A certain idea of space: France, Germany, and the question of geopolitics in Europe

Abstract

ABSTRACT Given the traditional centrality of their bilateral relationship, France and Germany face calls to lead the way towards more integrated EU geopolitics, but meanings and implications remain vaguer than in other policy areas. What is geopolitics, and why seem France and Germany to be struggling to cooperate? To answer these questions, the article opts for an etymologically narrower definition than most contributions, focusing on the territorial politics of influence spheres. Tracing the evolution of distinct national intellectual traditions from the late-nineteenth century to the present day, France’s geopolitical orientation is interpreted as longitudinal, seeking a separate influence sphere between western and eastern powers, reaching across the Mediterranean into the Sahel. Germany’s traditional orientation is characterised as latitudinal, looking towards Eurasia and across the Atlantic. Bridging critical and classical geopolitics, the article argues that current tensions arise where France’s traditional spatial orientation reflects today’s growing challenges to German conceptions, and vice-versa.