Sarkozy to end France's exile from the heart of Nato

Published on Wednesday 11 March 2009 20:49

PRESIDENT Nicolas Sarkozy said yesterday that France would rejoin Nato's integrated military command, more than 40 years after Charles de Gaulle pulled out of the alliance's inner circle.

Mr De Gaulle, the then president, quit the command structure in a row over the United States' influence in Europe, but Mr Sarkozy told a defence conference France needed to return to the heart of Nato.

"It is in the interest of France and in the interest of Europe," he said. "We have stop deluding ourselves that by burying our heads in the sand, we are capable of protecting anything."

France is Nato's fourth-largest contributor of troops, and officials have said its self-imposed exile was hindering its ability to influence decision-making in the 26-nation military bloc.

Yesterday's announcement will make little difference on the ground in missions such as Afghanistan, where France has 2,800 troops, but it is symbolically significant and will firmly tie European defence ambitions to the Atlantic alliance. Opinion polls show a majority of voters support the move, but many of Mr Sarkozy's political opponents have criticised it.

Many influential conservatives have also distanced themselves from any rapprochement with Nato, seeing it as a betrayal of Mr De Gaulle's vision of an independent France.

France was a founding member of Nato, but Mr De Gaulle argued that Paris did not want to be dragged into a war that was not of its own choosing. France left the command structure in 1966 amid the Cold War.

Although Mr Sarkozy could authorise the Nato reintegration without consulting parliament, he has called a confidence vote next week to give added legitimacy to his decision. He is expected to win the vote easily.