The dilemma of France's relations with Africa in the 21st century: the relationship between discourse and practice

Abstract

The object of the study is the foreign policy of the French Republic. The subject of the study is the African vector of France's foreign policy in the 21st century during the presidencies of N. Sarkozy, F. Hollande and the current head of state E. Macron. The purpose of the study is to identify the reasons why France faced difficulties in the African direction of its foreign policy in the 21st century. The author analyses in detail the declarative and practical components of French policy towards Africa in the period under study. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of French military intervention in Africa between 2007 and 2023. The novelty of the study lies in the fact that the study makes a comparative analysis of the discursive and practical dimensions of French policy towards Africa between 2007 and 2023 in order to identify possible reasons for the failure of France's policy course towards Africa in the 21st century. The study concludes that France, which has a long history of colonisation of Africa, still does not consider Africa as an equal partner, while the African dimension of French foreign policy is characterised by a contradiction between its declarative and practical components, as the declared principle of equality as the basis of Franco-African relations actually gives way to the traditional policy of spheres of influence and France's desire to maintain its position on the African continent.