However, deterrence rests on perception. France developed its own nuclear force during the Cold War in part because it doubted that the United States would automatically risk its own cities for Paris.
Now Macron is asking others to place a measure of trust in French judgment, while making clear that control will not be shared.
“By virtue of our constitution, it belongs only to the president of the republic,” he said, stressing that the nuclear decision remains exclusively in French hands.
Macron has said that France’s “vital interests” include a European dimension. He has not defined that phrase in detail and has repeated that the decision remains solely French. Ambiguity is part of deterrence, but it also leaves room for interpretation.
Domestic politics adds another layer. Macron leaves office in 2027. Polls suggest that Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally remains a serious force. A future French president might frame France’s interests differently. A nuclear umbrella shaped by political leadership can evolve with that leadership.
For Poland, which sits close to Russia and has direct experience of regional instability, such uncertainties are unsettling.
nimdull on
Look this is not the perfect solution, best if we do our own nuclear bomb so we can give our umbrella to the Baltic states. But for now if works. That’s about it. It France more leverage on polish politics.
LMHC90 on
So does any nuclear umbrella. Poland is covered under US nuclear umbrella as part of NATO, but Warsaw does not get to decide when to launch.
But same goes for NATO, it’s based on a promise of mutual defense, in the practice, hard to be 100% sure.
Only real deterrence is develop own capabilities, conventional and nuclear if needed.
RozRoyal on
Better to have some nukes (even if France controls it) on our land than nothing. Maybe in the future we will make our own.
No_Prompt_982 on
I hope that one day we will have our own nukes nuclear weapon is the only thing that will guarantee us 100% safety from rus*ia
trzepet on
If only our intellectuals would pull their heads out of their asses and realize Ukraine had nukes, has technical know how to buid and maintain nuclear arsenal and we would actually be the strong part in that relation..
tomekza on
We counted on our allies at the beginning of WW2, for that we got the phoney war. By the time our allies were there to help us, we had endured unbelievable brutality with millions sent to Nazi death camps.
Ukraine would not be suffering the same fate we did if it still had a nuclear deterrent. Words, promises and memorandums are worthless.
replicant86 on
France didn’t trust US and built their own. Now they ask others to trust them. Something doesn’t add up.
DemoN_M4U on
Every country in Europe needs nukes. Something like this is usless. What if France will choose moron like Trump.
Lumpy-Vacation-9097 on
Don’t trust the French.
PiotreksMusztarda on
This plan sounds retarded
pikeram on
Better than not having it.
alphaevil on
Reasonable, at the same time it would be great to have civilised World without war
Known_Fisherman_8161 on
Wtf is this biased headline
danrokk on
What’s the real benefit then?
MinecraftWarden06 on
Building our own capabilities together with Baltic and Nordic countries would be nice
GCdotSup on
you can look but you cant touch.
Mezzoski on
He probably just wants to scatter French arsenal across Europe. In case some are still usable before would get destroyed in the first minutes of nuke conflict.
And for control of a button – Braun could be next polish president. Anybody likes to give control of anything important to him? Not that current president is somehow well suited.
EducationCommon1635 on
Maybe Poland could negotiate buying 32 or so of their Rafale jets in exchange for their ASMP nuclear missiles which just so happen are carried by Rafales
19 commenti
However, deterrence rests on perception. France developed its own nuclear force during the Cold War in part because it doubted that the United States would automatically risk its own cities for Paris.
Now Macron is asking others to place a measure of trust in French judgment, while making clear that control will not be shared.
“By virtue of our constitution, it belongs only to the president of the republic,” he said, stressing that the nuclear decision remains exclusively in French hands.
Macron has said that France’s “vital interests” include a European dimension. He has not defined that phrase in detail and has repeated that the decision remains solely French. Ambiguity is part of deterrence, but it also leaves room for interpretation.
Domestic politics adds another layer. Macron leaves office in 2027. Polls suggest that Marine Le Pen’s far-right National Rally remains a serious force. A future French president might frame France’s interests differently. A nuclear umbrella shaped by political leadership can evolve with that leadership.
For Poland, which sits close to Russia and has direct experience of regional instability, such uncertainties are unsettling.
Look this is not the perfect solution, best if we do our own nuclear bomb so we can give our umbrella to the Baltic states. But for now if works. That’s about it. It France more leverage on polish politics.
So does any nuclear umbrella. Poland is covered under US nuclear umbrella as part of NATO, but Warsaw does not get to decide when to launch.
But same goes for NATO, it’s based on a promise of mutual defense, in the practice, hard to be 100% sure.
Only real deterrence is develop own capabilities, conventional and nuclear if needed.
Better to have some nukes (even if France controls it) on our land than nothing. Maybe in the future we will make our own.
I hope that one day we will have our own nukes nuclear weapon is the only thing that will guarantee us 100% safety from rus*ia
If only our intellectuals would pull their heads out of their asses and realize Ukraine had nukes, has technical know how to buid and maintain nuclear arsenal and we would actually be the strong part in that relation..
We counted on our allies at the beginning of WW2, for that we got the phoney war. By the time our allies were there to help us, we had endured unbelievable brutality with millions sent to Nazi death camps.
Ukraine would not be suffering the same fate we did if it still had a nuclear deterrent. Words, promises and memorandums are worthless.
France didn’t trust US and built their own. Now they ask others to trust them. Something doesn’t add up.
Every country in Europe needs nukes. Something like this is usless. What if France will choose moron like Trump.
Don’t trust the French.
This plan sounds retarded
Better than not having it.
Reasonable, at the same time it would be great to have civilised World without war
Wtf is this biased headline
What’s the real benefit then?
Building our own capabilities together with Baltic and Nordic countries would be nice
you can look but you cant touch.
He probably just wants to scatter French arsenal across Europe. In case some are still usable before would get destroyed in the first minutes of nuke conflict.
And for control of a button – Braun could be next polish president. Anybody likes to give control of anything important to him? Not that current president is somehow well suited.
Maybe Poland could negotiate buying 32 or so of their Rafale jets in exchange for their ASMP nuclear missiles which just so happen are carried by Rafales