Entente Cordiale Redux: the impact of Brexit on British and French foreign and security policy

ABSTRACT

Brexit has been a game-changer for Britain, and its key partners. Strategic shifts as well as historic relations have impacted the UK’s relationship with France in a number of unexpected ways. This article explores some of the key historical events that have caused both agreement and strife between the two states, looking at the bilateral treaties established to deepen cooperation on security and defence, specifically the Lancaster House agreements, and considers the series of intriguing accords and conventions that have arisen from the mid-1980s, as well as the logistical challenges of the shared border and juxtaposed border controls of Britain and France. Post-Brexit diplomatic forums in which Britain and France are joined by Germany are then explored, before assessing Britain’s attempts to forge its new role in relation to long-standing commitments to France and an evolving relationship with the EU.

KEYWORDS:

• Entente Cordiale
• post-Brexit foreign policy
• Britain
• France
• Lancaster treaties

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1. Bernard, “Britain into Europe”.

2. Hill, The Future of British Foreign Policy, 129.

3. Ibid.

4. Ibid., 130.

5. Niblett, “Global Britain, global broker”.

6. Grant, “Macron’s Europe”.

7. Security Council Report, “The Penholder System”.

8. Kefferpütz, “Shifting Politics”.

9. Tombs, “The Franco-British Relationship”

10. Alexander and Philpott, ed., Anglo-French Defence Relations between the Wars.

11. CHC Deb 16 June 1940, cc 701–2, cited in House of Commons Library (2010, Standard Note, SN/IA/5750, C. Taylor, Franco-British Defence Cooperation, 8 November, 3).

Available: https://researchbriefings.files.parliament.uk/documents/SN05750/SN05750.pdf

12. Ibid., 3–4.

13. Pompidou, “Britain into Europe”, 165.

14. Hadfield, “British Foreign Policy”.

15. Harrois, “Franco-British Defence and Security Cooperation after Brexit”.

16. Candel, “Concorde and the future of Supersonic Transport”.

17. Hill, The Future of British Foreign Policy, 132.

18. Putnam, ”Two-Level Games”.

19. Hill, The Future of British Foreign Policy, 134.

20. ”L’enjeu pour la France reste bien, en dépit du Brexit, d’ancrer le Royaume-Uni dans une coopération bilatérale […] et ainsi de maintenir une relation de défense privilégiée avec le seul pays européen toujours doté d’ambitions globales, d’une dissuasion nucléaire et de la capacité de mener des opérations de haute intensité,” Gouvernement de France, “Revue stratégique de défense et de sécurité nationale,” 62.

21. HM Government, “Global Britain in a competitive age,” 60.

22. Ricketts, “France and the UK”.

23. Taylor, “Franco-British Defence Co-operation”.

24. Lord Peter Ricketts, online interview with the authors, March 2021.

25. Ricketts, “France and the UK”.

26. North Atlantic Treaty Organization, “Boosting NATO’s presence in the east and southeast”.

27. Lindley-French, “Entente Frugale“.

28. UK-France TaskForce, “The UK-France defence and security relationship,“ 2–3.

29. Lord Peter Ricketts, online interview with the authors, March 2021.

30. Connolly, “Scholz defends Ukraine policy as criticism mounts in Germany”.

31. UK in a Changing Europe, “Global Britain: Views from Abroad,” 20.

32. Ricketts, “France and the UK”.

33. Paul Johnson, online interview with the authors, April, 2021.

34. UK-France TaskForce, “The UK-France defence and security relationship,” 4.

35. Ibid.

36. Lord Peter Ricketts, online interview with the authors, March 2021.

37. Paul Johnson, online interview with the authors, April, 2021.

38. UK-France TaskForce, “The UK-France defence and security relationship”, 2–3.

39. Named after Sangatte, a town on the Northern coast of France in the Nord-Pas-De-Calais region, and which was at the epicentre of the refugee crisis when it emerged in the Republic in 1991.

40. Drake and Schnapper, “Paradoxical Effect”, 132.

41. Lord Peter Ricketts, online interview with the authors, March 2021.

42. Vickerman in Drake, “France, Britain and Brexit”.

43. Taylor, “Franco-British Defence Co-operation”, 5.

44. Paul Johnson, online interview with the authors, April, 2021.

45. Lord Peter Ricketts, online interview with the authors, March 2021.

46. Including the prevention of terrorism through nuclear, radiological, biological, chemical and explosive devices, including through the Cyclamen programme for screening traffic passing through the Channel Tunnel.

47. Ricketts, March 2021.

48. Tombs, “The Franco-British Relationship”.

49. Drake, “France, Britain and Brexit”, 99.

50. Ibid., 98.

51. Gehrke, “New German Chancellor Scholz vows continuity with Merkel”.

52. Garton Ash, “Macron wants to turn Europe into a global giant”.

53. Brattberg, “The E3, the EU, and the Post-Brexit Diplomatic Landscape,” 2.

54. Grant, “Macron’s Europe,” 1–2.

55. Billon-Galland and Whitman, “Towards a strategic agenda for the E3,” 2.

56. Ibid., 1.

57. Billon-Galland et al, “Europe After Coronavirus,” 7.

58. Hadfield, “Carry On, Global Britain”.

59. Hadfield and Wright, “Fog in Channel?”.

60. Paul Johnson, online interview with the authors, April, 2021.

61. Connolly and Wintour, “Pressure mounts on German ministers to embargo Russian energy”.

62. Deutsch Welle (DW), “Germany’s army: Will €100 billion make it strong?”.

63. Ashton and Seal, “U.K. Finds No Grounds to Block Chinese Takeover of Chipmaker”.

64. Moens, “Ukraine presses the EU to get real about trading with the enemy”.

65. Wintour, “France, Italy and Germany seek post-Brexit deals with UK”.

66. Ibid.

67. HM Government, “UK-Germany joint declaration”.

68. Gouvernement de France, “Revue stratégique de défense et de sécurité nationale,” 62.