Europeanisation without the European Union? French military reforms 1991-1996

Article abstract:

This article addresses the puzzle of the Europeanisation of French military policy between 1991 and 1996. To what extent is there a Europeanisation of French military policy? How can Europeanisation be understood and conceptualised in this particular area? I discuss the theoretical debate on Europeanisation specifically in the defence sector, and present a methodology based on the study of the decision- making process of French military reforms. The analysis refutes the thesis according to which Europeanisation is no more than an alibi or an illusion in the case of French military policy. Studying the decision-making process of the 1991-96 reforms illustrates the impact of European integration on the transformation of French military policy, affecting both cognitive and normative frames, and the actors and the instruments of this public policy. Finally, it details the mechanisms of this Europeanisation without the EU. Institutional mediations are important, but in this case indirect pressures, élite socialisation and the learning process are more decisive factors.