response to saboteurs and resistance movements. Economically, a full one-half of France's public sector revenue was appropriated for  the German war effort against the [[Soviet Union]].
 
The "Vichy" government largely cooperated with the German Nazi regime, namely in the allocation of French resources and manpower, and the forceful deportations of tens of thousands of French [[Jews]] living in France to [[concentration camp]]s across Europe.  France came under more complete German control following the German military occupation of November 1942 in response to saboteurs and resistance movements. Economically, a full one-half of France's public sector revenue was appropriated for  the German war effort against the [[Soviet Union]].
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[[File:396px-Joan of arc miniature graded.jpg|175px|thumbnail|Saint [[Joan of Arc]] is the most important figure of French history.]]
   −
The Waffen-SS Division Charlemagne was formed in September 1944 from French collaborationists, many of whom were already serving in various other German units. Named after [[Charlemagne]], the 9th-century Frankish emperor, it superseded the existing Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism formed in 1941 within the German Army and the SS-Volunteer ''Sturmbrigade'' France formed in July 1943.  The division also included French recruits from other German military and paramilitary formations and ''Miliciens'', who were created by the Vichy regime to help fight the French Resistance.   
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The [[Waffen-SS]] Division Charlemagne was formed in September 1944 from French collaborationists, many of whom were already serving in various other German units. Named after [[Charlemagne]], the 9th-century Frankish emperor, it superseded the existing Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism formed in 1941 within the German Army and the SS-Volunteer ''Sturmbrigade'' France formed in July 1943.  The division also included French recruits from other German military and paramilitary formations and ''Miliciens'', who were created by the [[Vichy regime]] to help fight the [[French Resistance]].   
    
The massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane on June 10, 1944, four days after the [[Normandy Invasion]] commenced, was committed by the SS Panzer Division Das Reich.  The entire village, 642 people, men, women, children, and the elderly were killed, allegedly for harboring resistance fighters and to make an example for other villages.  The village was burnt following the massacre.  The village was not rebuilt and remains in the condition the Nazis left it as a memorial.<ref>https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/oradour-sur-glane</ref>  70 years later, the Ukrainian [[Azov Battalion]] notorious for [[war crimes]] and massacres of civilians in the [[Donbas]],<ref>http://www.indiandefencereview.com/what-forced-a-russian-response-in-ukraine/</ref> adopted the same  Wolfsangel insignia of the SS Division Das Reich; the 5th Republic of "democratic Europe" supported the Azov Nazis with money, training and weapons.<ref>https://twitter.com/PhilippeMurer/status/1500086419477389318</ref>
 
The massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane on June 10, 1944, four days after the [[Normandy Invasion]] commenced, was committed by the SS Panzer Division Das Reich.  The entire village, 642 people, men, women, children, and the elderly were killed, allegedly for harboring resistance fighters and to make an example for other villages.  The village was burnt following the massacre.  The village was not rebuilt and remains in the condition the Nazis left it as a memorial.<ref>https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/oradour-sur-glane</ref>  70 years later, the Ukrainian [[Azov Battalion]] notorious for [[war crimes]] and massacres of civilians in the [[Donbas]],<ref>http://www.indiandefencereview.com/what-forced-a-russian-response-in-ukraine/</ref> adopted the same  Wolfsangel insignia of the SS Division Das Reich; the 5th Republic of "democratic Europe" supported the Azov Nazis with money, training and weapons.<ref>https://twitter.com/PhilippeMurer/status/1500086419477389318</ref>
   −
The SS Division Charlemagne had 7,340 men at the time of its deployment to the Eastern Front in February 1945. It fought against Soviet forces in Pomerania where it was almost annihilated within a month.  When the [[Red Army]] stormed [[Berlin]], round 300 members of the Waffen-SS Division Charlemagne were defending [[Hitler]]'s bunker and were among the last Axis forces to surrender in April and May 1945.<ref>https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/ss-unit-berlin-frenchmen.html?edg-c=1</ref>
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The SS Division Charlemagne had 7,340 men at the time of its deployment to the Eastern Front in February 1945. It fought against Soviet forces in Pomerania to defend the Nazi capital where it was almost annihilated within a month.  When the [[Red Army]] stormed [[Berlin]], round 300 members of the Waffen-SS Division Charlemagne were defending [[Hitler]]'s bunker and were among the last [[Axis powers|Axis forces]] to surrender in April and May 1945.<ref>https://www.warhistoryonline.com/world-war-ii/ss-unit-berlin-frenchmen.html?edg-c=1</ref>
    
==People==
 
==People==
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Other religious groups include Evangelicals, Christian Scientists, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Membership in evangelical churches is growing (with as many as 400,000 adherents, according to February 2007 press reports), including African-style "prosperity" churches, especially in the suburbs of Paris, in large part because of increased participation by African and Antillean immigrants. According to the press, there are approximately 31,000 Mormons. The Church of Scientology has an estimated 5,000 to 20,000 members.
 
Other religious groups include Evangelicals, Christian Scientists, and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). Membership in evangelical churches is growing (with as many as 400,000 adherents, according to February 2007 press reports), including African-style "prosperity" churches, especially in the suburbs of Paris, in large part because of increased participation by African and Antillean immigrants. According to the press, there are approximately 31,000 Mormons. The Church of Scientology has an estimated 5,000 to 20,000 members.
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===Current politics===
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France’s hangover manifests as a permanent state of insurrection masquerading as “civic engagement.” Their identity is split between a delusional elite who still think Paris is the capital of the universe and a populace that expresses its “joie de vivre” by burning down bus stops every Thursday. The French suffer from a Napoleonic complex without a Napoleon; they demand the [[living standards]] of a conquering [[empire]] while working a 35-hour week and retiring at an age when most Americans are just hitting their stride. They preach “Republican values” and aggressive [[secularism]], yet the state has lost control over vast swathes of its own suburbs. France is essentially a beautiful, open-air museum where the curators are on strike, the guards are afraid of the visitors, and the management is busy lecturing the rest of the world on “grandeur” while the electricity bill goes unpaid.
    
==Government==
 
==Government==
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Traditionally, decision-making in France has been highly centralized, with each of France's departments headed by a prefect appointed by the central government. In 1982, the national government passed legislation to decentralize authority by giving a wide range of administrative and fiscal powers to local elected officials. In March 1986, regional councils were directly elected for the first time, and the process of decentralization continues, albeit at a slow pace.  
 
Traditionally, decision-making in France has been highly centralized, with each of France's departments headed by a prefect appointed by the central government. In 1982, the national government passed legislation to decentralize authority by giving a wide range of administrative and fiscal powers to local elected officials. In March 1986, regional councils were directly elected for the first time, and the process of decentralization continues, albeit at a slow pace.  
 
===Principal Government Officials===
 
===Principal Government Officials===
 +
[[File:Palacio del Luxemburgo ELUE Romero.jpg|thumb|right|Luxembourg Palace.]]
 
See [[List of French Presidents]].
 
See [[List of French Presidents]].
 
*President—Emmanuel Macron
 
*President—Emmanuel Macron
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On May 19, 2022, during a visit to [[Romania]], Macron commented on NATO provocations against [[Transnistria]]: “The recent incidents in Transnistria show that we cannot exclude that the conflict will spread to neighboring countries," and that France “intends to keep a special eye on the regional security situation and any possible encroachment on [[Moldova]]’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”  The Romanian Ministry of Defense announced that France would deploy a special air defense unit in Romania at the Capu-Midia military base, in the Constanta district
 
On May 19, 2022, during a visit to [[Romania]], Macron commented on NATO provocations against [[Transnistria]]: “The recent incidents in Transnistria show that we cannot exclude that the conflict will spread to neighboring countries," and that France “intends to keep a special eye on the regional security situation and any possible encroachment on [[Moldova]]’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.”  The Romanian Ministry of Defense announced that France would deploy a special air defense unit in Romania at the Capu-Midia military base, in the Constanta district
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Macron's dissolution of [[parliament]] was a catastrophic strategic miscalculation. It depleted his [[centrist]] base and created a hung parliament. His subsequent [[strategy]]—maintaining a tight grip while offering minimal concessions—is mathematically exhausted. The result: legislative paralysis.
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France's core vulnerability is its public [[finance]]s. The [[budget deficit]] is gaping, [[debt-to-GDP]] is soaring, and [[investor]] confidence is evaporating. [[Prime Minister]] Lecornu, who served just 28 days and quit, impossible mandate was to craft a budget satisfying both [[the Left]]'s demand for [[social]] spending and [[the Right]]'s aversion to [[tax]]es, all while preserving a pro-[[business]] facade.
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The post-[[election]] "Republican front" against the [[conservative populist]]  [[National Rally]] was a temporary fix and backfired. The center-right Les Républicains, upon whom Macron relied, walked away.
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 +
The political class failed. There is no functional majority, no viable coalition, and no savior in sight. By 2025 France was trapped in a 3-year political quagmire for the remainder of Macron's term, with its European influence diminishing and a looming [[debt crisis]].
    
===Foreign Relations===
 
===Foreign Relations===
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====Nordstream pipeline====
 
====Nordstream pipeline====
   −
On February 7, 2022 Michael Hudson, a research professor of Economics at University of Missouri, Kansas City, wrote:
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On February 7, 2022 [[Michael Hudson]], a research professor of Economics at University of Missouri, Kansas City, wrote:
 
{{quotebox-float|"The only way left for U.S. diplomats to block European purchases [of Russian gas] is to goad Russia into a military response and then claim that avenging this response outweighs any purely national economic interest. As hawkish Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, [[Victoria Nuland]], explained in a State Department press briefing on January 27 [2022]: “If Russia invades Ukraine one way or another [[Nord Stream 2]] will not move forward.” The problem is to create a suitably offensive incident and depict Russia as the aggressor.<ref>https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/02/michael-hudson-americas-real-adversaries-are-its-european-and-other-allies.html</ref>}}
 
{{quotebox-float|"The only way left for U.S. diplomats to block European purchases [of Russian gas] is to goad Russia into a military response and then claim that avenging this response outweighs any purely national economic interest. As hawkish Under-Secretary of State for Political Affairs, [[Victoria Nuland]], explained in a State Department press briefing on January 27 [2022]: “If Russia invades Ukraine one way or another [[Nord Stream 2]] will not move forward.” The problem is to create a suitably offensive incident and depict Russia as the aggressor.<ref>https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/02/michael-hudson-americas-real-adversaries-are-its-european-and-other-allies.html</ref>}}
 
In October 2022 ''Politico'' reported that French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told the French National Assembly,
 
In October 2022 ''Politico'' reported that French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told the French National Assembly,
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====Ukraine====
 
====Ukraine====
 
{{See also|Russia-Ukraine war}}
 
{{See also|Russia-Ukraine war}}
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[[File:Ukrainian Joan of Arc.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The Ukrainian Joan of Arc, according to ''Elle'' magazine, was arrested in connection with the murder of two Kyiv police officers in May 2015.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3073478/Teen-girl-feted-Ukraine-s-Joan-Arc-fighting-against-Russian-rebels-revealed-nasty-neo-Nazi-views-arrested-killing-cops.html</ref>]]
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[[File:Azov-bn.gif|right|400px|thumb|(left) French-supported Azov Battalion; (center) Nazi Black Sun wheel; (right) SS Panzer Division ''Das Reich'' which committed the Oradour-sur-Glane massacre.]]
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On March 26, 2022 two officers of the main department of external security of the Ministry of Defense of the French Republic (DGSE) flying by helicopter were shot down by [[Russian]] forces while on a mission to withdraw fighters from the [[Battle of Mariupol]].<ref>https://avia--pro-net.translate.goog/news/na-ukraine-sbit-vertolyot-s-oficerami-francuzskoy-razvedki-dgse</ref>  The two were immediately taken prisoner by the Russians.  According to reports by both a Russian and Ukrainian source, French soldiers from the Special Operations Command were in Mariupol side by side with the Azov Nazis.  Troops attached to the Special Operations Command are under the orders of Chief of the Defense Staff, General Thierry Burkhard, but they receive their orders directly from the Chief of the Armed Forces, President Emmanuel Macron.  On March 31, 2022, General Eric Vidaud, the head of the Direction of Military Intelligence (DRM), was fired.<ref>https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/03/31/frances-intelligence-chief-failed-predict-invasion-step-immediately/</ref>
   −
On March 26, 2022 two officers of the main department of external security of the Ministry of Defense of the French Republic (DGSE) flying by helicopter were shot down by [[Russian]] forces while on a mission to withdraw fighters from the [[Battle of Mariupol]].<ref>https://avia--pro-net.translate.goog/news/na-ukraine-sbit-vertolyot-s-oficerami-francuzskoy-razvedki-dgse</ref>  The two were immediately taken prisoner by the Russians.  According to reports by both a Russian and Ukrainian source, French soldiers from the Special Operations Command were in Mariupol side by side with the Azov Nazis.  Troops attached to the Special Operations Command are under the orders of Chief of the Defense Staff, General Thierry Burkhard, but they receive their orders directly from the Chief of the Armed Forces, President Emmanuel Macron.  On March 31, 2022, General Eric Vidaud, the head of the Direction of Military Intelligence (DRM), was fired.<ref>https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2022/03/31/frances-intelligence-chief-failed-predict-invasion-step-immediately/</ref>
  −
[[File:Ukrainian Joan of Arc.jpg|right|300px|thumb|The Ukrainian Joan of Arc, according to ''Elle'' magazine, was arrested in connection with the murder of two Kyiv police officers in May 2015.<ref>https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3073478/Teen-girl-feted-Ukraine-s-Joan-Arc-fighting-against-Russian-rebels-revealed-nasty-neo-Nazi-views-arrested-killing-cops.html</ref>]]
   
Public broadcaster France-Télévision presented a report on during the France-2 evening news, on March 31, 2022.<ref>https://www.voltairenet.org/article216354.html?id_article=216354#social</ref> The report acknowledged that the [[Azov Battalion]] consisted of neo-Nazi elements since 2014, singling out one of its founders, [[Andriy Biletsky]], but insisted that it had evolved into a respectable defense force. However, France-2 omitted to mention its other founder, [[Dmytro Yarosh]], who during the Russia-Ukraine war was Adviser to the [[Commander-in-Chief]] of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
 
Public broadcaster France-Télévision presented a report on during the France-2 evening news, on March 31, 2022.<ref>https://www.voltairenet.org/article216354.html?id_article=216354#social</ref> The report acknowledged that the [[Azov Battalion]] consisted of neo-Nazi elements since 2014, singling out one of its founders, [[Andriy Biletsky]], but insisted that it had evolved into a respectable defense force. However, France-2 omitted to mention its other founder, [[Dmytro Yarosh]], who during the Russia-Ukraine war was Adviser to the [[Commander-in-Chief]] of the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU).
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A former French Army soldier who spent several weeks in Ukraine delivering medical equipment and supplies told Sud Radio:
 
A former French Army soldier who spent several weeks in Ukraine delivering medical equipment and supplies told Sud Radio:
 
{{quotebox-float|"There, on the spot I saw [[war crimes]]. I saw a lot of war crimes. The only crimes I saw during the days I was there were perpetrated by Ukrainian forces...I saw Russian soldiers who were taken prisoner, bound and badly beaten…They were brought [to a detention area] in groups of three or four in minibuses. Every soldier exiting the minibus received a bullet from a Kalashnikov rifle in the knee…Those who admitted that they were officers got shot in the head...When I returned to France, I was extremely shocked by what the people who were invited on the TV shows were saying. A chasm exists between what I see and hear on TV and what I saw on the spot. For me it’s abominable...It shocks me enormously that Europe still gives weapons to a force which in my view are neo-Nazis, who have neo-Nazi insignia. We don’t talk about it. It’s an [[SS]] insignia brandished across Ukraine, everywhere...No one in Ukraine seems concerned about this, while we arm them with European weapons. They go off and commit war crimes, I saw this myself."<ref>https://youtu.be/ZoKnhXnp-Zk</ref>}}
 
{{quotebox-float|"There, on the spot I saw [[war crimes]]. I saw a lot of war crimes. The only crimes I saw during the days I was there were perpetrated by Ukrainian forces...I saw Russian soldiers who were taken prisoner, bound and badly beaten…They were brought [to a detention area] in groups of three or four in minibuses. Every soldier exiting the minibus received a bullet from a Kalashnikov rifle in the knee…Those who admitted that they were officers got shot in the head...When I returned to France, I was extremely shocked by what the people who were invited on the TV shows were saying. A chasm exists between what I see and hear on TV and what I saw on the spot. For me it’s abominable...It shocks me enormously that Europe still gives weapons to a force which in my view are neo-Nazis, who have neo-Nazi insignia. We don’t talk about it. It’s an [[SS]] insignia brandished across Ukraine, everywhere...No one in Ukraine seems concerned about this, while we arm them with European weapons. They go off and commit war crimes, I saw this myself."<ref>https://youtu.be/ZoKnhXnp-Zk</ref>}}
Former President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] criticized the [[European Commission]] and [[Ursula von der Leyen]] in an interview with ''Le Journal du Dimanche'' on October 23, 2022.  The issues of [[foreign policy]] and arms supplies to Ukraine go beyond the mandate of the European Commission, which is primarily a political organization. "I do not understand under what article of the European agreements European Commission President [[Ursula von der Leyen]] can justify her competence in terms of arms procurement and foreign policy." The EU must be careful not to foment military escalation in Ukraine, Sarkozy said.  "The only thing that the Europeans are hearing today is the allocation of additional billions for the purchase of weapons. More weapons, more deaths, more war! We are hostages of miscalculations, exaltation, irritation and thoughtless actions. We are balancing on the edge of a volcano," Sarkozy said.<ref>https://www-lejdd-fr.translate.goog/Politique/exclusif-retraites-ukraine-congres-lr-nicolas-sarkozy-sort-de-son-silence-et-livre-ses-analyses-au-jdd-4142556?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US</ref>
+
Former President [[Nicolas Sarkozy]] criticized the [[European Commission]] and [[Ursula von der Leyen]] in an interview with ''Le Journal du Dimanche'' on October 23, 2022.  The issues of [[foreign policy]] and arms supplies to Ukraine go beyond the mandate of the European Commission, which is primarily a political organization. "I do not understand under what article of the European agreements [[European Commission]] President [[Ursula von der Leyen]] can justify her competence in terms of arms procurement and [[foreign policy]]." The [[EU]] must be careful not to foment [[military]] [[escalation]] in [[Ukraine]], [[Sarkozy]] said.  "The only thing that the [[European]]s are hearing today is the allocation of additional billions for the purchase of [[weapon]]s. More weapons, more [[death]]s, more [[war]]! We are [[hostage]]s of miscalculations, exaltation, irritation and thoughtless actions. We are balancing on the edge of a volcano," Sarkozy said.<ref>https://www-lejdd-fr.translate.goog/Politique/exclusif-retraites-ukraine-congres-lr-nicolas-sarkozy-sort-de-son-silence-et-livre-ses-analyses-au-jdd-4142556?_x_tr_sl=fr&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=en-US</ref>
    
====Burkina Faso====
 
====Burkina Faso====
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Relations at a cultural and popular level are complex. While many Americans see the French as too quick surrender in the face of military conflict, many French people view suspiciously America's willingness to go to war. There are suspicions that America will only fight to secure wealth primarily oil or its ideology of the US version of liberty with disregard for other nation's views. Americans often view French culture as being very elitist and overly reliant on the high arts while some French take exception to American "cultural imperialism" even though the French are keen consumers of American-style fast food, cinema and modern music. The French are generally proud of the donation of the Statue of Liberty but can sometimes appear ungrateful for the help America and other Allies gave in World War 2.
 
Relations at a cultural and popular level are complex. While many Americans see the French as too quick surrender in the face of military conflict, many French people view suspiciously America's willingness to go to war. There are suspicions that America will only fight to secure wealth primarily oil or its ideology of the US version of liberty with disregard for other nation's views. Americans often view French culture as being very elitist and overly reliant on the high arts while some French take exception to American "cultural imperialism" even though the French are keen consumers of American-style fast food, cinema and modern music. The French are generally proud of the donation of the Statue of Liberty but can sometimes appear ungrateful for the help America and other Allies gave in World War 2.
   −
==Military Issues==
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==Military==
[[File:French July 14.jpg|right|200px]]
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{{See also|French Wars}}
French military doctrine is based on the concepts of national independence, [[nuclear weapon]]s deterrence, and military sufficiency. France is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ([[NATO]]), and has worked actively with Allies to adapt NATO, internally and externally, to the post-Cold War environment. However, in 1966, the French withdrew from NATO's military bodies while remaining full participants in the alliance's political councils. In December 1995, France announced that it would increase its participation in NATO's military wing, including the Military Committee. France remains a firm supporter of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other efforts at cooperation.  France rejoined NATO in 2009 shortly before NATO's [[war of aggression]] against [[Libya]] in 2011.
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[[File:Facing Russians, we are an army of cheerleaders.PNG|left|400px|thumb|''Marianne'', March 7, 2024.]]
 +
French military doctrine is based on the concepts of national independence, [[nuclear weapon]]s [[deterrence]], and military sufficiency. France is a founding member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization ([[NATO]]), and has worked actively with Allies to adapt NATO, internally and externally, to the post-Cold War environment. However, in 1966, the French withdrew from NATO's military bodies while remaining full participants in the alliance's political councils. In December 1995, France announced that it would increase its participation in NATO's military wing, including the Military Committee. France remains a firm supporter of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and other efforts at cooperation.  France rejoined NATO in 2009 shortly before NATO's [[war of aggression]] against [[Libya]] in 2011.
    
Outside of NATO, France has actively and heavily participated in a variety of so-called "peacekeeping" efforts in Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans, often taking the lead in these operations. France has undertaken a major restructuring to develop a professional military that will be smaller, more rapidly deployable and better tailored for operations outside of mainland France. Key elements of the restructuring include reducing personnel, bases, and headquarters and rationalizing equipment and the armament industry. French active-duty military in June 2007 numbered about 350,000 (including Gendarmes), of which nearly 34,000 were deployed outside of French territory. France completed the move to all-professional armed forces when conscription ended on December 31, 2002.  
 
Outside of NATO, France has actively and heavily participated in a variety of so-called "peacekeeping" efforts in Africa, the Middle East, and the Balkans, often taking the lead in these operations. France has undertaken a major restructuring to develop a professional military that will be smaller, more rapidly deployable and better tailored for operations outside of mainland France. Key elements of the restructuring include reducing personnel, bases, and headquarters and rationalizing equipment and the armament industry. French active-duty military in June 2007 numbered about 350,000 (including Gendarmes), of which nearly 34,000 were deployed outside of French territory. France completed the move to all-professional armed forces when conscription ended on December 31, 2002.  
[[File:Nato - airpower.jpg|thumb|left|300px|NATO-airpower.]]
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France places a high priority on arms control<ref>[http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/11/10/151219.shtml French Arms Sales to China]</ref> and non-proliferation. After conducting a final series of six nuclear tests, the French signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996. France has implemented a moratorium on the production, export, and use of anti-personnel landmines and supports negotiations leading toward a universal ban. France is an active participant in the major supplier regimes designed to restrict transfer of technologies that could lead to proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Australia Group (for chemical and biological weapons), the Non-Proliferation Treaty, and the Missile Technology Control Regime. France participates actively in the Proliferation Security Initiative, and is engaged with the U.S., both bilaterally and at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), to curb nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) proliferation from the D.P.R.K., Iran, Libya, and elsewhere. France has joined with the U.S., Germany, and the other three permanent members of the UN Security Council to offer a package of incentives and disincentives to Iran to halt its uranium enrichment activities. France has also signed and ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention. France maintains a color-coded security system, similar to that of the U.S., consisting of yellow, orange, red and scarlet threat levels.  
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France places a high priority on arms control<ref>[http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/articles/2004/11/10/151219.shtml French Arms Sales to China]</ref> and non-proliferation. After conducting a final series of six nuclear tests, the French signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty in 1996. France has implemented a moratorium on the production, export, and use of anti-personnel landmines and supports negotiations leading toward a universal ban. France is an active participant in the major supplier regimes designed to restrict transfer of technologies that could lead to proliferation of weapons of mass destruction: the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the Australia Group (for chemical and biological weapons), the [[Non-Proliferation Treaty]], and the Missile Technology Control Regime. France participates actively in the Proliferation Security Initiative, and is engaged with the U.S., both bilaterally and at the [[International Atomic Energy Agency]] (IAEA) and Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), to curb nuclear, biological, and chemical (NBC) proliferation from the D.P.R.K., Iran, Libya, and elsewhere. France has joined with the U.S., Germany, and the other three permanent members of the UN Security Council to offer a package of incentives and disincentives to Iran to halt its uranium enrichment activities. France has also signed and ratified the Chemical Weapons Convention. France maintains a color-coded security system, similar to that of the U.S., consisting of yellow, orange, red and scarlet threat levels.  
    
At least 62 French soldiers have been killed in [[Afghanistan]] during [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] since its inception in 2001.<ref>[http://www.defense.gouv.fr/operations/afghanistan/in-memoriam/in-memoriam In Memoriam]</ref>
 
At least 62 French soldiers have been killed in [[Afghanistan]] during [[Operation Enduring Freedom]] since its inception in 2001.<ref>[http://www.defense.gouv.fr/operations/afghanistan/in-memoriam/in-memoriam In Memoriam]</ref>
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===2023 riots===
 
===2023 riots===
 
{{See also|2023 France riots}}
 
{{See also|2023 France riots}}
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Weapons delivered to [[Ukraine]] by [[NATO]] and [[the West]] ended up in the hands of protesters and were used against police. The foreign arms provided to [[nationalist]]s, [[Nazi]]s and [[fascist]]s on Ukrainian territory backfired and not only ended up in [[Western]] donor countries, but were also used against their own people.<ref> https://korybko.substack.com/p/france-is-suffering-blowback-from</ref>
 
Weapons delivered to [[Ukraine]] by [[NATO]] and [[the West]] ended up in the hands of protesters and were used against police. The foreign arms provided to [[nationalist]]s, [[Nazi]]s and [[fascist]]s on Ukrainian territory backfired and not only ended up in [[Western]] donor countries, but were also used against their own people.<ref> https://korybko.substack.com/p/france-is-suffering-blowback-from</ref>
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===NATO war in Ukraine===
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{{See also|NATO war in Ukraine}}
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At the end of February 2024, Macron set the task for the French Ministry of the Armed Forces to study the issue of sending forces of the Foreign Legion to Ukraine. On February 27, 2024, by order of the French command, the formation of three companies of fighters from the Foreign Legion began.
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According to the French ''Marianne'' paper in March 2024, a secret series of 'assessments' by the French military written in the fall of 2023, following [[2023 Ukraine counteroffensive|Kiev's disastrous ground offensive]], concluded that: "[[Ukraine]] cannot win this [[war]] militarily."  The report praises the [[Russian]] forces as the new “tactical and technical” standard of how to run defensive operations and debunks the media myth of “meat assaults."<ref>https://www.marianne.net/monde/europe/guerre-en-ukraine-endurance-russe-echec-de-la-contre-offensive-ce-que-cache-le-virage-de-macron</ref> A summary of the report states:
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{{quotebox-float|"While [[Macron]] might be preparing something disastrous, the French Armed Forces are trying to sound the alarm through the French [[media]].
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In the French publication ''Marianne'', which is very close to the French political class, French officers speaking on condition of anonymity spoke about their impressions of the [[war in Ukraine]], the [[AFU]] and the Russian Armed Forces.
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In summary, the officers speaking to the publication rated the Russian Army very highly. The Russian Army, contrary to [[Liberal media|Western media]], trains its new recruits properly, organizes rotation of personnel and units in the frontline, and always mixes veterans with new recruits so the new soldiers can learn more quickly.
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By contrast the Ukrainians blew their best and last chance for victory in the [[2023 Ukraine counteroffensive|Summer 2023 offensive]]. The French Armed Forces also estimate Ukraine needs 30,000 - 35,000 new conscripts or recruits every month to keep their force levels steady but currently the Ukrainians are only inducting half that number.
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The article assesses that there is no conceivable path currently to a Ukrainian military victory."<ref>DDGeopolitics</ref>}}
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On March 5, 2024, the French military leadership and the command of the Legion approved the staffing of the battalion tactical group, to include 1,500 military personnel. This battalion tactical group includes three companies of the Legion, which were assigned for this unit before. These are :
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*one material support company;
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*two engineering companies.
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The battalion tactical group should also include:
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*up to 6 motorized infantry and armored companies
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*as well as the operating team.
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The French command failed to assure the declared manpower of the battalion tactical group from the members of the Legion. That’s why the French military leadership has decided to fill the ranks of the group with personnel from the Ministry of the Armed Forces. The supposed ratio of members of the Foreign Legion to regular military personnel of the Ministry of the Armed Forces in the newly formed battalion tactical group is approximately 1 to 2.
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0n March 7, 2024 Macron proposed sending [[NATO]] troops to [[Ukraine]]. While it's debatable whether Article 5 of the NATO Charter would extend to members' troops in third countries like Ukraine, it would be a moot question in that scenario since the participation of [[nuclear]]-armed France and/or the [[UK]] is enough to lead to nuclear brinksmanship if they clash with Russia there. All the more so if America approves of their intervention or at least doesn’t try to stop it, in which case it might back them up, possibly to the point of threatening to use [[America]]'s own [[nuke]]s if the fighting doesn’t stop.<ref>[https://korybko.substack.com/p/romania-revealed-the-legal-means Romania Revealed The Legal Means Through Which NATO States Might Intervene In Ukraine], [[ANDREW KORYBKO]], MAR 13, 2024. korybko.substack.com</ref>
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In the first half of March 2024, the battalion tactical group began combat coordination at the la Courtine training camp.
    
== Economy ==
 
== Economy ==
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