Multilateral Gaullism - Explaining French Policy Reorientation toward Multilateralism in Africa

Abstract: The Franco-African liaison has in the 21th century evolved from a bilateral to a multilateral logic of affiliation. This policy transformation is to a significant extent due to the French rationalisation of resources, which can be understood as an attempt to extract external resources from multilateral institutions, such as the European Union. France increasingly uses these organisations? capabilities and resources to achieve its own policy goals in Africa. The strategy is put into operation as France is in economic decline and sees its privileged position in Africa challenged by other state actors. As visible consequences, French aid to development has gained a significantly multilateral profile and the EU is conducting French-initiated and controlled military operations in Africa. Traditional Gaullist policies are in this way given a new face.