‘France is back’: Macron’s European policy to rescue ‘European civilisation’ and the liberal international order

Abstract

French President Emmanuel Macron has put forward extensive proposals to strengthen the European Union. In order to better understand their nature and rationale, this article argues that it is essential to take into account a core – yet overlooked – aspect of Macron’s foreign policy: his unique use of a civilisational lens to frame and structure his approach to world politics. Based on a discourse analysis of 211 foreign policy speeches, press statements and interviews given by Macron between May 2017 and May 2021, this article shows that he has urged for a strengthening of the EU by arguing that it was necessary to protect both the international liberal order and what he refers to as ‘European civilisation’, and has insisted that France has a responsibility to facilitate this process. Through this analysis, the article provides a stronger understanding of France’s foreign policy, whilst shedding light on how middle powers like France claim to influence the future of the liberal order, and how civilisational debates are still being used.