France as a Middle Power in the Shadow of Great Powers After the Pandemic

Abstract

This study examines France’s strategy in the Indo-Pacific region to explore how a European middle power tries to maintain its status in the emerging focal point of global politics. Based on the concept of middle global power, the paper explores the limits of France’s autonomous regional foreign policy. The paper argues that the best strategic option for France is to seek cooperation with other regional partners, notably Australia, beside the two superpowers, China and the United States. However, the dramatically increased tensions between the United States and China since the second part of the Trump administration have resulted in important changes in the Indo-Pacific region, such as the strengthening of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, which makes it increasingly difficult for France to maintain its independence as a regional great power image. This changing reality for France is illustrated through a case study of the AUKUS Treaty.